Review on Revo America Aero HD 16 Ch. Video Security System: Enhanced Protection with 16 Indoor/Outdoor 5 Megapixel Cameras by Jeff Labore

I don't need a new camera system. The Q-see system I installed 5 years ago worked fine... until the latest firmware update broke the motherboard. At a starting price of $175 plus shipping both ways, the old DVR just wasn't worth fixing. However, with over 30 years of law enforcement experience, I know firsthand the value of a good camera system. I knew I had to replace it with something. I can't reconnect some of my cameras, so the new IP system is down; I had to stick with HD-over-Coax and BNC connectors. My first choice was on sale at BJ's: a 3 megapixel Night Owl system with 10 cameras. At $489 it wasn't cheap and I felt it was worth it. Boy was I wrong. I couldn't save the display on my monitor and the images displayed in the app were terrible. I called their customer service and they said I was number 1 in line. I have waited. And waited. After 15 minutes I opted for the call back option. I'm still waiting for her call. Needless to say, I took this system back and looked around again. At first I didn't think I could afford a 5MP camera system, but I found the Revo Aero. I was actually suspicious of the price as it seemed to offer quite a lot of products for a surprisingly low price. I decided to take a risk and bought directly from the company. During the installation I was pleasantly surprised by some things... and not so much by others. First, a general observation that might be important to some people. The Aero DVR is ≈two inches wider and ≈three inches deeper than most DVRs with cameras, including my old Q-see. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it can be a problem if you're replacing a smaller DVR from an older system and have limited space in your existing or planned installation. Backward compatible with all my old cameras. In addition, it AUTOMATICALLY adjusts itself based on these inputs. The importance of this feature cannot be overestimated. Most of my cameras are original 600TVL units released 5 years ago, but some of them have been replaced when the old ones failed. Two of these new cameras have a resolution of 900 TVL. Several other 1000TVL. Of course I also installed these 5 megapixel cameras. These are four different styles of cameras from three different manufacturers. Aero DVR recognized each one automatically and adjusted itself to best display each one. It's really impressive. Also impressive is the ease of connecting the Aero DVR to my network. Everything was automatic without my involvement. Adjusting the position of each camera is effortless. Once you've secured the base where you want the camera, simply unscrew one screw at the base of the mount. This releases the internal locking mechanism and allows the camera to be moved in any direction. When you're happy with the camera's position, simply tighten a screw to keep everything in place. So clever and so simple... gone are the days of at least two independent adjustment points whose interlocking teeth had to gradually slide into place before tightening. I decided to just replace the camera itself and use the original cable that was already installed. Doesn't matter! With the old system, I was able to clearly identify arriving and departing vehicles. With the new camera, I can not only identify the vehicle, but also read its number plates. Yes, a 5 megapixel camera is good. The customer service is just amazing. I used the chat function on the website when making the purchase. I asked a question that needed an answer and within minutes I received a response email. On the tech support phone (I needed it...see next paragraph) they only waited for me for a minute or two. When my call was answered it was a real person who obviously knew the system inside out. The Bad: The Aero app isn't available at all on my Revain Fire HD tablet, even sideloaded. It works great on my Pixel 2 XL and is the one I evaluated here. The app isn't as advanced as most others in this price range. Like all modern high-end DVRs, the Aero DVR will display a custom QR code to download the application during installation. Once installed, the new app will self-populate with the model and serial number provided in the QR code. Unfortunately, you cannot log into the application directly with this information either. Instead, you need to scroll down to the "Other ways to sign in" button and wait for this new screen to load. This is just an extra step, but it prevents the app from using the auto-login feature. It also takes longer, which can be frustrating when there's someone at the door or you hear a noise and want to know who or what it is *just*. I ran into a very similar problem with their Windows based computer. Aero VMS software. The aforementioned support call quickly resolved the Windows issue. Unfortunately, it looks like we'll have to update the app to fix its issues. Of course, this isn't a deal breaker as the app is reliable once you figure out its features. Conclusion: you can buy a better camera system, but it will be much more expensive than this one. You can spend a lot less, but this system pales in comparison. To me, this system is a happy medium between cost and features. Therefore, it is difficult to beat him. Update (before I even posted this): Looking through this review I realized how excited I was about this system. I don't think a review based just a day or two after initial install is entirely appropriate for a product from a brand new (to me) company. So I decided to wait a few weeks to see if this system continues to impress me. It has. In short: This system rocks. It worked flawlessly, both at home online and on the go via the mobile network. If anything changes I will update this review. In the meantime, if you're looking for a new camera system, check out this Revo Areo.