American Camera OEM / Online Retailer Interviewed

CP
Carlton Purvis
Published Apr 10, 2014 04:00 AM

A little-known company produced a marketing video comparing its cameras to Chinese giants Dahua and Hikvision, becoming a topic of conversation. Here is the video:

So who is Empire Security, and where did they come from? We interview one of the owners to find out.

Who ** ****** ********?

***** ******* *** ****** ** ******** information *******, **** ****** *** *** wife ******* * ******** ****** ******** in *** ****. *** ****** *** tough ** ***** **** **** ** many ****** ***** ******* **** ** the ****.

****** *** ******** **** **** ***** receiving ******** *** **** ************ ************. It ******** ** ***** **** **** eventually ***** ** ** ***** *********. Korona **** ********* ** *** ***********, enrolled ** * *** ******* ** surveillance *** *** ******** ** *** York.

****** **** *** ******** ****** ******** is ********* ** * ******** *** to **** ********* ** **** ** competitive.

“**’* **** **** ********* ** **** them *** ** *** ***** *******. We’d **** **** *** ** **** things ** *** ********** **** *** we ****** **** * ***** *********** so ** ***** ** *** ******* in ***** ********,” ** ****.

****** **** ****** ******-*********************.

**** **** ************ ***** ********* **** they **** ****** **** ********* *********. Kornona **** ** **** ** **** working **** ************ *******; ****** ******** was *******. **** ***** *** ******* from *** **** ** **********, ***** Carolina ***** **** ***** ** ****** to * ********* **** (** **** working **** *** ***** ** *** Jersey *** * *********) *** ******** costs *** *******.

Finding * ************

***** ****** *** ******** **** *****, it ******* *** ****** ** ************* and ********* ********* ********.

“** **** ***** ****, *** ** just ****** ****’* **** *** ******* equipment **** ** ****** *** **** customers ******,” ** ****.

**** ****** ** * ******** **** in **** **** *** *** **** several ************* ***** **** ***** *** that **** **** ***** ******* **** they ******.

“** **** ******* *** **** ******** specifications *** **** ******** ******** ***** on **** *** ********* ****** *** most,” ** ****. *** ******* **** built ****** ****’* *****-* ******. ******* it *** ******* ** *** ** bulk, ****** ***** ***** **** ****** than ** ****** *** **** *** excess ********* ****** ** **** *** Amazon.

“** **** **** ******* *** ** two ******* ** ******* *** ** a **** ** ****. ****** ****** to ****** **** *** ************** ** chose ** *** *******. ** ****’* what ****** ******* *** ********. ****** and ****,” ** ****.

What **** *** ******** **** ***

******* **** ** ****** *** ******* was *** ***** ** ***** ******* 700TVL ******* ** *** ****** ******. This *** ** **** *** ****’* what ** ****** **** ******** **** off.

“**** ** ******* * *** ** people **** ***** ********** ***-*** ****** cameras -- ********* ***-*** *** *** IP ******* **** ***** ****** *** and **** ***** **** *********,” ** said. “** ***** **** *** ****** out **** * ****** ****** *** we **** ****** ******* *** * different ****** **** **** *** ***. We **** [** **** ****] **** a ****** ** ***** ********* ********* back. ** *** ** ** ****, we **** *** ***** ******* ** offer *** *** ******* ** *** U.S. *** ****’* **** ****** ******** our ********* ****. **** ***** * year ***** ***** ********* ******* ******* them.”

****** **** ***** ******* *** ***** some ** *** **** ******* **** they ***** ******** *** *** ************** * ****** ****** *** ** ******* *** video ********* **** **** **** ******* dealers, ********** *** ************.

**** ** ******'* ********* **** ******* word ** *****, ******** **** *** Google ******* *** ***** *********.

Sales *******

****** **** *** **** *** ******* broke $* ******* ** ******* *** is ********* ** ** $* ******* for *** ******* ****. ** ******** to ************* *** ***** ****, *** company ***** ***-**** ******* *** *****.

** *** ******, ** **** ** look ** ********* ******* (*.*., **** ** ********** ** ******** $85, *** ** ********** **, ********* bullet *** $***).

"*** **** ** ******* ****, *** suggested ***** ** *** ****** ** end ****. *** ********** *** * generous ******** ** **** *** ********* and **** ****** ** *** ******," he ****.

Recent ************

****** ******** ***** ********** ***** **** partnership **** *** ******* ************* *** cameras *** **** ****** * ******** and *********** ********** ** ** **** to **** *** **** *** *** line ** *******.

“** ******** ******** ** *** ******* we’ve **** ********* **** *** **** years ***. ** **** * ***** ownership ***** ** *** ******* ** we’re ****** ** ** **** *&* and ******** ** ******'* **************. ** want ** **** *** ******* *** installers ********* ****** ** ****,” ** said. *** *** **** ** ***** between *** *.*. *** ***** ** help *** *********** *******.

**** ******* *** ************ *** *** cameras *** *.*. *****, *** *** company ************ *** ********* *** ** Wilmington. ********** *** **** ****** ******* because ** ** ****** *** **** of **** ** *** ************ ***** are ** ******* ****** ********* *******, Philadelphia *** *** **** ****.

The ******* **** ***** ***** * ********

“*** ** ***** ** ** **, the ******** ******** ** **** ***** ... *** ** *** ******* ***** of ******** **** *** ******** ****** industry ** ******* *** ******* **** those ********* *** **** **** ***** a **** ****,” ** ****. “******** any **** ** ******** ** *********. At *** *********, ** *** ***** who *** *** *** ***’** ******* hard ***** ****** ***. *****’* * lot ** ****** *** *******. *** the ******** ********, *** ******* **** is ******* **** *********** *** *** work **** **** ********** *** ******* into **** ****** **** ******** ****.”

Response ** ******* *** *** ** ****** *** ******* *** ****** **** ***** ** *********

****** **** **'* ***.

"* ******'* *** ***** ******* *** better, ** ** *** **********. ** have ***** ******* *** ***** *** Hikvision ** **** **** **** ******* by ***** *** ****** **** *** last **** ***** ** ****** *** of *** ******* ******** ********* ** the ******. ** **** **** ***** and ********* ** ***** **** **** with ***** *******. *******, ** ** some ****** ***********. ** ***** *** customers ** ********* ******* *** ***** needs ...  * *** ** *** bigger ******** **** **** *********** ******* it ***** **** **** *** ***** when **** *** ***** *** ***. They ****'* ****** *** **** ****** features **** **** ***'* **** *** they *** **** ******* ******** **** may ** **** *** **** *****, bigger *******."**** ********* ****.

Comments (3)
Avatar
Luis Carmona
Apr 10, 2014
Geutebruck USA • IPVMU Certified

I knew a little computer repair and parts business once when I was a network technician at a newspaper company. Back in the mid to late 90's we had them fix our terminals and monitors, and bought parts to repair and sometimes assemble whole computers before standardizing on buying brand name computers from HP and Dell.

Their name back then was Kaltech. They are now better known as Digital Watchdog.

Avatar
Ari Erenthal
Apr 10, 2014
Chesapeake & Midlantic

Do they have many quality control issues? How do they handle tech support? Do they write their own instruction manuals, or do they rely on the manuals produced by the manufacturers? What are their margins like?

Avatar
Jon Dillabaugh
Apr 15, 2014
Pro Focus LLC

We sampled one of their budget ES 1080P IP cameras and it was pretty bad. It's specs said 30FPS, but anything over 15FPS would lock it up. It also lacked ONVIF support, so integrating it was going to be difficult. Another issue was that the analog output on the pigtail wasn't functional. Not sure why it was there if it wasn't intended to work. There was a pretty long list of issues and the kicker was really buggy firmware. It was intended to look like the Dahua UI, but it was just really buggy and hard to use.