AvertX 16 Channel 8 (3MP) camera system NV160-P2B Review

Earlier this week, I ordered the NV160-P2B system from CostCo due to the nature of the 3MP quality. This system cost me a little under $2,700.

The good:

· The hard drive is nice and large (4TB).

· The cameras were high quality and are able to backup record onto micro SD cards as well.

· Everything is basically plug and play - one wire to power and transmit video.

· 100 ft cables with weather proofing on the ends.

· The UI was easy to navigate.

· The night vision is pretty good (still black and white with IR, of course).

· CostCo sells it, so there's 100% peace of mind.

The bad:

· No sound (microphones) with any of the cameras. Additional purchases required to probably get this to work.

· No WiFi connectivity whatsoever... Even DirectTV has this...

· The visual display on the monitor was very laggy, though I'm sure the recordings are quick and nice looking.

· The ability to block motion sensing from certain areas was nearly impossible to find (still haven't).

· It can't make phone call or texts (though there are workarounds with a computer).. it can only email 3 email addresses. Again, this can be fixed with a computer, but why would you need another machine when you're spending thousands already?

The UGLY:

· Everything showed up fine when hooking up to a PC monitor via VGA, but I am unable to view anything via the HDMI port (I've tried multiple versions of HDMI, on 2 different monitors and 2 different TVs with 6 different HDMI cables). None of them worked.

· There is no systematic or easy way to backup the video to the cloud. To me, this is insane in this day and age. If someone is breaking into my house, they are stealing the unit... AvertX - you need to fix this.

Conclusion: 6.5/10

After all is said and done, it's a decent CC system, but decent isn't good enough for me. The fact that I can't view 1080P out of it drives me crazy. AvertX said they'd be happy to send a replacement system, but why would I want to promote a business that doesn't QC their stuff before sending it out? ... I should be able to view 4k out of it (since these cameras are better than 1080P and there's 8 of them). Also, the fact that i can't simply access files and backup to the cloud is a let down.

I'll probably return this to CostCo and get a couple DropCams to tide me over until the technology is good/cheap enough for my liking.

Earlier this week, I ordered the NV160-P2B system from CostCo due to the nature of the 3MP quality. This system cost me a little under $2,700.

 

The good:

· The hard drive is nice and large (4TB).

· The cameras were high quality and are able to backup record onto micro SD cards as well.

· Everything is basically plug and play - one wire to power and transmit video.

· 100 ft cables with weather proofing on the ends.

· The UI was easy to navigate.

· The night vision is pretty good (still black and white with IR, of course).

· CostCo sells it, so there's 100% peace of mind.

 

The bad:

· No sound (microphones) with any of the cameras. Additional purchases required to probably get this to work.

· No WiFi connectivity whatsoever... Even DirectTV has this...

· The visual display on the monitor was very laggy, though I'm sure the recordings are quick and nice looking.

· The ability to block motion sensing from certain areas was nearly impossible to find (still haven't).

· It can't make phone call or texts (though there are workarounds with a computer).. it can only email 3 email addresses. Again, this can be fixed with a computer, but why would you need another machine when you're spending thousands already?

 

The UGLY:

· Everything showed up fine when hooking up to a PC monitor via VGA, but I am unable to view anything via the HDMI port (I've tried multiple versions of HDMI, on 2 different monitors and 2 different TVs with 6 different HDMI cables). None of them worked.

· There is no systematic or easy way to backup the video to the cloud. To me, this is insane in this day and age. If someone is breaking into my house, they are stealing the unit... AvertX - you need to fix this.

 

Conclusion: 6.5/10

 

After all is said and done, it's a decent CC system, but decent isn't good enough for me. The fact that I can't view 1080P out of it drives me crazy. AvertX said they'd be happy to send a replacement system, but why would I want to promote a business that doesn't QC their stuff before sending it out? ... I should be able to view 4k out of it (since these cameras are better than 1080P and there's 8 of them). Also, the fact that i can't simply access files and backup to the cloud is a let down.

I'll probably return this to CostCo and get a couple DropCams to tide me over until the technology is good/cheap enough for my liking.

1) you purchased this before doing any research...you could buy hikvision/swann/dahua/lorex systems for much less

2) Not having audio is the norm..you need to specifically seek cameras with audio, even those with audio, few have built in mic, most need a mic added

3)wifi is unacceptable for a security camera..(in most instances)

4) you need to look for mask settings to block motion detection

5)the hdmi is not working because you need to properly set the output resolution

Due to the high bandwidth it would be difficult to send all the recordings to the cloud without over compressing it...it is VERY rare for an NVR to be stolen...avertx should allow you to ftp still images...you can use pc software that will allow you to ftp video or even record to a hidden nas in your house which is the best solution. Or you can have the cameras record to nas while also recording to the NVR.

Dropcam is a joke and simply charges a stupid tax. For only 30 days of storage its 300 for the first camera, and 150 for each additional camera. Your system came with 8 cameras assuming you are using all of them, that's 1350 PER YEAR in perpetuity...what a scam..also you cannot direct live your your cameras 24/7 on a monitor/tv or your bandwidth would go though the roof....

Their cameras are not outdoor cameras..