True Romance
Distinguished Member
So I've recently install a Hikvision system at home and this week installed a swann system at work so thought it may be useful to compare the two setups as swann and Hikvision get mentioned a fair bit.
My home set up is a Hikvision DS-7604 nvr to which I've added 3 cameras. The cameras are 4mp, a mixture of bullet and dome all connected with poe. They look and feel quality with what looks like very good build quality with some weight to them. Installation is very easy and using Cat5e makes running wires pretty straight forward. The nvr auto detects the cameras when plugged making setup a breeze. The nvr software works well and is easy to understand and set up your cameras and recording modes as required. Motion detection works well but even on the lowest setting a small bug can set it off. PQ from the cameras is very good and faces can be made out even from my house to the street. Night vision is very good and they even work well with NV turned off. Cost for nvr and 3 cameras and Cat5e was around £500.
Now this week I've installed a Swann system at work (this one). This set up uses BNC connectors and power line so the cable is somewhat bigger and you'll need a large hole if drilling through walls to allow the connector to pass through. Set up was a bit of a surprise as its almost identical to the Hikvision nvr. Knew Swann and Hikvision were in bed together but didn't expect the software to be the same. Plugging in cameras was also a breeze, each one automatically appearing on screen. The kit came with 4 cameras rated at around a low 0.5mp and you can tell, PQ is awful, can only make out faces if the camera is very close and you can forget zooming in. Build quality is not the best, the cameras feel light weight and cheaply made. However if you just want to watch your garden/drive this may be fine for your needs. Night vision is OK but not brilliant. Cost for this 4 camera system was £199.
Pretty shocked to see the nvr software was almost the same on both systems, not something I was expecting. Both are very easy to set up in just a few minutes once the camera and cables have been installed. Both can be watched using a smart phone and mobile viewing is pretty good.
If you want quality go Hikvision, if you want a cheap and cheerful go swann but don't expect great PQ unless you start going up the range at which point your into Hikvision prices. Software on both appears to be the same and is very easy to set up/use.
My home set up is a Hikvision DS-7604 nvr to which I've added 3 cameras. The cameras are 4mp, a mixture of bullet and dome all connected with poe. They look and feel quality with what looks like very good build quality with some weight to them. Installation is very easy and using Cat5e makes running wires pretty straight forward. The nvr auto detects the cameras when plugged making setup a breeze. The nvr software works well and is easy to understand and set up your cameras and recording modes as required. Motion detection works well but even on the lowest setting a small bug can set it off. PQ from the cameras is very good and faces can be made out even from my house to the street. Night vision is very good and they even work well with NV turned off. Cost for nvr and 3 cameras and Cat5e was around £500.
Now this week I've installed a Swann system at work (this one). This set up uses BNC connectors and power line so the cable is somewhat bigger and you'll need a large hole if drilling through walls to allow the connector to pass through. Set up was a bit of a surprise as its almost identical to the Hikvision nvr. Knew Swann and Hikvision were in bed together but didn't expect the software to be the same. Plugging in cameras was also a breeze, each one automatically appearing on screen. The kit came with 4 cameras rated at around a low 0.5mp and you can tell, PQ is awful, can only make out faces if the camera is very close and you can forget zooming in. Build quality is not the best, the cameras feel light weight and cheaply made. However if you just want to watch your garden/drive this may be fine for your needs. Night vision is OK but not brilliant. Cost for this 4 camera system was £199.
Pretty shocked to see the nvr software was almost the same on both systems, not something I was expecting. Both are very easy to set up in just a few minutes once the camera and cables have been installed. Both can be watched using a smart phone and mobile viewing is pretty good.
If you want quality go Hikvision, if you want a cheap and cheerful go swann but don't expect great PQ unless you start going up the range at which point your into Hikvision prices. Software on both appears to be the same and is very easy to set up/use.