Amcrest NVR security system review

Amongst the top rated video surveillance brands on the market, Amcrest NVR is undoubtedly one of them.

Amcrest Technologies was founded in 2015 by the same entrepreneurs who founded Foscam Digital Technologies in the US. Amcrest is known as a top security product manufacturer and distributor delivering cutting-edge surveillance and home automation products. Amcrest have its headquarters in Houston, Texas.

According to Crunchbase, Amcrest Technologies has $15.7M in revenue annually which is an evidence that Amcrest brand is doing fine in the market.

Amcrest products are part of a generation of advanced remote monitoring and surveillance systems which bridge the gap between powerful capabilities, ease of use and affordability. With their high quality and robust design, Amcrest cameras allow you to securely monitor your home, small business or medium to large enterprise.

Amcrest camera systems are designed to record and deliver live video and audio to you anywhere in the world.

Amcrest distinguish themselves by an unrelenting commitment to excellence in terms of their product software, hardware and support. They spend months, even years, developing and testing each product before release to ensure it works as it should and they continue to improve their products after release through firmware updates to enhance features, simplicity, reliability and security.

Main Features of the Amcrest NVR surveillance system

• 65ft IR-LED Night Vision
• Unequalled Resolution Quality
• IP67 Weatherproof Rating
• Feature-Rich OSD
• 4 Hour Free Cloud Storage
• USB Backup
• Remote Access via Smartphone or Desktop
• 3.6mm Focal Length

Breakdown of the features / Overview of the product

What is more important than a CCTV camera which can perform excellently well in the daylight and night time? This Amcrest brand is able to cover 65ft distance of infrared night vision. The cameras are provisioned with 18 units of infrared LEDs which actually provide the illumination at dusk.

Shooting a good quality image is mandatory in video surveillance environment, it helps to identify subject during investigation. This Amcrest brand has come with unequalled resolution quality that is able to shoot a crystal clear image both in 1080p or 720p, which depends on the recording configuration.

With Ingress Protection – IP67 weatherproof rating, the PoE outdoor bullet IP cameras feature heavy-duty, weatherproof IP67 housing and IK10 vandal-resistant dome. The cameras are able to withstand tough weather conditions such as rain, dust, and fog that could damage the operation of these Amcrest CCTV cameras.

The Feature-Rich OSD displays important information on the CCTV monitor like channel, motion detection, video loss, audio, and record status icons.

USB Backup gives users the option of exporting raw video files or security footage to an external pen drives, which can later be reviewed or further processed on a computer. The USB port only works for a mouse and pen drive.

Remote Access via Smartphone or Desktop can be your second eyes whenever you are far away from home or office. You can enjoy the unlimited live stream of your Amcrest cameras, or review the recorded video clips via Amcrest cloud on the go on your smartphone or tablet.

The 3.6mm focal length allows the CCTV cameras to capture images in a wide view. Also, the cameras have enhanced digital zoom.

Design of the Product and its Installation

Amcrest NVR is thoughtfully designed to meet a budget home surveillance security. It is also built as a complete DIY (Do-It-Yourself) security system. You do not have to be a home security technician or genius to install this Amcrest brand.

Even if you are just starting out to install your first video surveillance security, you still do not have to fret or read a complicated guide because the whole installation takes relatively 1 hour. Simple, straightforward and efficient, this is Amcrest !

Amcrest NVR setup is as easy as pie. The only hard work that needed to be done is the placement of the cameras and fishing their pre-made cables through a wall or hole. Other than this, the whole installation process was a breeze.

Connecting the cameras to the Amcrest NVR and letting the NVR to do it job through the plug-and-play technology, was so excellent and reassuring. It is a real plus to during the Amcrest NVR installation.

You need just few instructions or simple guide to accomplish the installation tasks.

Simply unbox the Amcrest NVR kit to review the content inside the package.

Choose the suitable locations for the cameras. Read the user manual to quickly install your cameras respectively using the 60ft and 100ft pre-made network cables, that came bundled with the package.

Before you begin installation of the cameras, make sure you have all the necessary tools. You need tools like power drill, 9/64 drill bit, a number two Phillips head drill bit with extension, a hammer, safety glasses and a 15/16 paddle bit if you choose to perform an in-wall installation.

After drilling the three holes for the screws, you will need to hammer in the wall anchors, connect the Cat 5 pre-made network cable to the female data cable connector on the camera and close the waterproof cover. Mount your Amcrest brand camera and be sure to set the best FOV (field of view).

Connect the other end of the Cat 5 pre-made cable to one of the 8 PoE ports of the NVR and repeat the process for other cameras as well. Connect the mouse to the USB port at the back of the NVR, connect the video monitor to the VGA/HDMI port but it is highly recommended to use HDMI for a high definition image.

You also need to connect the Cat 5 patch cable to the network router that is already provisioned with an internet to allow Amcrest NVR remote access.

Finally, power up the NVR and wait for the Amcrest NVR to boot up, then setup wizard will pop up. This way, you can follow the setup process by supplying the necessary information such as time zone, date, and etc. Most importantly, change the default password to a fully encrypted one.

User Experience and Performance of Amcrest NVR

Amcrest NVR is a complete video surveillance solution for home and office. This Amcrest brand can be used as entry or enterprise level due to its versatility. The plug and play really made it so easy to install without any constraint.

Users expressed their gratitude to Amcrest for their capacity to create amazing products that are simple to instal and that have amazing specs. Indeed, they were impressed about the video quality both in daylight and night time with the infrared LEDs not washing off the image.

The Amcrest brand worked as advertised: the kit comes with 4 numbers of full HD IP cameras, each with 2MP capability rendering a crisp image. The built-in PoE in Amcrest NVR eliminated the cost of additional provision of PoE switch or injector.

The 4 hour free cloud storage per camera is also a big boost, you will be able to view what has been recorded for the period of 4 hours or watch unlimited live stream from your camera.

What’s in the Box?

What’s inside the package:

• 1 unit of 2MP 8-Channel PoE NVR with Pre-Installed 1TB Hard Drive
• 1 unit of NVR Power Supply
• 1 unit of 5ft Cat 5 Patch Cable
• 4 units of 2MP IP PoE Bullet Cameras
• 2 units of 60ft Ethernet Cables
• 2 units of 100ft Ethernet Cables
• 1 unit of USB Mouse
• 1 unit of User Manual
• 1 unit of Quick Start Guide

The Disadvantages

• Amcrest customer support is just miserable and they are impossible to get a hold of.

• Amcrest NVR records only 2 cameras at 2MP resolution at 30fps, 4 channels can be recorded at 720p only.

• Amcrest NVR does not supports alarm in/out connections.

• Amcrest only supports synchronous playback of only 4 channels which is not a deal-breaker. This is even better to conserve the bandwidth and the processor of the NVR from crashing.

• The IP camera also do not have a built-in microphone.

• There is a limited support for third party IP cameras even though Amcrest claims  ONVIF compatibility

• Amcrest NVR does not have option for Wi-Fi connection

About The Warranty

Amcrest has a 30-day money back guarantee, but it is subjected to the following conditions:

• The demand must be within 30 days of the original purchase date
• To request a refund, you must fill out the form and the RMA department will provide you with a packing slip that must be included inside of the returned package.

Amcrest NVR kit is backed by a 1 year product warranty beginning from the original purchase date. If the item is defective, they will provide a replacement unit within the 1 year period. Lifetime technical support is also available to all Amcrest customers.

Furthermore, Amcrest clearly stated on their return policy page that they would not replace any defective item as a result of improper care, accidents, prolonged UV exposure, or the natural breakdown of certain materials over long periods of time.