ANNKE 4K 8 Channel AI DVR with Human/Vehicle Detection, 5-in-1 H.265+ Security Digital Video Recorder Works with Alexa, Supports 8CH Analog and 4CH 8MP IP Cameras for Home CCTV System, 1TB Hard Drive

The media could not be loaded. This unit does not come with any cameras, so along with the DVR unit, I purchased the ANNKE 2 Packed 1080P Security Camera 2.0MP Hi-Resolution Indoor Outdoor Dome CCTV Camera (Model B0713SJDNQ). This DVR system uses eight BNC connections (one per channel) and also supports up to two IP cameras. So I used two of the eight channels and I had two IP cameras that I was able to set up with this system. There is also an HDMI and VGA connection as well as two USB ports and an audio in and out. You need to supply a monitor or use your TV to view the system interface. A mouse is included. There is a single Ethernet port for a network connection. The DVR unit comes with a 1TB hard drive that can be replaced or upgraded.System setup was really simple. Plug in the cameras, and power everything up. I am impressed with the depth of control when you get into the settings. There are many parameters that you can control, so it will take some time to learn the features, but most of the basics are easy to access and set up. You can use a wide variety of cameras, so image quality will depend on what camera(s) you are using. The ones I got from ANNKE work well. The only drawback with any wired system is that you have to run the wires through walls to the cameras. But you get a smooth, consistent signal with no WiFi lag or connection loss. I was surprised at how quickly you can view the recorded video, and the phone app also provides for quick access to recorded video.I have had no issues with this system (including the ANNKE cameras) and this would be a good starter system if you want a system that you can expand but don't want to spend too much for the DVR.

This DVR is very nice. Lots of extra things that can be done, that isn’t advertised. Simple to use and has built in wizard to help. Excellent customer service ! You even can call and ask pre sales questions.Only neg is the instruction Manuel is small and hard to read. But, it’s simple to figure out once online and working. Fan is a little loud, but, if put in a closet, it’s not to loud.Good features for a reasonable price.

analog or poe, it handles both. bought the 4k 5mp color night vision cams, n added a 5th cam, an 8mp. all are super clear, I recommend using 8mp cams tho, zooming in comes with a lil too much blur with anything less than 8mp.

Setup Difficulty:Setting up this DVR was far from straightforward. Despite adhering to the manual, utilizing online resources, and even contacting customer support, the configuration took significantly longer than anticipated. This model seems to overlook the modern consumer's expectation for intuitive, plug-and-play technology.Camera Rotation Issue:A glaring omission in this DVR's functionality is the inability to rotate or mirror camera feeds. This feature, standard in many competitors' offerings, is crucial for flexible camera placement, which is essential for comprehensive surveillance. The absence of this setting not only restricts camera installation creativity but also hinders optimal view setup, a significant drawback for any surveillance system.Video Review and Movement Alert Search:The DVR's interface lacks an efficient way to search through recorded footage based on movement alerts, a feature increasingly common in security systems. This forces users to manually sift through hours of video, which is inefficient and outdated in today's smart home security landscape.Human/Vehicle Detection Limitations:While advertised with human/vehicle detection capabilities, these features are either non-functional or not supported by my camera models. Annke's documentation and support channels fail to clarify which cameras support these AI features, leading to confusion and unmet expectations.Performance and Reliability:Post-setup, the system does execute its basic functions of recording and playback effectively, offering decent video quality during normal operation. However, the system's performance under duress or over long-term use remains untested due to the aforementioned issues.Conclusion:The Annke Model DT81DX DVR, while capable in basic surveillance tasks, severely underperforms in user experience, missing critical features like camera rotation and efficient video searching. The human/vehicle detection, a significant selling point, appears to be a feature more in advertising than in practice, at least with my setup.Rating: 1 out of 5Recommendation: For potential buyers, weigh these limitations against your surveillance needs. Features like camera rotation and smart search functionalities should be standard in modern systems. If Annke addresses these through firmware updates or clarifies hardware requirements for AI features, this DVR could meet its advertised standards. Until then, consider these limitations carefully or look into systems that already offer these functionalities comprehensively.

Hubs replaced out out of date monitor. Easy to pair up with new and existing cameras.

First of all the big pro about this DVR is that it is basically a rebranded HIKVISION DVR, which means they are compatible in every way with all HIKVISION camera protocols, including the awesome new audio over HD-TVI connections. This is just like LTS and many other brands. The remote app works great and even let's you control all the remote DVR settings as well. Picture quality is excellent and it does support 5/6mp cameras with a lower frame rate 15fps.Cons- Buggy software. Almost constant motion recording, even with adjustment set at lowest level and set to only record on motion events. It records almost non stop. The AI tagging is buggy and usually does work but also reports a lot of false alarms as well. It doesn't play real nice with other "HIKVISION" DVRs on the network. I have one larger LTS DVR setup to use this Annke one as a 2 camera IP feed from analog cameras. It works good but when I tried to set one of the LTS cams as an IP cam on the Annke it started this crazy time changing loop where the DVRs were fighting over which one had the correct time. I had to factory reset the Annke to fix the problem. It just needs refined firmware with better standard motion detection and better human / vehicle AI. Which is odd because my older LTS DVR (also a rebranded HIKVISION) has excellent motion recording. Would be 5 stars if the software was more refined and worked better.

It was easy to set up. The only think I would like to share is that the dvrs fan is loud so thesound can be annoying.

I thought I could just replace my old DVR with this, and whilst retaining my existing cameras, have the unit integrate with Alexa. After trying to trouble shoot the integration for a couple of weeks, I had confirmation back from the vendor that the cameras also need to be Alexa compatible. This was not clear from the beginning. I have also purchased an addition 2 cameras, which are not compatible. So I'm out of pocket a little bit due to the misinformation within the description. Only giving this unit 3 stars because it is better than the unit I had.