Night Owl - 20-Channel, 12-Camera Indoor/Outdoor Wired 1080p 1TB DVR Security System with 2-Way Audio - Black and White

I have been using Night Owl for some years now mostly outside. I have had no problems with cameras. I have a total of 8 cameras and watch these cameras as security for the complex I live in. I really love these cameras.

I recently upgraded my older device because I wanted to improve 3 areas. 1. Motion Detection including using spotlights 2. Notifications 3. Ability to view camera feed when not on local wifi The motion detector triggered when a moth flew by, or when it rained. At night it was almost a constant stream of recording. I could not use notifications or the spotlight. I also leveraged recording areas to minimize the motion detection. This only patched the problem partially. Therefore I decided to upgrade from a DVR-C20-41-JF to a WM-BTD281-4LSA. The new system was easy to initialize and good news it does allow for Human Detection and at this time seems to work sufficiently. Therefore I have enabled the spotlight and some notifications. Also the upgrades to the App have allowed better viewing of my recordings while remote. But I lost the ability to lengthen the recording time for each occurrence as well as some other small features and functions. I would say the App is still a bit clunky and needs improvements. p.s - I am still learning the features and functionality of the new device, hopefully they continue to improve the product As of today this is a solid product in a space with a lot of other solid products. But not a leader.

My older model NightOwl crashed (way past the warranty) and this was the closest model suggested as a replacement/upgrade. Luckily, the wires and BNC connectors from my older system and cameras were compatible, and I didn't have to rerun the wires through the attic for the entire system. I just replaced the DVR and cameras, and it works like a charm. And the Bluetooth setup was very simple. As mentioned, the image quality of these cameras is amazing. Day and night images are crisp and clear. The motion sensitivity to trigger recordings is way beyond the 100ft as advertised, even at night. I almost couldn't give it the full 5 stars because of minor things that have NO effect on how well the system works, but it's still enough to mention here. The pre-recorded message scares the bajeezus out of everyone, which is awesome. But, it's not a clear message and it's rather garbled. I understand it's really small speakers in the camera, but my cell phone sounds better with smaller speakers. Also, while the spotlight works great, I've found no way to set it so it doesn't activate during daylight hours. You would think since the cameras switch to night mode at sunset, the spotlight could tell the difference between night and day. Like I said, neither of those items are deal breakers. I am very happy with my upgrade, especially with the vast improvement in image quality. With the price point on this system, you cannot go wrong. Especially with no monthly fee, plus I can access my cameras and recordings from anywhere.

I have had the system for about 3 weeks now. This is my 3rd Night Owl system I have purchased. The picture quality is great for the price point. I can’t speak to the longevity yet. Hopefully this will last as long as the last system. The app could use a little work as sometimes I have to back out and reboot the app to get it to respond. Overall I am very pleased

I needed a security camera system that would provide me with local storage in case of internet outage. This system provided what I was looking for. The wired installation was also easy to install and provided me with not needing a/c or battery power at each location.