Digital Watchdog Low-Cost V-Class Cameras Tested
Digital Watchdog has released the V-Class, a new low-cost camera line, but how well does it compare to low-cost offerings from Axis, Hanwha, and Hikvision?
While Digital Watchdog has been gaining ground, primarily due to US barriers against Dahua and Hikvision, IPVM's testing has revealed poor image quality and analytics performance across Digital Watchdog cameras. Will this offering be better?
We bought and tested the Digital Watchdog DWC-VSDG04Mi and the DWC-VSTB04Mi and tested them against the Axis M2036, Hanwha ANV-L7012, Hikvision 2143, and the higher-cost DW MV85, examining:
- How does performance compare to Axis, Hanwha, and Hikvision?
- How does image quality compare in full light (~180 lux), color low light (~1 lux, ~5 lux), dark (~0.01lux, IR on), and WDR scenes?
- What, if any, issues were found with the camera's analytics during testing?
- How does pricing compare to other low-cost cameras from the Axis M-Series, Hanwha A-Series, and Hikvision Pro Series?
- What is the country of origin of the DW V-class cameras?
- How does bandwidth compare to Axis M-Series, Hanwha A-Series, Hikvision Pro Series, and the DW Megapix IVA, day and night?
- How well does the camera integrate with ACC, ExacqVision, Genetec, and NxWitness?
Pricing *** ********
*** ****** ******* ** *** ** V-Class ***** **** **** *** ********* Pro ****** *** **** **** *** Axis * ******, *** ******* ** the ****** * ****** ****.
Physical ********
** *** ***** *****, ** **** the ** *-***** ******* ********* ***********.
Country ** ****** ****** ** ***, *** *******
***** **** ** *-***** ******* **** listed ** "************ ** ******" ** the *********, ******* *** *** ******* of ****** ***** ** *** ******.
Executive *******
*** ***** ****** *********** (***** ******* and *********), ***** ** ****** *** competitive **** ****, ******, *** ********* but **'* ********* *** **** *** the ******* *** ***** **** ****** (explained ** **** ****** *****)
*** ******* ***** **** *** ** V-class ******* ******* *********** ***** ******* compared ** ***** ***-**** *******, ********* the **** * ******, ****** * series, *** ********* *** ****** ****** all ****** ******.
***** ***** ******* *** ******* ******* the *-***** **** *** ****** ***** across **** ****** ******, *** **** provided * ****** ** ****** *** adjusted ** ***** **** ******* ****.
***** *** *-***** ********* *********** *** competitive ****** *** ****** ******, *** analytics *** *****/******* ************* (******* ** Hanwha *-******) *** **** ******** ****** for ** ********* ***** ** * single ****** ** *******.
** ********, *** **** * *** the ********* *** ****** **** ****, with ********* **** ********** ***** *** vehicle ******* *** ********* ******* ******** false ***** **********.
Camera ********
***** **** ** ***** ************* ****, we **** ******* ******** **** ***** cameras *** ***** ******* **** ******'* HiSharp *** *** ***** **** *** China's ***. **** ***-**** ****** ** highly ******** *** ****** ********* ***** its **** ****** **** ** **** report **** ***** **** *** ************* is ********.
Full ***** ***********
*********** ** **** ***** ********** *** similar ****** ****** ******, ******** *** DW ****** ******** * ****** ***** than *** ** ****.
**** *** **** ***** *** ** outlier ** **** *****, **** ***** obscuring **** ****** ******.
**** ** *-***** ****** ** ****** scenes ******** ******* ****** *** ** motion ****. *******, **** ****** *** obscured ** *** ****** *****.
*** ******-**** ** **** *** *** Hikvision **** *** ******* *******, ***** the **** *** ****** * ****** produced ******** ****** **** ******* ****** blur.
Color *** ***** ***********
** ~* ***, ** ****** ****** provided ****** ******* ****** ** ********** scenes. **** ** *-***** ****** ******** detail, *** *** **** ************ *** turret *****, ********* **** ****** ******.
**** *-***** ****** ******** ******** ***** detail *** ***** ******** **** **** other ****** ******, ******* ** *** Hikvision ****.
***** *** ***-**** ** ****** ******** less ****** ****** **** *** ******-**** MV85, *** *****-**** *-***** ******' ***** detail *** ***** ******** **** ********.
** ****** ****** ** ****** ****** (~1 ***) ******** ****** ******* *******, obscuring ******* **** ********, *****, ***/** motion ****.
*** ** *-***** ******* ******** ******* detail **** ***** ******** *** ****** blur.
** ~* ***, ****** ****** ******** across *** ******* ******. ** *** DW ******, ****** ****** ********; *******, the ***** *** ********* ***********.
*** ** ****** ************ **** ***** models ** **** *****, **** **** the ********* **** ********* ******* ******* and ***** ******.
** ******, ******** *** ******* ****** the ****** ******. *******, ******* ****** was ******** ** ~* *** **** the ~* *** *****.
*** ** *-***** ******** ****** ******* to *** ******-**** ** **** *** Hikvision **** ***** ************* *** ****** ANV-L7012 *** ******** ************* *** **** M2036.
Dark/IR ***********
** *** **** (~*.** ***) ********** scene, **** ** *-***** ****** ******** solid ***** *** ****** ****** ******* the ****** ******, **** *** **** outperforming *** ****** *****.
** ****** ******, *** ** *-***** cameras ******** ***** ******* ******* ** this *****, **** *** **** ************* the ****** ******. *** **** ******** similar ****** ** *** ********* **** and **** ***** ******, *** **** V-class ****** ************ ** **** *** Hanwha * ******.
Smart ** *** ******* ** *******
***** ** ** *** ******* ** default ** *** ** *-***** *******, as ***** *****.
*******, ******* ***** ** *******, *** DW *-***** ******* ********** *** ******* in ******, ~**' **** *** ******, producing **** ******** **** ****** **** the ****** ***-****.
IR ******
*** ** *-***** **** ****** ******** an **** ** ******, ***** *** turret ******** * ****** ****** *******. However, **** *-***** ******* ******* * better ** ****** **** *** ** MV85 ******.
************, *** ** ***** ******** ** even ******, **** ******* ****** ** the ****** *** *** ****.
*** ** ***** *** * ******** less **** ******, **** ******** ******** detail ** *** **** **** ** the ******.
*******, **** *-***** ******* ****** ******** better ** ******* **** *** ******-**** DW *****, ***** *** ****** *** produced * ******* ******* *** **** edges.
IR ***********, ***'
** ***', ** ****** ****** ******** strong ******* ****** ** **** **** FoV, **** *** ** *-***** ******* producing ** ***** ******* ** *** Hanwha ***-*****.
**** *** ** *-***** ******* **** optically ******, ******* ****** ** ***' increased, **** **** ******* *** ***** details *********** ** **** *******. *******, the **** ****** ******** * ******** image *** ** *** ******** ** when ********* ******.
** ******** **** ******* **** ** the ** ***** (****) ****** *** did *** ****** **** ******* **** in *** ***** (******) ******, ** shown *****.
IR ************ ********
***** *** ******* ****** *** ****** IR ***** (~**'-***'), ***** **** *** directly ********** **** ******** ** ***** or ***********.
*** ** *-***** **** *** ***** IR ***** **** *** ****** ** all ****** *********. *******, **** ********** was **** ********** ** ***** ***** (~20').
WDR ***********
** ****** *** *********** ** ** exit **** ***** **** ************ ******* from ~**,*** *** ******* ** ~*** lux ******.
** ********** ******, **** ** *-***** cameras ******** ******* ****** **** ********* in ****** *** ******* ******, ********** similarly ** *** ******-**** ** **** but *************** ***** ****** ******* ********* less ********* ** *** ******* *** stronger ********** *******.
**** ******* ****** ***** ******** ** the ***** ************ ** ~*-* *******, with **** **** *** ********* ****** slightly ******/******* ***** ** ******.
** ******, *** *-***** ******* ******** some ****** **** *********, *** ********** details **** ********* ***********.
***** ** *** ****** ***** *** the ** *****, *** *********** ** the ***** *** *******.
Enabling *** ******** ****** ******
******** *** ** *** ** *-***** cameras ******** * ****** ******.
********* *** ****** ** ****** ** disable *** **** ****** ***** ********** to ********, ** ***** *****.
**** *** ****** *******, ** ************ "Brightness" ** **'* *********** ***** ** "20".
***** *** ******* *** *** **** any ******** ****** ** ******* **********, users ****** ** ***** ** ******** negative ******* ** *** *****/**** ******.
Analytics ***********
*** ** *-***** ******* *** **** basic *********, ******* ** *** ****** A-Series ******, ***** ***** ****** ****** offered **** ********* ********* *******.
***** ****** ** ****** ********* **** limited ** * ***-********** *******, ****** users ***** ******* * ******** **** the ******.
** *** *******, **** ******** ****** multiple ****** ** ** **** ************ at ******* "***** ******* ****" ********. For *******, ** ***** *** **** each ****** *** * ******* ***** the ****** ********** * ******* *** while * ****** *** ******* * pickup *****.
******* ******** *** *** ******* ** any ** *** ****** ***** ** our *******, **/**** **** ** ** will ****** **** ******.
DW *-***** ********* ** ***** ****** ** ***** *******/*******
*** *-***** ********* ********* ******** ***** alerts ** **********, ***** ***** *******, or ******* (***** *****).
******:
*******:
Full ***** ********* ***********
** **** *****, *** *-***** ********* analytics ******* ** * ******* *******, running, ** ******** ******* *** *****. However, ******** ****** **** ********* ********* on * ****** ******* ****** ******* the *****.
****** *******:
*****, *** ****** ****** ******** ***** on *** ****** ******** ******* *** scene:
*** *-***** ******* *** *** ************ detect ********** **** ****** **** ********* obstructed.
*****, ** ********* ** ******** ** the ******* ***** **** *** ***** from ****** * *******.
*******, ********* *** *** **********. *****, the ****** ***** ******** ** *** person ***** ****** *** *******:
IR ********* ********* ***********
** ****/** ******, ** ********* *** not ******** **** *** ******* ******* or ******* ***** *** ******* *** ~40' **** *** ****** (** ***).
** ********* *** ******** **** *** subject ******* ******* *** ***** ** IR.
Moving ******** ********** ***** **********
*** *-***** ********* ********** ******* ** moving ******** ** **** **** ***** and ** ****** *** *** *** false ***** ** ********** ** *** light/IR ******.
*****, *** ****** ***** ** * vehicle ******* *** ******* ***.
** * **** ******* *** (** on), * ****** ******* *** *** consistently ******** ********** *** ******* ***, and *** ******** ***** **** *** vehicle *** ~***' **** **** *** camera (~** ***).
Bandwidth ***********
*** ** *-***** ******* ******** ************* low ********* ****** *** ****** ******. However, ******* ****** *** *** ****** to ****** ***** ******.
********* *********** ** *** *-***** ******* was ******* ** *** ********* ****, though ******** ****** **** *** **** M2036 ** *** ***** *** **** scenes.
********* *** ****** ** *.***, ** fps, *-***** ******** **. ***** ****** were ** *** ****** **** *** this ******. ************, *** ************ *** between **-** *** *** ******* ******.
VMS ***********
*** ******* ******** *-***** ******* **** integrated **** *** ***, ***********, *******, and ********* ** *.***.
** *** ******* ******, *** ****** A-Series *** ********* **** **** ********** into *** ****** **** ** **** H.264 *** *.***, ***** ******* *** Axis ***** *** *** ** **** was **** ** ********* **** ***.
*** ** *-***** ******* **** ****** to ********* **** ********* ** *.***.
Versions ****
*******:
- **** *****: **.*.**
- ******* ******** ***-*********: ***.*.**********
- ******* ******** *-***** ***-********: *.*.*.* (*****)
- ******* ******** *-***** ***-********: *.*.*.* (*****)
- ****** ***-******: **.**.**
- ********* **-*********-**: ***********.*.*********
*** ******* **** ******** **** ****** the ** *-****** ** ****** **** tested ***** "***** **" ** **** is * ********* ******* ****** ** their******* ******* ** ***** **** ***** ******* was ******** **** ***** ** ******** enabled.
*** ******* **** ****** ** ********* 15 *** *-***** ******** **.
*****:
- ***********: **.**.*.*
- *********: *.*.*.*****
- *******: *.**.*.*
- ******** ******* ******: *.**.**.**