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  1. 1
    Pomeranian
    26 of 26 people found the following review helpful
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    TOP BRAND, EASY SETUP, RECOMMENDED FROM AN INSTALLER, December 2, 2012
    By 

    For those of you interested in mainly watching the cameras from your smartphone or computer, this is the product and brand to go with.  I have been installing security systems for several years now and Swann continues to impress me.  I use other brands because clients sometimes buy their own, but none have an easy setup and support like this brand.  I read the review about the DDNS server being out and the reason from the tech representative explaining why and I like Swann even more for that.  What many non-techs don’t understand is that a DDNS server is something you have to pay for, but Swann provides this for FREE.  Not only that it seems like they are beefing it up so that it doesn’t fail in the future.  With other brand DVRs I used other DDNS services I had to pay for and those would fail more times than i could think of.  I had clients call me every time it went out, all except customers who owned a Swann DVR.  The setup is very easy for the DVRs and with this new D1 and 30 frames per second on every channel it’s amazing that it’s available for this price from the top brand.  In my reviews I like to also provide hints on how to make setup easier for those future owners. See below.

    Hints 1: test all equipment before running cables and doing any drilling, you never know if the shipping man handled package badly.  Good thing about Swann is also their 1 year warranty and great customer service so no problem is something arrives damaged.

    Hint 2: Install DVR near router and monitor/TV you plan to watch it on. Swann is great in that it doesn’t force you to buy their monitor, you can use your HDMI compatible TV or a regular computer monitor.  To use the internet features, such as watching cameras on your phone,  you will need a hard wired connection to your modem, you can buy a long Ethernet cable if the DVR will be further than 4 ft from your router.   

    Hint 3:  port forward ports 85 and 9000 to the DVRs IP address then reboot the DVR.  Go to Swanns website and under the support tab go to DDNS support to create your free DDNS account.  After creating your account you create a domain, this is your easy to remember online address for accessing your DVR on your phone or computer.  Input your account and domain information on the DVR and you are setup for Internet access.  See hint 4 for input on your phone.

    Hint 4: on Swannview Pro app for name you put whatever name you want to give your DVR and for for “server” or “address” you put your Swann domain name plus the swanndvr.net that goes after it.  Put 9000 for port and user I’d and password are the user I’d and password for your DVR.  If you don’t put password just leave it blank and the default user I’d is “admin”.  Then you are done and you can see your cameras.  

    Hope this review is helpful and hints help make it easier.  Great thing about this brand is also their technical support is awesome.  FYI They have support in French and spanish. Tienen apoyo tecnico en Español tambien.

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  2. 2
    C5
    10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Excellent Security System for Business, October 13, 2012
    By 
    C5

    This review is from: Swann SWDVK-830008-US TruBlue D1 3000 8CH DVR and 8 x 600TVL Cameras with 1TB Hard Disk Drive (Black) (Electronics)

    I ordered this DVR/Camera Security Monitoring Kit for our small business. Setup was generally by the book and simple to do. So far I have been impressed with the clarity and definition of the recorded video. With the 8 cameras in the package our company is able to effectively cover all entry/exit points of the building as well as monitor the premises during the night as we do unfortunately have some vagrants that loiter around the industrial park we are in during the night.

    I love the fact that it includes the LiveView App that allows me to see the premises while away when needed and sends me email notifications if motion is detected.

    It is also great that the product is upgradeable, so I feel the investment made is well worth it as it will not be outdated anytime soon.

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  3. 3
    Maverick
    9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Stellar for the Money, November 30, 2012
    By 
    Maverick (Clymer, NY) –

    Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?)
    This review is from: Swann SWDVK-830008-US TruBlue D1 3000 8CH DVR and 8 x 600TVL Cameras with 1TB Hard Disk Drive (Black) (Electronics)

    We purchased this system for our small business about a month ago and have been very pleased with it. It allowed us to catch one shop lifter, one person breaking an item, and determine who was at our registers when various errors occurred in the first two weeks alone. The quality is pretty solid for the price, especially the picture quality which easily allows you to see faces, even in the dark. Colors are correct, unlike other systems, the menu is a very easy to use graphic interface that is incredibly self explanatory. The kit comes with everything (hardware wise) you’ll need to set up your system, besides a monitor. To see what all the system has, I recommend checking out Swann’s website for exact specs.

    The set up was very simple for anyone who is 5+ on a tech experience scale of 1-10. If you the kind of person who can get your VCR to stop blinking 12:00 (if you have one) and are able to hang drapes with a drill and screw driver, you should have the ability to set this system up.

    The tools I used:
    -Phillips Head Screwdriver to screw cameras to wall or ceiling and adjust camera angle
    -Power drill to drill to drill pilot holes for camera mounts and holes for wires
    – assorted drill bits
    – Electrical tape to secure connections
    – a straightened clothes hanger to help pull wires

    The system is a snap to set up and took me only 10 hours or so to finish, from planning to programming. It took me so long mainly due to the fact that I was installing these cameras in a 150 year old building with countless renovations and alterations to work around. In new (post 1950) construction it should be a breeze. All the BNC cables twist and snap together. Plan where you’ll put your cameras for best coverage, where you’ll run your wires, run your wires, install your cameras, plug it all in, turn it on and SHAZAM, you are in business. You will need to buy a monitor for it, but that is pretty normal for these type of systems.

    When in doubt, see the manual. It is easy to read, and was apparently written by someone sarcastic like myself. Hope this helps.

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