Review on 🎥 Reolink 5MP 16-Channel Home Security Camera System, 8 Wired 5MP Outdoor PoE IP Cameras, 4K 16-Channel NVR with 3TB HDD for Continuous 24/7 Recording, RLK16-520B4D4-5MP by Chris Palmer

I have this camera system and currently have 6 out of 8 cameras installed in my house. . First of all, I have to say that I am very impressed with the system and its many functions. It was nice to have 2 cameras with different styles, although there really isn't much of a difference between them apart from the mount (both styles obviously). I already had an extra monitor, so that wasn't a problem. I spent about $100 on additional wiring and mounting wall boxes, connectors and such to set it up exactly how I want it in my home office. The DVR box itself can hold up to 16 cameras simultaneously if you have the extra 5MP cameras. I installed 2 cameras on the porch, one right by the door so no doorbell is required as any of these cameras can be installed. individually programmed for motion detection, each with its own settings. I have 3 cameras in the driveway, another one next to this door that acts as a doorbell cam. And a camera on the back deck covering the back door. With 8 cameras in the kit I have 2 more to install somewhere or keep as a backup in case one of them fails. receives power from the LAN cable and sends 5MB video (2560 x 1920) and audio back to the NVR. The main box contains a 3TB Seagate Skyhawk Surveillance hard drive and there are another pair of blanks to quickly add a second drive (mounting screws with cables etc included - the drive attaches directly to the case). The cameras themselves are easy to mount - I call them bullet (cylindrical) and dome cameras. Both can be installed with the cable running through the wall you are attaching it to, or on the side to run along the wall. Fixed with 3 screws, the bullet can rotate 180 degrees and rotate 360 degrees almost any angle. Dome cameras have a removable round plate that is attached with up to 4 screws and then the camera itself is bolted to the base plate. The camera itself can be rotated 360 degrees and closed or panned 90 degrees, so you can point it in any direction you want. Both are marked "top" to select viewing angles. Both cameras have micro SD card slots but I have no idea what they are for so can't comment on them - I'm recording on a DVR. BOTH CAMERAS HAVE NIGHT VISION! And it's really good! Even in ZERO lighting, they capture amazing videos. Before installation I had both cameras in a closed cabinet with no lights and they recorded perfectly. Now I have them outside, the aft deck is not lit at night and records everything in great detail. Check out my photo review for a day/night comparison. I have placed both types of cameras in "full exposure" locations and rain and humidity are not a problem. LAN ports. I will say they will NOT be waterproof as supplied. The thick rubber grommet does not stay in the connector cover with standard LAN cables. No problem. Install the black o-ring and caps, but do not use a thicker sleeve when mating the caps around the joint. Then simply wrap the entire connection securely with duct tape. Again, I've done this with my unsecured cameras and they have no problem. Access: Options galore! The DVR box is a self-contained unit. You can access and program everything just by using the included mouse (I switched to wireless for simplicity and range). Alternatively, you can download the Reolink app to your phone and set everything up there. Scan the QR code on the box and you can access it ANYWHERE as long as your DVR box is connected to the internet. This includes playback and cutting/saving of recordings on your phone. I've made sure it works perfectly on multiple trips both around town and across the country. You can also access it via LAN in two ways: through a web browser and input the IP address of the DVR, or download and access the desktop software from Reolink website. I personally prefer the phone app and the desktop program. The software in the DVR box is pretty reliable. You get tons of customization options for both the system as a whole and each individual camera. And although the instructions are minimalistic, they are quite intuitive and easy to understand. General system settings: You can set the IP address or let it work dynamically when connected to your network. You can customize the display in a variety of layouts, and when multiple cameras are displayed, you can simply drag and drop to arrange them however you want. Each camera/channel can be given a name. You can customize the naming system itself, as well as the 12/24 hour and date display. You can also search and replay previous recordings within the system (although this is MUCH easier via the phone or PC app). Individual camera options: too many! Each individual camera can be programmed to do many things. The basic ones include: recording resolution up to 5 MP 2560 x 1980; Frame rate between 6 and 30 (I set it to around 15 to still get a smooth video but take up half the storage space); schedule for recording or recording by motion detection; motion detection sensitivity; Ignore motion in an area (check the portion of each camera view to ignore motion - useful for trees, bluebells, and other objects that are constantly moving); Motion alert settings (app notification, send text, send email); motion-triggered recording, where when motion is detected on one camera, you can set it to automatically record to other selected cameras for better coverage; camera output exposure settings; parameters and position of details on the screen (date/time, camera name, etc.); and other things mixed in there! negatives? Well, the only REAL complaint is that the motion sensitivity can't detect shadows from real motion. So while it's capturing a car, person, or animal, it's also capturing shadows that come and go. On a partly cloudy, windy day, it's Rough when the shadow of a tree appears and disappears in the driveway - that "movement" triggers motion detection to record it and send notifications to my app/phone. I don't care about the recording, but phone notifications can be almost constant. Overall this is a great camera system that meets my needs with the option to expand. Installation requires a LAN cable to be connected to each camera, but apart from fully wireless systems with battery-powered cameras, you must at least power the camera along with the others. WIRELESS MOUSE: A few notes about using a wireless mouse. I have a few. The Logitech M510 did NOT work with this system. An older Logitech V320/M-RCD125 I had on another computer WORKS with this Reolink system and I'm using that with it now.