Hikvision Door Station Tested

By Ethan Ace, Published Nov 30, 2017, 11:02am EST

Hikvision has entered the video intercom market, aiming to bring the race to the bottom to a whole new audience.

To see how it stacks up, we bought and tested their vandal resistant door station, the DS-KB8112-IM, to see how it compared to the Axis A8105-E from Axis, testing:

  • Full light image quality
  • Low light image quality
  • WDR performance
  • Audio quality
  • VMS integration
  • Mobile app integration
  • Installation issues

See our full results inside.

Interested readers should see our past tests of other door station models, including:

Key ********

***** ** *** *******, the **-******-** *** ******* positives:

  • ******** **** ******:*** ** *** ***** in **, *** ******-** produced ************ ******* ******* in **** **** ****** (<1lx) ***** **** ******** ** **** tests **** *** (****, Doorbird).
  • ****** ***** **********:*** ****** ********* ** Hikvision's***-******* ***** ************** **** **********, ******** users ** ****** ***** from ***** ****** ****** and ****** ***** **** **** little *****.

*******, ***** **** ******* negatives, ** ****:

  • **** *****:**** *** *** ******* audio **** ****, ******** the **** *******'* ********** in ***** ************, **** with ***** ****** ** ***** ******* settings.
  • **** ***:*** ****** ******** **** digital ***, ********* ** moderate ************ ** ******** against ****** *********/********.
  • ******* *** ***********:**** **** *********** *** possible **** ***** ***** VMSes (***** *** *****). Despite ****** ** ***** support ***** *****, *** **** ******* did *** ******* ** any *** ****** *** ONVIF ** ****** ******* nor ** ****** ** officially ********** ** *****.
  • ************ ******:*** ******'* ***** ***** mount **** ************ ***********, with ** *** ** lock *** ****** ** place ***** ********* *** backplate *** * *****, difficult ** ****** *** screw. 

***** 

*** **-******-** ***** ***~$*** *** ******, ************* ***** **** other ********** **** ******* models, **** ** ******* *****(~$*** ******) **********(~$***).

Physical ********

*** ****** ** ********* from **** **** ******** we **** ******, ***** three ******: * ******* camera/button ****** ***** ******* inside * ******** *******, which ** **** ******* to * **** *****. This ****** ***** ** some ******** ******, ********* below.

*** ****** ******** ** 80° ****, ******** **** many ***** ****** ***** use **** ***** ** panoramic ******. **** ****** many, *** ******* ******** 940nm "*********" ** ************, which ******** **** ***** performance (********* *****).

*** ***** ***** ******** a ******** ******** ** the ********* ******:

******** ** *** **** A8105-E, *** ****** ** moderately ******, ********* ******* from *** ****, *** not **** ** ** mullion ******* (********* ********** a ****** **** *** for ********). *******, *** KB8112 ** **** ***** for ****** **********, ***** the *****-* ** *** IK *****.

Installation ******

*** ****** *** *** significant ************ ******:

  • ********* ***********/********: ******* ** its three ***** ************, ** was ********* ** ******** the **** ******* ** the *****, **** ***** it **** *** ********* without ** ******. **** resulted ** *** ******* frequently ******** ********/*****, ** sometimes ******* *** ** the ******** ***** ********.
  • ***** *** *****: *** set ***** ** *** bottom ** *** **** station ***** ***** ** to *** ******** ***** was * **** ***** hex **** (~*/**") ***** was ********* ** ****** with **** *** ******** hex *** ******** ** Hikvision. 

********** *** ****** ** get **** ** ***** issues ***** ********** ******* stations, *** ***** ************ are ****** ** ** frustrated *** ***** ********** time ********** ******** ** other ****** **** ******* mounting. ** ****** ***** issues ** **** *****:

Weak *****

***** ** *** ****** was **** ** *** tests. **** *** ******* standing ** ~*-*', ** was ************, ****** *****, even **** *** ****** turned *** *** *** up (*****). *** **** was **** ** ******* audio, **** *** ******** intelligible *** ****. ***** in ***** ************ *** find *** ******'* ***** lacking.

Image ******* ***********

** ****** *** **** station ** * ******** entrance ** * ********, a ******* ************ *****.  Below ** *** **** field ** ****.

** **** ***** *** Hikvision ******** ****** ******* to ******** *** *******, however *** ****, **** true ***, *** **** to ******* **** ****** both ** *** ******* as **** ** *** background.

Even ********: ********* ******* *******

****, *** **** ******* was ****** ** * vestibule **** **** **** lighting, ****** **** ****** sunlight ** *** ****, shown *****:

** **** *****, *** Hikvision **** ******* ******** similar subject ******* ** *** **** A8105-E, **** ******** ****** clarity *** ** ********* difference ** *********** *******.

Low *****: ********* ***********

** ***** **** ******** lights ********* ~**** *** Hikvision ******** *********** *** subject, ***** *** **** A8105-E ******** ***** *******. At **** ***** *****, though ***, *** ********* KB8112 *** *** ****** to ***** **** **** IR **, ******* ** day/color.

Dark: ********* ****** *******

*** ** *** ***** in **, *** ****** provides **** ****** ****** than *** **** ***** when *** ***** ** very ****, ~*.**** ** this *******. ******* ******* *** clear ** *** ********* door *******, *** ******** by ***** ** ****.

Limited *** ***********

******** ** *********** ******* ** *** spec ******, *** ****** ** not ******** ** *****'* conformant ******* *******.

** *** *****, ***** support *** ****, **** only ***** ****** ******* (ODM) **** ** **** the **** ******* ***** stream. ********, *****, *******, Milestone, *** ******* ***** were ****** ** *** connect *** ***** ** direct *******.

**** ********* ** *** video *** ***** ******* worked ******* ******. 

Limited ********* *** ***********

********* *** ******** ******* firmware *** ***** -* series **** ** ********* the ******, ********* ** their *******. *******, **** integration ****** ******** **** indicated ** ******** ***** on *** **** **** of *** ***** *** user ********* (***** *****). This **** ** *** displayed ** *** *** interface ** ****-****. 

************, ***** ** ** way ** ****** *** these ****** ** *** UI (*****, ***, ** client ********).

Hik-Connect ***********

***** *********** **** ***** and *********'* *** **** was *******, *** ****** worked **** **** ********'* Hik-Connect ***** ********, ******* users ****** ******* *** incoming *****, ******** *** way ***** *** ********* of *** ****.

Master *******/**** ******* ***

**** **** **** **** focuses **** ** *** KB8112 **** ** * standalone *******, *** ********* has **** ******** ****** ****** *********** **** ******* ***** to ***** ******** ***. In **** *************, ***** may ** ******** **** the ****** ******* ******* of ***** ****** *** or ***** ********, **** typical ** *********, *****-****** housing, *** ****** ******** applications.

Test **********

*** ********* ******** ******** **** used ** **** ****:

  • ********* ******: **.*.* ***** 170728
  • **** *****-*: *.**.*

Comments (18)

Avatar

Brandon Knutson

IPVMU Certified | 11/30/17 05:27pm

I expected better. Poor WDR and audio make this a fail.

Agree: 4
Disagree: 1
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Undisclosed Integrator #1

11/30/17 07:22pm

This is interesting. We tested another hik doorstation and it needed the external monitor to connect to Hik-connect and there was no RTSP stream at all. I wonder if this is different per models or different firmware. 

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Campbell Chang

12/01/17 06:23am

I've never seen this model before.

Dealt with the KV-8102 and the KB6003-WIF doorbell the latter which would appear a closer match to the Axis unit.

Agree
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John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Campbell Chang | 12/01/17 12:30pm

Campbell, I believe you. This is an International vs US Hikvision issue.

For example, here is what US Hikvision is offering for video intercoms today:

The international Hikvision site does list the models you mention.

 

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Dennis Ruban

12/03/17 06:37am

I've got that intercom from adi and I was trying to connect it to ivms-4500 to make the calls with no luck. Has anyone successfully used 4500 instead hikconnect? I don't trust chinese cloud services and I'm just trying to avoid using those

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Undisclosed Integrator #1

In reply to Dennis Ruban | 12/03/17 04:40pm

It doesn't work with ivms-4500. The cloud is also necessary for reliable remote connection for push notification etc. 

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Avatar

Fabian Muyawa

LONTECH SYSTEMS
IPVMU Certified | 12/03/17 03:57pm

This is a step forward and it leaves a room for greater improvement. Further push will lead to significant advancement towards better product.

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Undisclosed Integrator #2

12/04/17 01:34am

Seems like it would also be a competitor to 2N's doorstations. Any thoughts on how that compares.

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Undisclosed Integrator #4

In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #2 | 12/04/17 01:54pm

Doesn't Axis own 2N now?  So I believe it would be a competitor to Axis, which is what he tested?

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Undisclosed Integrator #2

In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #4 | 12/04/17 03:07pm

That looks like a product Axis had before 2N acquisition. Axis has not rolled in 2N product into the Axis name yet, it seems to still be run as a separate division and still sells a significant amount of product under the 2N name. So while owned by the same manufacturer now, I still see them as two very distinct and separate products.

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Brandon Knutson

IPVMU Certified | In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #2 | 12/04/17 03:52pm

They are very separate.

2N needs to start using an Axis camera in their door units as the 2N Helios units I have used badly need some WDR.

An exterior door intercom is one place you should always have strong audio clarity and WDR performance. 

2N's audio clarity and its dynamically adjustable volume are excellent. 

Agree: 1
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Undisclosed Distributor #3

12/04/17 08:37am

Looks like a knock off of the Beward unit that has been around for about 4 years

Agree: 2
Disagree: 1
Informative: 5
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Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed Distributor #3 | 12/04/17 02:36pm

Wow, I never heard of that one until you pointed it out but it does look a lot like it. 

Agree: 2
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Undisclosed Integrator #2

In reply to Ethan Ace | 12/04/17 03:13pm

While the Chinese are infamous for copying, maybe they are re-branding the housing from the same manufacturer that Beward buys their housings from. Or maybe the KB8112 isn't made by Hikvision at all, and they're re-branding the Beward, or maybe Beward and Hik are re-branding from the same 3rd party manufacturer.

If Hikvision doesn't make the KB8112, maybe that's why you didn't find the backdoor.

Agree: 1
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Funny: 2

Undisclosed Integrator #4

12/04/17 01:21pm

Am I the only waiting to hear about the backdoor hack on this unit?  That truly is a scary thought when you start getting into access control tie-ins.

Agree: 1
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Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #4 | 12/04/17 02:38pm

If it makes you feel better, we did check for the backdoor and it was not present, nor was it present in Brian's test of Hikvision Access Control. Not to say there are no exploits there, just none that we are aware of now.

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Informative: 3
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Gerald Spradlin

12/06/17 12:51am

Stunning actual Americans would even quote/install Hikvision products.
I wonder how many installers tell end users, by the way, this brand majority owned by the Chinese communist government. It's pretty sickening people sell their product to unknowing customers. 10,000 brands out there and Americans sell a communist owned brand? Fascinating.

Agree: 2
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thomas worthington

ESRM Communications, LLC
In reply to Gerald Spradlin | 04/09/18 12:07am

Which brand do you install Gerald?

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