A few years ago, most of the people wouldn’t even have considered buying a home security camera system. Basic burglar alarms were one thing. But a camera system required monitoring, which required both money and space. You needed a fanatical TV or monitor for watching your camera feed. you furthermore may needed a VCR – or a bank of VCRs – for recording. Beyond all that, you couldn’t even cash in of remote monitoring. So for your thousands of dollars of cash , you’ll or might not have gotten a grainy VHS video. Hooray! Find more in Reolink 4K 16Ch PoE Security-Camera-System Review.
Thankfully, modern technology has made home security cameras easier to use and install. to start with, the cameras themselves are far more affordable than they wont to be. You don’t got to spend thousands of dollars just to secure your property. But more importantly, storage and monitoring has become easier. You not need an entire shelf of VHS tapes just to stay your records. Moreover, you’ll watch the video feed from your smartphone. this enables you to proactively call police while a theft is ongoing, rather than just providing evidence afterwards. With all of those developments, it should come as no surprise that home security cameras are getting more commonplace. But how does one find an honest one?
Today, we’re getting to review the Reolink B800 4K Ultra HD PoE Add-on Camera. this is often a security camera that’s designed to pair with Reolink’s other security system. As such, it’s not a standalone system. It’s mean to expand an already-existing security camera to feature more capacity. So, how well does it perform? We’ll take a glance at the development , the connectivity, the performance, and therefore the video quality. Once we’ve taken everything under consideration , we’ll be ready to render our final verdict.
Reolink 4K 16Ch PoE Security-Camera-System Review
Design & Engineering
The Reolink B800 4K Ultra HD PoE Add-on Camera may be a standalone camera. It’s designed to link with an existing system, so it comes as a fanatical unit. we should always means that the package includes a cable. This cable features a three-prong end, and is formed to tie into these existing systems. We’ll talk more about the cable during a second. The camera itself is well-engineered, with a white anodized aluminum case. it’s an oblong profile, with rounded corners that lend it a more modern appearance. Along the edges , there’s a triangular indent with an electrical blue Reolink logo. aside from that, there’s no decoration. The case is fairly plain, which is simply fine for its purpose.
Build
On the front of the case, you’ll find the lens housing. That housing is black, with a circular rubber bumper surrounding the smaller lens within the center. The lens is surrounded by a hoop of 18 small infrared LEDs. These don’t emit any light , in order that they appear black within the dark. However, they contribute to the night-sight function. the whole housing features a weather-resistance rating of IP66. this suggests it’s both dust and water-resistant. Whether you’re handling a sandstorm or a monsoon, the camera is weather safe. As long as you don’t literally immerse it in water, you’re getting to be just fine.
Reolink 4K 16Ch PoE Security-Camera-System Installation
The camera mounts on a circular bracket, which attaches to your wall with three screws. Mounting hardware is included within the kit. confine mind, though, that you’ll need anchors for mounting on drywall or masonry. for easy wood, you’re good to travel . The bracket features a twist-lock design, therefore the camera is straightforward to mount and unmount. To be fair, you won’t be using this feature often. But once you got to , it’s a serious convenience. the entire measurements of the camera and bracket are 7.55 inches long and three .18 inches high. The camera itself may be a compact 4.13 inches tall and a couple of .36 inches square.
Video & Audio – Reolink 4K 16Ch PoE Security-Camera-System Review
Of course, no camera is worth it if it doesn’t have good video quality. If it’s getting to prove its salt, it must a minimum of do its job. during this regard, the Reolink B800 performs admirably. it’s a resolution of 4K, which equates to three ,840 x 2,160 pixels. this is often double 1080p in both dimensions, or quadruple the resolution, hence “4K”. Now, even 1080p is sweet enough for many purposes. you’ll identify faces, clothing, and other details. But 4K resolution allows you to spot fine details even at long distances. as an example , you’ll read a car place from 100 yards away with none trouble. This makes the B800 camera ideal for giant properties with long lines of sight.
Even in the dark , the B800 continues to perform alright . The LED lights provide illumination bent a variety of 100 feet. this suggests you’ll see almost anything, even at long distances. the sole drawback of the night-sight function is that it’s black and white, not color. That said, this is often common on night-sight systems. More to the purpose , the video is obvious and not grainy. this is often an enormous improvement from older, grainier night-sight systems. generally , you’ll see many detail during this mode.
In both day and night modes, the B800 camera features a viewing angle of 97 degrees. this is often slightly tighter than most security cameras, which tend to range between 100 and 110 degrees. The difference is merely slight, but you’ll see slightly truer dimensions on objects within the frame. On the opposite hand, you won’t get the maximum amount coverage as another cameras. this is often a trade-off between accuracy and range, and there’s no perfect answer. Suffice it to mention that the B800 provides a fairly good balance.
The B800 also records audio. Let’s be clear. This isn’t a studio quality mic. It’s a basic microphone that’s ok to know what people are saying. That’s really all you would like on a security camera. That said, it doesn’t offer a 2-way audio feature. If you would like to be ready to communicate with delivery drivers and other visitors, consider the Reolink Argus 2.
Connectivity & Storage
As we mentioned, the Reolink B800 connects to your base station with a three-part cable. This cable has three different tips, which connect power, network signal, and therefore the push button respectively. this suggests you would like a compatible connection to form everything work properly. You’re also getting to need a PoE (power over internet) power supply. There’s no wireless signal or battery backup. this suggests you’re getting to got to run some wires during installation. On the upside, the wired connection features a range of 295 feet. this suggests that the B800 are often utilized in even large commercial settings.
The Reolink B800 offers two recording options. The first, default is motion detection mode. during this mode, the camera will activate whenever the AI sees a person’s shape. Otherwise, it remains off. this is often an excellent thanks to save memory, since you’re only recording when someone is there. That said, even the simplest AI are often fallible. It’s rare, but the B800 may fail to trigger albeit someone is present. If that’s a serious concern, you’ll switch to 24/7 recording. during this mode, the camera will record constantly. It’s not great for space for storing , but it’s the more foolproof option.
The main downside of the Reolink B800 is that it’s designed to figure with a central control station. As a result, there’s no internal SD card for video storage. There’s also no cloud storage option. In other words, you actually need an impact station to form this special effects .
Extra Features – Reolink 4K 16Ch PoE Security-Camera-System Review
The Reolink B800 is meant to figure with a central control station. Specifically, it requires a Reolink network video recorder (NVR) system for operation. An NVR base station functions as a DVR recorder for all of your cameras. It also functions as a contact point for the Reolink mobile app. With the app, you’ll remotely view cameras, receive motion alerts, and more. Obviously, this suggests you’ll need to own a Reolink base station to use the B800. But if you have already got a Reolink system, you’re watching a top performer.
With all of that being said, this is often all a touch much if you simply need one camera. If you’d rather keep things simple with a standalone camera, checkout the Reolink Go. It’s a solar camera that connects to your home’s WiFi network, and thereafter to a mobile app. On the downside, it’s just one camera, and it’s “only” 1080p. If you would like higher video quality, the Reolink B800 remains a far better choice.
Final Verdict
Clearly, the B800 is a superb security camera. For one thing, it records in crisp, bright 4K video. this provides you far better quality than you’ll expect from the bulk of security cameras. It even looks gorgeous in the dark . With 100 feet of range, you won’t miss one thing no matter the lighting conditions.
The physical construction is additionally quite good. With an anodized aluminum frame, the B800 can get up to conditions that a lot of other cameras can’t handle. Wind, rain, and even dusty conditions are absolutely no obstacle. Even physical abuse isn’t a significant concern. it might take tons of intentional abuse to cause any serious damage. The camera is additionally easy to mount, with a couple of screws. You don’t need to affect any wacky brackets or complex hardware.
The B800 isn’t for everyone . most importantly , you would like to already own a Reolink NVR system to use it. this suggests it’s not suitable as a standalone camera. On the opposite hand, if you already own a Reolink NVR system, it’s an excellent value. It’s plug and play, so you don’t need any new software or other extras. If you are doing have an NVR system, you’re able to go. you’ll even cash in of the Reolink mobile app for even more features. If you’re looking to expand your existing Reolink security system, the B800 is a superb choice.
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