Customer Reviews for Defender 4-Channel 500GB Hard Drive Surveillance System with (4) 480 TVL Cameras-DISCONTINUED

Everything needed to set up the entire system was included in the kit. Excellent price for the whole system

The cameras were easy to set up after getting the online directions, but wasn't able to understand how to set up on computer and iphone to view elsewhere. The directions are very difficult to understand on that part.

great dvr and camera system easy to install and run

Overall I am very satisfied with my purchase of the surveillance system. The picture quality is excellent. The remote can be a little glitchy, but other than that I have had no problems with this system. I would definitely recommend to a friend.

I purchased this system one month ago..I was not expecting much for the price but the value was excellent. Easy to install. Had a problem installing software but Michel at customer service was quick to assist in getting it up and running. Great experience. 

I came across this 4 camera system by accident , The price was right ! The equipment arrivedI opened it being in the security business i was expecting some flimsey eqipment , but amazingly it was very decent . I was sent with no instructions but its novice friendly! Pretty much 2 wires that can only connect one way. I clamped them to line them up,ran the wire to the tv and aligned it. I installed it. then i went to set up the software and hit a wall . I called their customer service and Michel was outstanding. We got everything working.But i had to hold for 2 hours on the phone on hold to get there but the care and end result was excellent. But if the engineering and production departments can find a way to reduce the size of the hole needed to get the connectors and wire, get better setup instructions,and possibly a better swivel on the cameras, it would have gotten a 5 Star rating, Also Michel at customer service went above and beyond, but the 2 hour wait was very discouraging, also the night resolution could be better. It has my stamp of approval !!!!

the products performance was better than expected. Easy to use and set up

The system works great. Instructions were the best written I have seen. Due to having the wrong type of IP address needed to call for help. Michel was very knowledgeable and helpful. Got me up and running to my iphone in no time. Thanks Defender for a great product.

As one who is not very tech-savvy, the 1-step remote viewing was easy to set up. I had to call the help line to figure out how to see the cameras remotely; however, Michel was extremely helpful and within minutes I was seeing the cameras remotely. There is so much this system allows me to do.

A cube van pulled into my driveway and the big company lettering on the side wss not legible and absolutely no way could you see a license plate. At night time you can barely make out the screen picture, it's almost total darkness.

bought this for my parents grocery store. The interface could take some time to get used to for non tech people. The resolution is clear but in the level where you can read the register display.

Wow.. I sold camera systems as part of data center security for Fortune 500 companies at $20,000 a pop.  This system has many of the same software features of e-mails and remote monitoring. The 600 line resolution is like watching a TV show before HD.  What's missing is the ability to Pan, Tilt and Zoom, but the system will support cameras that can do it.  You just have to be willing to pay the price for the additional PTZ camera. Through the wall installation was tricky, so if your going outside find the best route to minimize drilling holes.  I put 2 cameras through each hole pointed in opposite directions, covering 95% of my house.  Good luck to  anyone trying to figure out the gap.  Total time to drill, patch, caulk and mount was  about 3 hours for me. I'd suggest you set up the device and cameras before you begin as a test.  Once you know how it works it makes it easier to install.  Good luck!!!!

I was very impressed with the material quality of the cameras. They are made of aluminum and are solid. The software has tons of settings options (almost too many for home use) but also "runs right out of the box". Very easy to install, but I strongly suggest you place the control box in a place where you easily access it so you can "tweak" the settings over a period of days in order to fine tune the system. Cons: motion sensor is too sensitive even on lowest setting, cables are not meant for exterior routing, random software glitch when playing back searched videos (doesn't always playback all cameras that had alarms). I highly recommend this product and would purchase it again - don't let the "cons" deter you from buying this system. In the future I'd like to see a slimmed down version with perhaps 2 cameras and less robust software aimed more at home use - for a much lower price of course.

Got this unit at a great price but really liked the mobile and remote viewing features. It brings me peace of mind knowing I can see what's going on around my home when I am away on vacation. Setup was super easy and the manual is very clear and easy to understand. The video tutorials on the Defender's website are also great. The instructions were spot on and on my first try, I had internal and external networking setup and was able to view my camera footage on my iPad, iPhone, and laptops. I love it so far!

The cameras are ok for day use. Colors aren't represented well. I played with the color/contrast/saturation/etc and I guess I have to settle on my grass looking a shade of redish purple. Outside, at night these cameras are essentially worthless. My camera in the front yard has the benefit of a street light, so you can still see something. But, unlikely you could ID someone even if they stared directly into the camera. My very dark back yard I might as well turn it off. The only information you'll be able to discern is "at xxx time and date, a blurry blob entered the extremely narrow field of view of the camera". The system really needs some other auxilary lighting to be usefull outside at night. I have one camera in the garage and you can see a B&W image in pitch darkness well enough. Guess the IR night capabilites are ok for interiors. In fairness for a system in this price range, I don't think you can really expect much more. The DVR isn't too complicated to figure out. Managed to get the date/time set. Set recordings only when motion is detected and blocked some areas to prevent nuisance trips. Time will tell if the cameras hold up to the WI seasons. Not sure how useful this system would be catching/ID'ing a thief. I use it mostly for keeping tabs on the kids and dog playing outside. It essentially becomes a video diary of day-to-day activities around the house. Now I can see who puts those flyers on my front door.

video quality is okay, but you get what you pay for. Instructions were TERRIBLE, had to call tech support to get up and running. Message says leave a message and they will call you back in 2 to 3 business days WHAT? seriously? so I hit another "wait and hold" button and after an HOUR they answered. It went a lot faster the second time I called though. Tech support was VERY VERY good though. App. on Droid has annoying ads on top, which interferes with the buttons you need below but that might be a Droid thing. Love the system overall, can do snapshots & video. Have not investigated all the features yet. Good reception via cell/computer, rarely goes out. It does zap your cell battery though! Again, this is a Droid thing, just saying.

We purchased this item after alot of research in survelliance cameras for our home, which is in the country. This four camera set was easy to install and the camera viewing range is better than we expected! We've been using it for a month and we are very pleased with our purchase.

I bought this product, on-line, and when it came in, I had some questions, because the instructions are lengthly, and sometimes not clear...Quality is fair, as far a color, but you can go in, and adjust the colors, picture to suit you. I called their 800 number, on 3 different occasions, and they WALKED me thru my issues, even waiting on the phone, while I reset my system, because I messed it up...How cool is that. Great customer care...wish more companies did this , and , they spoke ENGLISH.!!!!

Daylight pictures are not bad but night vision leaves a lot to be desired. No way is the range what is claimed.  The claim that they are wide angle also is exaggerated.

I like the camera system, but the instructions to view my cameras remotely are very difficult to understand. It would take someone with a lot of computer expertise to set it up.

It is an average system. Picture quality is okay but the colors are terrible. Installing the cameras is pretty straight forward you really shouldn't need a guide for it. You can view the video online or on the phone for that there's a good video tutorial on you tube.

I bought the product with the understanding that i'd be able to put it up myself, however the instructions weren't that great, only one camera worked, when i put it on my big screen tv i couldn't get the dvr to minimize so i couldn't see all of what the camera saw, customer support was no good, no number to call them, sent them a request via email and they never responded, i ended up taking the product back!!!!

Easy to install [ if you're capable of working in the attic in very tight spaces ], good picture quality, lots of features.

Easy to install, all connections easy, great value for the money. Only downside is the cameras are not as clear as I had hoped for but still acceptable for the money.

like the unit. good value for the price. how much more can you say about this product?

I bought this system because of trouble people are having in my area with cars being broken into. On the third night of recording I caught some kid braking into my neighbors truck and stealing the radio. Even though it was night and 35 to 40 feet away the video was clear enough that police had no trouble getting an ID on the thief. Because of this my neighbor paid me half of the purches price to watch his property too. So it's half paid for in just 3 days. It's easy to install, easy to setup and easy to use. The menu is clear straight forward tab controls, easy to understand and use. Plus if needed it does support a PTZ (Point-Tilt-Zoom) camera.

good quality picture even at 160 ft cable. does everything I was expecting.