Does home security have to be difficult?
What’s a guy to do when he wants a quality security system for his home, but doesn’t want to break the bank or spend a month figuring out how to install? This guy started looking at great inexpensive options on home security systems that even a dummy like me can install.
This search brought me to the Lorex LHV10041TC4 a 4-Channel 1 TB Cloud Connect with 4 – 720p HD Cameras.
Sounds complicated right?
Well, not really when we break all this down and figure out what is really involved.
CONTENTS: Go Directly To Your Question Here, Or Continue Reading
Who is Lorex?
Let’s first look at who this company is and why we should trust their system. Lorex is just one of the many companies from FLIR technologies, a company founded in 1978 that originally did infrared imaging systems in vehicles.
Their continued commitment led them to expand into other areas, including Instruments – which provide devices for images, measuring, and assessing thermal energy for not only commercial and industry, but also other scientific applications.
This company also provides thermal imaging camera cores and components for other companies to use in their products. FLIR has also expanded into not only local law enforcement security but also public safety and military uses.
Along with these security applications, they also have a marine line to not only make life on the water safe, but also lots of fun.
In conjunction with these other amazing systems, they also focus their attention on home security systems, providing everything one would need to keep their business, home and belongings safe with all their top notch security components, without a hefty price tag. Wow.
Technical Jargon
Now that we know this company really knows their sh!t, let’s look at what the explanation on this camera system really means.
First is the high definition 720p HD recording cameras which give a 30fps (frames per second, the same as television), or real time frequency rate where the imaging system shows consecutive images per channel.
Basically the cameras are using their advanced image sensors to provide sharp detailed viewing, while streaming in real time with HD DVR channels adding to the quality of this surveillance.
Speaking of the DVR, this state of the art system allows you to not only view, but also store the video using the pre-installed 1 TB space on the hard drive.
You can choose and customize the recording settings to either run continuous, scheduled, motion only, or a combination of continuous and recording with motion alerts. There is also a backup feature to copy live video to the USB flash drive. I
t’s as easy as picking the channel, and clicking the icon to start real-time backup, never missing any important activity.
For added peace of mind, Lorex also offers a no-fee free app on the FLIR cloud to keep track of activity anywhere you are right from your smart phone or tablet.
You can instantly connect to your cameras by scanning the DVR’s QR code and begin safely and securely viewing to give you peace of mind, even when you are far away from home or business.
FLIR cloud is available for Android or Apple and can be used to monitor on a PC or Mac also with no recurring fees.
What’s Included?
So what should we expect to get out of the box to get us started on our road to security?
We’ve already discussed the DVR system with pre-installed HD. We also get an HDMI cable, a remote control, a power adapter, mouse, Ethernet cable to connect the system and a quick start guide.
We get the 4 bullet cameras which offer the 720p resolution. These cameras are not only weatherproof and built to withstand extreme outdoor temperatures, they also have a vandal resistant design with lightweight polycarbonate protected housings with a stand to hide the cables out of sight and away from possible intruders.
They come with a mounting kit and Allen key, and 4- 60 ft BNC cables for installation.
Looking for a simpler system? Try the GW system.
What else it does:
Ok, we know what comes with this system and how awesome it is we can securely view with our smartphone, but what else does this system have to offer to convince us it’s the one for us?
Well, thanks to the high definition 720p resolution, we can be sure to get an excellent recorded video, but thanks to the advanced picture correction technologies Lorex offers, we can also be confident that the images from the Lorex home security cameras stay clear and vibrantly strong in any conditions.
They also boast of an anti-glare feature to always give a clear image, even in difficult lighting conditions. Their SmartIR auto light helps with any wash-out effects.
The night vision, or Clear Night Imaging technology range is up to 130 ft. in moderate lighting and up to 90ft in total darkness, giving you confidence that even on the darkest nights, your surveillance is still working for you.
They also offer a digital zoom with click-and-drag, which allows you to get a better view of the action simply use the easy digital zoom icon on your menu within one or more channels. You can also move the cameras around in split screen where you move to another channel without changing any cables, again, you just click and drag.
Don’t have an internet connection? This is not a problem with the option of connecting a TV or monitor directly to the DVR allowing to watch playbacks when it’s convenient for you.
Pros and Cons
Everything has positives and negatives about it, and the Lorex LHV10041TC4, is not an exception.
According to the many Lorex security system reviews and comments made about this item, the negatives were mainly about the hardware not being too exceptional, with cheap mounting hardware and having to purchase own screws.
It was also mentioned the cameras were a cheap plastic, however Lorex Technology Inc., says their designed for longevity and they stand by them. Others also mentioned the night time viewing was not great and the sensors only worked for about 70ft.
Others mentioned they spent a lot of time running cable. However, this cheap (and inept) dude would rather spend a whole day running cables then paying someone else my hard earned cash to do it for me… so we can take this as a pro as well.
Speaking of the positives, we can also include that most who have used the system claim that not only is it a decent price, and runs well, the installation was easy with using the plug and play with minimum setup on the menus.
Some boast they get the 130 ft. even at night. The movement and sensing is good and the FLIR app, is easy to use. Most agree that this system is a great price for everything you get.
A Couple Tips to remember
While reading the pros and cons, this simple do it yourselfer likes to pay close attention to helpful little hints that others suggest. Basically because it will save this dumbass hours of time learning these lessons on his own.
So with that little confession, the first tip I found was very IMPORTANT. That is, the cable ends are different and we need to make sure the one that plugs into the camera and the one into the DVR are being run in their correct direction.
Running these cables in the wrong direction will add double the time, if not done correctly to begin with. Sounds simple, but let’s be serious, it’s easy to botch it all up so pay attention from the start. You would think this is a 50/50 proposition, but I seem to fall more in the 100% run incorrectly.
Another little tip was to buy a steel fish tape, also known as draw wire or draw tape, to help pull cables through the narrow spaces making installation quicker and easier. Simply, smarter.
Final words about Lorex by FLIR LHV10041TC4
Not only has this company won 6 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Innovation Awards, they are a global leader in DIY security.
With this and the fact that it is affordable being in the low-range price group ($200 to $400, MSRP of $399 as of this writing) of home security cameras, we can take comfort in knowing with a little effort in the installation we can soon be on our way to finding total confidence that our belongings are safe. (Try amazon.com to get a better price)
We can take satisfaction in knowing we have done all we can do for our personal safety with our own ingenuity some help from Lorex.