iceman650 0 Posted December 17, 2014 I run a small gas station/mechanic shop and we're in the market for a new Security System. I have been pondering between the old style, dual cable (power/video) system like we have now or to go IP and get the one wire for both. That's been my main difference in determining between the two but I think I'm gonna go IP. We have a Q-see 16 channel system right with a mixture of cameras bought from Monoprice and Costco and they work great but some of the cameras are showing wear and aren't producing good pictures anymore plus we want to go HD. Right now my mental debate is either going with a new brand like AvertX which I've never had before or stick to Q-see which even though must have the worst user interface, has been going strong for a few years now. I use SupercamPro on our iPhones and iPads to view all 16 cameras and it's fast and awesome! The Q-see 16 camera package is $3000 and the AvertX 8 camera package is $2200 at a cost of $1680 for an extra 8 cameras making our total $3880. I need to make this purchase soon so we can throw the expense in 2014 and start installing when the rain does down. I'd love any feedback from anyone, Thanks guys! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
300winmag 0 Posted December 17, 2014 I have had both and returned both. The Avertx cameras (Motorized Varifocal) are really nice but the NVR only does 15fps. If you can stand the stop and go motion then it is a decent system. EDIT: User interface on the AvertX NVR is much better then the Q-See as well. Hope this helps! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ssmith10pn 0 Posted December 17, 2014 The Avertx cameras (Motorized Varifocal) are really nice but the NVR only does 15fps. What's wrong with that? Are you making a motion picture or is it Video Surveillance? You WILL NOT miss anything a 15fps. Even PTZ's on tour don't look bad at 15fps. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
buellwinkle 0 Posted December 17, 2014 I can only speak from my experience with Q-See. As most know, they use Dahua manufactured cameras, but the problem I had is they quickly stopped supporting the cameras soon after I bought them at Costco. When Windows 8 came out, I was not able to get video via a browser. On my Dahua branded cameras, I was able to update the firmware and they worked fine. With Q-See, they refused to support the camera with firmware updates even though they were still under warranty, so I had no choice but to return them to Costco. I also had a very similar issues using OEM Hikvision. Seems like these cameras only work with the OEM firmware, not the manufacturers firmware. With the bad experiences behind me, I now only buy camera brands sold by the manufacturer, not OEMs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
codyormoe 0 Posted December 17, 2014 We recently bought a Q-see system from Costco. 16 channel, nine 3mp cams, 1080p, 3TB hd. So far it's been great, easy to setup, great picture quality and reliable. The only issues I've had so far were with the remote viewing and were the fault of the modem/router the cable company makes us use(not a fan of Charter business). Once we sorted that out everything's been fine. We have 3 cams outside the shop, 3 inside, only 2 plugged directly into the nvr, 4 on a poe switch, and yesterday I put 1 up at our house(about 15mi away), and I could not believe how easy it was to add it to the system. Even remotely accessing the nvr has been a breeze. The manual said only ie would work for web viewing but my son uses chrome and had it working in about 5 minutes. Personally I use iDMSS on my ipad and iphone, both work great. I know many people have had issues with Q-see but so far it's been nothing but great for us. Personally, I thought the manuals made everything sound more complicated than it really was. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iceman650 0 Posted December 17, 2014 We recently bought a Q-see system from Costco. 16 channel, nine 3mp cams, 1080p, 3TB hd. So far it's been great, easy to setup, great picture quality and reliable. The only issues I've had so far were with the remote viewing and were the fault of the modem/router the cable company makes us use(not a fan of Charter business). Once we sorted that out everything's been fine. We have 3 cams outside the shop, 3 inside, only 2 plugged directly into the nvr, 4 on a poe switch, and yesterday I put 1 up at our house(about 15mi away), and I could not believe how easy it was to add it to the system. Even remotely accessing the nvr has been a breeze. The manual said only ie would work for web viewing but my son uses chrome and had it working in about 5 minutes. Personally I use iDMSS on my ipad and iphone, both work great. I know many people have had issues with Q-see but so far it's been nothing but great for us. Personally, I thought the manuals made everything sound more complicated than it really was. So if I understand correctly you can install a camera at your home but still uses the DVR at your shop (15 miles away)? If so, that's awesome and I guess that's a nice benefit of going with IP cameras Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
codyormoe 0 Posted December 19, 2014 So if I understand correctly you can install a camera at your home but still uses the DVR at your shop (15 miles away)? If so, that's awesome and I guess that's a nice benefit of going with IP cameras Yes, the NVR is at the shop, 1 cam at home(15mi away), 6 at the shop, only 2 are directly plugged into the NVR. The NVR records all 7 on the schedules I set for each one(or you can set one schedule for all cams). I can also change recording schedules, playback video from any channel, or watch live feed from all/any cam from my iPad, iPhone, or web browser from anywhere. It is pretty cool. Also comes in real handy when we're home and can't remember if we turned off the lights or turned down the heat at the shop. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
