Stuck with DLink cameras and they are expensive

[sukafun]

Hi All,

I was looking into switching from DLink cameras to Dahua which have amazing cameras at reasonable prices. Anyway after a bit research found out that if I switch to something like Dahua or Hikvision, I'll be limited to either have to use the paid software Blue Iris or something like the free iSpy which's rubbish.

With DLink cameras there's a free DLink CCTV management software which's perfect for my use case. I'm now stuck with using DLink cameras and if I want to buy any new cameras will be DLink which they are double the price than Dahua and have very poor quality. So my question is why dlink cameras are so expensive and don't have good quality?

For example, I'm looking into this DLink business grade camera

https://eu.dlink.com/uk/en/-/media/business_products/dcs/dcs-4718e/datasheets/dcs_4718e_datasheet_eu_en.pdf

It costs $500 AU dollars where Dahua IPC-HDW2831T-ZS-S2 is around $250 with almost similar specs. Anyone have a solution for me?


Cheers
Suka

 

[TonyR]

Anyway after a bit research found out that if I switch to something like Dahua or Hikvision, I'll be limited to either have to use the paid software Blue Iris or something like the free iSpy which's rubbish.

Do you realize how inexpensive Blue Iris is? It's under $60 USD and is powerful, flexible and LOTS of forum members here use it. You could spend more than that here in the U.S. on family night out at a local restaurant.

From what you say, you could spend at least that amount in the difference between Dahua cams and D-Link cams, right?

 

[k110]

if I switch to something like Dahua or Hikvision, I'll be limited to either have to use the paid software Blue Iris or something like the free iSpy which's rubbish.

What? Why? Hikvision for example has free to use software for PC & smartphone.

 

[sukafun]

Do you realize how inexpensive Blue Iris is? It's under $60 USD and is powerful, flexible and LOTS of forum members here use it. You could spend more than that here in the U.S. on family night out at a local restaurant.

From what you say, you could spend at least that amount in the difference between Dahua cams and D-Link cams, right?

I already spent $300 x 3 on very poor quality cameras. I tried Blue Iris with one of the cameras and I didn't like or maybe I'm not used to it. I want to know why DLink cameras are expensive with lower quality compared to others but if no reason I'll try to get used to Blue Iris and switch to better while cheaper cameras.

 

[sukafun]

What? Why? Hikvision for example has free to use software for PC & smartphone.

Is it the HikCentral Professional software? I'll look into it.

 

[k110]

Is it the HikCentral Professional software? I'll look into it.

No that's for professional installers who want to manage the CCTV systems of their customers. The desktop software is iVMS4200 and the smartphone app is Hik-Connect. All free and work very well.

Where do you want to record to?

 

[sukafun]

No that's for professional installers who want to manage the CCTV systems of their customers. The desktop software is iVMS4200 and the smartphone app is Hik-Connect. All free and work very well.

Where do you want to record to?

Thank you. Will give it a try. Hikvision cams are still 10 times better than DLink.

I record to a local storage but also have network storage.

 

[TheSwede]

Hi !
I'v done the same as You, started with Dlink cameras and the Dlink software.
Which IS working but not so many tweaking possibilities.

I moved on to BlueIris and had some struggle in the beginning, but that sorts out after a while.
Read this forum and the Wiki in the top menu
Reused the Dlink cameras in BlueIris and still use them.

Dahua is much better (or HIKvision, diffrent flavor).


Brgds TheSwede

 

[sukafun]

Which IS working but not so many tweaking possibilities.

Brgds TheSwede

Can you give examples?

 

[wittaj]

I already spent $300 x 3 on very poor quality cameras. I tried Blue Iris with one of the cameras and I didn't like or maybe I'm not used to it. I want to know why DLink cameras are expensive with lower quality compared to others but if no reason I'll try to get used to Blue Iris and switch to better while cheaper cameras.

Because DLink caters to the consumer market with wifi routers, cameras and other electronics you buy at a big box store. So you are paying for brand name recognition and you can contact their support number for questions you have about setup. In the US, a lot of consumer grade junk costs more than a Dahua or Hikvision which is why you do not see those at the local Best Buy or Wal-Mart....

We are not the user that Dahua and Hikvision is targeting. They have made a business decision to target the professional installers and authorized distributors of these cameras. I suspect many of them have been trained on all the settings or have installed enough to know what to do. But have an issue and call either company up for support and they will tell you to talk to the vendor you purchased from.

Contrast that with consumer grade stuff sold at the big box stores. You can call a Night Owl or Arlo or Reolink or Lorex or Amcrest or DLink or Google Nest or Ring and speak to a representative (now whether they can help you or not is another story), but they will not tell you to talk to Best Buy where you purchased it...and several of these cost the same or more as Dahua or Hikvision...

We are just fortunate enough to be able to get our hands on these brands.

The cost difference you are saying between the two cameras would so be worth Blue Iris! But as others have said, Dahua and Hikvision both offer free platforms - kinda clunky but I started that way too before moving to Blue Iris.

 

[sukafun]

Because DLink caters to the consumer market with wifi routers, cameras and other electronics you buy at a big box store. So you are paying for brand name recognition and you can contact their support number for questions you have about setup. In the US, a lot of consumer grade junk costs more than a Dahua or Hikvision which is why you do not see those at the local Best Buy or Wal-Mart....

We are not the user that Dahua and Hikvision is targeting. They have made a business decision to target the professional installers and authorized distributors of these cameras. I suspect many of them have been trained on all the settings or have installed enough to know what to do. But have an issue and call either company up for support and they will tell you to talk to the vendor you purchased from.

Contrast that with consumer grade stuff sold at the big box stores. You can call a Night Owl or Arlo or Reolink or Lorex or Amcrest or DLink or Google Nest or Ring and speak to a representative (now whether they can help you or not is another story), but they will not tell you to talk to Best Buy where you purchased it...and several of these cost the same or more as Dahua or Hikvision...

We are just fortunate enough to be able to get our hands on these brands.

That's true I agree. Any local CCTV professional installers here mainly use Hikvision, Dahua, Bosch. They don't touch DLink cams not even the business grade ones. As a beginner or with little knowledge on CCTV, you will end up with brands like TPlink DLink or Swann cameras which's very popular here and it's junk.

 

[TheSwede]

You asked about what was missing in Dlink-NVR.
UPDATED VERSIONS, mostly updates was just added more camera models.
Only Dlink cameras, not generic ONVIF standard cameras.
It is possible to change sensitivity of motion detect, but not:
Contrast, zone crossing, zone a>b, b<a, ability to detect a missing movement in motion detect,
Autostart as a service, sub streams (i'm not using that YET...)
Built-in webserver, remoteaccess, mobile client, push messages.
The list is long...

 

[sukafun]

You asked about what was missing in Dlink-NVR.
UPDATED VERSIONS, mostly updates was just added more camera models.
Only Dlink cameras, not generic ONVIF standard cameras.
It is possible to change sensitivity of motion detect, but not:
Contrast, zone crossing, zone a>b, b<a, ability to detect a missing movement in motion detect,
Autostart as a service, sub streams (i'm not using that YET...)
Built-in webserver, remoteaccess, mobile client, push messages.
The list is long...

I agree not all DLink models are there even with latest device pack.
For motion sensitivity, contrast settings, camera settings you can do this from the camera itself.
There's autostart as well auto login.
There's built-in webserver with remote access. I think there's a mobile client but its rubbish. There's a PC windows client but i don't use it I use main console and don't use remoteaccess as my setup is different.
There's no push messages true.
I'm guessing all mentioned above exsits in Blue Iris?

 

[TheSwede]

Test B I and you will se all the possibilities, You can do that on the same pc and the same cam at the same time.
Download B I , start it, push the + sign at top right to add camera, give the ip adresss and credentials, "Find / Inspect", change receive buffer size to 20Mb, disable "overlays" (Videotab), disable "Cut and combine clips" (Recordtab).

Then you would be up and running, test it !

/ TheSwede