Found this in the aldi catalogue, looks like a good setup though I couldn't find any reviews on it. Does anyone have any experience with these things?
$299 Digital Video Security System with 4 Cameras @ Aldi
60
Related Stores
closed Comments
We will refund or replace any non-food specials within 60days. Please provide your original receipt (or other proof of purchase), ideally with packaging. (was a serial returner - never an issue)
I've heard some average things said about swanning kits. This one even comes with the HDD which is a plus.
The 500GB HDD should only give you a maximum of 30 days footage using D1 at 50fps (Highest video quality). It can be upgraded which is a good thing but probably not necessary. Most DVRs of this type usually have clunky interfaces but I can't comment on this system as I have not seen or used it before.
10m night vision is a joke. At that distance you'd be lucky to see a blur. The cameras are very low quality. Expect a reasonable image during the day in ideal conditions. Anything outside of that and you'll start to get wash out, fuzziness, etc…
This is a get what you pay for kit IMO.
It's not "wireless" mean you need to connect a cable between the camera and the main unit. The cable up to 18 m is included…I think I would prefer to go with "wireless", just too many wires already! (unless you hide them through the ceilings/walls, quite untidy)
The thing with wireless is they still require power at each camera anyway.
And what happens if the power is shut off, system turns off too. (wireless or not)
wireless only need power point, can you imagine all the cable and wires you need to connect from the camera to the dvr????
I like Foscam wireless, use for more than 2 years now, no problem.
in my opinion if done right wired is just as easy, 1 cable does power and video from dvr to camera, and easier to setup a backup power source for the whole system then.
installing new powerpoints for each camera is a hassle, and less chance of interference with the wired cameras.
Which other brands are good for the money as well?
At this price point you'll most likely find a DVR that does what you want but cameras that don't. If you need a name then I guess out of the smaller DVRs available on the market, AverMedia appears to be the easiest to use. It's reasonably well made but appears to have the same features as the ALDI one advertised here.
You need to think about what you are getting it for, what you need to see and when. Selecting the camera and lens for the job is the hardest and most important part.Do all DVR have the same quality?
No unfortunately. As technology gets cheaper, the features should start pouring in to the cheaper models. Ideally you're looking for a DVR that can record from each individual camera at D1 50fps. D1 is typically the highest video resolution for an analogue video source (720 × 576 PAL).
I would assume that the ALDI DVR does this.Is this what you meant by quality?
yea. I was looking around. Even MSY sells something which is quite expensive to compare to this deal.
I would suggest getting a DVR card + used desktop combo.
Did anyone end up getting this? I'd like to know what you think.
Looked a reasonable unit if you are after that sort of thing. Comparable to a Swann unit, I am guessing. I think the trick for this would be to have a play and if it does not meet your needs take it back under there 30 day (?) return policy.