A pair of AHD 1920x1080 cameras + DVR

I originally ordered just a couple of cameras to review. As it turned out, there’s very little difference between them, so most of this review will focus on the camera named in the title, and I’ll simply point out the differences with the other one.

They come in cardboard boxes, and nothing was damaged during shipping.


There’s some information on every side of the packaging, but very little of it is useful, and what there is is presented in a way that makes it hard to understand.
So I’ll just list the main specifications.
Resolution - 1920x1080
Sensor - 1/2.7-inch CMOS
Frame rate - 25 fps (PAL), 30 fps (NTSC)
Minimum illumination - 0.1 Lux (AGC on), 0.01 Lux (IR on)
Installed lens focal length - 3.6 mm
Power - 12 V



The camera is packed quite well: the top section is separated by cardboard, and there’s a frame made of expanded polyethylene underneath.


The package includes:
1. Camera - COTIER TV - 533H2
2. Power supply
3. Two BNC plugs
4. Mounting hardware
5. Manual and warranty card

The package is almost identical to the one for the cameras in my review of the 4-camera + DVR AHD kit, which I’ve already published.


I won’t go into all the details; suffice it to say that the connectors can be disassembled and let you connect the cable without soldering. Everything else is exactly the same as before.


The power supply is also unchanged, so my conclusions are the same as in the previous review: it’s perfectly decent, but very budget-oriented. Since the camera doesn’t draw much power, its output is more than sufficient.
It’s worth noting that although the power supply is a budget model, it does have input and output noise-suppression chokes.


The first camera is designed for indoor installation, though I wouldn’t call it particularly compact.


Almost the entire front is covered by dark glass; only the lens and light sensor are visible. The housing is plastic, of course. Cameras with this design and a metal housing are quite rare; they’re mostly branded models and cost a lot more.


The back has a label showing the camera model and supply voltage. Since this isn’t an IP camera, there are no MAC addresses, passwords, or anything like that.
The camera is designed so that it can be pointed in almost any direction, within reason, of course :)
It connects via two connectors: power and the coaxial video output.


The camera housing has a very simple design. The top section turns slightly and comes off, after which the camera separates into three parts:
1. The base, which is mounted to the ceiling or wall.
2. The camera module itself
3. A frame that holds the camera module; the whole assembly then snaps onto the base installed beforehand.


There are ventilation openings at the back of the camera module, although the camera doesn’t get very hot during operation.
On the other hand, the housing is plastic, so those extra holes may not be so unnecessary after all.


Everything inside is very neat. My only real complaint is the way the cable is secured with glue—it spoils the whole look.
Also, this isn’t the first time I’ve noticed that the power for the IR illumination and the camera is often split not inside the camera itself, but right at the power connector.


Inside, I found a large aluminum plate with the camera module mounted on it.


The aluminum plate is there for a reason: it also acts as a heatsink for the three powerful IR LEDs used for illumination.
Yes, in this case we don’t have the usual board covered with lots of small 5 mm LEDs, but three separate high-power LEDs.


The LEDs also have collimators to shape the beam to a specific angle. The illumination board is very well made.


With the collimators removed, you can see the LEDs themselves. Also, I have to point out that this version uses a proper driver, with PWM current regulation handled by a dedicated IC.
What can I say? 5 out of 5, no complaints at all.
At first, I thought the camera was cheaper because it lacked IR illumination, but it turns out not only does it have IR illumination, it’s also implemented properly.


The camera module’s board looks quite simple: no large chips with heatsinks, and very few components overall.
As with the previous model, the board is designed for two mounting sizes.


There aren’t many components, so this section will be quite short.
1. Image signal processor — FH8536E. According to the datasheet, this chip is designed to work with Full HD sensors and can output 1080H 25/30.
2, 3. A pair of PWM voltage regulators.
4. There’s also a fairly large TVS diode on the camera’s power rail.


The lens and the IR-cut filter shutter mechanism are on the front. The lens is secured with a screw. I didn’t make any additional adjustments during testing.


To access the sensor and the other components, I remove a couple more screws and take off the optics and mechanism.


There’s some marking here, but unfortunately it doesn’t give me any useful information. I can only say that everything looks very neat, if a little sparse. That said, the previous 1 MP AHD cameras looked much the same.


This side has:
1. EEPROM for the image signal processor
2. Shutter actuator driver
3. A couple of components; I’d guess one of them is a voltage regulator.
4. Another TVS diode, exactly the same as on the previous cameras. As far as I understand, it protects the camera’s video output.


And of course, the most important part of the camera is the sensor. There are obvious external differences here: the sensor is significantly larger than the ones in the previous cameras.


In the previous review, I complained that the method for determining a sensor’s diagonal is extremely inconvenient. According to the specs, this camera has a 1/2.7-inch sensor. That’s pretty good for a budget camera. Sensor size is directly related to light sensitivity and helps reduce image noise in low light.
My measurements gave a sensor size of 5.75 × 3 mm, with a diagonal of 6.5 mm. A direct conversion gives a diagonal of 1/2.56 inch, but the actual conversion formula is a bit more complicated. Using the tables, I got a real diagonal of about 1/2.7 inch.


The review of the second camera will be much shorter. You’ll see why as we go along :)

The specs are almost identical, so I’ll just give you a link to the product in the store. The current price is $27.25, but there was a coupon that brought it down to $24.99. The cameras are temporarily out of stock; once they’re back, there’ll be a coupon too.

The packaging basically carries the same information as the previous camera. The only difference is the shape: that one came in a cube, this one in a “brick.”



The package contents are almost identical to the previous one. The only difference is that this one includes a hex key for securing the camera mechanism. Now I understand why it costs more :))))


There’s nothing to describe here: the same power supply, exactly the same mount, and the same connectors. Actually, no—in this case the manual got crumpled much more badly.


Since the camera is designed for outdoor installation, its housing is entirely metal—more precisely, made of some kind of aluminum-like alloy.
The front has the more familiar type of illumination, with 36 5 mm IR LEDs.


The camera housing has a familiar design, used by many manufacturers, and is also identical to the cameras from the review of the recorder kit with four AHD cameras.
The only difference is that last time there was no information on the housing itself; now there’s a small sticker, though it contains very little data :)
The housing and mounting mechanism are perfectly decent, and certainly much better than versions with a ball joint.


To make sure the cameras were similar, I naturally took it apart.
To open the camera, remove the four self-tapping screws holding the frame and glass in place, then remove another three screws securing the board inside the housing.


With the illumination board installed, the module looks like a single, fairly neat assembly.


The illumination is exactly the same as in most budget cameras. If anything, the three-IR-LED version described above was the odd one out.


And here’s why there’s not much point in going into more detail about this camera. It uses exactly the same module as the indoor version described above.
I didn’t think to photograph the two modules side by side, though I should have, but I can assure you they’re identical :)



All the material I showed above was prepared about three weeks ago. I was just about to write the review, but first I needed to run a few tests—and that’s where I ran into trouble.
I connected the camera to the recorder that came with the 1 MP cameras and realized I was very wrong.
The thing is, that recorder can only record video at 1080N resolution, while these cameras need a 1080P recorder.
On the recorder’s screen, in playback, and in the PC software, everything looks quite good. But when you try to save a video or take a screenshot, you get an image like this.


I thought, fine, I’ll stretch it just to see what happens. It looked much better, but still nowhere near what I wanted. It turns out the recorder can only work at 960x1080 resolution, which is half as good as 1920x1080.
I tried the same trick with the video, but as you can imagine, the overall result was the same.


I thought, this just wouldn’t do. I messaged the manager to explain the problem and say I needed a recorder.
They asked which one. I picked one that suited the task and ordered it. So the review of two budget AHD cameras gradually turned into a review of a kit with two budget AHD cameras and an eight-channel recorder—but I think it was worth it.

I ordered a recorder from the same company as the cameras. Model: COTIER A8/1U-MH 8.
It’s an eight-channel recorder that can record video at 1920x1080, with one limitation: the frame rate is capped at 12, essentially half of 25.
Otherwise, it’s practically identical to the previous four-channel model.
Link to this recorder in the store; the current price is $60.51
Unfortunately, this recorder is also out of stock at the moment. It’s expected to be available again by the end of May. But I don’t think that changes the substance of the review, and if you need one, you can certainly wait—especially since there will most likely be a discount, probably bringing the price down to around $54–55.

The recorder comes in a small cardboard box with a carry handle. It’s actually quite nice :)


The package includes:
1. The recorder, packed in an air-cushion "mattress." It was held firmly inside the box, so the chance of damage is very low.
2. Power supply
3. HDMI cable
4. Mouse
5. CD with software
6. Mounting hardware for installing a hard drive
7. Manual and warranty card


To be honest, I didn’t even read the manual or warranty card, and I didn’t look through the disc, since I use the handy Tecsar software, which I recommend to you as well.
The mounting hardware only fits 3.5-inch drives; 2.5-inch hard drives need screws with a smaller diameter.


The manual is quite simple, but the installation process is intuitive even without it—and if you use the Tecsar software, you don’t need the manual at all.


1. A standard HDMI cable, the kind supplied with inexpensive TV boxes and similar devices.
2. As last time, a mouse was included. And just like last time, it's small and won't suit someone with a large hand. At least, I found it uncomfortable. That said, similar mice are included with branded DVRs, too.
3, 4. The power supply outputs 12 V and can supply up to 2 A of load current. It has a European plug and a power indicator LED.


I hadn't planned to take the power supply apart at first, since the case looked glued shut. But after poking around a bit, I noticed it was held together with clips.
So I took the cover off and decided to see how it was put together.


At first glance, it seemed like the same budget design as before, or even worse, but I changed my mind a little later.


I changed my mind because, despite all the cost-cutting, it's actually put together quite well, even if the design is economical.
1. There's no input filter, but there is a proper fuse and a 22 µF capacitor, which should be enough for trouble-free operation at 20–25 W.
2. The IC has a heatsink, and it's not just glued on—it's also soldered to the board. Neatly done; no complaints.
3. There's a Class Y interwinding capacitor, so no safety concerns there. At least one of the output filter capacitors is a decent branded part.
4. The output inductor is missing, which is bad. It looks like there should be one: the capacitors are of a reasonable value, with the higher-quality, higher-capacitance one closer to the diode and the simpler one near the output. An inductor would fit right in here.

I'll also point out an interesting design feature: the board connects to the plug via a detachable connector, and even the output cable uses a connector, which is extremely rare.


If they'd also added safety slots in the board between the primary and secondary sides, I'd say it was good. As it is, I'd call it decent; it'll work. But as I said last time, if you plan to use 3.5-inch hard drives, get a more powerful power supply for better reliability. For 2.5-inch drives, the included one is perfectly fine.


Compared with the previous DVR, they're identical twins—you really can't put it any other way.
Well, the one on the left does look a little lighter.


There are quite a few more differences on the back, which is understandable given the different number of channels.


Here's a quick look at the rear panel and connections.
On the left is a large block of eight BNC connectors. These are the inputs for connecting the cameras. Fortunately, each camera comes with a pair of connectors: one for the camera and one for the DVR.
To the right are a pair of RCA connectors: one audio input and one audio output, for a single channel. That's all there is; you can't record more than one audio channel. That's the price of saving money :(
Below are two video outputs, VGA and HDMI, respectively.
Further to the right is a block with a connector for the local network and a pair of USB ports: one for the mouse, the other for a flash drive or external hard drive.
And on the far right is the 12 V power input.


The bottoms of the DVRs are also identical; the only difference is the stickers.


Since I initially tried recording to the “old” DVR, I had to move the hard drive to the new one. That's why the old one is on the left and the new one on the right in the photo.
There are more differences here, all on the circuit board, since the case is a standard design used by many DVR manufacturers. And honestly, the case is quite convenient: it closes tightly, has plenty of ventilation, and can be stood upright if you want, though I wouldn't really recommend it. It does need rubber feet, though, because the original plastic ones are very slippery. Otherwise, it's fine, and it doesn't resonate during operation like metal cases sometimes do.


The DVR's “brains” inside the case look much like the board in the previous DVR, at least in the way the wires are secured with glue and in other small details. But there are differences too; more on those below.


As before, it uses a modular design, with a main board and a connector board.



The connector board is also very similar to the previous one; this time, they simply added four more inputs and, accordingly, four more protection suppressors. This isn't the first time I've noticed that the manufacturer has taken at least some steps to make the device more reliable, and I have to give them credit for that.


The board layout is mostly identical to the previous version, but there are a few more components.


As before, the hard drive power wires are soldered directly to the board, with no connector. This is more reliable, but less aesthetically pleasing.


The power converter section. There are a couple more converters on the board; I'll show them a little later.


1. Unfortunately, the board supports only one hard drive. That's a shame; a second one wouldn't have gone amiss.
Two more connector footprints are unpopulated. Presumably, they were intended for additional alarm inputs and outputs.
2. The clock battery is installed in a holder. Another converter, which wasn't there last time, is located next to it.
3. There are now two video decoder chips, which makes sense since each chip supports four channels.
4. The HDMI output also has additional protection: a pair of chips near the VGA connector.


Last time I praised the manufacturer for fitting a decent heatsink right away. This time, the heatsink is twice as large, due to the higher load on the video processor.


A brief look at the components on the top side of the board.
1. The ADCs are the exact same NVP6124B chips used in the four-channel version of the DVR.
2. One of the two DDR3 RAM chips, K4B2G1646F, with a capacity of 256 MB
3. An op-amp, equivalent to the popular LM358, presumably used in the audio input/output channel
4. Last time, the Ethernet controller was integrated into the video processor itself. This time, there's a separate controller, since the processor is different too.
5. A PWM power regulator near the battery; its purpose is unknown.
6. Last time, there was a linear regulator in roughly this area of the board; here, they used a switching regulator.


There are noticeably more components on the underside too. But first, I identified the video processor (SoC) from its marking. This one is a Hi3521A, not a Hi3520D.
1. The second RAM chip; the DVR has 512 MB of memory in total.
2. Flash memory for storing the firmware
3. Network card EEPROM
4. 74LVC125 quad buffer. Since there are now 8 channels, they installed two of these chips.
5. A suppressor for Ethernet protection.
6. An unidentified component; I photographed it just in case.



The DVR board's temperature after about half a day of operation.


When you turn on the DVR, it takes roughly the same steps as the previous model.
There are eight channels but nine windows, so the ninth window displays auxiliary information about the camera data stream.


Here are a few menus that I consider particularly important.
1, 2. The DVR supports controlling cameras over the cable, but these cameras don't have that feature :(
3. Encoder settings
4. Network service settings
5. Although VGA is selected as the priority output, the DVR works perfectly well with two monitors connected at once. The only catch is that they have to use the same resolution.
6. Software configuration options for the inputs. As far as I can tell, you can even switch it to IP-camera-only mode.


1, 2. Options for configuring the DVR's overall display
3. Additional settings menu
4. Firmware version


Recorded video playback mode


Since there are so many settings menus, I decided to make a video walkthrough of the DVR. This cuts down on the number of screenshots and gives a clearer demonstration.


And of course, here's a demonstration of the cameras in action and the DVR recording the footage.
There are lots of screenshots, so I'll hide the main section under a spoiler.


Now for some tests indoors. I'll also check and compare image sharpness against the other cameras.
Since the cameras are almost identical, here's one illuminated shot for both of them.


Darkness, outdoor camera


Same thing, but now with the indoor camera. The illuminator is different here, and you can see that its light is more evenly distributed.


Crop from the illuminated screenshot


For comparison, a crop from the 2 MP Szsinocam SZ-IPC-7032CSW IP camera


Comparison: Szsinocam SZ-IPC-7032CSW on the left, the AHD cameras being reviewed on the right.



And now a test of the sharpness of the transmitted image.
Crop from the full frame. For this test, I adjust all the cameras so that the test chart always occupies the same area, regardless of the field of view.


Sharpness in the center is quite good, but the image gets "smeared" toward the edges.


But when I compared the quality with other cameras, I was pleasantly surprised. The photos speak for themselves:
1. COTIER TV - 533H2
2. Szsinocam SZ-IPC-7032CSW (2 MP)
3. Hikvision DS-2CD2032F-I (3.2 MP)
4. ESCAM QD410 (4 MP), after adjusting the focus



For the sake of experimentation, I tried the same 2 MP AHD camera with two different DVRs. As I mentioned above, I first tried to get 1920x1080 with a 1080N DVR.
First, the new 1080P


Now 1080N, but with the image converted to a "presentable" format.


And here's a compilation video showing footage recorded under different lighting conditions. In my opinion, the camera struggles with high-contrast scenes, but that's a problem with quite a lot of inexpensive cameras.



A little extra, just for a look :)


Summary.

To sum up my overall impressions, I really liked the cameras: the image is quite vivid and sharp, and the results were consistent (both cameras behaved the same way). Judging by the tests, they didn't lose much to the Hikvision 3.2 MP camera in terms of image sharpness, which surprised me quite a bit. The only downsides are probably the lack of BLC (backlight compensation) and WDR (wide dynamic range), but these cameras cost just $21–25 and can also be used to upgrade an older surveillance system.
The DVR also gave me no cause for complaint: it's simple and it works. The only issue is that 12 frames per second isn't great; I would have liked at least 18–20, but it is what it is.

If you work out the cost of a surveillance system with 4 indoor cameras, 4 outdoor cameras, and a DVR, it comes to around $245–250. I think that's pretty good.

As I mentioned above, unfortunately only the first type of camera (indoor) is currently available. With the AndreyGB coupon, they come to $20.99 each, but there are only 8 in stock.
The second type of camera (outdoor) and the DVRs are sold out, so the prices in the review are listed without discounts. I said it would be nice to get some more in, since I'm planning to buy a few myself. I'll wait and see.
A reminder: AHD cameras only work with an AHD DVR. 2 MP cameras work properly only with DVRs that support 1080P.

That's all for now. As always, I'm looking forward to your questions. I hope you found the review useful, even though it turned out a bit long.