1qwerasdf 0 Posted April 3, 2008 1. Is Lorex a good brand? I have a specific model that I'm looking at: L104161. What I like about this one is the USB connection. I want to get it up and running without connecting it to a monitor, and being able to play it back on a computer. 2. In general, what is the noise level of these things? Are they noisier than computers? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scorpion 0 Posted April 5, 2008 I am not familiar with that DVR. Lorex is not designed to be good, great, or quality. The products are reversed engineered based on a price point. Based on this price point what would it take to manufacture it?? Buy it if you want the price point, but if you want quality then you will need to look elsewhere, and spend much, much more!! I sell a lot of Lorex products, and I classify them as "hobby" security devices. They fill a niche market, and they do what they do. Doing the installation will destroy any quality to your system. You may need professional help for the right camera, the right lens selection, the right angle, and you may need a different, (but cheap) product that would be more effective in your environment! What do you think? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1qwerasdf 0 Posted April 7, 2008 ...they do what they do. What do you mean? They don’t’ last more than a few months? In what way is it different than I more expensive one? Doing the installation will destroy any quality to your system. All I’m going to do is plug the camera into the DVR. That specific DVR is not networkable, it has a usb connections and proprietary software for pc viewing. I need to know how noisy these things are. Are DVR’s noisy? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scorpion 0 Posted April 7, 2008 (edited) They will last more than a few months. Don't worry. As I have mentioned I am not familiar with the Lorex DVR L104161 that you are speaking of. I have never installed it, and I have never held it in my hands. I wish I could be of more help to you. I did not mean to scare you. There are many, many threads posted on this forum, and it should give you a fair, and balanced idea of the "entry level market" of most DVRs. I have seen posts where someone has bought a very inexpenive DVR, and then they have posted here about what a "piece of junk" this unit is. After you read it you feel like you want to say to someone "hey if you want a cadillac then buy a cadillac". Then there are those that have left a post about a DVR, and you feel like you want to track down their "sales person", and give them a good smack down for stretching the truth, or taking advantage of an unknowledgeable customer, or maybe they are just plain liars just to get the sale. Who knows. You probably want to know what I meant when I said "Doing the installation will destroy any quality to your system". I am a strong advocate of Do It Yourself. To prove it I do not charge for a single download at this site, and I sponsor it directly out of my own pocket. http://scorpiontheater.com/cpcamtechsupport.aspx and here also. http://scorpiontheater.com/troubleshooting.aspx I am not trying to talk you out of doing it yourself, it is just that CCTV has a lot of quirks that can leave you dissapointed if you do not understand the limitations of the equipment, or how they work "as a system". Now I would like to take you through a "tour" of how to do an install, and save an obcene amount of money, and make it work like it should. How to mount inexpensive bullet cameras! http://www.cctvforum.com/cms_view_article.php?aid=54 How to run wires from an attic with drywall walls. http://www.cctvforum.com/cms_view_article.php?aid=48 How to trouble shoot camera problems! http://www.cctvforum.com/cms_view_article.php?aid=42 Here is how to fix your video source problems! http://www.cctvforum.com/cms_view_article.php?aid=41 There are many more good posts in the ARTICLES SECTION, and I hope you enjoy them. I hope you except my apology, and I hope you take my words with a grain of salt. OH, and by the way, one of the most talked about, and the most "trashed" DVR is the AVTech, and CPCam DVRs. If you have read the threads here on this forum then you have realized that I am a STRONG USER of the AVTech, and CPCAM products, yet I am the most honest when it comes to the limitations of these products! OK, you cannot beat the prices on some of these DVRs, and if price is of the essence then AVTech is the way to go. If you are buying a DVR based soley on price then you may be cheating yourself out of another DVR that may give you more satisfaction had you been aware of what you truely needed. Again I am sorry. I hope you enjoy the benefits of a surveillance system! Edited April 7, 2008 by Guest Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scorpion 0 Posted April 7, 2008 NOISY DVRS? Would you like my opinion? Noise is relative to the environment. Most DVRs are not noisy. Yes there are some that leave you scratching your head wondering what the engineer was thinking when he was designing a DVR, and he buys a fan for the DVR, that sounds like a constant WHIRRRRRRRRRRRRR! If you install a DVR in the armoire in a master bedroom then you are going to have a wife that is going to give you a FIT, in the middle of the night when she has to listen to that fan at 2 in the morning!!! During the day time you would never even notice the noise with TVs that are on, and other "daytime" noises. Installing one with your home electronics in a "theater" room may cause a problem as well. Imagine watching a DVD of a block buster movie on your home cinema system, and right at the good part of the movie you reach a very quiet passage of the film, and THERE IT IS, THAT STUPID WHIRRRING NOISE THAT RUINS THE "suspended reality" that was achieved by a perfectly directed movie!!! If you have some kind of valuables, or a collection that is worth a large sum of cash, and security is of the essence then the sound of a fan may be a small price to pay. Have you been to a showroom where you can compare different models within the same DVR manufacture, and with other manufactures?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1qwerasdf 0 Posted April 10, 2008 (edited) <> Edited April 10, 2008 by Guest Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1qwerasdf 0 Posted April 10, 2008 Scorpian: I really appreciate your helpfulness. Very informative. Do you think you could take a look at my other post regarding a pinhole camera question? It's in the camera section. I would really like to buy it already but I’m not sure what to do. Are there any alternatives to pinhole cameras that are discrete? (I tried to PM you a link but I was told that I have to be a member for at least 10 days, they won't even let me post a link here. sorry.) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
