ANNKE 8 Channel 5MP Lite Security DVR Recorder with 1TB Hard Drive, H.265+ Hybrid 5-in-1 Surveillance DVR, Supports 8CH Analog and 2 IP Cameras for 24/7 Home CCTV, Email Alarm, Motion Detection

UPDATE: From 2 to 1 star, the rating has been reduced. After this one failed to perform as expected, I purchased an 8MP Annke system. It got even worse after that. After that, I'll write a review for it. Stay away from the Annke brand; you'll only get one response per day from customer service, and it will be in broken English. They'll show you screenshots of where to click and which menus to select - However, they do not correspond to the system's requirements. Consider the following example: "Click the 'page' icon, then go to blah blah blah," they say, but there is no such icon. They're attempting to coach me on a different user interface than I have, possibly due to a difference in firmware. I'm not sure what I'm saying. br>THE UPDATE HAS COME TO AN END. CLICK HERE TO READ THE ORIGINAL REVIEW. br>br>This setup has more flaws than advantages. My main worry is that I won't be able to back up video files in a format that can be easily viewed. I've been fiddling with this for days, downloading various players and converters, and I still haven't managed to watch a video on my PC. How will the footage be examined by the cops? They're just coming to sit in my living room and stare at the monitor? What happens if I track down the criminal and bring him to trial? How will they view the video? This is a very straightforward feature that needs to be prioritized. I'm thinking about returning it because so many of the features are broken: CONSbr>- br>br>- br>br>- br>br>- br>br>- The system's front panel lacks a USB port. Making it difficult to backup files by plugging in a thumb drive. This is apparently something the dvr does not want you to do.
- The DVR uses a strange 15-minute recording format. chunks of 30 seconds I need to back up for hours at a time, which is impossible when each clip is only 15 seconds long. (as seen in the illustration)br>- It states that you can save files as AVI. You can't do it, though. A feature that is not working. Images can be found below.
- It's possible that the H265 will be fantastic. I'm not sure. I'm unable to view it on my computer. I can only watch video on the DVR itself, despite trying to download several players and converters as advised by their customer service.
- Searching for a specific time is extremely difficult; it simply does not work. It contains a list of over 1000 15-year-olds. Clips that last 30 seconds Everything is jumbled and messed up. I'm not sure how I'm going to figure out what time it is. I can't.
- I am unable to export AVI clips. I understand that the quality may not be as high as I had hoped. But who cares how clear it is if you can't even view the H265 mp4 files? My house and cars have been vandalized far too many times. I upgraded to a 5MP clearer camera in the hopes of assisting cops in locating them. My neighborhood's cops are a joke. Lazy. I'm having trouble getting them to open my crappy AVI files from my old system. I will NEVER be able to persuade them to download and install a specific player on their computers in order to view MY security camera footage. Even if they were technically capable of it, which they aren't, they're simply too lazy to put in the effort. "The files wouldn't open," they'll simply say. So, once again, what good is this system if you can't show the videos to people? Just so I can see the person who destroys my property with crystal clarity and be angry about it?
- Smart point of view: Supposedly, it displays a recording timeline. Blue is the color of regular. Red indicates that motion has been detected. As a result, you can save time by skipping over areas where motion has been detected. This is a fantastic addition. if it actually worked That is not the case. My timeline had no red (despite the fact that there were many cars passing by). It functions in the same way as standard playback.
- Despite the fact that I set it to a 12hr format, the timeline displays time in 24hr format.
- Customer service's instructions do not apply to my digital video recorder. They're telling me to select options that aren't even available. PROSbr>- br>br>- br>br>- br>br>- br>br>- The rewind is a dream to use. br>br>This system has irritated me greatly. My problems were not helped by custom service, and a lot of this is illogical. Even though it says it's an option, I can't seem to get it to output in AVI. Why can't I backup more than two cameras at once, or backup hour-long blocks of footage? It's in such a bad state.

Kallie Sheppard

| May 11, 2021

This Annke system is a fantastic improvement. br>br>I only had to replace the DVRs because the cameras and cabling from the previous camera system were already in place. The cameras worked with the new Annke system, and the camera views are of excellent quality. br>br>Because the manual is so brief, setting up the DVR was a bit of a challenge, but I eventually got it working using my own intuition. The app setup was also difficult, but I eventually figured out that there was an option in the DVR setup that needed to be enabled in order for the app to function. Everything is now in working order; the camera views are fantastic, and the app runs like a charm. br>br>One more thing: I got a good deal on "Used Like New" by purchasing it. It was a brand new unit, but one end of the box was a little crunched. The equipment inside the box had been so well packed at the factory that the box's damage had no effect on the equipment. Definitely recommended. br>br>.

Gracelyn Austin

| Dec 28, 2020

I simply unplugged the dvr's qsee and connected it to this device. Even for someone like me, learning software was a breeze. I'm not very computer savvy. There will be no tampering with the router. I'm so glad I found these because I'm replacing three systems, all of which will be ANNKE8s.

Jaelynn NORTH

| May 06, 2021

Below is the most recent update to the review: br>br>First impressions - This was purchased to replace a DVR that was struck by lightning and destroyed. It was about a week ago that I attempted to install it. The most difficult part for me is ensuring that all of the settings are correct so that recording (I purchased one with 1TB of storage) and notifications to my iPhone are triggered. After reloading the software from their website a few times, I believe I now have the most recent version. It does not, however, correspond to the screenshots in their support instructions. Different terminology and a different graphical user interface, for example. I've emailed support requests to - I sent my second this morning after getting a 75% helpful response from the first. I believe the support is based in Southeast Asia - As a result, I'm assuming I'll get a response the next day. Let's see how things turn out. I'm hoping I'll be able to pull it off. These DVRs have received a mixed bag of reviews. br>br>If I didn't already have so much pulled wiring and infrastructure in place, I would have gone with one of the wireless systems. That's something I might do if I get too frustrated. br>br>Recently updated review - I received the above-mentioned support response, which stated that I needed to connect a monitor directly to the DVR in order to gain access to the menu where I could tick the boxes to enable iPhone notifications. To do that, I dug out a monitor and an HDMI cable from my storage unit. With the DVR, I now see a THIRD menu interface. 1) the Guarding Vision software downloaded from the support site, 2) the interface that appears when you log into the device's IP address, and 3) the menu that appears when you connect directly to the DVR. Each interface is distinct in terms of appearance, menu commands, and available options. But, thanks to the direct connection, I was able to check off some of the support documentation's checkboxes. I was able to get the DVR to transmit and record video, as well as send video to my iPhone/iPad and create notifications on my iPhone/iPad, in the end. However, it took a few hours of trial and error to get to this point. It appeared that rebooting the device, exiting, and then re-entering the system was the best solution. Changes in settings were less effective after entering the software. br>br>I estimate that I spent about 25 hours getting this thing up and running. br>br>By the way, once my "initial review" was posted, the support team offered to mirror screens with me to help me get this to work. br>br>By the way, once my "initial review" was posted, the support team did offer to mirror screens with me to help me get this to work. I give them credit for that extra help; they're on the other side of the clock, and I didn't take them up on their offer because I'd already gotten the DVR working. br>br>I'd like to clarify something in my previous review - I mentioned that "these DVRs" had received poor reviews. This was a general statement about this type of product - The Annke DVR isn't the only one with this feature. All of the DVRs on the market appear to have flaws - both in terms of function and backing material br>br>Final thoughts - I was able to get this to work for me after a lot of trial and error. Low-cost DIY product with outdated documentation and support on the website. I was perplexed by the three user interfaces. Email support attempted to assist, but due to the passage of time, they were unable to do so. I'm not looking forward to the time when I'll have to "re-invent myself. " open this patient" to make any necessary changes.

Chaim KAY

| Nov 07, 2021

You can send an email during the day and expect a response the next day. That is greatly appreciated, as the instruction manual could use some improvement. The only criticism is that the power supplies break down from time to time, but they are easily replaced for around $10 on the internet. Even though the night vision is good, you might want to consider adding an IR Illuminator to improve it even more. Overall, I'd give it a 4 out of 5 star rating.

Maggie Gray

| Sep 29, 2021