Buying 50 4k hikvisions - chose Chinese or english version?

[Eugene Lam]

Hi guys I'm looking to purchase 24 indoor and 24 outdoor 4k IP cameras plus nvr for a warehouse application.

I'm looking at hikvision but the pricing I got from taobao was $500 per English version camera while Chinese cameras were $380. I'm using it here in the USA and I have people with good Chinese reading ability but no technician experience. I also have people with great IP camera networking experience but no chinese.

Would you guys recommend getting Chinese versions or English versions? Can I get the Chinese version and use nonhikvision software and nvr to setup in English?

I'm leaning towards dome cameras. Would anyone recommend against this?

Any advice is appreciated.

 

[geek7899]

You dont need to know Chinese.
The Chinese firmware cameras are 'hacked' to be multi-language and English is one of the languages.

I am using 8 of them with no problem. Just be careful not to update firmware otherwise it will revert back to Chinese language firmware.

I am talking about 3MP IP cameras, and assume 4k cameras would have been hacked by Aliexpress store 'technicians'

 

[spixel]

You dont need to know Chinese.
The Chinese firmware cameras are 'hacked' to be multi-language and English is one of the languages.

I am using 8 of them with no problem. Just be careful not to update firmware otherwise it will revert back to Chinese language firmware.

I am talking about 3MP IP cameras, and assume 4k cameras would have been hacked by Aliexpress store 'technicians'

Only the more popular models get the hacked treatment. You will only find Chinese 4k cams, or original English versions.

 

[Eugene Lam]

Can one nvr support 48 4k cameras? Can a non technical Chinese person set them up? Can technical person with a Chinese translator set them up?

 

[geek7899]

hmmm, I see.

In that case would the OP have any bargaining power if he is buying 50 cams at ~$400 a pop. Total sale: $20,000. Should be incentive enough

 

[spixel]

I don't know which exact model you're looking for, but on taobao I can see some 4k domes for $280, 8mp Chinese model.

 

[Eugene Lam]

Is taobao/aliexpress still the best mode of purchase for my volume of purchase?

 

[spixel]

Is taobao/aliexpress still the best mode of purchase for my volume of purchase?

Well, it would of course be safer to buy locally, but you will pay for the comfort.

I've contacted a seller on taobao whom I've purchased from before... they can install multi language firmware on the Chinese model DS-2CD4185F-IZ for $430. Price negotiable

 

[Eugene Lam]

Well, it would of course be safer to buy locally, but you will pay for the comfort.

I've contacted a seller on taobao whom I've purchased from before... they can install multi language firmware on the Chinese model DS-2CD4185F-IZ for $430. Price negotiable

Thanks for the help. Crazy how big of a price difference Chinese vs English version is.

 

[fenderman]

Thanks for the help. Crazy how big of a price difference Chinese vs English version is.

I would suggest you try and get some quotes from US sellers who can provide warranty as well. You dont want to end up with 20k of hardware that is defective in some way.

 

[Q™]

I would suggest you try and get some quotes from US sellers who can provide warranty as well. You dont want to end up with 20k of hardware that is defective in some way.

+1 on this good advice. You're gambling with a lot of money not to be certain that the support will be sufficient if you have any problems. Send a private message to RyanODan at Nellys and milkisbad at CTS at at lease solicit their advice; these are good guys for certain.

 

[Eugene Lam]

Thanks for the advice, I've reached out.

If it comes down to it, how hard is it to set up 50 cameras and an nvr in Chinese for someone who's done it a dozen of times on English nvr?

 

[Q™]

Thanks for the advice, I've reached out.

If it comes down to it, how hard is it to set up 50 cameras and an nvr in Chinese for someone who's done it a dozen of times on English nvr?

这是一个他妈的老鼠洞兄弟

 

[hook3m]

这是一个他妈的老鼠洞兄弟

+1 With that many cams the risk isnt worth the reward. Just curious... Are you selling this system to a business?

 

[Larebear]

这是一个他妈的老鼠洞兄弟

Lol

 

[klasipca]

这是一个他妈的老鼠洞兄弟

Funny, but not necessarily a big problem. Google will translate it for you and there was simple browser hack that may still work. ("chooseLanguage("en"))

 

[spixel]

Maybe its just me, but if you actually need 48 of these type of cameras, then I'd probably choose buying from China at $300 a piece instead of $800. Even after shipping costs you'd be saving around 20k. I'd take the gamble and use google translate to set them up. Unless you can get a really good deal from a local supplier, just knowing how little these cameras in China cost in comparison would put me off getting them locally.

 

[Eugene Lam]

Exactly what I'm thinking. At the very least there is a $10k difference. Its not like we don't know Chinese, just not too good at it

 

[fenderman]

Exactly what I'm thinking. At the very least there is a $10k difference. Its not like we don't know Chinese, just not too good at it

Its not simply a language issue...sometimes the cameras arrive with corrupt firmware and are unusable..you may be able to reflash fix them..where are you installing these? are firmware updates important? Are you using a hikvsion NVR or some other vms?

 

[Q™]

Its not simply a language issue...sometimes the cameras arrive with corrupt firmware and are unusable..you may be able to reflash fix them..where are you installing these? are firmware updates important? Are you using a hikvsion NVR or some other vms?

Some of the Chinese turrets are hard-coded for PAL 50hz whereas the Western Region Turrets allow the selection ofeither PAL 50hz or NTSC 60hz and I wonder if anything else is different.