Aunt moved into a new house and wants cameras. She will need something easy to operate/understand (I will do the setup). Reolink still GTG or does the hive have the new hot ish?

I love my Reolink 6 camera POE setup (4 4MP & 2 5MP cameras - one of the 5MP is the PTZ version).

Phone App is great, NV is more than adequate, motion detection works almost too well (lightning sets it off). Would buy again.

Awesome sounds perfect for her.

Still running the system at my house. Had a system at my moms old house that we took, I have yet to install that in her new house, but they always worked awesome for me.

In total between my mother and I, we have 14 cameras that just plain work. A lot of people complain about Reolink not being rated down to a certain temperature, this past winter was brutal, and I didn't have a single hiccup.

I JUST installed my Reolink system over this past weekend. I went with the 2TB HD, 8 channel NVR.  I have setup 4 of the 8 cameras so far, but all the wiring is done. App is easy to use and navigate. System is simple to setup and get running.

I don't like Reolink for the following reasons:

1) They have "phone home" features that can't be disabled.
2) Their temperature rating is 14F which while it may actually work in lower temps isn't anywhere near what I need as we hit -17F multiple times last winter.  Hikvision cameras are rated to -22F and they are what I use.

I'd buy this system that is a rebranded Hikvision system as it is really cheap for what you get right now.

1. What is the phone home feature?

2. Assuming OP is not going cross country to install for his aunt and he's in Florida so i dont think that will ne an issue.

OP  I have been very happy with the reolink system recommended to me here. I am curious what the phone home is though.

When I was testing Reolink camera's they were constantly trying to connect to AWS (Amazon servers) in the US, China, and Europe.  Unlike Hikvision where I can turn that stuff off (it has to do with remote viewing if you don't have an NVR) there was no way to turn it off in the Reolink.  I could block it with firewall rules in my router but I'd rather just buy cameras that allow me to turn it off.

Not to hijack the thread, but would you guys pick reolink over amcrest?

Interesting I had not seen this may need to look into it.

I did read this as well before buying my system...  But I believe this was corrected in this latest firmware update.  I haven't seen any out going request yet.... .  I do see the incoming when I hit the app to access and view the cameras.   However, I have not made it very deep in setting up the NVR where I dont need the app yet....

Great information guys really want to know more here

It was the cameras themselves that we're doing it when I was testing but yeah they may have fixed it.

I would go with Reolink.

Other than the temp and phone home think I thought they were nice cameras with good interfaces.

The dial home was a compliant i read alot on the older reviews.. didnt see if any on the newer reviews....   Ill have to recheck and look at the cameras if they are doing it... I was only looking for the NVR doing it.

Adding LaView to the question above, as I understand they are rebranded Hikvision.

As of about 3 months ago the cameras were still doing it when I tested but it could have changed.

Odd the cameras would call through and not the NVR.
What did you block on the network?

Here was my thread on it.

I actually just block all outgoing WAN traffic from my camera IP range.

I think the video and the interface is pretty good, she should be able to use them just fine.  I didn't get the NVR, but I bet it's even easier to use with that.  I ultimately ended up not installing the two I bought, and missed the return window, they are in the EE.  The wife didn't want white cameras on the house, so I went another way.  But overall the ReoLink were a better video choice than the Blink, if you can run wire to them.

I plan to setup my system this weekend so I dont have to use the stock app... before I do, I will try and see if they are still phone home or this firmware fixed that

DANG it i just ordered the last couple cameras i needed....    Plus I cant search for post...

I am searching for a new wired camera system.  I have the original Arlo system on both of my houses.  On one house the arlo works fine but for some reason the system at the other house is just not adequate - that house has a much slower internet connection, for one, and that house has more "stuff" in it that I need to protect thus hardware failures are catastrophic - I've had a few with the Arlo.  Just this weekend, somebody in a beat up old pickup truck was snooping around my house.  The arlo camera caught him but the video was pink (known issue with the infrared sticking on during daytime) and I couldn't make out a face or, especially, a license plate.  I don't think they got anything but they were definitely looking for shit to steal.

There are tons of bad reviews of late on the Reolink systems on Amazon - something about the NVR arcing and catching fire??  There are a ton of bad reviews on the Hikvision systems as well.  To be honest, I can't find ANY system on Amazon that anybody likes.  Yeah, I know, it's Amazon and people who aren't qualified to operate a box cutter will leave a bad review if the packing smells funny BUT I have read the reviews and there are some legit ones with legit problems.

I need a decent wired system with good video quality that I can access with my phone and that will alert me when it detects motion.  I'm sick of changing batteries in the Arlo but damn is it convenient and easy to install.  Is the Arlo Pro that much better?  Blink or Ring any good?  I would use Nest cameras BUT I don't have the upload speeds for more than 1 or MAYBE 2 nest cams since they never turn off.

I appreciate any advice you can give.

Have you tried Arlo Q?  I have Arlo/Arlo Pro/Arlo Q

Have you looked at Axis?

No on all accounts.  I thought the Arlo Q was "indoor only" and, like the nest, each one recorded and uploaded 24/7 - which would overwhelm my limited upload bandwidth.  Correct?

Is the Arlo Pro that much better than the original Arlo?  After hitting the limitations on my existing Arlo, I'm skeptical of investing in the Pro unless they're WAY better, if that makes sense.

Just looking at the Axis cameras on Amazon.  That may just be what I'm looking for.  I need to do some more research to see if they do everything I want but THANK YOU!

The Arlo Q is a high def indoor only camera that records in 1080P, it records on motion like the Arlo's, however, you can pay for 24/7 recording if wanted, otherwise, it is just like Arlo/Pro, 7 day free rolling cloud.  I can't see a big difference between the Arlo and Pro except the battery issue is better on the Pro, in fact my plain old arlos seem better in the range category with less pixalization than the pro.  I like the Q the best, but still evaluating all three cams.

I have read good things about Axis, seems to be more of a commercial product.  I would check with Thegrayman, found in the safe forum, he is the resident expert. BH Photo is one source of Axis.