Review on Evtevision 16CH 5MP DVR: Surveillance Digital Video Recorder with 4K Output, Motion Detection & Remote Smartphone Access - Perfect for 5MP/4MP/1080P AHD/TVI/CVI/IP Camera Compatibility (NO Hard Drive) by Carl Morgan

I bought two of these hybrid dashcams to replace a branded unit that died this summer. These devices have some standout features that they definitely offer: - H.265 recording with analog heads - You will rarely find a DVR that does this as most H.265 recording is still reserved for IP cameras. - Mix and match cameras easily - In my case I had several 960H cameras that are 10 years old. They work well and we are on a budget. Plug it in and it automatically configures itself to CVI and I'm good to go. With a working RTSP, you can use VLC to watch a live stream. This is important as it allows access to more devices if the software supports RTSP. The XMEye website will be automatically configured to connect to the DVR using the serial number. My two cents is to make sure you set up the DVR with proper password protection. The support rep says this is a big customer issue. They do not set a sufficiently strong password and cause perceptual problems for the manufacturer. Setting passwords is the responsibility of the user, not the company. To play H.265 you need to use their player which is included on the CD. This codec saves a lot of space and I use it knowing I'm blocked in their player until I convert their video to a standard codec to upload to YouTube. All the tools are on the CD, so be sure to save them. Even if you lose it, the support team will send it over Skype. There is an assistance service. Here in New York, the difference is 12 hours, so you'll need to find time to be there in the evening or late at night to complete the renovation. your problems if you want live help. They know what they are doing and answered all of my questions. What really helped in some cases was having a dedicated support account that I created on the DVR to help troubleshoot while I was around. Problems were solved relatively quickly. The recorder is able to handle 5 MP, but not 30 fps at full load. It is very compatible with about 6 different types of cameras that I have connected to it. Please Note: HARD DRIVE SOLD SEPARATELY. A HARD DRIVE IS REQUIRED FOR RECORDING VIDEOS. I suggest Western Digital Purple or Seagate Skyhawk surveillance drives. This is important as they can sell you a recorder at no extra cost by adding a hard drive for you. It's not difficult to screw in and there are plenty of YouTube videos showing you how to do it. It's an extra step, but it saved me a lot of money.