Customer Reviews

New 4 Channel Embedded Linux US411Z-WS D1 H.264 Network DVR With NO Hard Drive, Real time True Triplex with built web server for remote viewing and operation, backup and operation 4CH DVR 480FPS SATA ready

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've had this unit for a few weeks, and I've been experimenting with camera positions and lighting. This Security DVR has worked perfectly.
All features work, as advertised, and are well implemented.

PROS:
-Motion detection with pre-record (pre-time stamps motion event) works great. I really like the function which allows you to fast forward at 32x, and the unit slows right down to 1x right before a car or person walks on my property, then resumes FF when it leaves the frame. I can spend 20 minutes after work, and see every person or vehicle that has entered my property for the past 9 hours I've been at work. Very cool!
-I can access the unit from any computer in my house. The software included allows access to the DVR menu functions as well. Streaming video over my LAN has been glitch free and solid full motion. I haven't tried accessing the box away from home yet. I will update my review if there are any problems with that. (I doubt there will be. The firmware and software have been well de-bugged, for the most part)
CONS:
I only have a couple of gripes about the unit:
-The menu is a little hard to understand, and you have to experiment with certain menu functions to discover what they actually do.(This is obviously a translation issue.) Once you have figured out what does what,
the menu settings are easy to use, and well implemented.
-The compression used by the unit does degrade the resolution a bit, when streaming or recording. Not by much though. The streaming video has very little degradation, and the recorded video is a little worse, with some slight pixelation on the "Best" setting. I understand that this is a compromise between picture quality and disk space, however, I wish it had a better resolution recording option. Large disk drives are relatively cheap anyway. This may become an issue if you are trying to identify a face in the distance. We'll see . . .

Overall, I'm extremely pleased with this Security DVR.
It is well built, and does pretty much everything I would want.
It would be nice to have the USB Flash Drive backup on this one,
but you have to move up to a more expensive model to get that functionality.
For the price, this DVR is an absolute BARGAIN! I've seen VERY similar Security DVRs for $180 and up. (sans drive)

I highly recommend this unit.

I have the model that comes with the 250GB HDD and I am very satisfied with the unit. Like some of the reviews I do think that some of the menu functions/options are quite difficult to understand and that you have to play around with them to see what they do. I've had it running for about year with just a few minutes of interruptions and still running good.

I just enter my current IP and I am able to watch my house while at work and keep an eye on my kids when they get home from, or when they don't have, school. I have a dynamic IP so before I leave for work I make check to make sure what is my current IP. My ISP changes my IP every month - sometimes every week so it's not a big deal. It has worked flawlessly so far. I will be replacing the existing HD with 1.5TB HD soon.

I use this DVR as the central point of my home security system. I purchased a 1TB SATA drive from Amazon which was easy to install into the unit. I have 4 security cameras connected to the DVR which can be viewed individually or as a group of four on my LAN. The manufacturer provides software to view or record the DVR data over a LAN onto a computer. The DVR functions as a web server with its own static IP address when connected to your LAN. The DVR (and all cameras) can be accessed over the internet by port forwarding over a router/modem and then setting up a dynamic dns account. Setting up the DVR for viewing/recording over your LAN is easy. Setting up the port forwarding with dynamic dns is more complicated. A web search can provide tips on the best way to do this.

With the 1TB hard drive, I am able to record over 3 weeks of video data, all for a cost of around $250. Truly a great deal. I also own the 561 model which has been running 24/7 for over a year without any problems. The 561 model comes with a remote control which makes programming easier, but the 560 has all the same functionality on the front control panel.

Over the years I've cobbled together various CCTV components from Ebay, Amazon, etc... The primary purpose was to watch my dog while I was at work but then it became sort of a hobby and I kept adding outdoor cameras. I could never find a stable PCI DVR card or decent DVR and remote monitoring software but what I had worked so I went with it.

That was until I ran across this little gem!

It just works! Yes the menu is a little quirky to figure out but it is still far better than anything I had previously purchased and comes complete with powerful features. The remote playback via the internet is very nice and the video quality is excellent!

I threw in a 1TB drive and at the highest recording FPS the unit appears to eat 1% of the 1TB drive each day or every 24 hours. That's a lot of surveillance days to keep on file and more than I'll ever need!

Hopefully it will last because I'm VERY happy with this unit!

I'll update this review if it ever dies so if you don't see an update then it must still be working!

This is going to be an attempt at a thorough review.

Background - I'm an IT guy, not a security guy, at my house we started off trying to us a PC DVR card with software, don't waste your time, difficult to configure, compatibility issues, the whole bit - THIS DEVICE IS THE WAY TO GO.

Ordered it, dropped in the hard drive (fresh from the box, no formatting, no messing around), plugged in the camera, set the time, and BINGO, we're online and recording. (We're using a 5400 RPM, "GREEN" drive from a major manufacturer and it works great. I could care less about going "green", it was cheap, 1TB will give us 45 days of recording - may or may not vary depending how many cameras are being used.) Literally plug 'n play, I was shocked! Comes with a BNC to RCA adapter, so it hooks up to your TV or other device, no problem. When you fire up the DVR, you can stop there if you choose - install nothing else, and just load up your web browser (in your local network) and type in the local IP address and you're all set, install the active-x (which pops up by itself in IE) and there's you picture - INCLUDING all the DVR settings and option for multiple other web user accounts with different security options. So you can have an awesome setup with no software if you so desire.

Features - This device and packaged software does everything any home and small business person would ever needs. Brightness, darkness, saturation, hue, if you want it to beep for motion or not, alerts or not, and so on, even has a VGA/d-sub port and you can configure the output resolution. The packaged software allows you to do everything the actual device can do, and MORE. You can set it up to record a time interval before and after a motion alert for example - and it's very sensitive, so it won't miss anything and it creates an easy to use log so you can play back the 'event' quickly and easily. It came with a full set of instructions for basic use, printed out, LARGE print, with screenshots, directions on how to get the DVR online in your network. (It's easy as pie for anyone with basic networking skills and even people without.) Too many features and options to list, any person getting started with be VERY IMPRESSED WITH THIS DVR. (If you've never set up surveillance before, just get yourself some BNC adapters and/or cables, it works just like a regular TV cable, but with different ends on the cables, that's all.)


Cons: The remote is horrible, VERY unintuitive (if that's a word.) Secondly, the remote is horrible. It doesn't really matter though, for what this device is made for, you can do everything you need to be without even using half the buttons on the remote - even if you knew what "F2" on a remote meant. (You can tell the remote directions didn't translate well into English, but the large print directions, re the network setup, from the seller on Amazon (I assume) were great.) The beeping noises this thing makes (for every little thing) can get annoying, but you can turn them off in the menu. Passcode for every little thing can get annoying too, but you can turn that off as well.

Conclusion - This is VERY IMPRESSIVE for what I'd consider an entry level system, despite the remote control issues (which can easily be overcome using the computer interface), this DVR performs as promised and beyond. If you don't want to get all into the details and special configurations, you can have it up and running and reliably recording in the most basic form in under 10 minutes.

As a stand-alone, TV remote interface, security recorder this unit is probably a best buy for the money. It has a few quirks and since the manual is incomplete, you have to guess and experiment with functions such as:
1) motion detection. Will not work at all unless you set a schedule that includes motion detection. I still get motion detection alarms for a camera, I have entirely masked off. Controls for masking and sensitivity are hard to set because they interact in unknown ways. How should I handle trees that blow in the wind? (I couldn't get masking to work) At what distance (or image size) are people detected? (close seems more detectable than far) How should cars driving by be detected? (sometimes detected, sometimes not)
2) external I/O, (what kind of connector is recommended? How well will it hold a connection? Does it have any latch to hold a wire tight? What kind of sensors will work? contact closure switches? 5V DC? 24V AC? What does polarity mean? reverse voltage? Normally open versus normally closed?
3) it appears that the single audio channel either never records or is permanently disabled for playback. Works fine for live monitoring. This seems like a bug that should have been caught before release.
4) I had a peculiar transient error: the percent hard disk full went from 0% to -3% and the alarm went off. Checking the event search function, I saw that the date had changed to Dec 31, 1999; it recorded remote logins (highly unlikely on home private network); it listed two power ons in less than a minute. This suggests the code is still buggy and may not be reliable enough for standalone operation. I was able to clear the alarm with the remote, but if I wasn't home my wife would be freaking out. I would recommend switching off the alarm/buzzer for any unattended operation.
5) The DVR does not take exploit the greater editing flexibility of a hard drive versus a VHS tape. The only editing functions seem to be to erase the entire hard disk and either stop when the disk is full or overwrite. These are fine functions for a VHS tape, but I expect a hard disk to let me at least edit out video I've already reviewed or is too dark or during testing. Maybe all I want to save is clips of people that come up to my house, dogs that poop in my yard, or garden thieves.

My biggest complaint is the use of the word Linux in the description, it implies that the device is open and customizable with standard Linux functions such as samba (Windows network file sharing) or telnet/ssh scripting. This device appears to be a ordinary closed-source proprietary interface with some eye-candy, demo-ware Windows clients. Hobbyists and engineers want an open interface to a security DVR for projects like:
1) create timelapse video of your garden (shadowed areas by time-of-day and season), volume of garden greenery by time of year, inventory of animals visiting your property.
2) timelapse/motion detection of sleep. Look for and quantify sleep apnea, restless-legs syndrome, tossing and turning, electronic distractions like computers and video games.
3) Neighborhood watch. Discriminate between routine vehicular activity (commuting, postman) and unusual activity.
It is unlikely a commercial company will provide all these functions, but hobbyists and enthusiasts would if open interfaces made it possible.

My father needed Video Monitoring solution for his business. I am in IT so I have decided to build one for him. I have played with PCI Capture cards and ruled against it. I have almost bought another unit but noticed "17% of the users purchased this solution" link. I have followed the link and was intrigued right away. The seller of this unit (U.S. Security Solutions) is very straight forward with DVR specs, and they list a lot of helpful pictures. For example - internal make-up of the box. It is also hardware based H.264 solution running on Linux - if done right will run forever. So I have purchased it.

It was delivered fast. I have added 1TB HardDrive and was up and running in 1 hour. I actually liked the internal menu system, not sure what other people are complaining about. It is simple and to the point. Initially I had issues setting up networking on it (as future confirmed they were mostly of my own making) So I looked for updates on firmware but could not figure out how to get it. The site overseas was not helpful and had issues on their download page. I thought I have received one of the "unsupported solutions" and was a little bit disappointed. I have sent an e-mail to the seller through Amazon not expecting much and was pleasantly surprised when I received a response in couple of hours with a link to their site's "drivers download page". They had all of the latest updates for this unit right there in a very organized fashion.

I have "flashed" my unit with the latest firmware, fixed my networking issue and at the moment I have full networking connectivity to it. I like how I can access full menu system through the network, actually the same menu you get locally. I can even record to the remote computer I am watching from.

This unit can be accessed remotely through IE, DVR Remote Desktop or their Central Management System.

For a 4 channel monitoring solution this DVR is perfect. It does everything and more. The best part about it - they just lowered their price!

I am getting another one for my Home monitoring.

For the time being, I'll consider this a "first impression" review. I may updated in down the road if I remember :)

So my DVR and cameras just arrived at my door yesterday. I went home for lunch so that I could bring them inside and open everything up and have a look at it. The DVR was actually quite a bit smaller than I was expecting it to be, so that was a plus right from the start. I unboxed the DVR and opened it to find everything neatly packed inside. It comes with a laser mouse, remote, ATA cable, batteries and a CD with their DDNS software (which you don't really need if you don't want to use it). Oh and the instructions/manual if you need them. I was able to wing the setup without the documentation.

I plugged everything in, hooked up one of my cameras to channel1 on the box and powered it all on. Right off the bat the camera's view popped up on my TV... off to a good start :). I played around with the menu a bit using the remote (the mouse works via one of the 2 USB ports in front as well). First thing I did was turn off the beeping noise it makes every time you hit a button, then I went and explored some of the menus. I found navigating around the system to be fairly intuitive and if you have the slightest bit of tech or IT knowledge, it should be a breeze. My lunch was now over and I had to head back to work, but I had a good idea of what I needed to do when I got home to get everything online.

When I got home last night, I logged into my router from my home PC to set up all the networking stuff. To avoid using their DDNS software, I just set the DVR network settings to LAN and configured my DVR with a static IP/Mask/Gateway and DNS on my home network. Then I went into my router and set up port forwarding on the IP I gave to the DVR. Once that was all set, it was time to give it a shot. I figured why not go all out and just try it first on my HTC EVO (android 2.2). So I put my "http://:" into my phone's browser and it brought me to a link to download the BuboBubo software to my phone. That took about 10 seconds, then I started the app up, created my DVR profile and BAM! It worked first shot :). (btw the phone app is only good for viewing, not configuring the DVR). But it's still really cool. You can view 1 cam or all 4, and the video framerate is far better than I expected it to be on a mobile device.

Next I logged into my work machine remotely from my home PC, put the address in my browser and got a link to download the DVR Remote Desktop software for my PC. This also worked without issue. From the PC software you can configure all the settings just as you would right from the DVR. In fact, I found it much easier to do it this way.

So far I'm pretty damn impressed with this thing, especially for $150. I still need to stuff an ATA drive in there and configure all the email alerts, motion sensing, recording schedules and what not, but that'll be easy. The real fun is going to be mounting the cams and running all the cables :/ But for the time being I mounted a camera to one of my kitchen cupboards and aimed it down at my puppy who I'm watching right now from work, sleeping in his crate. The video quality is more than acceptable, I can see him breathing and he's about 15ft from the camera. Colors are a little bit wonky, but that's really not a big deal and they're not too too bad.

Design - 5 *
Functionality - 5 *
Ease of setup - 5 *
Price - 5 *

This is a very decent product with an affordable price, excellent for the beginner as well as for the pro. Usually, you have to pay at least $220 for a product like this and may not have the same features. However, the video quality is not quite impressive. If you watch HD TV a lot, than you may not like the video quality although this product uses the newest MPEG codec H.264. With the highest picture setting, the picture is still not showing much of the details. I guess that is what you paid for what you got. Note that I used Sony hi-res security camera as source, it has 512 TV lines. The documentation on CD and online does not provide enough information for the end users. For example, it does not instruct user how to setup motion detection. The mask function is also a little confusing. Once you figure it out how to, you definitely will love this motion detection feature; very sensitive (tunable) and it saves disk space too. If you want this unit run 24/7, you definitely want to know how much juice it takes. With 1 T hard drive installed, this product consumes about 0.25A power or 28W of electricity. You cannot find this info from the manufacturer source; I use special equipment to obtain this data. There is another thing to complain about is the beeping sound; every time you push the buttons on the remote you hear a loud beep that is a little bit annoying overtime. Other than that, this is a viable, reliable, cost effective good product. Despite of the little complains, I give it 5-star.

The other reviews say it all. This is the best you can get in this price range and the next range up. So much better then the pc card type. The only thing that would make you pick a different unit would be if you needed more cameras.