Review on ANNKE 5MP Lite 16 Channel Security Video Recorder: Hybrid DVR with 2TB Hard Drive and H.265+ Compression for Home and Business Surveillance by John Arrow

[Overview] I bought this unit to replace a failed security DVR (different brand) that I received as part of a camera kit. It is used in a remote location that is not frequently visited but has a 3Mbps DSL connection for live viewing. I needed something that would support 14 cameras, have enough local storage for historical overview, and be able to send alerts when motion is detected. This device was a huge improvement over my original. At the time of writing this review it has been running for about a week and I have no complaints. Pay attention to the warnings section, but be sure to keep this in mind as you work the market. [Details] The screen interface is modern and intuitive, so the installation was quick and easy. Connecting the mobile app was easy too, although setting up multiple users in the phone app is best if you can work on it side-by-side as approval/confirmation is required. If you are on the same network, use a VPN or open firewall ports, the web interface of the DVR is very convenient. I used a Windows PC for most of the setup work and found it to be more responsive and easier to use than with a direct screen connection. Video quality is very good with all options available, which is amazing even on a slow DSL connection. Browsing through older video clips was a bit slow, but I don't think I'll need to use this feature often. [Working with Technical Support] The setup issue mentioned above was related to sending email notifications. The configuration requirements were very standardized and clear instructions on how to use Gmail were available on Annke's website. No matter what I tried, I couldn't successfully pass the email test. I kept confirming the settings, account info and password but couldn't send it. I ended up submitting the ticket on their website. Unfortunately, my spam filter intercepted their replies and delayed them for several days. Once I found it, we started going back and forth, testing and verifying things, but to no avail. Finally, they recommended a remote session. It was easy to schedule even though the time available was 9pm EST or later and about a week later. I'm assuming the helpdesk is in a different time zone. No big deal, just keep that in mind when planning. After we connected and solved the problem, it turned out to be a simple problem with a password. I've verified many times that I'm using the correct credentials, but changing the password solved the problem. I've worked through my share of tech support cases and this one has been pretty good. Feel free to open a case if you have any problem. [Caution] - On my previous device, I set up motion detection alerts for FTP video clips for a cloud hosting provider. This product does not support FTP. This is 100% my fault for not triple checking the feature list, not the fault of the product. If anyone from Annke is checking I would suggest adding some sort of cloud backup or basic FTP/SFTP option in future versions. This will help in remote places like mine. If you use email notifications and want to use a Gmail account, I would recommend setting up a new account for it first. Don't use your regular personal account that you use day to day. Next, remember that there's a limit to the number of emails you can send through Gmail per day. If you have a particularly busy area, it can burn out quickly and leave you behind without warning. Spend some time configuring your motion sensitivity and which cameras you want to send alerts to, or you'll be inundated with alerts and won't pay more. attention to them. This applies to any security setting, but this device proved to be more sensitive than my original out of the box.