Zmodo 8 Channel Security CCTV Surveillance DVR System with 1TB Hard Drive Pre-Installed - Real Time 3G Mobile

I have had this unit for about one week so I cannot attest to the units longevity which I have seen some complaints about. However, I am very satisfied with this units functionality and versatility.Setup is easy. I am not a computer wiz by any means but I can figure out my way around a keyboard ;) (google, youtube and zmodo forums help a lot) If you are not concerned about plugging it in to a network this thing is literally plug and play out of the box within minutes.as far as network compatibility before doing anything make sure that your firewall is not blocking you from accessing your DVR I had to fully uninstall my aftermarket firewalls windows firewall is fine just allow access.Network setup takes a little bit longer but there is a zmodo website that will help you set up your router every step of the way . the zmodo website has you pick the router that you have and the main menu type that is on your zmodo and walks you through everything including making sure your ports are open in some cases one must call their internet provider to ensure they can open ports. The only issue I had was that the ports the setup asked me to use were already taken so I used different ones. Once this is finished you will be able to access your footage on a device (once software is downloaded on device ie Zviewer for the phone and NVMS for windows [i have windows 8 which NVMS did not work for but you can open it under "Windows XP (service pack 2)" found within properties] I found NVMS on the zmodo website under the dvr model page)Remote setup was a little bit more difficult there is a separate IP for this (also you must know your Command port number for NVMS in network under DVR settings) in order to set it up on a phone or computer for remote viewing.Do a little research, have fun with it. The product works, no matter which one you decide to buy you will have to deal with the network issues. This is a good unit especially for the price. It does everything you might want it to.

I bought two of these DVR, they work perfectly and the installation is very simple. I used to have my cameras working in my PC (with a hard disk dedicated) and this was very unstable, now with this DVR I solved the problem. If you do not need a professional and very expensive equipment, this is a very good option for home and small business.

We had a computer/surveillance company set us up with their more expensive DVR which kept breaking because of these imaginary "power surges" which mysteriously affected only the DVR. So this guy tells us it's gonna be $400 to replace the DVR with a new one. Off to Amazon I went in search of a less expensive highly-rated replacement and I found the Zmodo. The only thing I was worried about was completing the set-up, since I read a few reviews complaining how difficult it was. I was also reluctant to cut ties with our rip-off computer/surveillance company guy, figuring there was no way I could figure it out on my own (as he had told me). Boy, was he ever wrong! The only "glitch" I had in the set-up involved my Verizon router. I needed to call the manufacturer of the router to complete the set-up process. Start to finish it was 2 hours (and I know NOTHING about all this networking stuff). The DVR has been working like a charm for the past two months, and I swear the picture is even clearer than my old DVR. I use the Zmodo Zviewer app for my iPhone, and that set-up was a breeze!The only negative I have is the Zviewer app cannot access your DVR for playback...I does Live viewing just fine, but I wish you could playback events from your iPad or iPhone, kinda annoying to have to use the computer for playback.Overall, if you want to cut your computer/surveillance guy loose, this DVR is a great purchase!

remote access with this was an absolute nightmare. i setup remote access for a living with all kinds of devices and this one's interface was completely non-intuitive and, in my experience, non-functional. i installed the included software on three different pc's and none of them were ever able to view the cameras. The built-in web-interface, accessed via the devices local ip address, required an ActiveX control that necessitated a number of modifications to the security settings of Internet Explorer (wouldn't work with Chrome) and it still would not log in with the default user or any admins i created. The device itself looks nice and seems to record and playback just fine, but viewing it from another device is NOT a strong point for this device.

This is a very good system. If you have experience with security recording systems this will be a breeze. Lots of features that you would have paid $2000.00 for just a few years ago. You can search any day/time/event without wading through all the video. Alarm/motion/ptz functions and mobile phone live views. At this price it just is AMAZING! MOUSE or REMOTE controlled functions. Just plain loaded with capabilities. WORTH EVERY PENNY AND THEN SOME. COMPLAINERS- you haven't been around long enough to appreciate this for the price and what you get.

Good unit. Has a high pitched ring but I guess you get what you pay for. I've owned a Zmodo before and it's HD went out after a year and a few months. They warranty for one year so if you buy a Zmodo I would consider sending it in before a year is over to make sure it doesn't crap out after your warranty is up. Overall, after you learn the technicalities of the OS and finish the setup process this is a good cheap unit.

I was struggling with setup for viewing from smart phone through the internet. I've searched at zmodo website so many times but there has very poor information and it never worked for me even I follow the instruction. I've tried change the port number but still didn't work.I have to replaced with IP camera and connect through the internet directly between IP camera and smart phone. It was easy to setup and works very good. I gave 1 star because my purpose was to view as smartphone, other than that it works okay. I use this for just using monitor. So I change mind to give 3 star.