Got my Dahua 4MP IPC-HDBW4421R-AS 2.8mm

[bp2008]

I got it from CCTV CAMERA CHINA on aliexpress.com: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Dahua-4Mp-IPC-HDBW4421R-AS-IP-camera-network-camera-DH-IPC-HDBW4421R-AS-Support-POE-Micro/32409416351.html

It is 3-axis adjustable.

It does NOT have a built-in microphone.

Here are snapshots captured from the camera's video stream. Click for full size.


The night picture was captured with 1/30 exposure and 50% DNR (noise reduction). WDR is off.

Night video captured at 10 Mbps, 20 FPS, CBR, H.264H, 2560x1440, I-frame interval 40 with Blue Iris, Direct to Disc, mp4 format:

The single infrared LED is below the lens, though you can flip the video in firmware if you want the LED above.


Do not use VBR encoding with this camera. Use CBR instead.

Set to VBR (Variable Bit Rate) 3 FPS, 6 Mbps, "Best" quality, it actually streamed at 0.5 Mbps and had poor quality.
See these two sample pics, captured at "Best" VBR quality


Compare to CBR (Constant Bit Rate) 3 FPS, 6 Mbps:


All the snapshots were captured from the video stream by Blue Iris with jpeg quality 100 to preserve fine details, then uploaded to imgur which no doubt compressed them again.

Here are pictures OF the camera:

 

[bp2008]

This is how the dongle cord comes out the bottom.

 

[JackBauer]

Firmware is English?

 

[bp2008]

Yes. I don't see any Chinese in the firmware menus or on-screen display.

 

[badmop]

If you click on a ? (question mark) While inside the camera login, it will launch another window that is nothing but chinese. It doesn't matter to me on that part though.

You're many steps ahead of me, mine came couple days ago and I didn't share anything with you guys about it.
I did temp hook it up outside, looks great, nice wide angle, going to see how the nightvision does tonight!

I was a little bleh that it didn't have a built in mic, I was thinking it did, but I'll sort that out. Also if the mic had been built in, it may not have been the greatest.

 

[bp2008]

If you click on a ? (question mark) While inside the camera login, it will launch another window that is nothing but chinese. It doesn't matter to me on that part though.

You're many steps ahead of me, mine came couple days ago and I didn't share anything with you guys about it.
I did temp hook it up outside, looks great, nice wide angle, going to see how the nightvision does tonight!

I was a little bleh that it didn't have a built in mic, I was thinking it did, but I'll sort that out. Also if the mic had been built in, it may not have been the greatest.

Same here. The question mark (help file) is in chinese, but Chrome can translate it in case you need. I've never opened that before. LOL

Also noticed it doesn't have a built in mic. Had I known that I would have saved $7 and not gotten the audio version, because I don't really want to have to run another wire over there to power a microphone

Anyway, I got it mounted in its permanent location in my new hot tub shed. Here is another snapshot:



This was using VBR "Best" quality at 3 FPS / 6 Mbps. The actual stream was 512 Kbps and fine details are blurred out. I recommend against using VBR on the new Dahua 4 MP cameras.

 

[bp2008]

Ok, the compression really sucks with VBR enabled on this cam. Even at "Best" quality it was only encoding at about 512 Kbps. Phooey with that.

Here is CBR, 3 FPS, 6 Mbps bit rate:



4 Mbps bit rate:



2 Mbps bit rate:



All captured by Blue Iris and saved with Jpeg quality 100. They look a lot better than the VBR "Best".

 

[badmop]

I also didn't realize it was 3-axis until just a bit ago, which is great, surprised it isn't listed what axis it is. Looking at my analog camera and the HD camera side by side, the images are so different, you don't realize how horrible an analog camera looks until you see side by side in person.

I also had set mine as VBR.

 

[pbc]

Is there any space to shove the connection behind the camera or do you need a junction box?

 

[bp2008]

Here are some pics showing the effects of WDR in this building. Big difference enabling it. Not such a big difference tweaking the value from 1 to 100.

WDR Off:


WDR 1:


WDR 50:


WDR 100:

 

[bp2008]

Is there any space to shove the connection behind the camera or do you need a junction box?

The cable will bend enough that you do not need a junction box.

 

[fenderman]

Also noticed it doesn't have a built in mic. Had I known that I would have saved $7 and not gotten the audio version, because I don't really want to have to run another wire over there to power a microphone

You can use the two unused pairs to transmit the power for the mic....

 

[bp2008]

You can use the two unused pairs to transmit the power for the mic....

But I'm using those to transmit power for the cam! LOL yes, I could feed the cam on 12 volts too... but I don't have that kind of splitter handy.

 

[pbc]

The cable will bend enough that you do not need a junction box.

Not sure what you mean. If I want to mount this flush to a brick or stone wall, wouldn't I need to connect the connector to my cat6 cable and then shove that connection into the back of the camera to hide the cable? The pic seems to imply the back of the camera is just a base without any space? Unless I'm missing something.

I can get 7 of the turrets and 1 of these plus the 4216 nvr for well under usd1k compared to around 1400 or so for the 4 mp Hiks. Unless I'm missing something or the Hiks are that much better it doesn't seem to make sense to go with Hikvision?

 

[badmop]

There is no way to shove the extra cable into the case of the dome camera, There isn't any room inside the case to do it sadly, you would need a junction box to do what you want.

This is also my first HD IP Camera, and I see no problems with it, a million times better than my "1200 TVL" analog cameras, hiks you have to worry about getting an authorized version, plus getting the English firmware version. Also, now getting Hikvision is down to only authorized places or certain few people on ali now. I honestly see no reason to not go with Dahua myself.

 

[fenderman]

But I'm using those to transmit power for the cam! LOL yes, I could feed the cam on 12 volts too... but I don't have that kind of splitter handy.

Pins 4-5 and 7-8 are unused if you are using a traditional poe switch rather than a passive midspan...

 

[pbc]

There is no way to shove the extra cable into the case of the dome camera, There isn't any room inside the case to do it sadly, you would need a junction box to do what you want.

This is also my first HD IP Camera, and I see no problems with it, a million times better than my "1200 TVL" analog cameras, hiks you have to worry about getting an authorized version, plus getting the English firmware version. Also, now getting Hikvision is down to only authorized places or certain few people on ali now. I honestly see no reason to not go with Dahua myself.

Any idea which junction boxes work?

 

[fenderman]

There is no way to shove the extra cable into the case of the dome camera, There isn't any room inside the case to do it sadly, you would need a junction box to do what you want.

This is also my first HD IP Camera, and I see no problems with it, a million times better than my "1200 TVL" analog cameras, hiks you have to worry about getting an authorized version, plus getting the English firmware version. Also, now getting Hikvision is down to only authorized places or certain few people on ali now. I honestly see no reason to not go with Dahua myself.

FYI, the dahua will also be unauthorized...they will not support or warranty it...they dont region lock it though...but you need a reliable source for new firmware as they dont publish it..

 

[badmop]

True, but I'm not a person who ever deals with warranties on things. I have already voided the warranty on 99.9% of the things I get as soon as I get them, they're usually opened up or modded in some way, haha. All but computer hard drives, I have used the warranty on a couple of those in my life, once in 1996 and then twice in 2013.

If I can get something cheaper versus a higher price for the same thing, If I don't need it right away, I am fine paying less. Some people are completely the opposite. The cameras are very nice for the money.

 

[fenderman]

True, but I'm not a person who ever deals with warranties on things. I have already voided the warranty on 99.9% of the things I get as soon as I get them, they're usually opened up or modded in some way, haha. All but computer hard drives, I have used the warranty on a couple of those in my life, once in 1996 and then twice in 2013.

If I can get something cheaper versus a higher price for the same thing, If I don't need it right away, I am fine paying less. Some people are completely the opposite. The cameras are very nice for the money.

Its not just the warranty..the firmware is not readily available..for me, i dont care, I use third party vms...but it matters to some....
The real difference will be the image quality and until we see more images of the dahua at night, with shots that dont provide anything for the IR to reflect off, it will be hard to tell..its also important to see actual video...stills only tell a small part of the picture...at 90 dollars though these are a great deal, particularly since they offer SD card recording and audio connections....they may turn out to be better at night than the hiks, who knows...