Yeah even in 2023, brand new cameras coming off the line are still requiring Internet Explorer and the plug-in in many instances. Some cameras are better than others, but IE is the standard if you don't want problems.
Unfortunately Hikvision and Dahua make many of the other brands out there, so you would potentially have the same experiences. Even 5 times the cost Axis still recommends Internet Explorer LOL.
Further, you have to remember that the homeowner isn't the Dahua and Hikvision target audience, it is the professional installers that are authorized to sell and install this gear, so we cannot purchase directly and thus they will not take your phone call for support related questions or suggestions - they will tell you to talk to the installer you purchased from. Many people have bought a "Hikvision" or Dahua from Amazon or some shady foreign website and when they call Hikvision or Dahua for support they basically tell them to go pound salt. We simply are not their intended market to sell to and they will not take your call for support...Lot's of threads here confirming this, including one from a few
months ago where someone tried to call for support and they told them sorry talk to your installer....
We are just fortunate to be able to get our hands on these types of cameras and a forum like this to help us troubleshoot when needed.
We simply are not their intended user, so if you want it simpler and more user-friendly, then you need to go to consumer grade stuff like Ring, Arlo, Nest, Reolink, Blink, Eufy, etc where you simply scan a QR code and you are good to go. Not very secure and the imagery won't be as good, but it is simple to get going.
Further their intended market is businesses, so they have lots of light and can get away with auto settings, so most never have to get into the camera GUI and simply look at the video feeds via an NVR hooked to a monitor, so they never deal with the plug-in.
You really need to be asking yourself do you want quality cameras to capture quality video at night with motion OR do you want the simplicity scan a QR code and be tricked into thinking you have a good system (that is actually a security risk and crappy video with motion at night)? Unfortunately you can't get both.
The consumer grade Ring and Arlos and Reolink and Blink and whatever you can buy at a big box store sells just that - simplicity plug-n-play devices with very little ability to tweak settings. But that simplicity comes at the expense of usable video with motion, especially at night.
