Dahua cameras now at Costco

[homejones 0]

I asked Q-See if there is firmware available to update the 4-channel to the 16-channel and this was their response:

 

"The chipsets on the models are different so they have different firmware, the firmware on the 16 channel is different then the 4 channel because of the chipsets. We do not have the firmware for the NVRs, it is installed at the factory, we will not have a firmware version available until they create an update to the current firmware."

 

Curious if the chipset is actually different...maybe more memory in the 16-channel version...?

[rayt 0]

I asked Q-See if there is firmware available to update the 4-channel to the 16-channel and this was their response:

 

"The chipsets on the models are different so they have different firmware, the firmware on the 16 channel is different then the 4 channel because of the chipsets. We do not have the firmware for the NVRs, it is installed at the factory, we will not have a firmware version available until they create an update to the current firmware."

 

Curious if the chipset is actually different...maybe more memory in the 16-channel version...?

 

i do have the dahua version that has 4 poe ports but supports up to 8 cameras. NVR3208-P

it came defaulted at view 16 cameras, so there is a chance that it can be done. I'm not sure if mine has firmware for 16 cameras, but its weird that it would default to 16 camera view if it was meant to support only 8 cameras.

 

There are ram chips soldered onto the mother board. But i dont remember how much there was.

[homejones 0]

i do have the dahua version that has 4 poe ports but supports up to 8 cameras. NVR3208-P

it came defaulted at view 16 cameras, so there is a chance that it can be done. I'm not sure if mine has firmware for 16 cameras, but its weird that it would default to 16 camera view if it was meant to support only 8 cameras.

 

There are ram chips soldered onto the mother board. But i dont remember how much there was.

 

Interesting, the manual for the NVR also doesn't differentiate the 4-channel, 8-channel, and 16-channel versions. However, the manual shows that the firmware update screen references the number of channels.

 

Does your firmware screen show 16 channels?

[vector18 1]

Now, if someone can check if a Dahua camera will work with the Qsee NVR, that would be great. This way, at least we would have a choice of 3.6 and 6.0mm when installing without trying to find a compatible lens.

i think any 3.6mm lens would work fine in the q-see, its just that 2.1mm lens is a lot bigger.

 

 

I think your confused what I am asking. I would like to know if that Dahua camera will work with the QC NVR or not or visa verca! Not if the lenses will work on the cameras?

[n0fx 0]

Does anyone have the original Dahua FW? I can try flashing it with these Qsee if it takes it or not. I'm going to buy it at costco and give it a try.

[lowpro 0]

I'm also waiting to find out if the nvr can be "updated"

 

 

• Record Frame Rate
   
  4 Channel
  D1: 30fps/camera
  720p: 30fps/camera
  1080p:30fps/camera
  
  8 Channel
  D1: 30fps/camera
  720p: 30fps/camera
  1080p: 15fps/camera
   
  16 Channel
  D1: 30fps/camera
  720p: 15fps/camera
  1080p: 7fps/camera

 

The drop in frame rate is all the difference that I see. My guess is that it is the same insides but use different firmwares.

[homejones 0]

I'm also waiting to find out if the nvr can be "updated"

 

 

• Record Frame Rate
   
  4 Channel
  D1: 30fps/camera
  720p: 30fps/camera
  1080p:30fps/camera
  
  8 Channel
  D1: 30fps/camera
  720p: 30fps/camera
  1080p: 15fps/camera
   
  16 Channel
  D1: 30fps/camera
  720p: 15fps/camera
  1080p: 7fps/camera

 

The drop in frame rate is all the difference that I see. My guess is that it is the same insides but use different firmwares.

 

The Dahua NVR basically supports 4 concurrent 1080p streams (120fps / 16 channels = 7.5fps). As you said, I think this is just a firmware issue, but can't be 100% sure until we get a unit to test and someone who has access to the right firmware. Who knows...maybe all the NVRs are the same, just marketed under separate product numbers...

[buellwinkle 0]

I just got an email back from Costco thanking me for my suggestion of offering the 1080P Q-See cameras and has passed it on to the appropriate buyer.

[SportPlumber 0]

 

It's like a restaurant, you order a sandwich without mayonaise. It comes with mayonaise but you don't realize that until you've taken a bite. Some people would send it back without hesitation, some would feel bad about the people and their own moral compass would live with it. So that half eaten banana may be rotten, do you take it back, do you absorb the loss yourself. Frankly, absorbing the loss yourself just gives you bad feelings towards the merchant and you may never buy bananas from them again, so the it's in everybody's best interest to return it.

Spelling mistakes aside, might I respectfully suggest you stick to superficial camera reviews?

 

Your example is not at all the same. If the restaurant did not perform to their obligation, they are liable. Certainly if the banana is rotten or the sandwich bad, they have not lived up to the bargain.

 

But Costco has provided a pristine product that you advocate violating and if it destroys that product as a result of your actions, they must bear the financial burden because you say "return it". Do you really not know the difference?

 

Your moral compass is askew.

[Kawboy12R 0]

I just got an email back from Costco thanking me for my suggestion of offering the 1080P Q-See cameras and has passed it on to the appropriate buyer.

 

How about future 8ch and 16ch NVR availability?

[buellwinkle 0]

Spelling mistakes aside.

 

I spell one word wrong and now it's mistakes plural, but putting your arrogance aside, this is Costco's return policy (including its one spelling error). If I can't hack something properly, then I'm not 100% satisfied.

 

COSTCO'S RISK FREE 100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE

Membership:

We will refund your membership fee in full at any time if you are dissatisfied.

Merchandise:

We guarantee your satisfaction on every product we sell with a full refund. The following must be returned within 90 days of purchase for a refund: televisions, projectors, computers, cameras, camcorders, touchscreen tablets, MP3 players and cellular phones.

[daveshoot 0]

I don't care for a banana, thank you, but I would be very interested in a Costco 8-ch. offering for my DIY project. I would like to start with 4 bullets and have room for some PTZ in the future.

 

Let Costco know they can sell at least one package if they get these soon.

[thewireguys 3]

Spelling mistakes aside.

 

I spell one word wrong and now it's mistakes plural, but putting your arrogance aside, this is Costco's return policy (including its one spelling error). If I can't hack something properly, then I'm not 100% satisfied.

 

COSTCO'S RISK FREE 100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE

Membership:

We will refund your membership fee in full at any time if you are dissatisfied.

Merchandise:

We guarantee your satisfaction on every product we sell with a full refund. The following must be returned within 90 days of purchase for a refund: televisions, projectors, computers, cameras, camcorders, touchscreen tablets, MP3 players and cellular phones.

 

So you in no way think that what your recommending people to do is taking advantage if their return policy?

 

Lets put the shoe on the other foot and lets say you owned the store. How would you feel if I ordered every crappy Dahua product you supply, bricked them and sent them back to you for a full refund or exchange for a new one?

[buellwinkle 0]

I've owned businesses and I always sided with the customer. Why, because unhappy cutomers tell their friends and neighbors and I'm not going to risk my neighborhood reputation over a minor amount of money even if I think I'm right as I think big picture, not one transaction at a time. But I was in the service industry, not retail. If I was in retail, heck yes, why would I not accept returns? I would just push that back to my supplier that would agree to take stuff back under my return policy or I wouldn't buy from them. I certainly would not be like a Best Buy that takes people's broken stuff they returned and offers them as "open box buys" for 10% discounts.

 

Before the 90 days return policy on cameras, I had neighbors use a camera for 2 years, return it and get the newer model. Now to me, that violates the satisfaction warranty since clearly they were satisfied with the camera for 2 years. But they argued that now that the new model came out, they are no longer satisfied and want the new one. How can I argue with that? So Costco changed their policy on cameras. Now if they change the policy to read that I have to return something in the same condition I got it in, that's different.

[Kawboy12R 0]

I'll side with Buellwinkle on this one. I've got a business that includes a retail side. If a customer is unhappy with the product for whatever reason, they get a refund or an exchange, no questions asked. If someone repeatedly takes advantage of the exchange policy for their own benefit (nobody has so far), then I'd make an exception and cut them off. It'd have to be fairly obvious and egregious though.

 

In the Buellwinkle/Costco example, it'd be nice if someone would experiment on their own dime and throw out a camera that they'd bricked by their own mistake but the line here is a bit grey. Firmware is meant to be updated, IMHO, and it's reasonably logical to assume that a Dahua camera would take Dahua firmware. If *I* had done it and then posted online to tell other people NOT to do it, Costco is better off because I may have saved them a hundred returned bricked cameras because a ton of people were reading about the speculation and wanted to try it. I might not've saved them that cost if I hadn't known about their generous return policy in advance and used it to take the chance. Then again, I might've just thrown the thing out and posted that it didn't work anyway.

 

Some folks cross the line at Costco though. I've heard of people buying a snowblower, using it for three months, and taking it back "unsatisfied" after the worst part of winter is over. No maintenance, no fancy storage needed to keep it nice, nothing. Costco takes it all back. I hear that they also keep notes on people as well and might make individual exceptions but I haven't heard of any verified examples.

 

If Costco Canada had that QSee 4 cam system for $699 like Costco US I'd have already returned my $499 Lorex ECO system for it in a heartbeat. I'm not satisfied with too much about it except the live view when the lighting isn't too difficult. They want $999 for it on their website though and I really need more than 4 cameras.

[rayt 0]

fyi that banana example is just what i've witnessed, i do not abuse costco's return policy, but i do get comfort knowing they will take something back as needed.

 

On the side note, i have ordered 2x of the Q-see 4 camera NVR systems.

 

i have the dahua 3208P 8 channel - 4 port poe NVR as well, 8x dahua 1.3mp bullets, and 4x dahua 1.3mp mini domes hdw2100s

 

i will try to mix and match when the costco set gets here.

i have the latest bullet cam firmware, waiting on my seller to send me the latest firmware on the minidomes, and asked to get the firmware on the NVR as well.

[thewireguys 3]

Sorry there is a big difference between returning a product that you are unhappy with or is defective to when you intentionally hack the product and it no longer works because of that .

[Kawboy12R 0]

To me, updating firmware is a reasonable use for a product. Using firmware that you're quite sure is a correct if slightly different version of the same installed firmware falls within reasonable use, especially if it's easily possible that it bricked when it shouldn't have. Personally, if I did something intentionally that I was pretty sure wouldn't work and it failed I'd throw it out. If I did some research and I believe it SHOULD'VE worked, I could go either way without losing sleep. If the manual stated "Do not update firmware", "Firmware not updateable" or something similar and I read it and knew it? Garbage. I've lost a lot more than a $150 camera to moral decisions before. I also don't think I'd lose sleep if someone else made a return decision based on arguably reasonable use.

[n0fx 0]

Looks like the cameras only aren't available on the website anymore. Did anyone get either of them it a local Costco? The only item available now is the combo set (on the website that is)

[thewireguys 3]

Kawboy12R what's link to your store. I wanna buy all your cameras so I can hack them and then I am going to return all of them for new models.

[ak357 0]

Kawboy12R what's link to your store. I wanna buy all your cameras so I can hack them and then I am going to return all of them for new models.

 

If u get link let me know

[buellwinkle 0]

Probably all the activity on this forum has made them sell out. I would just wait because the 4 camera + NVR was sold out last week and now they have it back. Frankly, if you need 4 cameras, you are basically getting a 1TB hard drive and 4 channel NVR for $100, can't beat that. You can probably dump what you don't need on eBay and come out well.

 

Maybe they'll take my suggestion and offer the 1080p cameras.

[Kawboy12R 0]

It is a bakery. If a pie is unsatisfactory you may have another. Same goes for the second. If you keep eating pies and they are always unsatisfactory you may feel free to buy elsewhere. Same goes for flashing firmware. Brick one and it might be assumed to be normal use, depending on circumstances. Two? Mayyyybe. Three is either malicious or gross stupidity and obviously indefensible and not what we are discussing.

[rayt 0]

edit

[NewIPGuy 0]

If you buy an iPhone from a carrier, or the Apple store, jailbreak it and 'brick' it, Apple/the carrier won't simply take it back...the warranty has been voided.

If you buy a lamp from a store and it gets smashed when it's in your home because you precariously placed it on a shelf you can't get a refund (easily), it's your fault -you broke it.

 

And on that note, I'm sure the good folks over at Empire Security wouldn't appreciate a rash of 'bricked' items if the tides were turned and they were selling these kits.