This review will offer you a variety of the best outdoor security systems with DVR suitable for the average home through to large properties and small businesses.
An outdoor security camera system is a strong deterrent, and with many criminals looking for easy pickings, they make a good investment even just making it evident that you have one.
Should that not deter someone, then being able to record their actions, faces, perhaps car number plates provides evidence for both police and home and contents insurance.
When buying a security system, it is essential to know how many cameras you will need, so consider all the areas you want to cover, before deciding on a model.
You may not be able to tell precisely how well they will cover your outdoor area until the system is up and running, so better to have the capacity to add more cameras than you think you might need, rather than being one short.
In this review, I will look at the key features you will want to consider when you are looking for the best outdoor security system with DVR.
I recommend reading all the reviews for a better understanding.
NB., some cameras have 1080p resolution, which is the widescreen view you will be used to when watching television. 1080N resolution cameras have a more square display output.
The square shape allows you to watch more cameras on a monitor at the same time.
Here's my hands-on reviews of the best outdoor security systems with DVR.
The 5 Best Outdoor Security Camera System with DVR – Reviews:
1. ZOSI Outdoor Security Camera System with DVR Review
The ZOSI outdoor security camera system comes with four weatherproof, bullet security cameras.
It can expand to 8 cameras. If your property has multiple access points or more areas you want to keep an eye on, the expansion capability may be important.
Expansion capability makes the ZOSI system suitable for both the home and small business.
The cameras are hard-wired to the control panel, which houses the 1-terabyte hard drive and provides the controls to set it up and monitor it.
Because the cameras are hard-wired, this outdoor security camera system does not require Wi-Fi or Internet to function, which means that you will still be able to record video if something happens to the communication network.
However, by connecting it to the Internet, you can view and control the cameras from your preferred iOS or Android device from anywhere, easily finding and installing the application using a QR code.
You can control who can view or have access to the cameras, and multiple viewers are supported.
The camera housing is made of aluminium and can withstand the toughest of outdoor conditions. The 3-axis mounting bracket is easy to install and features vandal-proof wire protection.
Live remote viewing means that even if you are away from home or work, you can receive alerts and monitor up to 4 cameras at the same time.
The Zosi outdoor camera system allows you to set up motion detection zones and receive alerts, with image clips, only when something happens in those locations, such as the front door, or windows.
It is also possible to have the cameras not record activity in certain areas, for privacy purposes. You can backup video to a USB flash drive, which is a nice option for images you wish to keep.
Criminals like to operate at night or when visibility is poor. With seasonal differences, or due to weather conditions, those times will vary.
The weatherproof security camera automatically detects low light and goes into night vision mode using IR-LED’s that maintain good quality 1080P vision up to 120 feet away from the camera.
You can also set cameras to automatically record at certain times of day and days of the week and to adjust for daylight savings automatically. By default, it will record all cameras 24:7.
The Zosi outdoor security camera has many options to set when and how to record, to allow you to have a balance of best image quality, and motion detection activated recording to meet your unique needs.
It also supports a variety of video and audio input, and the ability to add external hard drives for flexibility and expansion.
This is by far one of the best outdoor security systems with DVR currently available.
Pros
Cons
2. TMEZON Outdoor Video Surveillance System DVR Review
The TMEZON Outdoor Video Surveillance System comes out of the box with eight cameras, and support for a total of 16 cameras.
This size is ideal for a large residential property or medium-sized business.
The cameras are hard-wired to the control unit which comes supplied with 65-foot cables.
Should anything happen to your home or office Internet connection; the outdoor camera system will continue to function normally.
The cameras are weatherproof, with metal cases and rated at IP66, which means they don’t allow dust inside and can withstand powerful jets of water.
The cameras should be safe from damage due to severe rainstorms and also high-pressure water when the building is washed.
The DVR unit comes with a one terabyte hard drive and supports USB backup.
The more cameras you have, especially high resolution 1080P, the more storage is required.
The ability to program the system to only record (as an option) when motion is detected is an essential feature on this outdoor security camera system.
You can record at selected times and dates, or all the time.
The InfraRed LED’s automatically come on to provide night vision as it gets dark and cuts off again when daylight returns.
The night vision range is good with visibility up to 130-feet.
The TMEZON outdoor security camera comes with mobile applications that will send alert notifications to your iOS or Android smartphone or tablet, with the ability to view and playback videos on those devices anywhere that you have access to mobile data.
Pros
Cons
3. TMEZON 16CH Outdoor Night Vision Bullet Security Camera System with DVR review
The TMEZON 16 Channel outdoor night vision package comes complete with a whopping 16 bullet cameras and is ready to go for a large residential property or medium-sized business.
With 16 cameras, this system can store a lot of video footage, so the 2-terabyte hard disk drive provides peace of mind that you will not miss anything.
In addition to the USB mouse that all these devices come with, this one also comes with a remote control to give you more accessibility options.
As with other outdoor security camera systems, hard-wired cameras means that the system does not rely on Internet access to function.
Each camera is supplied with a 65-foot cable. Note that you may have some locations where this may not be enough depending on where on the property you install the base station.
The software allows you to customize zones so that you can have it focused on doors, windows, driveways as well as reduce the focus on particular locations to reduce false alarms caused by pets.
A mobile application will allow you to connect to your preferred smartphone or tablet.
The application enables you to receive an alert from the outdoor security system when a motion sensor has been activated, supporting both live viewing from any location where you can access the Internet and also the ability to playback and save any video.
The mobile application has many functions, and you can receive both alerts and emails when there has been an activation.
The cameras are rated at IP66 and will withstand heavy water pressure and keep dust out.Pros
Cons
4. REVO America NVR Surveillance System with 8 x 4 Megapixel Bullet Cameras - Review
The REVO America NVR security system is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.
It comes with 8 x 4 Megapixel Ultra High Definition cameras which provide higher resolution than many other systems.
This means more crisp images, even under strongly back-lit or harsh lighting conditions.
High resolution can be a big plus if you need to identify a potential intruder.
Custom motion detection allows you to focus the cameras on areas of interest and also to not activate in certain areas where you might want privacy.
A spa pool might be an example where security is not an issue.
High resolution means a lot of data and these units use a different image recording system, where the processing occurs at the camera rather than the control unit for efficiency.
A big 2-terabyte drive ensures you can store as much video as you need.
A 100-foot cable is supplied for each camera, which should be enough to reach any vantage point around your home.
The REVO security camera system has a ‘Corridor View Mode’, which is perfect for hallways, doors, and windows.
The cabling is Cat 5E, which is a standard Internet cable.
Many homes and most businesses already have Cat 5E cables which may add to the ease of installation.
The REVA outdoor security camera has some smart features to deliver a custom layout of the cameras you want to see displayed together.
The system also features an application called E-Map where you can lay them out over a custom map of your property.
Remote monitoring on your smartphone or tablet supports application or browser-based login.
Notifications are available by email or within the application as alerts.
While expensive, this system has all the features (bells and whistles) of one of the best Outdoor Security Camera Systems with DVR on the market.
Pros
Cons
5. SVAT Outdoor Night Vision Surveillance Camera System with DVR review
The SVAT outdoor night vision surveillance camera system is an entry-level unit, with two channels and comes with one camera and a 512MB SD Card.
I would consider this as the sort of security camera I would purchase for a specific purpose, perhaps monitoring the front door.
It might be suitable for a home business where a lot of parcels are picked up and dropped off.
It has a very user-friendly control panel with buttons and LED status indicators.
The camera records video at 320 x 240 resolution and snaps images at 640 x 480. It can record up to 2.25 hours of video on the included SD card.
Recording time can be increased to up to 9 hours on a 2GB card which is the maximum size it supports.
It supports manual recording mode or ‘self-learning’ motion detection. The SVAT outdoor security camera system has limited night vision.
The camera needs to be mounted pointing exactly where you need it because the only adjustment is up and down.
This limitation can be a problem if the angle you want to monitor is not perpendicular to the places you can mount it.
If you had to spend money on modifying the way it is mounted, you might be better off spending the money on a more flexible outdoor security camera system.
Pros
Cons
Conclusion:
This review offers a wide variety of the best outdoor security camera systems with DVR.
By reading the reviews, you should both learn a lot about different types of camera systems and be able to find one that meets your unique needs.
As you will have seen, there is a wide range of features, and it is essential to consider your needs now and into the future.
An outdoor security camera system is not a purchase you will make often, and you will want to get it right the first time.
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