Please, advice about Dahua 3MP ip camera

[gianni253]

Hi, I’m going to build a brand new videosurveillance system but I have a major constrain: I already own a Dahua NVR4208 (gift) and, as far as I have understood, I have to complete it with dahua ip cameras or I will run into compatibility problems.
My only requirement is about motion/intrusion detection though I can tolerate a certain amount of false alarms.
3MP are enough for me so my attention is about IPC-HFW4300S and IPC-HFW1320S but I’m so confused with this choice because I can’t find any information about recent IPC-HFW1320S (someone wrote is lower quality) and, at the same time, IPC-HFW4300S V2 (the only on the market nowdays) is said to be very problematic about firmware updates.

So, what 3MP ip camera to buy with NVR4208 ?
Any other alternatives to Dahua cameras ?

Many thanks for your advices !

 

[MacNCheese]

I have tested some other non branded cheap cameras on my NVR4116 and I haven't really had any problems. As long as they are h.264 compliant they will be ok, but you may run into trouble using motion detect with non Dahua branded cams. Having said that they work my advice would be to stick with Dahua.

Overall I've found the whole motion detect to be pretty awful, and I don't use it and just record 24/7. I set it up for one night and ended up with almost 2000 triggers.

I have had 1 HFW4300s for about 6-8 months and I have found it to be great - although I was previously using 1.3 megapixel cameras so it was a huge step up. There a new range of 4mp cameras coming through which aren't much more than the 3mp pixel models and they seem to be a huge step up in both hardware and software.

 

[MacNCheese]

Something else to consider too if you have a built in POE switch in the NVR is that you can't access the cameras directly from your network. So if you go for non-dahua cams you may never be able to update the settings from the NVR.

 

[gianni253]

HiMacNCheese, many thanks for your feedback.
Yes, I know motion detection is buggy ...
Is your HFW4300s first series or V2 ?

P.S.
No, my nvr has no POE ports

 

[MacNCheese]

Without climbing up to look at it, all I can see is on the order and it says it's a 2014 model.

 

[sumguy]

I understand that the IPC-HFW4300S camera has N (NTSC) or P (Pal) version. How can that be? This is a digital IP camera, with video format far beyond analog NTSC or Pal. Does this camera have analog (RCA) composite video output (that can be NTSC or Pal) in addition to RJ-45 TCP/IP jack? If there is no RCA analog video jack, then explain how NTSC or Pal is relevant to this camera.

 

[marid2apterbilt]

I dont think it does matter, Not sure. I do know I have 3 - 4300s ntsc and 3 - 4300c pal cameras and they all work fine. The 4300c seems to have a much clearer night vision.

Niether have rca output.

 

[Del Boy]

HDW4300S or HDW4300C are the way ahead for me. Mine are all PAL so don't know about the NTSC/PAL thing.

 

[riggz]

Just wanted to comment on the HDW4300C vs the HDW1320S. A vendor on Aliexpress informed me that the 1320S is the newer model that will continue to have future support (firmware upgrades?) whereas the 4300C will not. I believe I also read somewhere that the 4300C was being illegally copied so they came out with the 1320S (not sure how this prevents copying?)