Avermedia DVRs

[andyh747 0]

Hi,

 

Had some good advice on suitable external cameras. Now looking to source a good quality DVR. I've been looking at the Avermedia range and they have released this model which is well priced but much smaller form factor than previous offerings. Can anyone comment on this model:

 

AVerDiGi EH1008H-4 Nano

 

I've also looked at the Avtech range of DVRs but would appreciate any feedback from users of networked DVRs which allow both analogue and IP connection.

 

Many thanks.

[mssec 0]

I would also be interested in hearing feedback on this unit. Very reasonably priced NVR unit. My experience with AverMedia DVR's however has been OK at best. The menus are sometime difficult to navigate, and the units are not the most user friendly.

[tomcctv 190]

avers nano is a very good little unit both 4 and 8 way hybrid HD. with sa/nv navigation osd . its priced right to get the cheap dvrs of the market.

[andyh747 0]

I have no knowledge of Avermedia products but hearing they are not user friendly is not a good start.

 

Another unit I've been looking at is this one:

 

http://videor.com/item/96/43/0/9101/dlr4081.5tbd.html

 

Anyone any knowledge/experience of eneo DVRs?

[tomcctv 190]

I have no knowledge of Avermedia products but hearing they are not user friendly is not a good start.

 

Another unit I've been looking at is this one:

 

http://videor.com/item/96/43/0/9101/dlr4081.5tbd.html

 

Anyone any knowledge/experience of eneo DVRs?

 

 

 

hi. the one you have listed is a toy compared to the avermedia. and i think anyone who says the avermedia is not user friendly has not used one.

[mssec 0]

I have no knowledge of Avermedia products but hearing they are not user friendly is not a good start.

 

Another unit I've been looking at is this one:

 

http://videor.com/item/96/43/0/9101/dlr4081.5tbd.html

 

Anyone any knowledge/experience of eneo DVRs?

 

 

 

hi. the one you have listed is a toy compared to the avermedia. and i think anyone who says the avermedia is not user friendly has not used one.

 

Like i said, this is only my experience with avermedia. I should also add that i have had experience with only the entry level products of this manufacturer.

[destro_23 0]

go with avermedia it's the easiest software out there! Trust me...

 

Also there is an iPhone app and blackberry App for viewing remotely on phones that works perfectly! The guy above who said it was hard i really don't know what he's talking about. Also Avermedia has been around a long time and there is support for it on the internet(like this board)... If you go and get a cheap brand.... good luck on finding help.

 

 

tomcctv have you had a chance to use this box yet? they are priced just right for the small shops that don't want to spend a lot of money...

[andyh747 0]

I'm going to go for the 8 channel Nano hybrid so will let you know what it's like after a few weeks use. I'm often in the US (UK resident but travel there on business). Anyone know of retailers for this DVR in the US?

[mssec 0]

I did want to come back to this post to mention that AverMedia has really improved over the

course of a couple of years.

 

I have had the opportunity to demo a new model, and I will say that the GUI has been completely redesigned since those that I typically did service on. As Destro said above, they are now VERY user friendly.

[gman 0]

andyh747,

 

How is it going with the dvr? I'm looking to pick one up and was curious about your experience.

[andyh747 0]

I have been a little slow in ordering but the new unit arrives this Wed so I'll post back when I've had a play!

[andyh747 0]

Well I said I'd report back so here's my initial impressions of the EH1008-4:

 

Good Points

Small form factor and very light. When package arrived thought it was empty it was so light.

Completely silent in operation.

Good user GUI although improvements could be made to the graphics.

Lots of functionality with plenty of options which I haven't explored fully yet.

Good iPhone app which has just been updated to give split screen viewing as well as single camera view. However you can't playback recorded footage.

 

Bad Points

Network access on PC or MAC is awful. There is a plugin for IE but it won't work on any of my systems. It tries to install but fails and IE crashes. Might be due to issues with Windows 7 support. It won't work at all on a MAC. The included software is better but means you don't have native access if on another PC.

Unit runs quite warm. Not a problem and is probably a consequence of no fan. I only have four cameras connected at present. I'll be interested to see temperatures when all eight cameras connected. Type of HDD may also effect temperature.

Startup time is quite long but as the unit is normally left on then this isn't a real issue!

 

It is only early days yet and I haven't even explored the manual yet! That shows how easy it is to setup. Overall I'm pleased with it so far. I also think it's well priced especially if you get trade pricing.

[jblogh 0]

Any update on the Nano DVR and how you're getting on with it?

 

How did you manage to get trade pricing?

 

Thanks

[tomcctv 190]

How did you manage to get trade pricing?

 

 

 

the nano is not that bad of a price to start with. good uk distributor gives good discount.

[andyh747 0]

I'm a self builder with a lot of trade accounts and was able to obtain trade pricing for the Nano through those accounts.

 

The unit has proved reasonably reliable but it has it's faults and drawbacks.

 

The picture quality from the VGA output is average. It could be better and the output from the analogue spot outputs is better but you have limited viewing on these.

Playback of events stored in the Event Log is flaky. Viewing them using the mouse requires a double click and it doesn't always work well. Trying to do it with the remote is a nightmare .

The unit won't send snapshots via email when an alarm is triggered. Apparently the latest firmware allows this now but, from one user's experience so far, it still doesn't work. I haven't updated yet so can't comment.

Using the remote is generally good but not great. Using the arrow keys to move the mouse pointer is a real pain. Thankfully most of the commonly used functions are on dedicated buttons.

Updating the units time can be done via the internet which I have managed to get working. However if you want it to update to BST then you have to tell it the dates! I'm not sure why you have to specify this as every other device I've seen with network time sync doesn't require this information.

There is also limited setup via the remote software. Some options are not available and you have to use the VGA connection locally to have full control.

There is also no TV output except for the spot monitor outputs which, as mentioned, have limited display capability and you can't control the unit from these. They simply show the live output from each camera. An alternative connection option apart from VGA is needed especially for the home user who wants to integrate the system into a whole house video distribution. Using the VGA connection for this is not ideal. A composite out connection or similar would be useful.

 

Overall the unit has worked well but it could be so much better. I think most CCTV DVRs tend to be designed round the business/commercial user and are therefore not ideally setup for the home environment. Just my observation from using the unit for several months.

 

Hope that helps.

[jblogh 0]

Very useful thanks.

 

You mention the VGA output isn't great, is the recorded image also worse than the spot outputs, or is it just a poor quality VGA? I'd probably access the machine remotely over the Ethernet port so the VGA output itself isn't too much of a concern.

 

I think I'll have another look at the SEB5108H+ which is a similar price on the internet and see how they compare. This is only for home but I need a decent enough system to be able to recognise/identify people and don't want to waste ~£400.

 

Thanks again.

 

Jonathan

[andyh747 0]

The VGA isn't poor quality, it's just not as good as the spot outputs. It's easily good enough to recognise faces and has enough detail to not have to worry.

 

The recorded images are never going to be as good as the live feed. The system can only record at a certain frames per second so you will lose detail etc. I've chosen to record at 7fps at Full D1 which is about the best this unit can do. From looking at other models, this level of quality is good.

 

I think you'll have enough detail to recognise people but don't expect miracles! It was also depend on what type of cameras you have and how you set the unit up. It takes time to tweak the system to get it how you want it but its worth the effort.

 

If you want anything else, let me know.

[jblogh 0]

Only 7 fps from this unit?

 

Looking at the manual/datasheet it makes claims better than that, I was hoping to do at least 15 fps per channel at maximum quality, am I being unrealistic?

[andyh747 0]

In a word yes

 

I was under the impression I could get more fps but the total quoted is for the whole unit, not per channel. I'm not sure if the 4 channel unit would provide more fps than the 8 channel I have - you'd need to check the specifications. The specification for mine says 60fps at full D1. That means around 7fps per channel max. If the 4 channel unit has the same spec then you will get more fps for each channel. If you want higher fps, you either have to reduce the recording quality (half D1, CIF etc) or look at an alternative DVR.

 

I'm sure more of the more experienced users might be able to provide further info but certainly with the 8 channel I have using all 8 channels, the max fps I can get on Full D1 is 7fps.

[tomcctv 190]

the nano is a mix match hybrid if you are just going to run standard cameras then you have bought the wrong product. using standard cameras will not give you the high res from monitor. plug a 1.3 or 4mp camera in and you will see the the quality.

 

should have gone for SEB if you just wanted to use standard cameras.

[andyh747 0]

I have a mix of analogue and IP so I needed the hybrid.

[jblogh 0]

The SEB5108H+ is available with 1Tb for £495 vs £409 for the Nano with 1Tb (all ex VAT), I wonder if it's worth the extra? The datasheets don't give much away with regard to the actual fps you can achieve per channel.

[andyh747 0]

The SEB1508H can achieve 120fps at full D1. That would give a max fps per channel of 15fps which would meet your requirements. Depends whether you're willing to pay the extra.

 

I could get a trade quote for you if you want just for comparison.

[tomcctv 190]

I have a mix of analogue and IP so I needed the hybrid.

 

 

hi i only asked because if you are using ip as well as standard then the FPS will get better for your standard cameras. as you add ip

[jblogh 0]

Just realised the SEB5108 isn't a hybrid, that needs the EH5216 which is £995 ex vat retail which is a bit steep for me...

 

Back to the Nano then... I suppose the chances of having simulatenous events occurring on all 4 cameras is fairly low if they're not all pointing at the same area. Is the recording rate variable depending on the no. of cameras currently triggered?