REVIEW – No matter where you live in the United States, the circumstances of our time demand that we pay attention to our security everywhere we are including at home. When I first purchased my home, I installed approximately 8 Ring cameras that are still installed today. While they work well and provide important alerts, they do not work with a Network Video Recorder and do not record continuously. Since a security system with a Network Video Recorder and continuous recording is what I want, I jumped at the opportunity to test and review this Defender Sentinel 4K Ultra HD Wired 8 Channel PoE NVR Security System with 4 Cameras.
What is it?
The Defender Sentinel 4K Ultra HD Wired 8 Channel PoE NVR Security System with 4 Cameras features Color Night Vision, Smart Human Detection, IP66 Weather Rating, 15 FPS Live View, no monthly fees, 1TB Built-In HDD, and a Premium App for Mobile Viewing.
What’s in the box?
- 4 x 4k Ultra HD digital cameras with color night vision
- 1 x 8 Channel POE NVR with 1 TB HDD
- 4 x 60ft Ethernet Cable
- 1 x NVR USB Mouse
- 1 x NVR Power Supply
- 1 x 6ft HDMI Cable
- 1 x 6ft Ethernet Cable
- 1 x Quick Start Guide
- 1 x Warranty Registrations Insert
- 1 x Mounting Hardware and Drilling Template
- 1 x Window Warning Sticker (3in x 2in)
Hardware specs
Camera –
Image Sensor: 1/3″ CMOS Sensor
Signal System: PAL/NTSC
Min. illumination:Min. illumination Color: 0.01Lux@ (F1.2,AGC ON) ;, B/W:0Lux@(IR LED ON)
S/N Ratio: More than 50dB
IR Range: Up to 30 m
# of IR LEDs: 18pcs
IR Distance: 18 infrared lights and 18 white lights; infrared 20 meters, white light 10 meters (varies by environment)”>
Additional Function: WOL, Wake on power, RTC.
Lens –
Lens Type: Fixed focus
Iris: Fixed Iris
Focal Length: 4 mm
Aperture: F2.0
Field of View: 75°
Video –
Resolution: Main stream：3840*2160，Sub stream：800*448
Frame Rate: Frame Rate Max 15fps, frame rate self-adaption
Video Output: Support AHD/TVI/CVI/CVBS Output
Day/Night: AUTO (ICR)/COLOR/B&W/ Ext
OSD Menu: Support
Wide Dynamic Range: OFF/ON
Gain Control: Auto
Noise Reduction: 3D DNR (AUTO/MANUAL 0-20)
White Balance: Auto
BLC: Support
Video and Audio –
Video Input: 8CH 720P/960P/1080P/3MP/4MP/5MP/8MP
HDMI output: 1 ch, HDMI interface; resolution: 4K / 30Hz;
VGA output: 1 ch, VGA interface; resolution: 1920x1080P / 60Hz
Audio In/Out: 1/1
Synchronous Playback: 4/1
Digital Zoom X: 8X
CVBS Output: NA
Two-Way Talk: N/A
Recording –
Compression standard: H.264/H.265
Encoding Resolution: 720P, 960P, 1080P, 3MP, 4MP, 5MP, 8MP
Frame Rate: Max 15fps， Frame rate self-adaption
Video Bit Rate Mainstream: 128Kbps~4096Kbps, Sub stream: 16Kbps~1024Kbps
Stream type: Audio and video streaming/video streaming, support variable bit stream (VBR) / fixed bit stream (CBR)
General (NVR) –
Power Supply: DC +48V
Power Consumption: ≤15W
NVR Working Temperature: -40℃ ~ 50℃ (-40° F ~ 122°F)
NVR Working Humidity: 10％~~ 90％
NVR Dimensions (W×D×H): 25.8x21x4.2cm (25.8×1.65 inch)
NVR Net Weight: ≤1Kg
Network –
Network Interface: 1 *RJ45 100M adaptive Ethernet port
Protocols: Protocols NTP (network school time), SMTP (mail service), PPPoE (dial-up Internet access), DHCP (automatically obtain an IP address)
Remote Users: 20
Hard Disk –
SATA: Support 1 SATA interface
Capacity: Each interface supports a hard disk with a maximum capacity of 6TB
Interface –
Alarm In/Out: N/A
USB Interface: 2 *USB2.0 ports
General –
Camera Power Supply: DC 12V/PoE(802.3af)
Camera Power Consumption: DC 12V/1A
Camera Operating Temperature: -40°C ~ 50°C (-40°F ~ 122°F)
Operating Humidity: Humidity less than 95% (non-condensing)
Power Plug Type: Type B
Weather Resistance Rating(IP Rating): IP66
Certifications: FCC/IC
Casing: Plastic
Camera Dimensions: 162 × 58 mm (6.4 x 2.3 inch)
Net Weight: 0.16 kg
Design and features
- Vibrant Color Night Vision: A huge leap forward in low-light recording! Capture every detail, up to 100 ft away, in vivid color even in complete darkness.
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Audio Recording: Give your video footage the full story with clear audio. Using a high-sensitivity mic, sound and picture are perfectly synchronized to fully understand what happened.
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Smart Human Detection: Using leading-edge technology, the Defender Sentinel camera can easily differentiate between humans, animals, and other objects, significantly reducing unnecessary notifications.
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Deterrence Spotlight: Deter intruders in their tracks and add peace of mind with the powerful LED spotlight.
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No Monthly Subscription or Hidden Costs: Recording that never stops. NEVER PAY to store your recordings again! With a tremendous 1TB of built-in storage, you’ll never be burdened by contracts or monthly fees again.
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Metal IP66 Weather-Rated Cameras: The Sentinel is crafted with a premium aluminum alloy finish, and built to withstand the elements. Durability is far superior to that of traditional plastic cameras. The Sentinel is built to last.
The Defender Sentinel 4K Ultra HD Wired 8 Channel POE NVR Security System with 4 Cameras features a Network Video recorder and 4 metal POE cameras. The NVR is a plain-looking plastic box that has the indicator lights on the front and all of the connectivity on the back. On the back from left to right as pictured below, there are the 8 ethernet camera ports, the ethernet port to connect the NVR to your network, a power button, an audio port, a VGA port, an HDMI port, 2 USB-A ports. The cameras are sealed with two wires extending outside of the body of the camera for the network connection and power if the POE feature is not used. On the front of the camera, there is the lens and LEDs.
Setup
Setting up the Defender Sentinel 4K Ultra HD Wired 8 Channel PoE NVR Security System with 4 Cameras is a straightforward process. First I decided where I wanted the cameras. and mounted each in the desired locations. I then connected the ethernet cables including the waterproof covers over the connection points between the cameras and the ethernet cables, and ran the cable via an existing conduit into my office and connected them to the NVR. Since the cameras are POE (Power Over Ethernet), only the network cable is needed to provide power, video, and audio.
The next step was to power up the NVR and follow the on-screen prompts to finish the setup. This process is also straightforward.
Performance
The Defender Sentinel 4K Ultra HD Wired 8 Channel POE NVR Security System with 4 Cameras performs very well in just about every way. The components are built with good quality including the metal cameras that are weather-coated and well insulated to handle the weather here in the Northeast of the US. Connecting the cameras and setting up the NVR was easy and the process was flawless. DHCP worked well but I later assigned a static IP. Once everything was set up, the cameras immediately showed up and the video was very clear. Even when using the app to zoom in the video remained clear. Setting up the detection settings so that I get notifications without many false alarms is tricky but I am getting the hang of it. When using the app, the remote access response is quick, but I do believe that my robust network with good bandwidth plays an important role. Overall, I like this system and I am expecting it to meet my security needs for years to come.
App:
The companion Defender app allows you to not only get a live view from all of the connected cameras but also allows you to customize features to meet and enhance your security needs. You can do things for each camera like, set motion detection alarm settings, enable offline notifications, flip the camera display if the camera needs to be installed upside down, and many more. The following are just a few screenshots from the app:
Here is a screenshot from the app of the multiview screen in landscape mode. There is the ability to record video and take snapshots from the live view as well as enable 2-way audio.
What I like
- The NVR can host up to 8 cameras
- The cameras are metal and weatherproof coated
- The setup is easy
- The video is clear and sharp
- The kit comes with everything that is needed to install out of the box
- Since the system is POE, only one cable/connected per camera is needed
What I’d change
- I wish it came with a larger hard drive
Final thoughts
The Defender Sentinel 4K Ultra HD Wired 8 Channel PoE NVR Security System with 4 Cameras is a very good security system that provides clear video of every location where I have installed a camera. Since I only have 4 cameras installed, I can add 4 more. So far the uptime has been 100% with no issues. The NVR is quiet and the features in the app allow me to customize the system to suit my needs. I do wish that at least a 2TB hard drive was included, but the 1TB drive will work for now until I upgrade it to a 6TB drive. Overall, well done!!
Price: $500
Where to buy: Defender website
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Defender.
