I thought the idea of a fully integrated system was the way to go, so I bought a few 721w outdoor cameras. I was able to get these for $172 each on amazon, with tax it was around $375 for 2 cameras.
At first, I thought that the system was pretty cool, full integration has it’s benefits (only 1 app on phone) but the drawbacks far outweight the pros.
Cons:
Low resolution (alarm.com cameras only support 720p even though there are now 8mp cams out ther)
low FPS
night vision distance only around 25 feet
cheaply made hardware
I realized the fully integrated dream was just that… I ended up picking up a 4mp (2k) NVR with 6 outdoor cameras. The specs on the camera are MUCH better, the whole unit shipped was $896. Yes, it was a little more expensive, but I have 6 cameras. Had I bought more 721w’s, I could have easily reached the same cost (and still had the inferior hardware).
I settled on this unit:
My question… anyone else go through this and realize the integration with alarm.com simply wasn’t worth it for the lack of quality? the Lorex FLIR offers an iPhone/Android app for live/remote viewing.
Curious if anyone else has gone this route and what system you all went with.
Please keep in mind this is an Alarm.com technical support forum. While we are happy to provide technical support for users of suretyDIY or even non-suretyDIY subscribers, we do not provide support on non-Alarm.com products.
If you are not looking for Cloud recording, a local NVR is a good solution. ADC Cloud Video is designed as an easy to implement and affordable Cloud recording platform for secure off-site storage with seamless integration with security sensors.
There are some trade-offs for Cloud Storage, of course, so you’ll need to determine what is most important.
But… it features an option called “rapid recap” it superimposes all video with time stamp overlay so you can view 8 hours in a matter of minutes, it’s pretty cool.
I’m mostly concerned with having the ability to view in real time events at the house and if an event does occur to be able to review video of the incident.
I’ve been having this same struggle for a long time. I’m still unable to reconcile which is more important to me, cloud recording and integrated operation vs a single point of failure (ADC) and the ability to have local recordings in addition to the potential privacy aspects of having third party access to cameras on my premises.
I know from a price/performance standpoint the ADC solution fails every time but there’s a certain attraction to keeping things simple and integrated to one app.
For me it’s a limited system. I do not want to pay for high-speed internet nor is it readily available, so Alarm.com gives me the best bang for my buck at this point.
While I’m new to the Surety for my lake house, I’m much more impressed than my current carrier at my home. Same system, but the limits at taken off and LESS than half the price.
So, while I agree with you that it may not be the best - either service-wise or quality - for some of us it’s our best option. I’ve just added image sensors and have been kicking around adding a couple of the 721w’s. Agreed, not super happy with the resolution and the limit on devices is pretty tough. But once again, as a stand alone system it’s relatively easy to navigate, intuitive, and concise.
Also, anyone with links to building a video network through Alarm.com, I would appreciate a reply with a link.
The other thing that’s tilting in the favor of the ADC cameras and system is the integration of the Skybell HD. Since that requires the cloud video monthly add-on, might as well add a few more cameras since I’m paying for the service at that point anyway.
So it’s one app for the Skybell, another app (or website) for the cams/DVR and then another app for ADC. What about home automation? A fourth app?
App creep is a nightmare for me lol.
I’ve got door locks, garage door, lights, thermostats as well as security in ADC which includes image sensors too. I’m so close to pushing the button on the Skybell (see what I did there? :-p ) but it’s really the ADC vs standalone choice that’s making it tough.
So… I got the Lorex Flir system up and running and… WOW… it’s night and day, leaps and bounds better than the ADC 721w.
Image quality is insanly crisp, I have an iphone app and a PC app to control, samples attached.
I find the motion control zones to be much more responsive, and I get push notifications for motion.
It also features a cool feature called rapid recap which overlays a days worth of video into a matter of minutes, so you can see all your motion with time stamp in one quick glance…
The other thing that’s amazing is it’s 20 FPS, much more realtime than the 721w.
One thing I Feel the Flir system does well is motion detection.
You have a lot more control of the regions, you can set 4 regions, but you get to choose each cell… vs. the ADC where you have to click/drag in square patterns. I find the coverage/reliance is much greater on this new setup. Image attached.
That’s pretty cool. Only question I rally have is regarding access from outside. Is it through a website that they host for you or do you connect directly to the dvr through your router/internet connection?
