Dahua Favorability Results 2017

By IPVM Team, Published on Jan 19, 2017

Dahua, the mega-Chinese surveillance manufacturer not primarily owned by the Chinese government has been trying to break out of the shadow of Hikvision (who is controlled by the Chinese government). They have struggled to differentiate themselves, and the Mirai botnet, which was partly fueled by hacked Dahua products, did not help their overall image.

Security integrators had a strong negative perception of Dahua in our Favorability series, and we share their rationale in this report.

Dahua ************ *******

***** *** *** *** lowest-scoring ******* ** ** manufacturers ********, ****** **** did ****** **** * ******** manufacturers:

*** *** ******* *********** gave *** ******* ***** low ****:

**** ** *****
**** *******
******* ********

Security/Trust ********

*********** **** ******** **** Dahua's ******** **** ******** or ***********. ***** ******** is ******** * ******** factor ** ******* *********, and *********** ****** **** ** be * *** ***** in ****. *****'* ******** ****** a *** **** ** the ***** ******, ***** *** ****** explain *** *********** *** so **** ************* ******** on *****.

"**** *** ****. *********."
"*******, *** ***** ****, security ****."
"********"
"* ** **** ********* about **** ** *** low *** *******. * sell * *** **** the ******* ****** *****. Not ******* *** ******** the ******** ** *** camera ** * *******. At ***** **** * purchase ** **** ******, I ******* *** ******** is ********* ** ******** other **** *** ******* gov't."
"*** ****** **** ** the ***** ********* ****** made ** **** ** using ***** ********. ** also *** ** ***** using ******* ********* **** we ***."
"***'* **** ** *** these, ***** ** *** because ** ***'* ***** their **********, *** ******* working ** ********** ** is *** ******** ** customers. ** ********, ***** is *** *** **** decision ******."
"*** ******. **** *** a ******."
"**** *** **** ********* get ****** ** **** market ******** *** **** have **** ***** ******** issues."
"**** ******** **** ****. Have *** **** *** out *****. ** ******** risks **** **** ** not **** ** **** seriously."
"*'* ** **** *********, but ***** ************ **** the ******** ** ***** products ** ************."
"**** **** *** ******* And ***. **** **** great. *** ****** ***** the ******** ******."
"***** ****** **** ***, we **** *** ***** Chinese-made / ***** ******* in **** ********."

*******

***** **** ******* **** not ********* **** ********, poor ******* ****** ****** leads ** *** ************. Several ******** **** ***** of **** ******* *********** with *****.

"*'** *** **** * huge *** ** ***** distribution *****. * *** to ****** ** ******* cameras **** * **** because ** ******'* ********* who *** ***** ***** was *** ***** ******'* supply ******** ******** **** would ***** **** ** ONVIF **********."
"**** ** ** ********, lately *'** **** **** and **** ************. ******* availability, ********* ** *** footsteps, ******** ** ********** toes *** **** * general ****** ***** ***** intentions **** ******* **** support.Security ****** *** ********* lies ***** *** ***** to ***** *****, ***."
"***** ***** *** ***** pricing *** * ****** line ** ** ********, they ***'* **** *** support ****** ** *** USA ** ** * top **** *********. * have *** ** **** with **** ****** **** Dahua **** *** ***** brand. * ****** ** devices **** **** ********* and **** ** ** invest *** **** **** supporting *** ****** ***** issues."
"**** ********* *** ******* in ** *** ***'* believe ** *** **********. Don't ***** **** **** dishonest."
"******** **** ****, **** name ***********. ********* ** ***** cheap *** **** ******* in *** **. ************ not **** **** ******"
"**** ** *******"
"* **** ** **** product *********, *** ********* support ** ***** *********** is ***********."
"* **** *** **** them *** * ***** put **** ** * similar **** ** ********* only **** * ******* product **** *** ******** support *** *********"

Product ******* ******

*********** **** ***** **** products ** *** ******* as ********, ****** ** invest ***** **** ** setup ** *******/******. **** too ***** ********* ****** negative ******** **** *********** who *** **** *** product.

"***** ******* ** **. Have ******* *********** ***** cameras **** ***** ***, yes ** ***** *** it ** *** ****** flexible ****** *** **** than * *********** ***********. Their ***'* ** *** play **** **** ***** camera *************, *** ***** integration ** ********."
"***** ** *** * separate ********, ***** ******* failures, * *** ** replace **** ** ** expense."
"**** ***** *** *****, poor ******* *** *********** DOA ******, *** **** poor ******* *** ******** sucks , ****** ***, is ** ****** ***."
"**** *** ***** *******."
"* **** **** **** keep ********* ** ***** as * **********, ****** than ****** **** **** run ********* **** *** entire ********. *** ******* appears ** ** ******, but * ***** **** that's ** ** ******** when * ***** ********** is ******** ** **** success. *****'* ******** ** completely *********. **** ****** need *** **********. *'** stopped ** ***** ***** several ***** **** *** last *** *****, *** they've ***** **** **** logical *****."
"**** ** *** ****** with **** ******* * lot ** ***** **** requires *** ******* *** installers ** *** ******* installs ** ***** ******** but **** ** **** smaller ****** **** *** first ****. ** *** two *** ******* ********* this ** * ***** second **** **** ** a ******** **** *** email ******** *** ****-***** junkers ** ******."
"** ******* **** ***** as ** ***** *****. I ******* *** ***** and *** *** ********* like: *** ***** *******: low *****, ******* ** built *** ** *** box *******."

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

*********** **** ******* ***** focused ** *** ***** / performance:

"**** ********* ******** *** limited *******. ******* *** performance **** *** ******** happy *** **** ** the *****.
"**** **** ***** *** price."
"***** ******* ** ****** then **** ***** ******. Remote ********* *** **** option. **** ******* ** dark ******. ******* ******* is *******."
"* **** ** **** it *** ** **** doing **** ** **! Nicely ***** *** *** price *** * ***** you **** ** ********** that. ** ** ** competitive. ***** ******* ** mostly *** ************. **** seem **** ** ********** the ************ *****. ** a **** **** ********* range ** ********."
"***** ***** ******* *** the *****. ***** **** wonky ****** & ****** issues."
"******** **** ****. * have *** ****** ****** on ****. ******** ** always ** ***** **** I **** * ****'* have ** **** ****...*** I ***** *** *** product."
"**** ** *** '**-**' camera ****. ***** ***** is *******, *** ******* very ****."
"* **** *** ***** supplier ***** **** ******. The ******** **** *** I *** ** ** and ** **** ******** for *** ********. **** found ****** *** *** generally ******** *** ******* quality *****. *** **** product ***********."

Dahua *******

***** *** * ********** problem ** ******** ** the ******. ***** *** ********* **** ** *** ** *** help *** ******* ****** understand *** ** ** business ******* ** *****, but * ********* ****** generally ****** *** *** problems ******** *****, ***** than ** **** ********** aware **** ****** **** these *** ********* ***** sales. *** ******* **** need ** ******* ***** issues, *** **** *** their ********* ********** ** communicate * ******* ** a "***** *.*" ** the ****** ** ******** the ******** ********* **** integrators.

Comments (22)

Undisclosed Distributor #1

01/19/17 03:54pm

Lobbing a big 'ol softball out there for all of the dahua haters to roast them, eh? Ok, I'll bite.

Dahua used to be a decent company when they first brought their products to the US through a handful of distributors, but that all went away starting back in 2010. Plain and simple, they just got greedy. They used to make a sturdy, quality product and listened to feedback and tried to make it better, however something changed and they decided it was now all about money. They started by using cheaper components (just try to guess how many people out there have had to suffer through failed CPU cooling fans) and then seemed to lose some key people and what little service they had went to hell also very quickly. They've always been running a few years behind Hik and follow their playbook like a religious text whether it has worked or not.

Dahua put all of their eggs in the HD-CVI basket thinking that they would take over the world, but with typical chinese non-marketing savvy and the inevitable move to cheaper components after launch, they failed miserably. The biggest example I can think of is their move away from Hisilicon to Grain Media for their processors on some product lines which was a massive failure that continues to haunt everyone today.

Having failed on that front, they decided that the only way they could get more money (noticing a trend yet?) was to cut the throats of the distributors that made them in the US and go direct. "We're only opening a service center in the US, we'll NEVER sell direct", hmmm, remember Hik opening in Texas years ago singing the same song? Sales on Amazon and eBay and the like were always played off as Shezhen company "grey market" distributors who were counterfeiters and they even said at one point that any product found on Amazon or eBay that had the dahua name on it was NOT their true product. Now they try to sell whatever they can, wherever and however they can no matter who suffers (the consumers, installers, distributors or anybody except their banker). They have come straight out and said "We want to eliminate the entire installer/distributor layer of the market and sell direct to everyone".

They are dishonest and the product they sell becomes cheaper, less reliable and worse day by day. They care nothing for security, they take no responsibility for the Mirai situation, "that was all caused by poor installers and distributors who didn't know what they were doing and wasn't even true dahua product anyway, it was OEM stuff". They deserve to fail, having burned every bridge built by US (and other countries) companies who wanted to help them succeed so everyone could profit so that they could stuff their own pockets in order to continue their wannabe Hikvision existence.

Undisclosed Distributor #2

In reply to Undisclosed Distributor #1 | 01/19/17 04:25pm

Ignorant greed is a hell of a drug...

Sean Nelson

Nelly's Security
01/19/17 04:08pm

It would be wise of the new Marketing Head to have a membership to IPVM to hear these legitimate complaints.

Undisclosed Manufacturer #3

In reply to Sean Nelson | 01/19/17 04:34pm

Don't they share one membership around the team? ;-)

Sean Nelson

Nelly's Security
In reply to Undisclosed Manufacturer #3 | 01/19/17 04:36pm

not sure, if thats the case, would be good to read IPVM

Undisclosed Manufacturer #3

In reply to Sean Nelson | 01/19/17 04:40pm

Dahua/IPVM

Undisclosed Integrator #4

01/19/17 04:40pm

Is this directed to all Dahua products including all the OEMs or was it specific to Dahua USA? The reason I ask is because when it comes to support, if it's OEM, support comes from the distributor and if it's branded Dahua USA then support comes from them. The experience can be very different.

For me, Dahua's picture quality is great for the money, but yeah security risks and poor product road map and availability keeps us from using them or recommending them. We're always unclear what the firmware features will or will not do. Dahua USA has been working to fix this with the Dahua wiki but I'm not sure if that'll be enough.

I keep wanting to like them but they make it so easy to look elsewhere.

Brian Karas

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #4 | 01/19/17 04:43pm

Our intent with these is to gather feedback on the brand itself, though it is possible that some people commented about Dahua products being sold under an OEM brand.

Undisclosed Distributor #2

In reply to Brian Karas | 01/19/17 04:48pm

Until Dahua started Dahua USA it was all Dahua products. We'd get customers coming to us because they knew it was Dahua despite our branding. We also didn't hide it and openly promoted it (mistake), kind of like a Dell computer with Intel Inside.

Unfortunately we laid the ground work for them to open Dahua USA, which is when they started trying very hard to separate their own Dahua brand from OEM brands.

We've even heard their sales reps lie about OEM being Dahua when Dahua USA first opened. Imagine that, getting a sales call from Dahua USA as if we're a new lead when we were one of the first 3 or 4 companies to import the product into America...

Sean Nelson

Nelly's Security
In reply to Undisclosed Distributor #2 | 01/19/17 04:55pm

I knew Dahua USA had issues when they called us saying the same thing. They failed to even look at our website before calling and acted like Dahua was something we have never heard of. At any rate I told the nice (but unintelligent) lady to have someone call us about branded Dahua.

A guy calls me back and we told him we were in Tulsa, and he said "oh sorry, we already have a distributor in Texas". I said we are in Oklahoma, and he said "yes as said, we already have distributor in your state"

I mean if your gonna come to the USA to make a presence, atleast get to know basic geography.

Undisclosed #5

IPVMU Certified | In reply to Sean Nelson | 01/19/17 09:44pm

A guy calls me back and we told him we were in Tulsa, and he said "oh sorry, we already have a distributor in Texas". I said we are in Oklahoma...

Yes, apparently Dahua has been using a Gold Rush era map of Texas.

Related humor here.

Gust Askounis

Security Solutions Inc
In reply to Undisclosed #5 | 01/23/17 04:40pm

Ha!

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Sean Nelson | 01/19/17 10:16pm

"yes as said, we already have distributor in your state"

And that distributor is long gone as a Dahua distributor.

Bobby Mancia Jr.

MIZELA Corporation
IPVMU Certified | 01/19/17 10:19pm

We are start up integration company and we are currently using Dahua, any advise gentlemen?

Undisclosed Manufacturer #6

In reply to Bobby Mancia Jr. | 01/23/17 08:16pm

Bobby, work on the spelling.

Undisclosed Distributor #1

01/19/17 10:30pm

Get a signed contract regarding warranty repairs that is enforceable in the US. Be prepared for your customers to be directly contacted by dahua the day after they sign up with their P2P service. Be prepared to have to change your spec sheets daily as they change their product line-ups very often. If you order by sea be prepared to receive containers of obsolete product that they have emptied out of their basement so that dahua USA can sell the newest version. Don't expect problems to be fixed, they will pull out the old Jedi mind trick "there is no problem with this" and if you persist past being ignored, being told you're wrong, finally getting them to accept that there is a problem be ready to hear "It will be fixed in the next release, just buy the new ones". One last piece of advice, start shopping around for the next manufacturer after dahua now so that you'll be prepared when they make it impossible for you to stay with them. Best of luck.

Bobby Mancia Jr.

MIZELA Corporation
IPVMU Certified | In reply to Undisclosed Distributor #1 | 01/23/17 11:04pm

Thank you.

Any recommendation? We are here operating at the South East Asia, particularly here in the Philippines.

yutian pan

01/23/17 03:45pm

I can not trust the way they are doing business in USA， how can I use their products?

There are too many lies.

Bobby Mancia Jr.

MIZELA Corporation
IPVMU Certified | In reply to yutian pan | 01/23/17 11:09pm

Thank you for the advice.

We are working on industrial markets and the NBI, which is similar with FBI in the US. We wanted to do right the first time and if possible avoid mistakes. Vendor will play a very crucial role as we do our projects.

John Williams

01/23/17 08:14pm

By there nature, Security folks are conservative and slow to change brands.

What you don't know is the enemy until you know them.

Bobby Mancia Jr.

MIZELA Corporation
IPVMU Certified | In reply to John Williams | 01/23/17 11:10pm

How can you help us?

John Williams

In reply to Bobby Mancia Jr. | 01/24/17 01:29am

Bobby, that's a question a good business man would ask. I should take that off line as this is a comments area. If you track me down, I'll definitely respond.

Read this IPVM report for free.

This article is part of IPVM's 6,596 reports, 889 tests and is only available to members. To get a one-time preview of our work, enter your work email to access the full article.