This is where you really start to get into sticky situations and in my opinion you have to start looking out for peoples best interest.
This system isn't anything special. They advertise "3x zoom" for example like its something amazing. It's a digital zoom and all your doing is enlarging the image/pixels which is something any low end system will even allow. You're also now into a price point where you can get a better system/hardware/specs by piece milling it together. (I understand you don't want to do that - I've heard you loud and clear mult times above), however I could not in good faith send anyone to buy a preboxed system in this price point.
I am looking out for all of my friend's best interest.
When they see a customized system like mine and asked me about it. I was more than happy to explain to how I put it together and what it take to have such a system like mine in their home. Then their next question would be "What about warranty and support?"
Everyone here in this forum knows that buying the best rated system at a deal then one would need to purchase it from AE, warranty and support is almost non-existence and at your own risk. I cannot in good faith tell my friend to go buy their hardware from AE and if something break or went wrong that they will be taken care of. Even I own several Huisun cameras which I think are cool cameras personally and fun to play with but I still will not recommend it to any of my friends.
We in this forum are a very minor unique group compare to the rest of the folks in USA where they wanted to be able to buy something with lifeline attached to it as long they own the products. I am their friend and I do not want to be their lifeline to any of the products they own.
Again - I understand your stance, but why not send these people the links to the hardware to order, or order it for them and have them pay you. I've seen your mult posts about "I want to send them to Best Buy or Amazon", but they will get screwed with sub par equipment and the higher the price point of the big box systems the more they are getting screwed. Sure on paper these systems look "great", but they arn't, and if you built your own system you should know this.
Bottom line, if you are passing the $500 price point of a "pre boxed system" you are over paying most likely.
When I tell them the price and that there are no lifeline attached to it. Of course they don't want it because they aren't unique group like us nor they want to take the time to come here on the forum and read up to learn on it so I wanted what the next best thing would be for them which is to find a supplier that use Dahua or Hikivision hardware but rebranded and offer support with it because I knew those are the hardware to stay with.
I already knew there are suppliers that sell preboxed system using Dahua or Hikivision but what I didn't know was
which suppliers or model number that are using the Dahua or Hikivision hardware. I knew some of the Swann models are using Hikivision hardware and some of my friends are using Swann right now which they paid 500-600 ish for. Swann make it easier for them to set up apps on their phone too with their own domain name since they provide
DDNS service for free to Swann customers only. (Yes they could set up and use one of the other free DDNS but it will require a customized firmware in a router to use those free DDNS service)
Unfortunately, some of my friends did ignored my advice and they went with the analog system because it cost only 200.00 ish. Since they never experience the digital system before so their analog system looks top of the line to them and they are happy with it too. But wait until they see their "other" friends getting the digital version installed soon and they will probably going to request this decision.
You can build a Dahua system right now on AE with 1 PTZ and 3 bullets with 4 channel POE NVR and 3TB Purple Drive for $610 (seriously sub $700 all in WITH a freaking PTZ)
You can build a private label HIK system with 3 year warranty bought in the USA with 4 2mp Turrets (2.8mm or 4mm lenses or a combo of the 2) a 4 channel POE NVR and a 3TB purple Drive for $689.
But now you'll tell me you need parts - You can get a box of 500' of cable for $40 and you can get all the
tools, ends, connectors etc for $25. So add $65 to the above kits - still cheaper then then the $750 kit you linked to after HD and better equipment.
Yes, that the first thing I tell them when they are looking at my system. But once they learned that there may be no support attached to it at the price a custom setup costs, they would generally ask "Is there something I can get from Amazon or BestBuy a little cheaper instead?"
I am a field technician for one of the big company in USA that provides and install video phone / conference services to the public, which is why my friends and families come to me when they want to install a security system or cameras in their home knowing I can install it in a breeze for them for a couple of bucks, a large pizza and Dr Pepper.
I work for the company seven years now and I have all the tools you can image in my truck.
I am not hung on them and I am only telling them their "second" best option if they don't want to go with the custom or AE route.
Thank you for the information and links, I will pass it on to them.
Bill
