I recently purchased a Tonton 1080P Full HD Wireless Security Camera System, 8CH NVR Recorder with 2TB HDD and 4PCS 1080P 2.0 MP Waterproof Outdoor Indoor Bullet Cameras. This is my first impression review as I have only had the system a few weeks.
First, I purchased a very similar security camera system on October of 2017. That system also came with 4 cameras and with a 2TB hard drive purchased separately was right around $300. That system was decent for what I consider a budget system. But my biggest issue with the system is that it’s motion sensing function was just too sensitive. I set the system up to send me an email whenever it sensed motion from one of the cameras. I would get between 400 to over 1000 emails a day. 90% of those were simply due to the shadows moving in the wind or a similar circumstance. I believe the way the system works is it uses software to compare pixels or groups of pixels to look for changes in intensity (i.e. dark to light or light to dark). I tried many things from lowering the intensity and only selecting an area of the image to trigger on and still got the 400+ emails a day.
Otherwise, the rest of that system was fine, especially for the price point.
But I started doing some looking and I found the Tonton system and it was spec’d very similar, however it had one big distinction. The cameras had a Passive Infrared (PIR) sensor. These trigger on heat and work much like the outdoor motion sensor light fixtures that have been around for 20+ years.
My understanding and expectation is that the Tonton cameras should only alert if there is a body heat change from a person or perhaps an animal. And not based on dark-light changes.
I have only had the system for a few weeks. The system had some quirks, but I have been really impressed with the technical support. The have been very responsive and provided some fixes with the issues I had. One of those is when I receive and email alert I was expecting an image or snapshot from the camera of the event the trigger the alert. The found a solution in a day or two.
This required a firmware upgrade on the NVR (their box that holds the hard drive and hardware that communicates with the cameras and the internet). This is a bit annoying to have to do this. But the other system I mentioned above required the same effort. It involves copying a file on to a USB drive and plugging it in to the NVR and going through NVR’s menus system and executing the firmware upgrade. It took a total of 10 minutes. It was a littler confusing initially, but it makes sense and is easy after I had done it one on my original system.
Simply put, for the price of this system, it’s what you have to do to save the money. Further, this allows some flexibility to improve or even modify the system. So, this may help to keep this system viable for quite a while.
Keep in mind, in my research, systems at next level of cost systems do not provide the PIR capability.
I have only had two cameras setup initially to test the system before I wanted to replace my other system. These cameras a right next to my original cameras and pointing at the exact same thine. Since then, I would say I have only received a 2 or perhaps 3 alerts false alerts each day.
I would like to address what another person said in their review. They said that the video stream was very distorted. I don’t know how he is setup or his exact issue, but I had those exact concerns when I set up my system. However, I learned a few things. I had an old HDMI LCD TV. It works fine, but the aspect ratio is a bit goofy, with the image seeming to be squeeze side-to-side. However, with some playing with the system, this is no longer an issue for me. Here’s what I did/learned. First, I tried the system on a computer monitor with VGA input instead of HDMI and the that made the image much better. More clear and better aspect ratio. Second, when I download video files and play them on my computer, the aspect ratio is either normal or so much so I cannot tell. Third, these cameras have wide angle lenses compared to most other systems (Tonton is 3.6 mm, my other system has 4mm and 6 mm). The smaller the number the wider the captured image. And this can create a bit distortion. But honestly, I think the distortion is minimal or non-existent and that fact that the cameras capture more is a feature I prefer.
Another thing to note, for me, the monitors are nice to confirm the cameras are working and watching the world go by and perhaps making sure everything is fine. But I don’t watch the monitors 7x24 and if there is ever a problem, I will have to rely on video saved to the hard drive to confirm what happened and get images of whoever was causing the problems and these images are quite good.
I will probably buy a used or cheap VGA monitor to make to getting a better picture than my cheap LCD TV.
OK, so am I sold on this system? Is it better than the first system I bought that I will replace my original system. Almost. I have to say I am 95% sold. My only concern now is reliability and their warranties and guarantees. And that will take time to see if the hardware holds up and if there are issues if and how they replace their hardware. I am not expecting problems, but like regularly buys stuff online, there is the occasional seller/vendor that is a problem.
The previous system I bought came with 4 cameras. Two cameras failed over about 4 months or so. So, that is worrisome. However, that company replaced the hardware without issue.
If the Tonton cameras and NVR are durable or if I have an issue and the Tonton folks replace any failed hardware, then this is what I am looking for.
Also, this is a complete turn-key system. My brother has various IP cameras with SD cards and such. His cameras are decent, but Tonton is a complete system and it seems that once its set up just runs and doesn’t need any management.
So, the conclusion is I plan to keep this system and replace my original system.
I will however, leave subsequent updates to my review when I learn more about my Tonton and it’s reliability or if I have issues.
All is not lost with the original system. The power connections are standardized so I only need to swap out the cameras. Next, the original system actually works fine for indoor use as the light doesn’t change unless someone is tuning on lights and then I want an alert. So little to no false alerts. I will place them in my garage and basement.
Pros:
PIR eliminates almost all false alerts
System is pretty low cost for what it provides
Night vision is quite good
1080 is noticeably better than the 960 of the other system
The camera mounts are little more difficult to set, but once they are set they are rock solid (other system is a ball mount that is hard to get tightened)
One camera comes with a high gain/long range antenna (my original system I had to purchase one of these because how my system is set up
I have not tried it yet, but this system allows the ability to daisy chain the signal of cameras. This allows cameras to have a greater range
Technical support has been very responsive and quick
Cons:
Power cords for the camera power supplies are short (extensions are easy to find and cheap). The original system I bought had longer power cords and I still had to buy extensions
The supplied mouse is pretty cheap, but that was the same with the original system – I bought a wireless mouse
The need an online presence to have a manual and FAQ’s – they said it’s coming
Their manual is actually in decent English, but the images are small and a bit dark. It could use a table of contents. (A website will fix this.)
Maybe this is just my opinion and not a real issue, but the downloaded files are FLV format and the web interface requires adobe flash. My other system has the exact same thing
One USB port, this requires a USB hub if you need to upgrade the NVR or Camera firmware
Mixed (Pro and Con)
The PIR is very sensitive. My front door is about 30 to 40 feet to the street and cars driving by trigger the system. I have not had the opportunity to ask the TonTon support is there are any settings or something I can due to lower the sensitivity of the PIR’s. However, for other locations I really like how sensitive the PIR is.
Note: I am not sure, but this Tonton system, my original system and yet another similar system owned by a relative seem to have similar hardware and the interfaces are very similar. I kinda suspect that either these have a common core design or perhaps even a common platform for their hardware. It reminds me of how Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac where one parent company and shared a lot of common parts. This can be good as it means that much of the systems are standard between them and perhaps there will more systems sold and replacement parts will be available, especially things like cables and antennas and things that are needed to customize a system to deal with unique needs.
At the end of the day, I still want to see this system run for a while, but for now, I happy with this system and I would recommend this system to other people.
I am updating my review, after being contacted by the Vendor and working with their customer service I must say that they have worked with me to work out all the kinks and make my system and cameras functional. The night vision works good, a lot better than other camera systems I have seen. I am impressed with the picture quality after having the support tech walk me through how to set up my system correctly. The signal was improved dramatically. We had a pretty good storm the other day, and they withstood it. Make sure that you take advantage of the extension antenna it really helps outs and make your signal stronger. I also like the fact that the motion sensors actually work correctly and that I am able to select the area I want the sensors focused on. Great Job Tonton Support service.
KEEP IN MIND THAT THE PICTURE WAS TAKEN OFF OF THE MONTOR SCREEN SO IT IS NOT 100% ACCURATE AS TO THE REAL VIEW. LIVE VIEW IS A LOT BETTER.
1st post a day after purchasing.3 out of the four cameras have a decent picture quality, the other one is so distorted I can hardly make out the person's face; it is all bunched up together and the pixels is all distorted. All the cameras keep losing signal, even though one of the cameras is only 2 feet away from the NVR and the NVR is only 4 feet away from the internet router. The app also needs some work. I am considering in returning this product that I just purchased and received yesterday afternoon. In this picture 2 cameras are not connecting.
Very happy with this purchase. Unpacked the box and initially set up the entire system up in the living room to ensure everything worked. In just a few minutes all of the cameras were operational and displaying on the monitor, truly plug and play as far as that is concerned. You will have to spend a few minutes going thru the setup software to get the system set up the way you want. If you have any questions this company has superb customer support. I had a few questions on set up and some difficulty getting my laptop to connect to the cameras using the website but Will from Tonton Security customer support was excellent. He answered my questions quickly. My laptop issue turned out to be just that, an issue with the laptop settings and not the camera system. I have two desktops in the house and they both connected to the cameras easily. After resetting my laptop, it now connects. All of the cameras have very good signal but none of them have more than two walls between camera and NVR, and the greatest distance is about 50 ft. To sum it up, good quality picture, easy setup, EXCELLENT customer support.
I purchased this 4-camera wireless system and subsequently purchased 4 additional wireless cameras to max out its capacity. The system supports connecting the cameras via wireless transmission or hard-wired with Ethernet Cat5e.
Overall the system works well, here are my observations:
1) Easy to setup
2) Decent picture quality via wireless, better picture quality via hard wired. I couldn't read license plates from passing cars but can recognize people and pets I'm already familiar with.
3) There's a picture lag via wireless connection, much less lag via hard wired connection.
4) Night vision is pretty good, about 60'
5) Motion detection alerts are much better with this system than other systems because of the infrared sensor, which is why I purchased it. This helps to reduce the number of false motion detection alarms, but not 100%. I don't think any system in this price range can give 100% accurate infrared motion detection, but this system does a pretty good job. The infrared motion detection range is somewhat limited to +/- 20'.
6) The base station is installed inside the house (close to an outside wall) with all the cameras being installed outside around a large property, so wireless transmission distance was important to me. Note that the only obstruction between the base station and the outdoor cameras was one house exterior wall. The maximum operating distance between the base station and a camera I experienced was about 150', but there was very noticeable picture lag (averaging 5 seconds, sometimes longer, sometimes shorter). Cameras closer to the base station has less lag, maybe 1/2 second to 2 seconds.
7) I still want/need to install some of the cameras 300' away and have purchased the necessary Cat5e cable to accomplish this via a hard-wired implementation, but time constraints have prevented that work so far.
8) I tried using Tonton's long-range antenna to obtain a greater wireless distance but it didn't help (I actually observed a weaker signal from the camera at the base station versus the expected stronger signal). Since I'm a person that will try every permutation to solve a problem, I ordered a set of 3 additional Tonton long-range antennas in case the provided long-range antenna was defective. Unfortunately, I had the same result with those additional 3 long-range antennas and returned them.
9) Tech support is via email or text messaging with a friendly person located in Hong Kong.
10) The base station user interface is fine for setup, live viewing and playback, it could use some improvements but its generally good enough.
11) The cloud-based remote viewing is via a third-party service provider (I forgot the name).
12) The smart phone app is not TonTon's. You need to use a free app from another company to remotely view the camera feeds and receive motion alerts. The iOS apps I'm aware of are: EseeCloud, iSmKit. They both pretty much look and work the same. I believe those same apps are available for Android phones.
13) The power cords supplied for each camera are very short, so consider that you may need to waterproof them depending upon your specific installation requirements. Note that each camera requires electrical power to operate.
14) The cameras must be mounted with the antenna facing up since the system doesn't support rotating the image. The camera mounts are 3 axis to handle most mounting situations.
Overall, the system is allowing me to monitor the outside of my property. I would prefer less picture lag but I feel I'm pushing the system to its limits due to the need to install the cameras so far from the base station due to my specific requirements.
That pretty much sums up my observations, hope this information is helpful for you. Cheers!
After spending more than 2 months looking at (and listening to) outdoor activity, adjusting viewing angles, and deleting 10,000-plus push notifications and emails, we’ve decided The best gift for my brother house is that the Tonton Cam Outdoor as it is the best outdoor Wi-Fi home security camera. Like the other units they tested, the TontonCam Outdoor lets you keep an eye on your property and provides smartphone alerts whenever it detects motion. but also the camera’s capabilities, and the recording storage, person alerts, and the option to highlight specific monitoring boundaries.
Very easy NVR system as well as seting up the cameras.
Super clear pictures.
Now the best of all of that is the company customer service and communication ability.... great and super respondable.
Thank you Tonyon and looking forward to do more and more business with you with your newer models
Feature Product
- 【8CH 1080P Expandable】: Support Up to 8pcs Cameras. Only compared with Tonton 1080P Indoor/Outdoor wireless security camera. Search ASIN Code is B07D74JSM9. Get a sharp and crystal image day or night with the Weatherproof camera's automatic IR-cut filter. Up to 100ft night vision. IP66 waterproof housing, cameras can be used indoor and outdoor.
- 【Audio&Video Record at the same time and PIR Sensor Motion Detection&Alerts】: An integrated microphone let you hear the sound around the camera, When motion is detected, you will get Mobile Notification and Email alerts so that you will always get notice of what's happening. Build-in PIR sensor will eliminates the number of false alarms you received by up to 90%, it's a very useful function.
- 【Easier Remote Access and 1TB HDD Included】:Wireless Camera System allows you Remote Access simultaneously at anytime, anywhere with wifi/4G on smart Phone,Pad and PC. Scan QR Code or download iSmkit on mobile phone (Free App), super easy setup in seconds. The 1TB Security Grade HDD designed to meet the constant, 24/7 demands of surveillance recording
- 【Professional Customer Support】: Tonton wireless surveillance camera system offers 1 Year warranty and lifetime free technical support. Provide free Brand-new parts for replacement. Support E-mail: sales@tontonsecurity.com. US Toll Free:1-213-443-6766. Any information, we will reply to you within 10 hours
- 【True Plug and Play & No Need to Run Video Cables】-- No need to run cables all over your house to connect the NVR and cameras. Simply mount the cameras, true plug and play, just plug in the adapters and go. Please note that this is not battery powered cameras. Power supply still needed to power on the cameras and NVR. The camera can works as a repeater, they connect to the WiFi network created by the NVR, instead of connect to your house WiFi, and will not disturbing your regular internet speed.
Description
✦ Importance : Compared to other wireless systems, our product has two unique features
[PIR Sensor] PIR sensor eliminates the number of false alarms you receive by up to 90% ,and will save a lot of storage space .
[Audio Recording]An integrated microphone is pre-installed inside cameras, which will let you hear the sound directly around the camera from iSmkit APP.
[Attention]:
Wireless camera system did not mean that you can install without any cable, you still have to use power adapter to power on the camera and NVR, if you want to remote viewing via smartphone or PC, you need to connect NVR and router by internet cable.
NVR Specification
Video input: support up to 8x 1080p camera
Video output: 1CH VGA, 1CH HDMI
Image compression: H.264
SATA interface: 1x SATA port, up to 6TB
Support Video Preview/Recording/Playback/USB Backup
Support Android/IOS/PC Remote Viewing
Power: 12V/2A
Max user access via app: 10 users
Operating Temperature: -30℃－＋55℃
Working Humidity: 10%~90%
Camera Specification
Image Sensor: 1/3'' Color CMOS
Image Resolution: 1080P(1920*1080TVL)
Lens: 3.6mm
Night Vision: 65 Feet (20m)
Weatherproof lever: IP67
Build in PIR sensor and audio recording
Package Contents
1x 8CH 1080p NVR with 1TB HDD Pre-installed
6x 1080p wireless camera
1x USB mouse
7x Power adapter
1x Extension antenna
1x 10ft/1m RJ45 cable
1x User manual
6x Mounting Kit
Please note:
1,Our cameras come with 6ft power cord, if you need more longer power cable, please buy the Power Extension Cable (30ft). Please search ASIN 【B07D6J2FGD】on Amazon.
2,If you need to add more IP cameras to this wireless camera system, you can buy the add-on IP camera, Please search ASIN 【B07D74JSM9】on Amazon.
I actually setup 4 camera systems and then returned them before buying this Tonton system. I had a set of specs I required and bought cameras that appeared to meet those specs. I found incorrect claims, difficult software, balky hardware, and unresponsive customer service before ordering Tonton. This system had the easiest setup by far. And I actually had to fend off the offers to help from Tonton's customer support. For my needs the cons are 1.) the antenna extender is useless, 2.) the PIR sensors seem uneven (some are more sensitive than others and I had to swap camera positions to use them appropriately), 3.) the monitoring software needs an android simulator to run on windows (it runs just fine on android devices. The pros are plentiful - great picture, good night vision, you can avoid a monthly subscription cost, hardware seems robust, software is semi-intuitive. I was an IT professional so perhaps it is easier for me - but I would note that Tonton would do well to hire a native English speaker to write their documentation. Some of it is difficult to decipher to the point you may as well discard it and just play with the parameters. All i all, a good investment that fulfills its mission
There are so many security camera systems available it's hard to pick the best one. I compared them all and what sets Tonton apart from the rest is the PIR passive infrared sensors built into each camera. False alarms are not only annoying but provide a false sense of security. Who needs to be notified of a moving tree branch or a passing car on the street? This system triggers on human body heat, not just motion. When you get a notice, it's because someone has just come into camera view and it takes a picture and sends it to you. Then, playback the video and you can see just what is happening. Great piece of mind when out of town. Also, just being able to access the app anywhere you are and view your home on your smartphone is amazing technology. I found the IP Pro3 app to work the best on my phone, the Galaxy Note 8.
Tonton build quality is excellent. Sturdy and well made. Just plan for electrical power near every camera location and installation is super simple. Truly a "plug and play" system. It's on the air in no time. The 1080P picture quality is very high definition. Well worth the extra cost. And wireless is absolutely the way to go. So easy to install.
A very important consideration when choosing a brand is how the company stands behind it's product and provides customer service and support. I found Will to be very polite, patient, knowledgeable and helpful in getting everything working. There are settings on the NVR that need to be adjusted and Will was able to send me screen shots that really helped. Not difficult at all once you get familiar with it.
Overall, I am extremely pleased with this purchase and would highly recommend Tonton security cameras. I chose the 8 channel NVR with 6 cameras which is perfect for our home. Always have an option of adding two additional cameras, if necessary.
I bought Tonton system with 4 cameras expandable to 8 and built-in 1 TB hard disk is absolutely awesome. Everything is included. The 10.1 inch the monitor is perfect size. Beautiful color and definition. All wireless (except power). I have a camera on each side of my yards. The connection is as reliable as the cameras indoors. The included instructions are easy to follow . All I had to have was wifi and electricity... Picture very clear and you can zoom in and out.
however two concerns:
1) Time to time I received poor signal between the monitor and some cameras may be due to my house made of reinforced concrete walls and roof, but I managed to overcome and minimize this issue by relocate the monitor in the right spot inside my house and use one good signal camera as repeater to strength the wifi signal for other cameras with weak wifi signals (you can do this through camera setup by right click the mouse). Or you may use the extra supplied wifi antenna which I have not use it until now.
2) The camera has mic (one way only) you can hear the sound in the monitor.. but unfortunately is not clear sound!
P.S.: You can hear sound from one camera only not all on the same time.. you have to select the picture related to a camera from the monitor screen then click on speaker icon to activate the mic of that camera.
3) For mobile application, I have not use it as I have to connect the monitor to internet modem through wire which is not comfortable to me due to the location of the monitor far away from modem and will have hassle with long wire.. I hope in the future the net wifi built-in the monitor so that it can be connected to the modem wireless.
Updating on 17 Novmber 2018:
I changed overall rating from 4 to 5 stars after running the mobile application which was easy to install and I use IP Pro app and all cameras now connected to my mobile, you just need to add I cloud number in the application which you can find it under setup after right click on the NVR monitor screen and you need to connect this monitor by net cable to the modem.
Hussain - Yanbu Saudi Arabia
Cost vs quality is incredible. The wireless cameras come with RJ-45 to easily convert to ethernet if necessary. Wireless in general is prone to noise, and depending on what obstacles are between the transmitter and receiver, a range expander might be necessary. With that said, currently four cameras are operational through separate channels, all wireless.
Pros:
Cost
Video Quality
Adaptive bitrate
Wireless range
Cons:
Somewhat of a pain to access the NVR initial setup as the default credentials did not work. However, this was quickly rectified after emailing their support team. Will contacted me directly and was able to review the settings and provide a solution and firmware to address. Honestly, the support I received was above and beyond and that alone will keep me coming back as a customer.
I recently purchased this item. Upon its arrival I was pleased with the construction of all items. Installation was easy for the most part. Locating a location to place the NVR was a little difficult however we found the right spot so WiFi for all the cameras were achieved. Very pleased with the picture quality during the day and the infrared picture quality as well. Little issue with setting up the email notification however Will with customer service was very helpful and the objective was completed. Sometimes the app is a little sluggish but I didn’t buy this product for the app. One of my best purchases I have ever made.
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