Dahua Distributor Angered "Always Give Good News About Hikvision"

Published Aug 11, 2016 16:26 PM
PUBLIC - This article does not require an IPVM subscription. Feel free to share.

A Dahua distributor is angry that "IPVM always give good news about HIKvision while destroys Dahua."

I can understand the frustration, not of course because we 'always give good news about Hikvision', but because it is natural for people to focus on the negative things impacting themselves over others.

As a counterpoint, Hikvision is quite furious at us for posts in the past year including:

The Dahua distributor then falsely and, ironically given our coverage of Hikvision, declares that "HIKvision is one of IPVM sponsors."

IPVM has no sponsors nor advertisers and never has.

That noted, in this industry, I can certainly understand why someone would think first that coverage is dictated by payments. It is, after all, the typical way things are done (trade magazines, trade shows, distribution, etc.).

We built IPVM to make ourselves independent of manufacturers, as being a former manufacturer and integrator, I well understand the risks and problems of being tied to manufacturers.

This is why we can freely criticize anyone, e.g., just in the last month:

It is certainly reasonable that not everyone is going to agree, especially when we criticize a product or company you are associated with. Others simply are far more tolerant to the problems we focus on analyzing and uncovering.

The Dahua distributor also criticized us for not being 'neutral'. I see an important difference between independent and neutral. Neutral, to me, is not taking sides at all, regardless of what one sees the evidence to be. That is not what we are. We are independent, and use that independence to fund our testing and research that supports the analysis and criticism we deliver.

Finally, we enjoy having people debate with us, as members can see in the comments. Not only does it deliver more value to other members, it exposes us to news and alternative ideas that we regularly incorporate into future testing and reporting.

Comments (44)
Avatar
Bob Kusche
Aug 11, 2016

OFF-TOPIC but topical nonetheless:

Has anyone noticed that EVERYONE seems angry these days?

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Avatar
Ari Erenthal
Aug 11, 2016
Chesapeake & Midlantic

How dare you say that???

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EK
Edward Knoch
Aug 11, 2016

Bob - you're so moody! Move on and stop with the anti-negative rants!

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UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #1
Aug 11, 2016

[IPVM Note: Poster is from Dahua]

Slow news day for the National Enquirer of the CCTV world. IPVM is biased just like any news agency. Just consider who is funding this site, and follow that.

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UE
Undisclosed End User #2
Aug 11, 2016

I don't understand, if that's what you believe then why do you pay money to subscribe to IPVM? I don't subscribe to the National Enquirer, it would be a waste of my good money. Nor do I post on their blog (if they even have one), it would be a waste of my good time. If you equate IPVM with the National Enquirer, then why are you here wasting both your time and your money? If you meant what you said, you wouldn't be here saying it. Your words and your behavior are inconsistent. If you're speaking honestly then you must be irrational, but if you're acting rationally then your words must be duplicitous. I'm fascinated.

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JH
John Honovich
Aug 11, 2016
IPVM

Dear Dahua employee,

Sure, let's consider who is funding the site. We make money in 2 ways:

  • Membership payments, ~$200 per person
  • Online Courses, ~$300 per person

Because of that structure, no 'customer' / company accounts for even 1% of IPVM's revenue.

And, again, we never do sponsorships, advertising, 'consulting' for manufacturers, white papers, speaking engagements nor any of the other ways that almost all media and analyst organizations make their money.

I can definitely understand why you are upset that we criticize your company, it is not fun to be publicly called out but Dahua can help itself by avoiding simple blunders like this year's California treasure and last year's barbecue tour.

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UE
Undisclosed End User #2
Aug 11, 2016

hi John, Apparently

JH
John Honovich
Aug 11, 2016
IPVM

Apparently

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UE
Undisclosed End User #2
Aug 11, 2016

Makes sense to me, thanks for explaining

Avatar
Luis Carmona
Aug 11, 2016
Geutebruck USA • IPVMU Certified

I think what may be confusing some people also is if the person is using Firefox, I still think the [Edit] buttons are not showing up. They show up in other web browsers, or Chrome at least.

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U
Undisclosed #5
Aug 11, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Yes, they do not show in Firefox. Nor in iOS.

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MC
Marty Calhoun
Aug 11, 2016
IPVMU Certified

LOL, thank you John!

U
Undisclosed #5
Aug 11, 2016
IPVMU Certified

IPVM is biased just like any news agency.

Absolutely IPVM is biased.

Their bias is called skepticism.

You have to pay for it yourself.

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UE
Undisclosed End User #2
Aug 11, 2016

Well said.

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UE
Undisclosed End User #2
Aug 11, 2016

"Well said" directed at John H, that is. The distinction between neutrality and independence is crucial, as you correctly observe. If you were trying to be 'neutral' despite the facts, trying never to critique anyone, then IPVM would be absolutely useless to me. It's your independence that makes your analysis valuable. For what it's worth, I'm incredulous that anyone could think that you're somehow pro-Hik. They obviously haven't been paying attention.

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UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #3
Aug 11, 2016

John,

I do find your comments to be independent and informative. I have always appreciated your candor even though sometimes it affects some of the product I represent as a manufacturer representative.

Keep up the good work.

Bill

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Sam Eskew
Aug 11, 2016

One of the big reasons I pay for an IPVM membership is the INDEPENDENT news and opinion provided. IMO, the coverage IPVM gives is fair - the product testing in particular. Keep up the good work work.

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U
Undisclosed #4
Aug 11, 2016

Omg an Independent review company not picking favorites.

Pfft you would think they would be happy with the data the site supplies to fix or plan what they are lacking but no it all your fault IPVM

you and your allies the shape-shifting lizard people blowing chem-trails and putting fluoride in the water, and lets not mention rigging the US election.

this is why companies fail.

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Edward Knoch
Aug 11, 2016

What.Are.You.Talking.About?

OMG? and then the most convoluted string of phrases that have absolutely no bearing on the conversation?

I appreciate and value IPVM (even when I disagree with them) simply because they give me an un-biased (sometimes jaded) view of products. I love it - nowhere in this industry (especially with ASIS / ISC / SIA) can you get a review that is not based upon some payment in some form or another. It's very utopian. IPVM has been invaluable in giving me assessments on products that help me to understand their strengths and weaknesses.

Kudos to the independent nature of IPVM (Even when they do trash my favorite products).

Those of you who are manufacturers - here's a tip. Read the negative reviews, fix the problem, sell a better product. Stop shooting the messenger who is only providing a review of what invariably is a sub-standard product or service. You can either win from doing the right thing, or suffer by doing the same thing and lowering your margins (over and over).

Thanks for remaining independent and focused on consumer empowerment.

Cheers!

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U
Undisclosed #5
Aug 11, 2016
IPVMU Certified

OMG? and then the most convoluted string of phrases that have absolutely no bearing on the conversation?

  1. He's actually agreeing with you
  2. what "shape shifting lizard people blowing chem-trails" lacks in coherence it makes up in imagery.
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U
Undisclosed #4
Aug 11, 2016

That more or less what I Said but funnier

Dahua, like other companies will use anything as an excuse to justify short comings of any kind for their products rather than improve on them more often than not.

also compared to what i have heard from most manufacturer's and their staff what I said makes far more sense some times.

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MC
Marty Calhoun
Aug 11, 2016
IPVMU Certified

He must not read IPVM very often because HIKVISION is not given any breaks.

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JH
John Honovich
Aug 11, 2016
IPVM

Marty, that's why we have you here ;)

As we have discussed in other threads, overall our coverage on their products / technology is generally quite positive. We have a strong objection to their government / business tactics.

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #6
Aug 11, 2016

This is bringing back distant memories of another manufacturer that argued initially IPVM was wrong or something to that effect, then argued no one reads it anyway, but then kept arguing.... what was that again?

U
Undisclosed #5
Aug 11, 2016
IPVMU Certified

SELECT discussion_name FROM discussions WHERE ipvm_allgedly_wrong AND ipvm_allegedly_unread AND listen_to_reason=0

SQL-ERR01: Insufficient disk space for resulting table

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UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #7
Aug 11, 2016

"This is bringing back distant memories of another manufacturer that argued initially IPVM was wrong or something to that effect, then argued no one reads it anyway, but then kept arguing.... what was that again? "

Some other foreign (from the US) company. But closer. I think they want the US to annex them or something.....

U
Undisclosed #4
Aug 12, 2016

All I remember is he put more money and effort into racing cars than his security company

although is rampant delusional outlook of his company still provide laughs to this day I believe.

JH
John Honovich
Aug 12, 2016
IPVM

I forgot about the DM episode: Dedicated Micros Collapses, CEO Says Shut Up, Debates IPVM

That was one of the strangest episodes on IPVM. As CEO, when you are responding to criticisms publicly, taking the high road is generally the right approach. Attacking your employees is not as good....

UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #8
Aug 12, 2016

It's simple, next time, just test a few Dahua cameras and compared it to other US and EU brands. If Dahuas cameras are worse, then you are helping them to set target to improve and they will be appreciated; else, you are doing free advertisement and they will be appreciated too.

IPVM probably helps Hikvision too much by testing and criticizing them a lot.

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Avatar
Jon Dillabaugh
Aug 12, 2016
Pro Focus LLC

A Dahua camera is included in almost every comparative test. People that come here to complain either don't spend much time here, or they cherry pick reports, ignoring the rest.

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U
Undisclosed #9
Aug 12, 2016

Dahua employee here!! :)

I always feel disappointed when I see a negative writeup on IPVM about Dahua. On the flip side I am always extremely happy to see a negative article about Hikvision. :)

I appreciate John and his teams hard work. They have a difficult job and will always get attacked by someone who takes things personally. Overall IPVM is a fun place where everyone can say what they want.

In regards to Dahua we are a company who are trying to improve everyday. There will certainly be problems and mistakes along the way which is the same as any other company has however we will improve. We are a Chinese company and will never act exactly the same as a local USA company but that may not be a bad thing. We release products quickly, we have a lower pricepoint, our products are feature packed, we have a wider range than most, we can easily customize for projects and our Chinese tech support staff generally have masters level educations. Try going to a US based manufacturer and ask for customized hardware and firmware and see what answer you get.

Enough of saying how awesome Dahua is, I am just waiting for the next Dahua focused article on IPVM because i am sure it will be titled "Dahua is confirmed to be the greatest security Manufacterer in the world"

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UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #7
Aug 12, 2016

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U
Undisclosed #5
Aug 12, 2016
IPVMU Certified

We are a Chinese company and will never act exactly the same as a local USA company but that may not be a bad thing.

Practice makes perfect; this last "California Treasure" ad for instance, had a very convincing local USA flavor...

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U
Undisclosed #5
Aug 12, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Our Chinese tech support staff generally have masters level educations.

Can you ask one of them where can I download the manual for my cameras?

I can't find them anywhere on your site.

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Avatar
Jon Dillabaugh
Aug 12, 2016
Pro Focus LLC

Or who to contact with security flaws?

JW
JP Wenger
Aug 12, 2016

You can go to https://dahuawiki.com to download manuals, firmware, and much more.

Regarding security flaws, please email CyberSecurity@global.DahuaTech.com

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U
Undisclosed #5
Aug 13, 2016
IPVMU Certified

JP, if you are the guy behind Dahuawiki, then Kudos!

Yes, I have used Dahuawiki for manuals and much more, though I wouldn't exactly call it authoritative or even comprehensive.

Moreover, its not an official Dahua site is it?

I'm not just giving you a hard time either, I am truly curious why a mfr would not have manuals on their site.

Avatar
Ethan Ace
Aug 13, 2016

Dahua's wiki is official. It's linked from the North American site under support. I was just on it yesterday and they've added quite a bit of tutorial content, too.

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U
Undisclosed #5
Aug 13, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Yes, they have added quite a bit. Never saw the link before.

Apologies, JP.

MB
Matt Bischof
Aug 27, 2016

Dahua Technology USA Inc.
23 Hubble
Irvine, CA 92618

August 12, 2016


To Our Valued Customers:

Dahua Technology understands the importance of network security. As such, we implement high security standards during our entire product development cycle. We strive to keep our products as secure as possible and to educate our customers and end-users so that they have the information they need to make their networks safer.

From the technology perspective, Dahua has created an independent cybersecurity lab, which is responsible for the implementation of Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) standards, network security standards, and secured coding standards. The lab examines framework design as it pertains to cybersecurity, evaluates the cybersecurity of each of our products, builds detection tools, and researches future technologies.

Additionally, Dahua’s R&D department includes a team of engineers who are dedicated to testing Dahua’s complete product line. The cybersecurity lab provides regular guidance and training to these engineers.

In addition to internal detection tools and platforms, Dahua Technology has partnered with industry-leading network security and solution provider Synopsys, using its Defensics tools to perform fuzz testing on Dahua’s network protocols. Synopsys’ Coverity tools are used for Dahua’s development code analysis in order to promote stronger network safety of Dahua products.

Third-party certification is also a priority for Dahua Technology. On January 29, 2016, Dahua achieved a ML5 certificate, the highest level of CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration) DEV1.3. Dahua’s development team strictly follows the guidelines of CMMI during product development to improve software quality. Additionally, all development tools are from verified channels, and are managed on a central server to secure a safe code compiling and verification environment. This mitigates the risk of introducing potential safety hazards during the coding process.

From the security management perspective, Dahua Technology has established a network security committee that manages the SDL procedure and implements the security standards released by the cybersecurity lab. As the unified taskforce for network security issues, the committee will make prompt responses if an issue is discovered, provide solutions to each vulnerability being reported, and manage the vulnerability database for continued improvement.

Dahua is committed to high product quality. By enforcing strict security requirements for product design and process control, we are helping protect our customers and end-users from potential risk. For more information about cybersecurity and video surveillance, visit http://www.dahuasecurity.com/en/us/cybersecurity.php. Thank you for being a Dahua customer.

Dahua Technology USA

GF
Gisele Ferreira
Aug 15, 2016

:)

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #10
Aug 15, 2016

boo hoo hoo...truth hurts when its revealed that Dahua sucks. My distributor just washed their hands of Dahua and said good riddens...Dauha played too many BS games when it came to support in both sales and service.

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U
Undisclosed #5
Aug 15, 2016
IPVMU Certified

My distributor just washed their hands of Dahua...

What country?

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UD
Undisclosed Distributor #11
Jan 29, 2018

I'm guessing America... Dahua has screwed every loyal American that ever helped promote and build their brand here. Including the first Americans to import their products.

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