Lorex 8-channel NVR with 6 1080p cams @Costco for $999.99

[vila251 0]

Can anyone post the model number for the updated dome camera. I just received my system and it has the old style dome. Model number MCND2152. thanks

[rayt 0]

Can anyone post the model number for the updated dome camera. I just received my system and it has the old style dome. Model number MCND2152. thanks

 

that is the model number that my newer style domes have.

[buellwinkle 0]

I posted a picture showing the two different domes, but I was mistaken. The reason is the 12mm camera has a totally different foam gasket than the 2.8mm camera. So it looks similar as before, but they seal better for better isolation from LED's to lens. Not perfect, but way better than before and pretty good, but the 12mm is perfect but not a practical lens size for a 2-axis dome. Look for date on the box of July or newer. The ones that Wrightwood is shipping are stamped with an August date. I'll be getting the one from Wrightwood tomorrow and I can take pics side by side, 2.8mm old design to 2.8mm new design, even images side by side if anyone is interested.

[amituzana 0]

New here...

The product is out of stock for now, can someone recommend me on similar product for same price?

is it possible to find or was it very rare offer?

[zikronix 0]

I posted a picture showing the two different domes, but I was mistaken. The reason is the 12mm camera has a totally different foam gasket than the 2.8mm camera. So it looks similar as before, but they seal better for better isolation from LED's to lens. Not perfect, but way better than before and pretty good, but the 12mm is perfect but not a practical lens size for a 2-axis dome. Look for date on the box of July or newer. The ones that Wrightwood is shipping are stamped with an August date. I'll be getting the one from Wrightwood tomorrow and I can take pics side by side, 2.8mm old design to 2.8mm new design, even images side by side if anyone is interested.

 

Yes please take pics.

[nickcamera 0]

I received my kit and got the old style domes also. Did anyone but rayt get the new style domes? Are the old ones really that bad that I should return them? Also did anyone have success calling Costco about getting the new style domes as was suggested in an earlier post? I really don't want cameras that were described by bullwinkle as "poo".

[buellwinkle 0]

Just try it out first. Here's what happens with the old design, at night, when the IR comes on, and it's pointed out at a distance, it will look like a dirty window. If you move the camera, the smudges remain as the picture moves. Sort of unique, not the typical IR light bleed with pearls in a circle that mimic the illuminator. The new version might have a very faint smudge in a tiny part, but nothing like the old one.

[Alan2000 0]

Hi guys! Here goes my first post. I'm a newbie to IP cams so be patient with me...

 

I didn't see in this thread an issue I read about elsewhere that may account for some variance in picture quality reviews here. I read that this NVR by default comes set at 720P. I didn't think that was the case but when I went through all my settings sure enough it was set to 720P. This was a week ago and I already forgot exactly what setting it was, but I think it may have been the record resolution setting that was factory set to 720P. So check your units or your playback resolution may be less than optimal. Mine was.

 

Switching from D1 to 1080P was a huge improvement for me in daytime PQ. However, I was disappointed in the night image quality. In fact, I wish I could use one of my old analog cameras that at night with only ambient street lighting was giving me color and a clearer picture than my Lorex cams at night. So I picked up two of the Costco Swann 1080p HD IP Vari-Focal Bullet Cameras (looks like the Hikvision DS-2CD2632F-I). They have a decent Lux rating so I thought I'd see how they would do and complete my system with 8 cameras.

 

I could not get the Swann cams to connect to the Lorex NVR. Next I spent 2+ hours on hold with Swann and Lorex. Swann said to call Lorex. Lorex said their NVR only works with Lorex cams using Lorex protocol. I pointed out to the level 2 tech guy that there are 10 protocols in the NVR menu to pick from in the manual settings. He said it didn't matter and than even their own Lorex cams will not work using manual settings. He said I'd have to buy Lorex cams if I wanted them to work. Is that true? If the NVR doesn't support anything but Lorex it seems odd to me it gives you options for the various other protocols and manual setup option. I'd love if someone here could tell me how to get the Swann cam working with the Lorex NVR.

 

On a side note, I noticed in the Swann cam there appears to be 2 servos motors. Can the cam focus and zoom be controlled remotely? There was zero documentation as far as specs or setup goes with the Swann cameras.

 

Here is a pic inside the Swann camera. One motor is hard to see because it has a black Velcro strip on it.

[rayt 0]

Hi guys! Here goes my first post. I'm a newbie to IP cams so be patient with me...

 

I didn't see in this thread an issue I read about elsewhere that may account for some variance in picture quality reviews here. I read that this NVR by default comes set at 720P. I didn't think that was the case but when I went through all my settings sure enough it was set to 720P. This was a week ago and I already forgot exactly what setting it was, but I think it may have been the record resolution setting that was factory set to 720P. So check your units or your playback resolution may be less than optimal. Mine was.

 

Switching from D1 to 1080P was a huge improvement for me in daytime PQ. However, I was disappointed in the night image quality. In fact, I wish I could use one of my old analog cameras that at night with only ambient street lighting was giving me color and a clearer picture than my Lorex cams at night. So I picked up two of the Costco Swann 1080p HD IP Vari-Focal Bullet Cameras (looks like the Hikvision DS-2CD2632F-I). They have a decent Lux rating so I thought I'd see how they would do and complete my system with 8 cameras.

 

I could not get the Swann cams to connect to the Lorex NVR. Next I spent 2+ hours on hold with Swann and Lorex. Swann said to call Lorex. Lorex said their NVR only works with Lorex cams using Lorex protocol. I pointed out to the level 2 tech guy that there are 10 protocols in the NVR menu to pick from in the manual settings. He said it didn't matter and than even their own Lorex cams will not work using manual settings. He said I'd have to buy Lorex cams if I wanted them to work. Is that true? If the NVR doesn't support anything but Lorex it seems odd to me it gives you options for the various other protocols and manual setup option. I'd love if someone here could tell me how to get the Swann cam working with the Lorex NVR.

 

On a side note, I noticed in the Swann cam there appears to be 2 servos motors. Can the cam focus and zoom be controlled remotely? There was zero documentation as far as specs or setup goes with the Swann cameras.

 

Here is a pic inside the Swann camera. One motor is hard to see because it has a black Velcro strip on it.

 

as someone pointed out to me, it is auto iris and ir filter.

 

I believe it is possible to make the swann work with the lorex, have you tried setting it up manually? do know that the swann uses a different password then lorex

lorex is something like 000000 while swann is 12345

they claim that their cameras are different, yet they will take the same stock firmware from hikvision, i flashed the same raptor firmware on my lorex cameras and swann cameras, but i have not used those cameras with my nvr after, so i can't comment. they do all run the same protocol though

[Alan2000 0]

Ah, that makes sense!

 

To test what the Lorex person said that the NVR will not even work with the Lorex cam if in manual setting mode vs Plug n Play mode, I changed Ch1 camera to manual with all the same settings it was showing under plug n play, and indeed the camera would not work. Strange. I set it back and it worked. I tried again and now the Lorex camera will not connect in either mode. Ugh. Lorex needs to hire someone from Apple to make their NVR more user friendly. (Although compared to a Q-See unit it replaced it is an improvement but could be better. )

 

I didn't try changing the password. At this point not even the Lorex camera on Ch1 I switched back and forth will not work. Time to reboot everything and see what happens...

 

EDIT: Ch1 started working after reboot. So maybe I need to reboot NVR after setting up Swann cam. Need more specifics to really go further I guess. (Will create new thread to deal with the Swann camera issue.)

 

EDIT 2: After rebooting system I notice night quality is improved. This is odd. Maybe there was some glitch before.

[godzuki 0]

To get my SWANN cameras to work with the Lorex DVR in "plug and play" mode I just logged into the camera's web interface manually and changed the network address setting from static to dhcp, then changed the admin password to 000000.

 

I also received the older design dome cameras... Received the order on the 12th. Called Costco, who referred me to Lorex and they acted like they didn't know what I was talking about, but that if there was an update to the dome camera, they would replace it under warranty.

[godzuki 0]

Do you think Costco will get the 2 pack lorex cameras back in stock?

 

they have the swann 2 packs still available, i didn't see the lorex cameras last time, i'm not sure if costco would list the same camera from 2 oems at the same time?

 

Will the Swann cameras work in the Lorex NVR or do I have to flash the firmware?

 

Yes, no firmware update required. Simply login to the web interface of the Swann cam and change ip addressing from static to dhcp, then change the admin password to 000000

[Alan2000 0]

To get my SWANN cameras to work with the Lorex DVR in "plug and play" mode I just logged into the camera's web interface manually and changed the network address setting from static to dhcp, then changed the admin password to 000000.

 

I also received the older design dome cameras... Received the order on the 12th. Called Costco, who referred me to Lorex and they acted like they didn't know what I was talking about, but that if there was an update to the dome camera, they would replace it under warranty.

 

" title="Applause" /> That did the trick. You are officially overqualified for a job at Swann or Lorex in Level 2 tech support. Thanks man!

[buellwinkle 0]

That's usually the case, someone here has figured it out before support did.

[zikronix 0]

To get my SWANN cameras to work with the Lorex DVR in "plug and play" mode I just logged into the camera's web interface manually and changed the network address setting from static to dhcp, then changed the admin password to 000000.

 

I also received the older design dome cameras... Received the order on the 12th. Called Costco, who referred me to Lorex and they acted like they didn't know what I was talking about, but that if there was an update to the dome camera, they would replace it under warranty.

 

" title="Applause" /> That did the trick. You are officially overqualified for a job at Swann or Lorex in Level 2 tech support. Thanks man!

 

I cant speak for lorex support other then I heard it sucks. Swanns support has been decent. With that being said they are not required to help you hook up a camera to a competitors product, nor should they be expected to. With that being said, being in the IT field ,that's usually how it works lol

[triangledave 0]

I am on the home stretch of getting my system set up. Thanks to help from folks on the forum, my feeds are now available via HDMI and look very good at the high resolution. Labor Day weekend sees the cameras get mounted (ah, the joys of running wires in the attic).

 

Does anyone have suggestions for what the camera options are for the "last" 2 cameras to bring the total to 8 for the system? If I go to Lorex, they want over $400 for a pair of bullet cameras. I'm not up for paying nearly half of what I paid for 6 cameras and an NVR for two additional cameras.

 

Are there any other compatible options out there for bullet cameras?

 

Thanks

[buellwinkle 0]

Get the Hikvision version, 3MP at WrightwoodSurveillance.com for $170 shipped and they have the bullets and domes, both work well. That's about the least expensive out there now.

[rayt 0]

Get the Hikvision version, 3MP at WrightwoodSurveillance.com for $170 shipped and they have the bullets and domes, both work well. That's about the least expensive out there now.

 

whats the secret to getting a dome for $170? coupon code buellwinkle?

[Alan2000 0]

I cant speak for lorex support other then I heard it sucks. Swanns support has been decent. With that being said they are not required to help you hook up a camera to a competitors product, nor should they be expected to. With that being said, being in the IT field ,that's usually how it works lol

 

Maybe I was unlucky but the two IT reps at Swann and the two at Lorex didn't even know the basics. I didn't expect either to give detailed instructions to use another brand product, but they should at least not give out bad information. Swann said their IP camera has no settings! The Lorex folks said their NVR won't work with any other cameras other than Lorex. If they don't know how to do something they should just say they don't know rather than give people wrong info. Hikvision support however was excellent and they knew what they were talking about. Fortunately, I found this forum that has the best support!

 

After crawling through insulation in my hot attic today all 8 cameras are working! Now I need to learn about optimizing things like the max bit rate settings, etc.

[Chow 0]

I got my cameras yesterday and just set up one dome to test. I noticed it had the round ethernet plug. Does that mean I have the new model? I didnt see a manufacture date except for on the NVR which said it was 7/2013

[buellwinkle 0]

whats the secret to getting a dome for $170? coupon code buellwinkle?

 

I think the secret code word is "please", LOL. Just ask them, sales@wrightwoodsurveilance.com.

[rayt 0]

whats the secret to getting a dome for $170? coupon code buellwinkle?

 

I think the secret code word is "please", LOL. Just ask them, sales@wrightwoodsurveilance.com.

 

thx, worth a shot, still debating if i need 2.8mm, vs the 4mm i have

 

by running 3mp, i think my viewing angle might be wide enough, but i am trying to run one indoors for very broad viewing coverage.

[zikronix 0]

whats the secret to getting a dome for $170? coupon code buellwinkle?

 

I think the secret code word is "please", LOL. Just ask them, sales@wrightwoodsurveilance.com.

 

thx, worth a shot, still debating if i need 2.8mm, vs the 4mm i have

 

by running 3mp, i think my viewing angle might be wide enough, but i am trying to run one indoors for very broad viewing coverage.

 

Im doing the same thing. Thee 2.8 will provide nice wide coverage. Im going to try to use them out side as well vs the 4mm bullets and swann vairfocal, I have the same problem that most have, slanted eves, and wall mounting them has its own issues. the benefits tthe swann has is it is a varifocal, its a 3 axis, and it has SD but at 249 a pop plus tax!!!

[Alan2000 0]

I've been playing around with the settings and 3 of my cameras shut down due to insufficient bandwidth. I'm not all that concerned about storage space. So I turned up the settings to see what would happen. Remember, I'm a newbie... LOL. I noticed for the cams there is a recording setting for image quality that is default to "Medium". I changed all the cameras to "Highest." I also changed the default max bitrate from 4,096 to 8,192 on all cameras for both main stream continuos and main stream motion. They are all set to variable bit rate. I also changed the bitrate on the subtream from 512 to 1024. All 8 channels are set at 30FPS.

 

Everything seemed to work for a while, and the image was nice and crisp, but after a while cameras started shutting down to where only 5 were working.

 

I'm sure there is an intelligent way to optimize the settings to maximize the video quality and not crash the system. Any tips on how far the NVR can be pushed would be appreciated. I don't think my Internet speed matters as I think that only applies to the sub stream. If it does matter, I have 25Mbs upload and 25Mbps download speed.

[zikronix 0]

I've been playing around with the settings and 3 of my cameras shut down due to insufficient bandwidth. I'm not all that concerned about storage space. So I turned up the settings to see what would happen. Remember, I'm a newbie... LOL. I noticed for the cams there is a recording setting for image quality that is default to "Medium". I changed all the cameras to "Highest." I also changed the default max bitrate from 4,096 to 8,192 on all cameras. They are all set to variable bit rate. I also changed the bitrate on the subtream from 512 to 1024. All 8 channels are set at 30FPS.

 

Everything seemed to work for a while, and the image was nice and crisp, but after a while cameras started shutting down to where only 5 were working.

 

I'm sure there is an intelligent way to optimize the settings to maximize the video quality and not crash the system. Any tips on how far the NVR can be pushed would be appreciated. I don't think my Internet speed matters as I think that only applies to the sub stream. If it does matter, I have 25Mbs upload and 25Mbps download speed.

 

 

your upload and download speed doesnt matter. The 8 port nvr is only capible of 40Mbps

 

use a calculator to see the max you can set yoru cameras at

Edited August 24, 2013 by Guest