Simply Monitored BL-3200 3 Megapixel Outdoor Mini Bullet Camera [Add-On]

We purchased these cameras as a package first, then separately. Here is a thorough review of the pros and cons of each.SUMMARY:This NVR + 7 camera system was not the right package for us, but it absolutely was the right company to work with, and it was worth the money. It might or might not be the right package for you, but it most definitely is the right company for you, and is definitely worth the money. Simply Monitored offers a great solution for every customer, but the challenging part is in determining which solution will best fit your specific needs.JUSTIFICATION FOR FOUR STAR RATING:Quite simply, in our opinion, Simply Monitored (the company) merits 6 out of 5 stars, but the NVR + 3MP camera packages still needs a improvements. The cameras deserve 4.5 out of 5 stars, and the NVR package deserves 3.5 out of 5 stars.OUR BUDGET AND SECURITY REQUIREMENTS:My wife and I are not wealthy. Accordingly, this was a major purchase for us, but one that we felt was absolutely necessary. We are both disabled and live in a rural area, where there is no lighting, other than what we or mother-nature provide. With limited mobility, we required a security system that could monitor a large outdoor space, both during the daytime and at night. The system needed to provide reliable surveillance, not only for two or four legged creatures, but also for fallen trees, flooding, etc. Finally, we wanted a system that was cost effective, simple to install, and easy to maintain.WHY WE SELECTED THIS SYSTEM FOR PURCHASE:After conducting a thorough review of the currently available technology and pricing options, we selected the Simply Monitored NVR + 7 x 3MP security camera system. From our research, we knew the cameras were OEM (original equipment manufacturer) versions of the highly-popular Hikvision 3MP IP POE ( 3 Megapixel, Internet Protocol, Power Over Ethernet) bullet cameras, but the only information we could find regarding the NVR was what was offered on the Simply Monitored website. As a new company, there wasn't much information available on the Simply Monitored company itself, but their prices were set at approximately two-thirds of those offered by their cheapest competitors. From the few reviews we could locate here on Amazon, their products and service rated very well, and their company ratings were all 5-star.WHAT WE KNEW ABOUT THE CAMERAS:Again, we knew the cameras were OEM versions of the highly-popular Hikvision 3MP IP POE bullet cameras. Across the internet, reviews of the cameras rate them as well constructed, in terms of their: daytime optics; night vision capabilities; and IP-66 outdoor-rated housings. Hikvision is the largest manufacturer of security cameras in the world, but has only recently begun to make an entrance into the U.S. market. Hikvision has a reputation for offering high quality and cost effective products.There is a great deal of information available on the internet regarding these cameras, both in terms of the Hikvision branded cameras, and in terms of their OEM counterparts (Lorex, Swann, Chinese unbranded, and many others). For the informed purchaser, the final selection on which brand to purchase comes down to a combination of price, customer service, warrantee, and firmware. In addition, although the cameras may be purchased separately, they are oftentimes bundled with a NVR, and the NVR sometimes plays a role in determining which company to buy from. Finally, these bullet cameras should not be confused with the otherwise identical Hikvision style dome cameras. Both have great reviews, but there are pluses and minuses with each version.WHAT WE KNEW ABOUT THE NVR PACKAGE:Prior to purchase, we were able to locate precious little information regarding the Simply Monitored NVR. There was not much of a description provided on Amazon, and there was just a bit of information available through the Simply Monitored website. We could see the NVR was capable of powering and sending the data for each of the cameras over the same Ethernet cable (one cable per camera), due to the inclusion of 8 POE ports on the NVR. We could also see that the NVR came with a 1TB (Terabyte) HDD (Hard Disk Drive), with room for expansion of up to 8TB total.In addition, the Simply Monitored website did indicate we could take full advantage of the 3MP resolution of the cameras, which far exceeded even the 1080p resolution of the televisions available in most homes today. Also, from the frequently asked questions section of the Simply Monitored website, we learned that the system shipped with a remote control, a wired mouse, and a 150 foot Ethernet cable for each camera. On the whole, the packaged system appeared to meet or exceed what was offered by Simply Monitored's competitors, at a lucrative price point.UNPACKAGING OF THE SYSTEM:The system arrived quickly, was packaged well, and was truly "plug and play", as advertised by the seller's company name, "Simply Monitored". The system did not come with a paper instruction manual or startup manual, but it did come with a micro CD. The CD worked fine on our laptop computer, but may or may not work on other computers (such as those without a CD drive or Macintosh computers). In addition, we were able to locate the manual on the Simply Monitored website. Although it might not matter to others, we were a little disappointed with not getting a hard copy of a the user manual, or at least an abbreviated quick-start manual.The Simply Monitored NVR firmware came with a setup wizard, which was very simple to follow, once it was paired with the instructions provided on the Simply Monitored website. In other words, the setup wizard appears to be self-explanatory, but the user is likely to make some mistakes, if they do not run in conjunction with the wizard step-by-step guide. Again, this is where some old-fashioned paper startup instructions would have come in quite nicely. Regardless, we had the system up and running for testing inside of the house in less than an hour, using the included wired-mouse and HDMI cables, in conjunction with our 1080p television.You may have noticed that we did not mention the remote control. That is because that after we installed our own pair of AA batteries, we could not get the remote control to respond with any consistency. Further, we could not find any instructions for its use anywhere. So, in the end, it served as a very nifty paperweight for our packing slip and receipt.TEMPORARY / TEST RUN INSTALLATION:Over the next couple of days, we placed five of the included cameras in locations around the exterior of the house, and reserved the remaining two cameras for testing inside the house. Although the system continued to function, it was at that point (the remote control aside) that we started to run into an assortment of hardware and software technical issues.The first issue we ran into was the discovery that although the included Cat 5e Ethernet cables appeared to be high in quality, they clearly were not 150 feet in length. In fact, they were so short that we pulled out my measuring tape and discovered they were just under 60 feet in length each. That may sound fine, but by the time we ran the cable through a single-story wall (10 feet), across a room or two (40 feet), and back through a single-story wall (10 feet), we were out of cable. Although that worked just fine for a couple of cameras that were located near the NVR, it did not even come close to permitting us to meet our goal of monitoring the full perimeter of our home.At the same time, we discovered another small (but significant) issue with the included Ethernet cables. Although the cameras came with a very nice enclosure system to protect the connection with the Ethernet cable for exterior use, the enclosure couldn't be used without cutting one end off of the Ethernet cables. For those who plan to pull their own cable and attach their own RJ-45 connectors, this would not be an issue. But, for people like us, who were looking for a simple plug-and-play solution, it was a significant problem. We were left with the choice to either sever the factory cables and replace the connectors ourselves, or to install the cameras without the weather resistant housing. For our temporary setup, we chose to leave the cables intact.On a positive note, for the two cameras that we temporarily installed on a wall, the system worked very well. We previously had another style of camera that had a terrible mounting mechanism. On the contrary, each of these cameras came with a mounting template, and each was simple to install, with just three screws. That being said, the screws that came with the cameras were of terrible quality, and they stripped out almost immediately. Once we replaced the screws, the cameras were very simple to mount. Although, it might be worth noting that the screws will remain exposed to the elements, and any unwelcomed friends (who are armed with a screwdriver) will be free to relocate the cameras wherever they like (to include their home, business, or a pawn shop).Once the mounting plate was attached to the wall, attaching and aiming the camera worked very well. We were able to aim the camera in any direction we pleased, given the obvious limitations of not turning the camera back on itself against the ceiling or wall. Since it has a ball-style mount, it was quite simple to make tiny adjustments, to get just the angle we required. It was also quite simple to make subsequent adjustments to the viewing angle(s) later on.Unlike the cameras available from some other suppliers, the cameras from Simply Monitored came without any writing or markings on the side, which we liked. They came with a white housing, white wires, and a short black hood extension on the top. The hood extension is designed to block some of the sun's rays, and appeared to work fairly well. Although we did like the sharp look of the black and white combination, it might not be the best if the user would like to camouflage the camera a bit. It might be better to supply solid colored cameras, in order to allow them to blend into whatever they are mounted to. This is not a huge issue, but one worth noting.As a final note, the cameras came with a long wire that spliced off into two wires. At the end of the primary wire, there was a female RJ-45 receptacle, which was all that was required for running the camera through the POE power from the NVR (MORE DETAILS TO FOLLOW ON THIS CABLE LATER IN THE REVIEW). The second wire was a female receptacle for directly powering the camera with a 12 volt power cable (also sold here on Amazon by Simply Monitored), instead of supplying power through the Ethernet cable. We tested this function of the separate power cable, and verified that it did work correctly. When using the NVR (with the built in POE power source), the only reason the power cables would probably be used would be if the Ethernet run was very long (over 150 feet per the Simply Monitored website).TEMPORARY SETUP TESTING:After completing the temporary physical setup of the system, we transitioned to testing the system, under both daylight and nighttime operating conditions. We found the IR (infrared) lights worked very well and provided a great deal of light, given the size of the cameras. For those who are not familiar, although the light cast out by IR lights is not visible to the human eye, the bulbs that project the light come in two versions. In the case of these cameras, the bulbs were the type that project stronger IR light, but are visible to the human eye. Although very faint, when looking directly at the camera during the night, the human eye can detect a mild red glow from each of the camera's LEDs. This was not a huge issue for us, but might be for someone who wants a completely covert style of surveillance system.Our fist impression of the image quality, both day and night, was that it was pretty good. At 1080p / 15fps (frames per second) resolution, we were able to get all 7 cameras to work correctly with the NVR. With that being said, it was clear that for our needs (in a rural setting), we would need to play with the settings to get the cameras to work at their full 3MP capacity. We quickly discovered that while the basic setup was plug-and-play, the adjustments were not quite as simple.After spending many hours playing with the settings, we realized we were not going to be able to use any of the cameras at their full 3MP resolution, due the firmware included with the NVR. The NVR came with Simply Monitored proprietary firmware, that didn't appear to support viewing beyond 1080p resolution. Prior to purchase, while we recognized that we might not be able to view every camera at full resolution with the NVR; we had not realized that we would be unable to use any of the cameras at full resolution with the NVR. In other words, we found that even when we only attached one camera to the NVR, the firmware would not permit us to view the camera at its full 3MP capacity.On a positive note, the NVR did not fail us once, except in that we were unable to get the audio input or outputs to work, which we later determined (from another review) was because the audio ports are not yet supported with the firmware. Otherwise, the NVR appeared to have been very good quality, and would probably work quite well for many customers. With that being said, and with consideration for our specific requirements as stated above, we did believe we needed to view at least one or two cameras of the cameras at the full 3MP resolution. Accordingly, it was at such point that we determined we should contact the personnel at Simply Monitored, to see if there was something we were missing. But, being a Saturday, we had to wait out things for a couple of days to make contact with them.WHILE WE WAITED FOR THE WEEKEND TO PASS:As it turned out, the next two days were filled with nearly constant rainfall. The cameras that were inside or that were located under an eve continued to work just fine, but one by one, the two cameras that were directly exposed to the elements failed to function. Once the storm cleared up, we went outside to see if we could determine the cause of the failures. After a quick inspection, it became quite apparent that black "gunk" had built up inside of the RJ-45 connectors on the weather-exposed cameras. On the contrary, the cameras that were inside or that were protected by eves did not have and of the same "gunk" buildup. At that point, we quickly recognized that our choice to not cut the Ethernet cables and to not install the weather resistant housing was a poor one.We then used some Q-tips to clean the gunk off of both the female and male ends of the RJ-45 connections. Unfortunately, during the process we managed to break one of the teeth off from one of the female connectors on one of the connectors. But, as it turned out, that particular tooth was not one that was required, and both cameras were fully functional once again. After the repairs, we wrapped the connections in plastic wrap and covered it with duct tape. Our solution did appear to resolve the problem, as we have not experienced the same issue since then.In addition, when we worked with testing the cameras, we discovered the same female RJ-45 connector had another (and more serious) flaw. Specifically, THE MALE RJ-45 CONNECTORS DO NOT FIT SNUGGLY INTO THE FEMALE RJ-45 CONNECTORS, and the connections tend to fail. Again, we came up with a workaround, which involved bending the Ethernet cable back against itself, to put pressure on the connection, and taping them together. Although this did work, it was not exactly the ideal solution in our opinion. It is for this reason only that we would rate the cameras at 4.5 stars, rather than 5 stars.MONDAY CONTACT WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE:Initially, we tried to reach the Simply Monitored service team by instant message. When that failed, we placed a telephone call and were immediately able to get into contact with a member of their service team. The representative was located right here in the United States and provided superior customer service. We inquired about the NVR issues, as well as the issues with the cameras, as detailed above. He was extremely receptive and eager to help out the best that he could. He said he would look into the issues, and call us back within a day or two.FRIDAY CONTACT WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE:As it were, the East Coast was plagued with a miserable storm that week, and we were not able to get ahold of anyone at the company until Friday. The representative that we had spoken with on Monday apologized, but attributed the delay to the weather, which we were quite sure was completely true and valid. He then put us on conference call with another representative from the Simply Monitored service team to discuss the issues we had covered on Monday.Regarding the NVR system, they confirmed that it was a proprietary system. This essentially meant that we would be unable to add cameras from other companies to the system. This was a big disappointment because, although the software supports PTZ (Pan / Tilt / Zoom) cameras, the company does not offer any PTZ cameras at this time. We wanted to use the 8th POE port on the NVR for a PTZ camera, with two way audio for the front door. Although they told us the NVR could not support other cameras, we were a bit skeptical about the issue, and were unable to confirm it ourselves. On the other hand, they did explain that they would consider offering a PTZ camera for use with their NVRs in the future.They also told us that we were correct in that the NVR could not support the full resolution of the 3MP cameras. They said it was an issue they were taking into consideration for their next line of products, but since it was a hardware issue (not a firmware issue), it was not one that could be addressed at until they had new hardware. When I suggested that they might want to consider a trade-up option, if and when they come out with a more powerful NVR, they said they would definitely take it to management for consideration as an option. It might be best to note here that the NVR appears to have been designed for the 1.3MP cameras. In that capacity, we would rate the NVR as top-notch, with the exception of the lack of audio support.Regarding the issue of the cable length, they reviewed the Frequently Asked Questions section of the Simply Monitored website with us, and they explained what it was intended to say. It was intended to state that an Ethernet cable was supplied with each camera, and that if a customer required a longer cable, the POE system could support an Ethernet cable of up to 150 feet, without supplemental power. Upon review the wording, they also understood how the poor wording led us to believe that each camera would include a 150 foot Ethernet cable. As a gesture of their superior customer service, they worked with us personally to find a resolution to the issue.In addition, we discussed the issues with having to sever the Ethernet cables in order to attach the weather resistant housing to the cable. They explained this was an issue they had recently become aware of and that they were working on a fix for the next rollout of their product line. Since the issue had caused mild damage to one of our cameras and moderate damage to a second camera, they readily agreed to replace the cameras. They did so without hesitation, which spoke volumes to their intent to provide top-notch customer service and to back up the products they offer.They agreed that the remote control was not functional at this time, but also mentioned it is something they would possibly address with future firmware updates. We also mentioned that we had tried using a wireless mouse with the NVR, and that to our surprise it had functioned. Unfortunately though, we explained that it was not a practical solution, because it slowed the system down considerably, to the point where it was ineffective.As you can see, although there were some hiccups with the system and support, we were extremely impressed with the quality of service provided by the Simply Monitored service team. They are a relatively new company, and they really want to offer a top quality product, along with top quality service. Although the plug-and-play solution is somewhat limited at this time, they are working eagerly to meet their company vision of providing top quality products that are truly plug-and-play. We were very impressed with their service and would love to see them succeed.WHAT WE TRIED NEXT:Although we had preferred to use a dedicated NVR system, from an ease of use standpoint, we decided to explore some computer-based solutions, in order to meet our particular requirements. With some experimentation, we were able to find solutions to a number of the problems that we had experienced with the NVR system, by using our computer instead. Note here that we were using an Intel i5 processor, and results will vary with various computer setups. Although there are NUMEROUS software solutions available, both free and paid, we only tried a few. We discuss the ones that we found to be the most effective for our needs below.PROPRIETARY CAMERA IP PROBLEM AND SOLUTION:The first problem we encountered was with getting our computer to recognize the cameras, when plugged directly into our router and network switch. To obtain a solution, we went directly to the Hikvision U.S. website, and we downloaded a program called SADP. In came with some additional software which only caused problems, but worked perfectly when we only used the core program. This little program worked quite nicely because it located all of the Hikvision or Hikvision OEM products on our LAN, including the cameras and the NVR. With this program, we were able to quickly change the IP addresses to ones that our LAN would recognize. It literally took just a few minutes to complete the process and was/is completely reversible.OUR FIRST DISCOVERY:One of our first discoveries was that once we had recognizable hardware, most of the NVR functions, and all of the camera functions could be controlled through an internet interface. The menus were essentially the same, but were much easier to work with than through the wired mouse. The process was very easy. We simply typed the IP address into the Firefox web browser (Internet Explorer was very inconsistent), and a login page appeared. We typed in the user name "admin" and the default password "12345" to get things up and running. From there we were even to make adjustments to both the cameras and the NVR. And, most importantly, we were able to finally change the camera resolution to support its 3MP capability. This was just what we needed for zooming into areas located at a distance from the cameras.SOFTWARE SOLUTION #1:The first software solution we found was located at the same Hikvision site mentioned above. Like the previous program, it was completely free. It was a snap to download and install the program, entitled: iVMS-4200 Client. Once it was installed, we were able to view all of our cameras, including the ones still attached to the NVR. Yes, you read that correctly, including the ones still running through the NVR. So what that meant was that we could use the program as a supplement to view our NVR remotely, or we could use the program to completely replace the live camera view provided previously by the NVR. In addition, there were other programs that could be downloaded to manage storage on a computer or network HDD. Although the program had some limitations, it did work very nicely, and would probably suffice for most users.SOFTWARE SOLUTION #2:We also tried one of the most popular and inexpensive surveillance programs available today, entitled Blue Iris. It was available for hard copy purchase here on Amazon, or was available for download on the Blue Iris website. It came with all of the features available with iVMS-4200 Client, but came with some additional features as well. For instance, it permitted us to place a camera feed into a separate window, which could even be set as the top layer over any other windows. So, when we used our laptop, we were able view one of our cameras while surfing the internet, or even while writing this Amazon review (for instance). It also supported tons of cameras, including USB cameras, or even the cameras built into many laptops. It did have a free trial for use with one camera only, and cost only $30 for a permanent one-camera setup, or $50 for a multiple-camera setup. We really liked the free trial option because we were able to compare features. Bottom line, this might be the right option for some users and not for others, but it is free to try, so why not?OUR END SOLUTION:After some careful consideration, we determined the NVR was not the best solution for us, but we did want to continue to use products from the Simply Monitored company. We decided to return the packaged system, but not before we replaced it with 9 individual cameras. In the end, we spent just about the same amount of money, but we built a product that would work best for our specific needs. In our opinion, the Simply Monitored's product quality and service are second to none. Their prices are incredible, at approximately 66% of their cheapest competitors (both here on Amazon and on other sites).OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OTHERS:We highly recommend for others to consider Simply Monitored products to meet some or all of their surveillance requirements. For some, one of the NVR packages might work very well, and for others, the cameras with computer-based software might be just the right ticket.If ease of installation is your primary goal, then one of the NVR packages might be just the right deal for you. They are cost effective, easy to operate, and a high quality product. At 1080p resolution, they would be more than sufficient for most urban or suburban settings.If low cost is your primary goal, then one or two cameras, with some free software might be your best option. You can run one or two cameras on just about any modern computer, as long as you power the cameras by another means (either with 12V plugs at the camera locations, or with POE injectors). The setup is fairly simple, if you follow what we did above.Finally, if you are like us, and you really need to run several cameras, with some at 3MP resolution, then you are probably best off purchasing the cameras individually. You can then purchase a more expensive NVR elsewhere, wait for Simply Monitored to offer an upgraded NVR, or run the cameras off a computer (if your computer has the capacity for the job).Bottom line, we have no affiliation with Simply Monitored, but really would like to see this company succeed. Check our other reviews to demonstrate that we are regular Amazon users, just like you. Good luck and best regards!

I have had this camera set up for a couple years and all was working great. If set up as a single camera and NOT NVR you get line crossing and email notification that works great with motion being captured and no email notifications. A couple weeks ago the email stopped working for no reason. I have other brand cameras and they still work. I have tried Simply Monitored support with e-mail, Live Chat and phone calls and so far no response. I have sent at least 4 emails and called twice (no answer) and I have tried Live Chat 3 times now and nothing. Does anyone else have this problem? Does anyone have suggestions to correct this?Simply Monitored does not provide firmware (I have requested an update with no response). There is no user forum to check or ask for information. I have tried 3 different emails and when I test I get "Failed to connect the test server”.The NVR does not support line crossing and that's not good. I would like email notifications buy not every time the motion records. The Motion detection isn't very smart and would send hundreds of email but the line crossing is great if email works.Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.Its been a year without a firmware update so email does NOT work with the camera or NVR.

Follow the advice from reviewer number one. Download Hikvision's SDK, and iVMS-4500 software and these are recognized and configurable via IP address. User is: admin Password is: 12345 Installation is fairly easy; you will need a 7/8-15/16" bit to fit the water tight connector through the wall. If you drill in the center of the included mounting template decal the hole will be hidden by the camera base. These cameras do have a good quality picture and good software is available (Hikvision). High quality (read license plates) is limited to 30 feet as advertised so far in my installation (at highest pixel setting).Excellent price for a high quality camera.

Camera works. Unfortunately the firmware has problems. You cannot change settings because you cannot see them in the cameras web server. This camera behaves a lot like the Hikvision camera and I have set my NVR as such and it works. But fine tuning the image and video through the camera's firmware is impossible.Update.This camera has been giving my NVR problems. Periodically it drops out and has variable frame rates. As mentioned before, because the firmware is dysfunctional I cannot set any video properties. At first I thought it was my network but I swapped it out for a real Hikvision camera and viola consistent frame rates and steady throughput.

I opted to build my own system instead of the NVR package. It consists of PC running Blue Iris>PoE injector>Cam. As of this writing the camera has been running for 7 months with no interruptions. If you go this route, I'd recommend a UPS for both PC and PoE injector. That will keep your cameras functioning during power outages.

good basic

Best Cameras for our office. Great clarity. Refer to other reviewers for setup info. Got mine setup right with the info in the reviews.

I bought the PKG 807 that it comes with 7 cameras they feel well built, I have not use them yet still doing upgrades around the house