Do you know whether your home or property is watched by a stalker? Attack is the best form of defense they say. It is very logical to protect your family and loved ones when you still have the opportunity to do so.
You need to be on top of your game, by putting up necessary security in place before your home is being invaded.
One of the effective and viable means of protecting your home is through a video surveillance solution.
A video surveillance system will help to deter crime before it is perpetrated, and will also provide the right evidence whenever things go bad.
In today’s article, we are going to focus on Annke 4 camera surveillance system and see the features it has to offer.
Without further ado, let’s get right into the analysis.
Review of: Annke 4 Camera Surveillance System
Last update: 29.05.2019
Annke is a product line of Shenzhen Kean Digital Co., Ltd. Kean Digital was founded in 2014 to manufacture consumer electronics that also include video security products.
Kean Digital is located in Shenzhen, China. However, Annke is headquartered in California, United States.
Annke has always developed do-it-yourself video surveillance pieces of equipment that are easy to get along with. All their equipment are designed with leading-edge technology, which prides Annke amongst its counterpart and end users.
Annke currently has 30 million active users, and this has really helped the company to grow its sales revenue by 200% each year.
Despite Annke 4 camera surveillance system is not wireless, it is still a reliable video solution you can deploy to keep an eye on your valuables.
Annke will always provide you that needed security, as long as the DVR and cameras are not disconnected from the power outlet.
Very affordable.
Usability
You do not need to read the user guide to install the system.
Support
Annke can only be reached via email. There are a knowledge base, FAQ, and discussion forum available.
IP67 weatherproof casing
1080p Full HD Resolution
1TB hard drive pre-installed
Dual view display
Audio support
The DVR support IP camera
None of the cameras support audio
There is only one inline audio on the DVR
NVR does not support RS485 (PTZ) protocol
Cloud service is not supported
Setup instruction is vague
Summary: Annke video surveillance system can be used to secure your home or business. The DVR can accommodate any type of security camera. There is also room for expansion, you can add up four additional security cameras if needed.
Main Features of the Annke 4 Camera Surveillance System
- 3MP Capacity DVR
- 1080p Full HD PIR Security Camera
- Up to 100ft Night Vision
- Visual Alert from the Security Camera
- Smart Search/Playback
- ONVIF Compliant
- Digital WDR and 3D DNR
- IP67 Weatherproof Rating
- Focal length of 3.6mm
- Viewing Angle of 82.2°
- 265+ Video Compression
- 1TB Pre-installed Hard Drive
- Customized Motion Detection
- Remote Access
You don’t understand what’s the purpose of each component? You don’t know which features you should prioritize for your setup?
Breakdown of the features / Overview of the product
Annke 3MP DVR is a high capacity DVR that can drive a total number of 8 full HD analog cameras. The DVR is also compatible with AHD, CVI, TVI, and IP cameras.
The DVR gives you the option to connect 2 IP cameras in addition to the 8 full HD analog security cameras. This is a rare feature in other brands.
The 1080p resolution cameras are enough to deliver high definition image that you ever wanted. They can deliver a crisp image during the day, and night vision is equally bright and clear.
Annke security cameras come with PIR technology, which helps to detect heat radiation from objects in the field of view. This technology helps to differentiate human being and animals from other moving objects. The built-in PIR sensor will greatly reduce false alarm from the cameras.
The night vision is equally important as daytime on every security camera. You do not have to worry whether the environment is well lit or it is pitch black, Annke security camera has a built-in EXIR infrared to provide the illumination.
Unlike conventional cameras, EXIR infrared technology prevents the camera from image overexposure, by casting a uniform illumination in order to produce a clear image.
The cameras are able to cover up to 100ft distance in low or no light condition.
One of the greatest features of Annke security camera is the visual alert. How does visual alert works? Visual alert works when motion detection is activated. Visual alert flashes a white light to warn off intruders whenever they enter the camera’s field of view.
Subsequently, the white light can be disabled or adjusted to a steady mode to provide extra lighting for the camera at dusk.
Watching many video clips to figure out the useful ones can be daunting, especially if you don’t know the event time. Smart search/playback is the feature that has been added to save your time, by only searching clips with a certain type of action in them.
Smart search /playback will completely eliminate video segments that contain still frames in them i.e. video segments that have no movement of object.
With Annke smart search, you won’t have to sit in front of your display monitor all day and watch empty video clips.
The DVR is ONVIF compatible, this means you can use any brand of IP camera which is also ONVIF compliant with it.
Digital-WDR is a light compensation technology which allows security camera to capture brilliant pictures under challenging light situations.
The D-WDR compensate by enhancing the dark areas of the camera’s lens to have a balanced image.
Whilst many security cameras pick up noise in low light, Annke security cameras have built-in 3D-DNR (Digital Noise Reduction) technology to suppress the noise in images produced at night time. The technology filters the grains from the picture and creates a more detailed picture.
It is important to find out if a security camera will be able to withstand extreme weather before buying it. Annke cameras are thoroughly built with metal housing rated at IP67 to survive temperature as lower as -40°C to as high as 60°C.
The camera’s enclosure is tightly sealed to prevent dust, rainfall, and fog from getting into the camera.
If you care so much about details, the focal length of 3.6mm will provide you a large depth of view alongside the viewing angle of 82.2°.
The DVR has the latest video compression technology to process video more efficiently. The H.265+ is a high-efficiency algorithm that will save almost 73% of the bandwidth, and record 7 times longer than the H.264 codec, thereby saving a huge amount of storage space.
Customized motion detection allows the user to cut out the unnecessary areas, thereby focusing on the region of interest. This way, you can be able to maximize the storage hard disk by only recording what matters.
Get a solace by using the P2P feature. Watching your home and checking on your kids from a remote location just got easier. By installing the mobile app or PC client, you will be able to watch the live stream and playback the recorded video clips.
Whenever motion is triggered in your customized motion zones, you will get a push notification on your mobile device and snapshots will also be sent to your email.
Design of the Product and its Installation
Annke 8CH 4 camera surveillance system has got amazing features, if you are planning to setup your first video surveillance solution on your property or upgrading your existing system, you can consider going for Annke.
We advise you don’t rely on the included user manual to install your kit, this might get you more confused as it is so vague and lacks many important instructions.
You might consider the installation boring because you have to lay coaxial cable for each camera, but the effort will definitely pay off in the long run.
Remember, securing your property is a long term investment which must be properly planned and executed.
This is a do-it-yourself system, and the installation is straightforward as long you can follow the setup wizard. The installation time for the 4 cameras is approximately 1 hour.
Here’s a quick resume of the installation process:
- Begin your installation by unboxing the package, choose the best angle for your camera, attach the camera drill template on the wall and drill the three hole. Use the included wall anchors and screw in your camera.
- Attach the coaxial cable to the camera and run the other BNC end to the DVR video input.
- Repeat the first and second step to other security cameras.
- Now that your security cameras have been mounted, it is time to feed them with power by using the 1-to-4 splitter cable.
- Simply connect your display monitor to the DVR, an HDMI monitor or HD TV will outrank VGA monitor in picture performance.
- Attach your Ethernet cable to the RJ45 port of the DVR.
- Connect one of the power adapters to the splitter cable.
- Plug the other power adapter to the DVR and wait for it to initialize.
- Start by following the setup wizard.
- Setup your admin password and security questions. The security questions will help you to reset your password whenever you forget it.
- Ensure the “Enable DHCP” box is checked, this will allow the DVR to be automatically assigned an IP address from the internet router.
- To get to the motion detection settings, navigate to the camera management on the DVR and select the right option.
Setting up remote access is relatively easy as well. Annke Vision app is available in iOS and Android platforms. You can visit your respective app store to download it.
Open the app and allow necessary permissions on your smartphone, choose your country from the list and tap the check mark at the top right corner.
Tap login, you can register a new account if you don’t have one. Follow all the registration instructions and retrieve the confirmation code sent to either your mobile phone or email.
Enter the 4 digit code and verify your registration.
At this point, make sure your DVR is connected to the internet via the router. Tap the add device button on the app to scan the QR code located under the DVR. Enter the necessary information on the app just as you have set it on the DVR.
User Experience and Performance of Annke Camera System
The setup was so easy. The quick setup wizard was very helpful in configuring the DVR.
Many users were so happy that the device worked as expected. Some were even thankful to Annke for including 2 additional IP camera channel.
But however, some users were aggrieved that the user manual included in the package was useless in the entire process.
Also, the technical support was almost not responding, the only way to get help from the technical support is to send them an email and wait for their answer while browsing their Knowledge Documentation and Forum.
What’s in the Box?
Annke comes with necessary kit in the package to get the job done, they include:
- 1× 3MP Annke DVR
- 1x Pre-installed Hard Disk
- 4× 1080P PIR Outdoor Security Camera
- 1× 5.9ft HDMI Cable
- 2× Power Adapter
- 1x 1-to-4 Splitter Cable
- 4× 60ft BNC Video/Power Cable
- 1× Generic USB Mouse
- 1× User Manual
- 1× 3.2ft Ethernet Cable
- 4x Wall Anchors and Screws
- 1x Wall CCTV Warning Sticker
The Advantages
- The PIR helps to reduce false alarms by only detecting the heat of humans and animals.
- The DVR has 1 audio input and output.
- The DVR is ONVIF compatible, getting ONVIF IP camera to work with Annke DVR won’t be a problem.
- The cameras are built with strong metal housing and are water resistant.
- Smart search/playback reduces your playback time, unlike the normal playback function which takes a lot of time.
- The cameras have Digital-WDR and 3D-DNR that are really effective under terrible light conditions.
The Disadvantages
- Unfortunately, Annke DVR can’t be used to drive analog PTZ cameras.
- Annke camera only uses Digital-WDR and not a True WDR technology.
- Technical support isn’t the best one.
- The user manual is not helpful.
About The Warranty
You need to check the brand you are buying if it is backed by a warranty before you commit yourself. It is really important when you’re looking to invest in a surveillance camera system.
Fortunately, Annke is backed by 12 months limited warranty for new, 6 months for open box, and 3 months for refurbished products respectively.
There is also an option for you to extend your warranty, all you need to do is visit the official website and navigate to the product registration page and get your device registered.
Apply for extra 6-month extended warranty by leaving a review on Amazon store or any other accredited Annke online store.
There is a full refund policy if the product is faulty, completely broken, or slightly damaged within the 45 days of receiving it.
They also have a 30 day money back guarantee. If you don’t like their product, you are obliged to return it before the 30 days elapsed.
The Final Verdict
Like we have said earlier, video surveillance solution is a long-term investment, choosing the right equipment should be your ultimate goal.
A security system that is able to give you a variety of options to choose from is considered flexible video solution, therefore it is worth the effort.
Also, Annke DVR system allows IP camera integration which is why the product caught our attention.
Don’t forget to leave us a comment or ask us a direct question by using the form below.