Great test, I have been disappointed with the lack of smart CODECs for DW cameras. When we use DW cameras (we have not used this one) we always have to plan for twice as much storage.
Digital Watchdog Low Cost 4MP Camera Tested
***** ** ****** *** ******* ********, ** ****** *** ****** ******* Watchdog's ***-**** ******-******** *** *** ** ******** ** real ***** ******, ********* *** ********, including:
- **** ***** ***********
- *** ***** ***********
- ********** ** ********
- ********** ** *****
- *** ***********
- ********* ***********
- ******** ************
**** ** *** ****** ** *** updated *** ***** ***** *******. ******* should **** *** *** **** ** the****** ***-***** *** ***** *** ******** ***** ***** *********, *****, *******, *** ****** **** ******.
*******
*** ******** *** ******* **********:
- ****** *** ***********:*** ** *** ****** ******** ***** details ** *** ******* ** **** strong ********* *** ****** ***** ** wide ******* ******, ****** **** ******* past *** ****** ******.
- **** ** ************:** ************ *** **** ****** *** camera's ***** ** ****, **** ** significant *** **** ** **** ***** common ** *** **** ******.
- ******** ***** ** *** ****** ***** out: *** ** *** ****** ******** *** features *** ****** ** **** *********** low **** ****** *******, ***** ** and *** ***** ***, ***** *** assist ** ******, ******** ******* ****.
*******, ***** *** *** *********:
- ** ***** ******:*** ****** **** *** ******* ***** codecs, ****** *.*** ** *.***, ********* in **** ****** ******** **** *******.
- ******* *** *******:*** ****** *** *** ***** ********* by **** ***** ******, ****** ******* VMD ** *.*** ******* ** ****, while **** ***** ************* ** **** class (*.*. ******/*********/*****) *** **** ******* supported.
**********, *** ***-****** ******* *** * solid ****** *** ***** ***** ** Spectrum, *** ** ***** ****** ******* of ****** ********, *.*** *******, *** reduced *******. ***** ***** ***** *****/**** may ** ****** *** ** *** lack ** *********** *** ***** ******, despite *** ******'* ****** **/*** ***********.
*******
*** ***-******** ***** *** ~$*** *** online, ****** ** *** **** ** testing, *** ** **** *** ~$***. This ** ******* ** ***** *** models, **** ** *** ****** ***-***** or ********* **-*********-*, **** ~$***-***, ********* on **********.
** ******** ** *** *.*** ******, DW ****** *.*** *** *** ** well, ******* ** ***********. **** **** some ***********, **** ** *********, ***** longer ***** ****** ******, **** ** 8mm ***/** **** ** **** ******.
Reduced ** ******** ******* ****
** **** ****'* "****** ****" *******, ********** *********** ******* * ****** ******** (*** *** ****) ******* *** ***** ******** **** ****** *********, ~$*** **** value, ** ~$**/****** (********* *** ***** imager ****** ******* * **** ******* for **** ****** ******* ** ***** two). Note **** **** ******* ** **** **** to ***********, *** *** *****, *** does *** ***** ** ******** ********* through************ ********.
Key ******** ********
*** ** *** ****** ** ******* in ************ ** ***** *******, **** a ****** ******** "*******" ********** *** imager/lens *** ** ************. ************* *** camera *** ******, **** *** ****** down *** *** *** ****** ** either **** ** *** ******.
************ **** *** ******* *** **** of *** ****** ** ** ************ like **** ***** ****** (*** ***** ** ****** ****** ** *********), **** ****** ****** ****** ******* the **** **** *** ****/*******/*****.
*******, *** ** ****** ******** ***** in *** ****** ***** ***, **** uncommon ******** ** *** **** ****** models, **** *** *** ***** *** especially ****** *** ***** ********** ** aiming ******* ***** ******* ********.
** ****** ***** ******** ** **** video:
Size **********
*** ** ****** ** ******* ** form ****** *** **** ** ******* turret ******* (***** ***** **. ********* and ****). **** **** ****** ****** (with *** ********* ** ****), ** includes ****** ****, ~**" ****.
Image *******
*** ****** ******** ************ ******* ** the *******, ** **** ** *-* lines ** ******* **** ****** *** day (~****), **** ***** ******* ** the ******* *** **** * ***** of *** **** ***** ** *****.
** ****** ***** *** ********, **** details ** *** ******* *** ***** provided, *** ********* *********** ******** *************, with **** **** ***** ******* *********.
Even ** ************
*** *** ******'* ** ************ *** even ****** *** ***** ** ****, with **** **** ****** ********* ** the **** **** *** ** ************ in *** ****** ** *** *** during *** *****, ***** ****:
Details **** ** *** *****
*******, ***** *** ******'* *********** ******* the ******* ** *** ********* ***** (~65'/20m), ******* **** ****, **** ** identifying ******* ******** *** ** ******* text. *******, **** ** ******* ****** than ***** *** ****** ****** ** this *****, **** ** *** ****** QNV-7010R, ***** *** ****** ********** **** at **** ***** (*** *** ****).
Solid *** ***********
** ****** *** *** ****** ** a ****** *** *****, * ********* with **** ******** ****, ***** *****:
*** ****** ******** **** ****** ** WDR ********, ***, ***, ******, *** high, **** *********** *********** ** *********** between ****. *** *******, ******* ** the ***** **** *** ***, *** area ******* *** **** ** ****** out, **** ******* *******, *** *** area **** ** *** **** ** totally ********. *** **** *** *** to ****, **** ******* ****** ******* inside *** ***, **** ******* ****** of ******** *** ********* *******, *** the **** ****** *** **** ********** visible.
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H.265 *** ** ***** *****
*** ****** **** *** ******* ***** codecs, *** ****** ** ***** ******, but ******** ******** *.***/*.*** *********. ******* of ****, ******** **** ****** **** average, ***** *.*-*.* **/* ****** *** day, ******** ** ~* **/* ******* in ***** ***** ****** ******. *.*** streams **** ***** **-**% ******* **** H.264.
VMS *******
*** ****** ** ****** ** ********** ********* only ** ** *******/** ********, *** connected *** ******** *** ***** ** third ***** ***** **** ******* *******:
********, *****, *** ********* **** **** to ****** *.*** ******* ******, *** only ***** ********* *** ******'* *.*** stream (** *** ********/**).
*******, ***** **** ** ********/*********, **** Avigilon ********* ****** **** ****** ******, shown *****. **** ****** *** *** work ** ***** ***** (*** **** they ******* **).
** **** ****** ** ************ ******* the ****** ** *******. *** ****** added ** *** ***, *** ************ a *** ******* *****, ********** ** what ******** **** ****.
Versions ****
*** ********* ******** ******* *** **** during *******:
- ***-*******: *.*.*.*
When we use DW cameras (we have not used this one) we always have to plan for twice as much storage.
Shouldn't someone ask TVT when they will support smart codecs?
#1, thanks for pointing that out! We don't follow TVT that closely so we missed that.
Ethan investigated and his preliminary findings are:
There is definitely something TVT happening but I don’t know enough about TVT and/or DW to say whether it’s simply got a DW logo slapped on it or if they made other changes to hardware and firmware. For example, it shows up in TVT's finder tool.
We asked DW and they declined to comment.
The facts that it shows up in TVT's finder tool and looks just like the TVT unit is pretty strong evidence that they are OEMing this from TVT. How broadly they are OEMing from TVT, we don't know.
Somewhat related, at ISC West 2019, TVT's fairly big booth will be right behind DW's:
OEMing from a company who is happy to have a big booth right next to yours in North America's biggest trade show is not prudent.
Isn't that obvious that DW is not the manufacturer and they OEM from some Chinese manufacturer?
It's definitely obvious it is from TVT. Since we don't have a TVT camera, we can't do as close an inspection.
If anyone has authorized / legit TVT branding products, please let us know as we would like to buy some (john@ipvm.com)
The EXACQ VMS software would not activate the VMD unless that the camera manufacturer name is in the EXACQ manufacturer list, no matter if the camera work properly with the VMD or not with EXACQ software.
Does this camera use any of the banned chips - i.e. Huawei SOC chips?
Hello Steve,
Yes, this camera uses a banned Huawei chip. However, for this camera, there was a heat-sink rubber mount laid on top of it, and after ~10 minutes of trying to clean off the chip, this was the most I could make out on the chip.
We can easily make out the HiSilicon logo, and a few additional characters.
Pretty sure that's an Hi3516BCVsomething. The 3516 is extremely common, and I can read a B on the second line:
There are several other models we've torn down using the 3516B, so this wouldn't be a surprise.