Worst Products Tested In Past Year

By Ethan Ace, Published Jan 09, 2019, 02:44pm EST

IPVM has done over 100 tests in the past year.

But which products performed the worst? Which ones should users be most aware of?

In this report, IPVM picks the 13 products that performed the worst, explains why they did and what to beware of.

These products, in alphabetical order, by manufacturer, with links to the IPVM test, are:

Criteria

Our criteria for deciding on what is 'worst' is based on the products failing to meet the manufacturer's marketing claims in our testing. If a device claims little and delivers little, it may not be a great product but even an uninformed buyer can assess it fairly. The problem comes when manufacturers claim advances in features or performance but, when tested, fails to deliver those them. That is the focus of our worst reporting.

Note that all products performing worst in our shootouts was considered for 'worst' status in this report, and we have included many. However, we have not included some products which were notably older or about which manufacturers made no strong claims.

Executive *******

**** *** *** **** issues *** **** ******* IPVM *** *****:

  • **** *** ****** ********:*** ****** ******* ****** to ** ********* *** fired **** ******* ** some ****, * *********** flaw, ****** *** ****** sensor ****** ****.
  • **** *-**** ** ******:*** ***** *** ******** from **** ******** ** Z-Wave ******, *** ** miss ****** *******, *** poor ***** *******.
  • ****** **** ******** *** (Cat **/*):****** **** ******** ****** (popular ** *** **** installs) **** *** **** cables ** **** *** 5e/6 ************* ** *** tests, **** ********* **** installability.
  • ***** **** *********** ******:*** "**" **** *** camera (********-**) ******** **** low *********** *****, ******* ~30% ** ******** ********, misidentification, ********* *********** ***********, and ********* ********* ***** in **** **** ***** conditions.
  • ***** *** ********* ******:*****'* *** ********* ****** (N52BM3Z) ******** **** *** light *******, **** *** most ****** ** ******** of */*** ******* ******.
  • ***** ********* *********:*****'* ********* ********* ********* were ** *** ****** of ***********, ********** ******* ******** in ****** **** *** scenes *** ********* ******* to ***** ** ******** despite ******** ******** **** outdoors.
  • ****** ***** ** ******:******'* **-***** ***** ****** claimed ** ********* **********, activity, ********, *** ******* to ******* *********** *********, but ********** ********* ** only ******, **** ****** photos ** *** ***** side ** * **** cabinet ** *** *****.
  • ********* ********** **** ******** NVR:********** ******** **** *********** detection ******: ********, *******, and ******* ******** ** people, ********** ****** **********, incorrect *********** ***********, *** more.
  • ********* ***** *******:******* *** *** ***** performer ** *********** ********* ********, *** **** ****** in *** **** ** trigger ** **** ***** alert *******, **** ** shadows ****** ** ******* clouds, *******, *** *******.
  • ********* ***** *******:*********'* ****** *** **** line ******** **** *** light ******, **** ******* tradeoffs ** ***** ******* depending ** ***** ***** IR **** ** ****, along **** **** *** images ******** ** **** older *** **** ******.
  • ********* ********* *********:*********'* ********* ********* **** among *** ***** ********** in ***********(**** ***** *** *******), with ***** ****** ****** by *******, *******, *******, and ****, **** ***** optimization ** **** *** cost *** **** *** models.
  • *** ** **** ****** (TD-9482E2):*** **-****** *** *** lowest ****** ****** ** our*** ***** **** ****** Shootout, ********* *** ***** low *****/** (*****) *** WDR ****** ** ******* tested, **** **** *** integration *** ****** **** average ********.
  • ******* ********* *********:*******'* ********* ********* **** triggered ** ******* ****** and ********* ** ***** mode, ******* ***** ****** in *** ********* ******** were *** ********* **.

2GIG *** **** ****** ********

*** ******* ***** **** the ****** ** **** it ******** ****** ******* handling ** ******* ** common ****.

*** *******, ** *** test *** *****, ** order ** ****** **** both ****** ** *** sensor, ** ******** '******** the ******' ****** *** hands, ******, *** *********** others ** ******** *****. Because *** ****** ******** violating *** ********* ******* safety **** ** '***** ***** *** ** if ** **** ******' *** *** ** enough ** ***** ****** it ** ***** ** for *********** *** ******.

Axis *-**** *** **** ****** (*****)

****' ***** *** ********** ***** ** *-**** had ******** *********** ******. First *** ********, *-**** performance *** ****, ********* in ****** ** ****** the ****** ***** ** doors **** ** ****** detectors ***** *********. *** example *****, *** ******* opens *** **** *** enters *** **** ** a ****** ****, *** the ****** ** ****** to ***** *** **** to ******* *** ***** of ***.

************, ***** ******* ** the ****** *** ****, with **** ***** ******* at ********** **** *** (~60) ** **** *****, and *** ******** ** low ***** ** **** scenes.

Copper **** ******** ******* *****

** ********** ***** ********, ****** **** ******** cable *** *** **** one ***** ****** *** 5e *** * ************* tests. ************, *** ************ resulted ** **** ********* installation, ****** ** **** difficult ** **** *** terminate ******.

cat 6

Dahua *** ********* ****** (*******)

*** ***** ******* *** one ** *** ***** performers ** ******* *** *** / 6MP ****** ********, **** **** ******* at ********** **** *** in *** *****, ******* its ********** ** *** "starlight" *****.

**** **** *** ********* DS-2CD4565F-IZH ********* ****** ** well, *** *** * much ***** ******, ****** been ******** *+ ***** prior ** ******* (******* ***** ****** ** New), ***** *** ***** N52BM3Z *** *****.

** ******** ** *** lack ** ******, ** coverage *** **** ****, with ******** **** ******* in *** ****** ** the ***** ** ****, and *** ***** *********** black, ***** ***** ******* produced **** **** ********.

Dahua **** *********** ****** (***-********-**)

** *** *****, ******** ********-***** ******* ****** ***** did *** **** ** to *****'* ******, *********:

  • *** *********** ****:*** ****** ****** ** recognize ~**%+ ** ******** whose ***** **** ********, due ** ******** ******, with ***** ** *********, subjects ******* ****/****, *** low ***** ******* *** majority ** ********.
  • ******** ********* ** ******** recognition:*** ****** ******* *** person *** ******* * times **** *** ***** of ******* ** ******** scenarios, ***** * ***** database ** ***** ** people ** * ***** office. ** ****** ****** installations, ******** ** ****** to ********, ** ********** subjects ******** *** ********** that *** ****** **** look *****.
  • ******** ********* *********** ***********:*********** *********** ** ******** was ********** *****, **** male/female, *******/** *******, *****/** beard, *** ***** ******* incorrect **** ** *** time.
  • *********** ********** ********** **** looking ****/****:** *** *****, ****** confidence ********* ** ** least ~*-**% **** ******** looked **** ** **** from *** ******, ****** it *** ******* ***** in ******** *******.
  • *********** ***/*** ***** ********** reductions:************, ********** ******* ** least *-*% ***** **** difficult ******** **********, ********* simple *** ******, *-* lux *** *****, ** dark ****** **** ** on.
  • ******* ** ** *********** under * *** (******* IR):***** * ***, *********** became ******, **** *** majority ** ******** ******. At ~*.* *** *** below, ********* *** *** work ** ***.

** ****** ***** ****** in **** *****:

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

******** ** **** ****** in ***** ****** ********* ********, *****'* ********* ********* suffered **** *** *********** missed ********* ****** ***** would ******* ** **** real ***** ***:

  • ****** ******** *******:** *** ****** *******, Dahua's ********* ********** ****** subjects ****** ******* *****/******** indoor ****** ** ***** range (~**' *** ******).

  • ******** *** *** ********:** ******* *****, ******* failed ** ***** ** subjects **** ~**' ********, despite ************ *** ******** the ****** ******** ** ~100'+.

Google ***** ** ******

****** ******* ***** ** Clips ****** ***:

*******, ** *** *****, we *** ******* ****** contradicting **** *****:

  • ***** **** ********* ** practically *** **** ** motion (******, ****, ***.) or **** ** ***** scenes (***** *****, *****, etc.).
  • *******, ***** ** ****** to ******* ***** **** users **** **** ****, these *********** *** ********* no ***** ** ******, with ****** ********* ***** suggested *** *** ********* directly ***** **** *****.
  • *******, ***** ****** **** claims **** ********** *********** is **** ** ********* which ***** ** *******, we *** ** ********** in *** ****** ** captures ********** ** ********** (smiling, ********, *******, ***.).

*** *******, ***** ** were *******, *** ****** captured *** ****** ** the **** ** * file *******:

Hikvision **********

*** **** ** ********* deep ******** ***, **********, found **** *********** ******, including, *** *** ******* to:

  • ******** ******** ** ******
  • ******* ******** ** ******
  • ******* ******** ** ******
  • ******** ******** ******
  • ***** ************ *********
  • **** *********** ********** *** analyzed ** ***
  • **** ****** *** ******** at ***

** ****** ******** ** these ****** *** **** in **** ***-****** *****:

**** **** ********* **** DeepinMind **** ** **-******** in ******* ****, **** improved ***********. ********* **** the **** ** ****** from *** *** * prototype ****** ********* *** not **** **** ** clarify ***** *** **** model *** **** **** throughout *** ***** ***** 2017. ** **** ** test ***** ** *** coming ******, **** *** new ******* ** *********.

Hikvision ********* *********

***** **** ***** *** Uniview (**** ********* ****),*********'* ********* ************* ** *** ****** of ***** ****** ********* ********.

** *** *****, **** when *********, *********'* ********* analytics ********* **** ***** alerts **** *******, ****** foliage/brush, *******, *** ***** sources. **** ***-*** *****/***** Plus ****** ****** *** Smart ****** ******* ********* these ******.

Hikvision ***** *******

********* ***** ********** ****** ** *** bottom ** *********** ** ****** ********* Shootout. ***** ***** ****** (Arlo, ****, *** ****) included **** ********* *** rejected **** **** ***** alarm ******* ***** ********* commercial *******, ******* ********* on ****** ***** ****** tested, ** ** *** including ******* ****** ** passing ******.

Hikvision ***** ******* *******

*********'* ****** *** **** line, ***** ***** ********* ***** *******, *** several ****** ******.

*****, *** ******'* ********** IR *** ******* ********* depending ** ***** ***** IR **** *** ****, either ************ *** ******* at **** ***** *** illuminating *** *** ****** it, ** ******** ******** the ******* *** ****** the ********** ****** ******* dark.

******* ** ****, ******* with ** ** **** noticeably ***** **** *********'* other *** **** ****** as **** ** *********** cameras.

*** *** ***** ****** were *** *** **** issue. *********** ** *** scenes *** **** ** the ****** **** **** digital/electronic ***, **** ******* details ****** *** *** extremely ********* ** **** detect ** ****** ***** of *** *****.

************, *** ****** ******** a *-**** ******, **** in ****/****, ***** ***** aiming *** ***** ******* dome **** **** ********* than ******* *-**** *****.

TVT ** **** ****** **-******

*** **-********* *** ****** ****** camera ** ****** / ** ***** Lens ****** ********, ********* *** ***** low *****/** (*****) *** WDR ****** ** ******* tested, **** **** *** integration *** ****** **** average ********.

Uniview ********* *********

*******'* ********* ********* ***************** **** ****** **** two ******* ***** *** not ******* **** ***** analytics ** ***** ****** ********* ********.

*****, ********* *** ********* by ******* ** ******* clouds, ***** ********* **** after ************ *** **** of ******** *****:

******, ********* **** *** to ***** **** ******** triggered ********* *********, *** seen ** ***** ****** tested.

Comments (8)

Undisclosed Integrator #1

01/10/19 03:26pm

After reducing the sensitivity on the UNV Analytics, you can eliminate the clouds and shadows problem. But the bloody squirrels will get you every time.

Undisclosed Integrator #2

01/10/19 04:10pm

Shouldn't this be titled for 2018?

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #2 | 01/11/19 01:28am

It's changed to 'In Past Year'. We plan to do this each year going forward at the end of the year, i.e., Dec 2019, etc.

Undisclosed Integrator #2

In reply to John Honovich | 01/11/19 02:12am

See, democracy in action.

 

In China that change would never have happened.

Avatar

Luis Carmona

IPVMU Certified | 01/11/19 09:29pm

While everyone seems to look towards "Best of..." lists, I've come to the conclusion the "Worst of...." lists are probably a lot more useful. For example, you can argue the merits in some cases of which should be ranked first of the top 3 or so out of 6 or more entrants. But chances are any of those top 3 will probably do the job at least well enough.

But being at the bottom of the list, or considered mostly a "fails advertised expectations" is pretty bad and a reliable indicator to stay clear.

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Luis Carmona | 01/11/19 11:00pm

to the conclusion the "Worst of...." lists are probably a lot more useful.

Also, 'worst' lists are much rarer since most media (e.g., trade magazines) and industry organizations (e.g., SIA and ASIS) are largely paid for by the companies making these products and therefore have heavy incentives not to be critical.

Undisclosed #3

IPVMU Certified | 01/11/19 11:06pm

IMHO, Dahua was robbed of a well deserved first place.

Although Hik is shown as having earned four (4) awards, the most of any vendor, Dahua should be accounted the same, since the following product was apparently inadvertently omitted from consideration:

Bad: Dahua Villa Video Doorbell Tested

This entrant would likely have swept the field!

Yes, technically the review was posted on Jan 11, two days after the “Worst Tested in Past Year” articles, however unless all the testing took place on the 10th, (which seems unlikely considering the tech support interactions), the product was actually tested and the abject failure was known to IPVM in the days prior to the closing of the awards.

Therefore, this review should be moved from Bad: to Worst.

Thank you.

*Full disclosure: I do not work for Hikvision*

 

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed #3 | 01/11/19 11:10pm

Lol, we did discuss that but our testing was not complete when this post was released. There has got to be a cutoff and the cutoff was when the 'Worst' post was released. 

If you look at it the other way, Dahua is off to an early lead this year...

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