1. DEFENDER 21031 SENTINEL 8-Channel Smart
Security DVR with 8 Ultra Resolution Outdoor
Security Cameras Check & Compare price
From Defender
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Average customer review:
(81 customer reviews)
Product Description
Record over 2 years' worth of footage on the included 500 GB hard drive
Product Details
Color: Black
Brand: Defender
Model: 21031
Dimensions: 14.17" h x 11.45" w x 20.66" l, 10.95 pounds
Features
Choose motion-activated recording or H.264 compression to maximize
storage space
Super resolution cameras provide crisp and detailed video
Monitor up to 100 feet away in complete darkness with automatic night
vision
View anytime, anywhere with remote viewing via internet, smartphone,
and tablet
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2. Editorial Reviews
From the Manufacturer
Trust DEFENDER® to make thieves and vandals think twice about
approaching your property. DEFENDER® systems function just like a
computer, with a mouse for pointing and clicking and an intuitive icon-
based menu for easy set up and use. View anytime, anywhere with remote
viewing via internet, smartphone, and tablet and receive email alerts, with
photo, when motion is detected on your property. Record over 2 years'
worth of footage on the included 500GB hard drive. Eight all-weather
cameras deliver clear, ultra hi-res video with 600 TVL for maximum
surveillance indoors and outdoors. 36IR LEDs allow for 100ft of automatic
night vision. Anti-vandal mount ensures cameras cannot be tampered with
and 65ft of cable allows for greater flexibility in mounting around your home
or business. Don't give thieves a chance. Stop them with DEFENDER®!
View online | View Larger
Extremely easy to set up and use
This DEFENDER® system functions just like a computer, with a mouse for
pointing and clicking and an intuitive icon-based menu that provides
prompts and coaching to assist you in navigating the system. It’s even so
simple to use it will begin recording as soon as it’s plugged in.
View your camera footage from anywhere in the world
Whether monitoring your business or home, view your footage live online,
anytime and anywhere with PC or Mac. You can also view footage on almost
any smartphone, including iPhone®, BlackBerry®, Android™, Windows
Mobile®, or Symbian™, as well as on your iPad® and most major tablets.
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3. Instant email alerts if activity detected
Instantly know if suspicious activity is happening on your property. This
DEFENDER® system is designed to send you an email alert, complete with
photo, if any motion is detected on your property or if any of your cameras
experience video loss.
Crisp and detailed video | View Larger
IR Cut filter for crisp and detailed video you can rely on
Your security system is only worthwhile if you can actually see the person
stealing from you. DEFENDER® cameras are equipped with 600 TV lines
of resolution and an IR cut filter to enhance color and detail. The DVR
records in D1 resolution, which is the equivalent of 704 x 480 pixels or DVD
quality. The result is clear, crisp and accurate video feed.
Two years’ worth of footage storage – and more if you need it
The included 500 GB hard drive allows continuous monitoring and
recording of over two years’ worth of footage! Your DVR sends an alert when
your memory space is full so that you can choose to overwrite old video or
stop the unit from recording. The built-in USB port gives you the option of
backing up and transferring your video footage with a USB flash drive or
external USB hard drive. And if you need to expand your storage even
further, you can choose to record only when motion is detected. This DVR
uses H.264 compression which maximizes recording time, transfers data
more efficiently over the internet and you’ll use 50% less storage space than
traditional compressions - MPEG4, MJPEG - while still benefitting from
high-quality imagery.
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4. 100ft night vision | View Larger
When everyone else is asleep, our cameras are watching closely
The things that go bump in the night are sometimes a thief making off with
your big-screen TV. DEFENDER® cameras are equipped with night vision
that automatically activates. Thirty-six infrared ClearVu® LEDs provide
crisp and detailed night imagery as you monitor from up to 100ft away, even
in complete darkness. So thieves may think they’re lurking in the dark but
you can rest assured DEFENDER® will see them.
Weather resistant | View Larger
Rain or Snow won’t stop us
Criminals don’t take the night off if it’s raining. Neither do our cameras.
They’re weather resistant and ensure optimal picture quality no matter what
Mother Nature decides to throw at you, be it rain, hail or snow. The
professional-grade aluminum housing, complete with sunshade, will protect
against rust, deterioration and glare. So no matter what’s going on outside,
DEFENDER® will be ready
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5. Vandal resistant mount | View Larger
Secure wiring can’t be tampered with
Thieves know dismantling a security system is a good way to get off scot
free. But they’ll be disappointed with DEFENDER®. Each camera’s 65ft of
cable runs through the cable mount and then directly into the wall, leaving
no part of the cable exposed. Your footage will be secure.
See more with 8 cameras
Thieves don’t limit themselves to just a few rooms. Neither should your
security system. Monitor up to 8 areas with this 8CH DEFENDER® DVR
kit. By adding all included cameras you’ll be able to keep an eye on your
entire property, enjoying even greater peace of mind.
Lifetime Live Customer Support
Our customer support team can be reached by phone or by email and live
web chat. You’ll always have access to an expert. Support is available in
English, Spanish and French.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
141 of 147 people found the following review helpful.
One solid outdoor video surveillance system
By Wayne
A few years ago I installed a PC-based security system similar to this from
Q-See in our old house. It was quite a bit more complicated than this all-in-
one setup as it involved setting up PC-based Hardware, buggy software, and
13 different types of indoor and outdoor cameras.
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6. At the moment, I haven't permanently installed the camera's yet, as they are
temporarily placed inside and outside of the house in various locations as I
evaluate the system and determine the best placement. So let's walk through
the system so you hopefully have a better idea of what you're getting into,
and how it performs.
UNBOXING:
There are 3 separate boxes, in a bigger box. One has the DVR itself and
associated material. And the other 2 larger boxes include all of the camera
hardware and wires. The wires for the cameras are 65' and combine both the
BNC (for video) and DC power connector into one cable. This should make
running wires much easier.
The end of the cable that goes to your DVR will connect the BNC cable to the
DVR, and then the DC power cable connects to a 4-way DC->AC adapter.
This is much prefered to the older designs where each camera had it's own
bulky transformer to plug into.
There is mounting hardware for the cameras, which is rather basic. You'll
want to check this out and make sure it's suitable for what and where you
are going to mount these cameras into. You definitely don't want them
falling down. I'll get more into Installation later.
They've also included an RJ45 network cable, RCA cable, Quick Start Guide,
and a small USB mouse. The USB mouse is small and cheap, but you can use
any USB mouse you have laying around. If you want more instructions, you
can use the included mini-CD which has a full PDF users guide. Or just
download them directly from Defender's website. I do recommend the latter
as I already noticed a few changes between the two. The on-line materials
are more up-to-date.
INSTALLATION:
While I do have an extensive background in computers, drilling holes and
running wires is not my strong suite. I neither have the expertise,
equipment, or time to correctly install these cameras in the new house. At
least not to my satisfaction. We just built a house that's 1 year old and has no
attic, just limited crawl space. The last house had a huge attic making
installation relatively simple. So I'm going to leave this to professional's
once I'm ready for installation.
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7. If you want to do this yourself, it's important that you're comfortable drilling
holes and running cables in your house. The Quick Start guide handily
includes a drilling template for the mounting brackets. They also instruct
you to use a 3/16" drill bit, not included of course. The only tool included is
an allen wrench to adjust the position of the camera on the included
mounting bracket.
Running the wires and mounting the cameras is generally considered the
"hard part." You'll want to make sure the compact DVR is in a location
where it has network connectivity (for remote viewing) and of course,
power. Sorry, no WiFi here.
If you want to have this professionally installed, this can get rather pricey.
From shopping around my area, you're looking at anywhere from $100-
$200 per camera depending on how much labor is involved and how many
you have. This is assuming you want it done "right," and not just have a
wires and holes all over the place. The good news is that the more you have,
the less they normally charge per camera.
CAMERAS:
Before talking about the DVR's, we should spend some time on the camera's
themselves. I've used equipment ranging from cheap (and useless) $40
cameras to some very nice setups getting past $300+ a piece. As is often the
case, you certainly do get what you pay for.
These are surprisingly fairly decent outdoor day/night cameras. I'd expect to
pay around $100 a piece with cables for the quality I'm seeing here, so it's a
pretty good value with the DVR. There are 36 IR (Infrared) LED's that will
glow red at night, which provide the night vision. These are going to be quite
visible from the street and should provide a nice deterrent on their own. Not
to mention they just look cool. :)
They are advertised at 100ft night vision, but realistically, you're looking at
roughly half that. Mostly because any further than this, and you really aren't
going to have any idea what you're looking at. However, if there is some
ambient light such as a street light, your range will naturally extend quite a
bit. But in 0 lux (complete darkness), it is more limited. Of course for home
surveillance, that is really more than enough.
I did most of the testing in my backyard as it gets completely dark out there
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8. at night. I watched as it went from light to dark, then again in the morning,
when it got bright again. And the transition from night vision (B&W) to day
mode (Color) was seamless. And then tested to see if we could identify
somebody (such as myself) approaching from a distance at night.
For realistic identification, the subject will really need to be within about 20-
40 ft in complete darkness, depending on conditions. In the daytime, this is
much further of course. This is further limited by recording quality. More on
that in the DVR section.
One last important note for the camera is how it switches from Day/Night
mode as the camera itself makes a surprisingly loud clicking noise when it
makes this change. Not a big deal if they are outside. But inside, we can hear
it clicking a few rooms away. Not to mention being inside, where it's darker,
it switches between day/night mode much more frequently. Think partly
cloudy skies where it becomes light and darker throughout the day.
DVR:
The DVR is what makes this package much easier to manage and setup as it
handles everything for you. I have all of the cameras plugged into the box, a
keyboard, mouse, a monitor via its VGA port, and a network cable. The USB
mouse/keyboard are optional, but are recommended for initial setup. You
can switch to the IR remote afterwards.
If you're comfortable playing with the setup menu's for your TV or other
similar electronics, you should be able to figure most of this out on your
own. The interface is primitive to say the least, but very functional.
Otherwise, I do suggest browsing the user's guide before even plugging it in
as there are quite a few options you may not be familiar with.
It would take a while to go through every option, so if you don't have one
yet, you can check out the owners manual. The important features are
adjusting the display, setting up record schedules, motion detection, file
sizes, search for recorded video, user accounts, and network (LAN only)
setup.
The "live view" of all the cameras is what I'd expect from this setup. You can
switch cameras, change grids, pause the video, rewind, etc. The image looks
pretty darn good and are certainly right about "DVD Quality." However,
what you see on the monitor isn't exactly what you get when you playback
video, which is slightly lower quality. But still very useful for seeing what
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9. went on when you were out.
The claim is that you can get 2 years worth of footage on a 500GB HD. Even
if you're adding up each camera's footage together and lower the quality and
FPS (Frames Per Second), that's a bit of stretch (and not all that relevant.) I
suspect if you got it to last that long, the quality would be pretty bad.
Normally you're looking at 2 weeks, not 2 years. At the default rate of 30fps
and 768 Bit Rate, which is the highest, the drive is already half-full. By
default it will auto-overwrite old content.
That's certainly not a negative, I just want everybody have realistic
expectations as I thought the description was a bit misleading as they were
referring to "total footage." Although you can connect an external USB hard
drive to extend recording and even copy videos from the internal drive. You
can even setup recording schedules or "motion activated" recording to
stretch things out quite a bit. That's very handy, of course.
REMOTE VIEWING:
You will need to go through network setup and create at least one user
account with a password. This is important to note. Out of the box, if you
just setup your network only, you can remotely view the cameras from your
browser. For PC users, you are limited to Internet Explorer only. I used IE9
as IE8 never would install the plug-in. FireFox and Chrome are detected as
incompatible browsers and won't work. And you will have to make a
temporary change to your IE security settings to allow the plugin to install.
I also suggest setting up a "Static IP" with the DVR versus "Dynamic IP,"
which is the default setting. As the names implies, a static IP will ensure the
IP address doesn't change occasionally when you have to reboot the device
or router. Just check your router documentation to see what IP would work
for you.
To access the web portal, I entered the static IP I configured earlier, into
IE9, http://192.168.1.9, installed the plug-in, and then login with the default
login/pass, (admin/admin). You should change this later. In addition to
accessing the cameras in near-real time, you can access most settings here
as you would on the DVR directly. If you want to do this outside of your
home network, you'll need to make a few changes to your router to open
some ports.
However, the DVR does support UPNP (Universal Plug-n-Play). If your
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10. router also supports this, and it's enabled, it will open the ports for you. My
network setup is a bit more complicated and doesn't support this as it's
often considered a security risk. I won't go into too much detail otherwise I'll
never get this review finished. So, Google it. :)
Otherwise they do have some fairly decent instructions to walk you through
most of this stuff. Since the way you do this does vary between routers,
they'll refer you to the documentation that came with your router. Also once
you open the ports, you'll definitely want to make sure passwords have been
changed and set.
You can even use your SmartPhone to remotely connect to the DVR and
check out the cameras. You will need to go into the Users accounts screen
and either create a new account or enable the password for one of the
existing accounts. This is important as the default credentials wouldn't work
for the app, only web. Although once you have user accounts setup with
passwords, you can specify who has permissions to access various features,
and they will work for both web and phone access.
REAL-WORLD USE:
So how does it really work? For the most part, it works very well. At least
once you have everything installed, configured, and setup. :) This is certainly
much easier to setup than it was years ago with the older PC-based setup I
used quite some time ago. My wife and I really do enjoy being able to glance
at a second computer with the cameras running. Is somebody at the door?
Noise in the backyard in the middle of the night? Want to check on the
house while you're out? Not a problem.
The remote viewing quality isn't as good as it is on the DVR itself, especially
on the phone app, but still good enough for it's intended purpose.
All of this combined with a monitored security system and few guns laying
around, and you've got a one secure and protected house! Of course nothing
is 100% secure, and you should always use some common sense; but having
8 red glowing cameras around the house serves as one heck of a deterrent. :)
I did run into an issue where the DVR decided to ignore any type of input
from the mouse or remote control. There aren't any buttons on the device
itself, so a power cable pull was needed for it to reboot and start responding
again. At least the timer was still going and it was still recording.
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11. So that's not a big deal for now. Otherwise it's been running smooth and
quiet, providing what is essentially real-time monitoring and recording of
the premises.
Let's wrap this one up.
PRO'S:
+ Great value with DVR & Cameras
+ Good quality day/night cameras
+ 500GB DVR
+ Remote browser and phone viewing
+ Relatively "easy" setup process
+ Generous cable length and basic HW included
+ Fast DVR for near real-time viewing
+ Universal Plug-n-Play Supported
+ USB Storage Capability
CON'S:
- Limited browser compatibility
- Recorded video quality could be a bit better
- Noisy Day/Night "Clicking" from Cameras
- No WiFi
- Cheap mouse?
CONCLUSION:
So this review ended up being a bit longer than expected, but there is a lot
going on here with a video surveillance system. And there's a lot of smaller
details that would take a User's Guide to cover. So I'll leave that to the one
Defender already wrote, which is better than most I've skimmed in the past.
:)
Overall, it's not perfect, but if you're looking for a good mid-range outdoor
day/night DVR system for your home or small business, I consider this
highly recommended and give it a solid 4.5 stars.
78 of 80 people found the following review helpful.
Solid 4 stars, with 5-star potential
By R. Precourt
I've been on the fence about buying one of these systems for a little over a
year now and finally decided on this one.
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12. My needs were:
* 4 outdoor cameras
* Good resolution
* Good night vision
* DVR with network capability
* Ability to view cameras from multiple computers and smartphone
* Price range of $300-$350
This system appeared to meet all my needs and I had noticed over the past
year that the Defender systems seemed to have the best overall ratings. I
further researched the on-line manual for this system (as I frequently do for
things that I'm serious about purchasing) and it also gave me comfort that
the system would meet my needs.
I've had the system installed for about a week now and I am quite pleased
with it. That being said, I would like to share my overall experience with
everyone, as it may be helpful for those considering this system and
installing it themselves, as I did.
I did a few things backwards, but found it helpful in adjusting the cameras
once I had everything wired.
First off, the entire system was packaged very nicely - great presentation and
well organized. All of the camera cables were rolled up nicely on plastic
spools. All parts were neatly arranged and well labeled.
Next, I took everything out of the box and hooked up to my 40" Samsung
LCD via VGA cable to test it out. Note: the manual indicates that if you hook
the DVR up using VGA to an LCD TV or monitor that the mouse and remote
will not function. I called Defender to inquire about this prior to purchasing
and they informed me that the unit WILL work fine via VGA and they were
correct. I have no problem with the mouse or remote working using the VGA
port and this gives great resolution (much better than using the composite
video cable.) The VGA cable is not included with the system, but all other
cables you need are. I would recommend using VGA if you can.
After hooking everything up for a test run, I found that everything worked
fine. I did notice that the video connections on the back of the DVR seemed
to be a bit loose, causing the video to flicker and go in and out if I moved to
cables, however, once I had everything hooked up and running I have not
experienced this again.
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13. I then proceeded to configure the system and do the network setup, firstly,
to verify that it would actually work and do all the things I wanted, and
second, so that I could view the cameras from my Android phone while
adjusting them, which is very helpful and allows for an easy, one-person
installation.
I had no problems at all with the network setup and port forwarding on my
AT&T U-Verse router/gateway. I simply set the DVR to DHCP and let it
acquire an address. I wrote all the acquired information down, then changed
it to Static and input the same information (so that I don't have to worry
about the IP changing. I forwarded the three ports needed for network and
mobile viewing and was viewing on my phone within minutes. Defender's
network guide was great and made the whole process very easy. I added the
IP address to the trusted sites zone as directed and set security for trusted
sites to low and had no trouble with the ActiveX install.
The on-line software is very nice and allows you not only to view your
cameras on any computer, but also you can manage every setting on the
DVR, just as if you are right there. And, it's actually easier (in my opinion) to
do this via the software, than on the DVR itself, although the DVR's interface
is also easy to use.
Now, on to the installation; here are the things that I experienced that I
hope will help future buyers install this system with less pain than I had.
I dropped all of my cables from the attic down into the wall behind my flat
screen TV and routed them through an AV wall plate, along with the other
cables that were already there (HDMI, VGA, power, etc.) Here is one
important thing to note; the cables are neatly spooled up, so naturally I
unrolled them all in the direction that they were spooled. While the BNC
video connectors are the same on both ends, the power connectors are NOT;
they are male on one end and female on the other. AND, two out of four of
mine were spooled backwards. This caused me to spend an extra day re-
running one cable completely, which I had run all the way to where one of
the cameras would be on the other side of the house, down through another
very difficult wall to the first floor. I did not notice the problem until I went
to plug the camera into the cable and ended up with two female plugs
together. So, long story short - pay careful attention to the orientation of the
power connectors and make sure you run the cables in the correct direction
(the female end should start at the DVR and the male end should be at the
camera where it will plug into the female jack on the camera.
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14. After getting over that, I got the cameras all mounted and hooked up.
Another thing to note is that these cameras can only be wall or table-top
mounted, but not ceiling mounted, so if your application requires this, you
will need different cameras. I think some of their other cameras can be
ceiling mounted, but not these.
The wiring goes through the mounting bracket, which is very nice and there
are slots in the top and bottom if you have to run the wire differently, as I
did with three of mine (up into the eves and into the attic.) If the cameras
could have been mounted directly to the eves, this wouldn't have been
necessary, but it all worked out.
The next thing I've experienced that may be helpful to know before you
mount the cameras is that the screws provided are NOT weather-resistant
by any means. While the cameras themselves appear to be made very well,
my screws have already began to rust after only two brief rain showers and
less than one week of being outside. Easy solution - buy some exterior grade
screws from a hardware store. I did this, but again, I had to climb back up to
each camera and remove and re-install each one. I hope this saves someone
a little time.
Also, while setting up your cameras, here's another thing to look for. The
first night I had my system working, I noticed halos in the lower part of the
screen when the night vision was active. It was more noticeable on one of
my cameras, especially when it was very dark outside (like when the street
light across from my house would go out due to the bulb dying.) At first, I
thought that this problem was being caused by another street light further
down shining into that camera. I made adjustments the next day and
checked the following night - same problem. After doing some research on-
line, I found people mentioning that halos can be caused by the IR being
reflected back to the camera from a nearly object, like a window for
example. Since there were no objects anywhere near my cameras, my only
other thought was that maybe the IR was reflecting off the sun shades of the
cameras themselves. I slid each one back about an inch and checked -
SUCCESS! No more halos, so this is another thing to check when installing
your cameras. Instead of having the back edge of the sun shade flush with
the back of the camera, try sliding it back about an inch and you should be
good. Now I have crisp, clear night vision.
Each camera has a horizontal and vertical adjustment screw, which can be
loosened or tightened with the included allen wrench. While the horizontal
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15. adjustment has definitive `notches' or `stops', the vertical one does not.
This requires you to have to tighten the screw quite tight in order to keep the
camera stable. I wish that both were notched, as I had trouble with one of
mine. The screw seemed to start slipping and I ended up using a little crazy
glue between the joint to keep it stable, once I had it positioned the way I
wanted. Then I simply tightened the screw as much as I could and it seems
solid now.
So, I've been using the system for about a week now and really like it. I had
played with all the settings, and have it set to record all channels 24/7, with
motion recording between 6:00 am and 8:00 pm. It has the capability to e-
mail you whenever motion is detected, along with a snapshot of the event. It
took some playing with it to get the motion settings more accurate and now
it's pretty good. You can select specific areas of the picture to look for
motion, like just the front porch steps, for example. I found that even the
shadow of sunlight through the leaves of a tree moving in the breeze will
cause a motion alarm, so it's important to only select the areas that you
need.
With recording 24/7 on all channels, at 15 FPS and 1280 bit rate, I can store
a little over a week of footage on the hard drive. I elected for better quality
over being able to store more hours of recordings. For my needs, this will be
fine, as I'll likely know of any events that occur that I need to download,
which you can do through the on-line software or from the DVR itself. The
manual mentions being able to connect an external hard drive, but I have
been unsuccessful at getting one to work. I've heard that you can upgrade
the internal drive to 1.5TB, but apparently doing so will void the warranty,
so I guess the 500GB drive will have to do.
With these settings, my recorded video quality is very good. When you
download a video file, the quality is also excellent. What I have found
lacking is that when you take a still image snapshot from a video, the image
quality is not as good, as it saves the image as 704x480 pixels. When you try
to zoom in on a still image it gets distorted, whereas zooming a video is not
as bad. What I have found to work better is to play the video and resize the
window to the desired size, then take a screen shot from there and save it.
This works much better and retains better resolution.
All and all, this is a solid system at a great price. The 600 TVL cameras are
very nice, with great night vision and the DVR is feature-rich, very small,
and very quiet (I have it in my master bedroom in my media cabinet and
can't hear it running at all.)
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16. Below are my final thoughts:
Pros:
* Good quality outdoor cameras with great night vision and 600 TVL
* Feature-rich DVR with network capabilities
* Ability to view and set all functions from any computer
* Ability to view cameras live on smartphone
* Compact size and quiet operation
* Good build quality (except camera mounting screws, noted below)
* Easy connection of cameras, with power and video in one cable
* Long cable length provided (65 feet) allows for flexibility of installation
locations.
* Everything needed is included in the package
* Excellent price point
Cons:
* Camera mounting screws are not weather-resistant and will rust
immediately
* Cameras cannot be ceiling (or under-eve) mounted
* Position of timestamp cannot be selected - only displays at top of screen,
or off
* E-mail alerts for motion evens do not adhere to motion recording schedule
Note: I have written to Defender regarding all of the above and they advised
that they had forwarded these concerns to their R&D people. Not sure if any
of these issues will be addressed, but we can hope.
I give the system a solid 4 stars, easily with a 5 star potential with these few
minor issues resolved.
I would highly recommend this system to anyone looking for a quality,
feature-rich surveillance system at an affordable price.
53 of 59 people found the following review helpful.
Make sure you get the right DVR
By Doctor Who
A 21030 DVR system should come with a 210013 DVR. I recieved a sn301, a
discontinued DVR, with the correct cameras.Sent back.Recieved the same
error again.Ordered directly from Defender's website. Just FYI to all new
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17. DYI home surveillance hobbyists. All DIY linux box survellience systems
suck for quality, it is a choice of which sucks the least for the least amount of
money. I found the correct 21030 package to fit in the upper-middle of
quality and price.
PS. Dear Defender people, per your request I have updated my review. Kind
of creepy that you got my number x_X
See all 81 customer reviews...
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