Questions before making the NVR leap

[mangoose]

I am looking to revamp my entire home security system. Today I have a hodgepodge of cameras and smart home tech that all seem to be switching to a subscription model and have limited features. I would like to get onto a more unified system for home cameras, and I think Amcrest is my ticket.

The system today is:

• 5 Blink XT outdoor cameras
• 1 Blink mini cam
• 2 Amazon Cloud Cams
• 1 Ring Doorbell

I've been poking around for a while and purchased a ASH21-B camera to try out the Amcrest hardware and app, and I think I am sold.

I want to ensure I have the option for continuous recording and I want to maximize the storage capacity available for me.

The system I think makes the most sense is as follows:

• (1) 16 channel NVR (NV4116E-HS) - "supports up to 6TB HDD" - https://amcrest.com/amcrest-nv4116e-16c ... luded.html
• (6-10) 4K Turret Cams (IP8M-T2499EB-28MM) - https://amcrest.com/ultrahd-4k-8mp-turr ... -28mm.html I say 6-10 as I will start with 6, and likely expand in the near future - I don't want to be limited to 6 or 8.
• (1) Doorbell (https://amcrest.com/catalog/product/vie ... tegory/49/)
• (2) Baby Monitors (https://amcrest.com/catalog/product/vie ... tegory/16/

Questions:
1. Is this the best NVR for my situation? I dont want bandwidth to be an issue, and I want to make sure I have enough storage space. The more expensive NV4432E-HS (https://amcrest.com/amcrest-nv4432e-hs- ... -more.html) has 16 POE channels, but 32 total (admittedly unnecessary for my situation), but also states "Supports 8-Megapixels @ 30fps Realtime", and "Supports up to 24TB Hard Drive" - both features I would like to have.
2. If I exceed the bandwidth limitations of the NVR, can the SD card act as a fallback? (e.g. if I have 9 4k cameras recording at 30FPS, and the NVR supports 8 at a time, can the 9th be configured to fallback to the SD card?
3. I expect the baby monitors and doorbell to work like the other cameras (similar features etc) on the NVR and on the Amcrest View Pro app. Is that the case? Can I truly manage everything with one app with this hardware outlined?

Thanks in advance for any advice or input!

[jack7]

1. Since you want and will need a powerful NVR, I suggest a NV5216E, and that you study, plan, test, and proceed gradually with the new configuration.
https://amcrest.com/16ch-8-port-poe-4k- ... 6e-8p.html

2. NVR can usually switch to SD card if NVR disk fails. See NVR user manual.

3. You can view the ASH21 in View Pro, and probably the AD110.

[mangoose]

Thanks for your reply @jack7 - one followup on your suggestion. I see that the NV5216E has just 8 POE capacity. While 16 channels is plenty, I may have need for more than 8 POE cameras. Would I be better off getting the NV516 (no POE ports), and separately buying an unmanaged POE switch (like this: https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-16-Port- ... 232&sr=8-1)?

I'd save on the NVR to offset most of the cost of the POE switch, and it would be less than going up to the NV5232E (32 channel with 16 POE ports).

Would you recommend/is there a benefit to just going for the larger 5232E vs getting a standalone POE as I outlined above?

[jack7]

Yes, you could use the no-poe NVR model with poe switch connected to your router. Use a poe switch that has enough total wattage for the number and types of cameras you might have, and that you are comfortable with regarding reliability. Also connect NVR to switch. An added benefit is you will easily be able to access your cameras directly from the PC Web UI when needed.

[patric]

Would I be better off getting the NV516 (no POE ports), and separately buying an unmanaged POE switch

That would be useful to me since I use a pair of PoE+ switches located closer to the cameras (leaving my NVR's PoE ports empty), but Im darned if I can find any information on an NV516.

[jack7]

Would I be better off getting the NV516 (no POE ports), and separately buying an unmanaged POE switch

That would be useful to me since I use a pair of PoE+ switches located closer to the cameras (leaving my NVR's PoE ports empty), but Im darned if I can find any information on an NV516.

https://amcrest.com/16ch-4k-network-vid ... v5216.html

[patric]

Would I be better off getting the NV516 (no POE ports), and separately buying an unmanaged POE switch

That would be useful to me since I use a pair of PoE+ switches located closer to the cameras (leaving my NVR's PoE ports empty), but Im darned if I can find any information on an NV516.

https://amcrest.com/16ch-4k-network-vid ... v5216.html

Thank you for that,
Ive been looking at the NV5208E which is 8-channel, does have PoE ports and costs much less. Any thoughts?

[mangoose]

@patric, they look like they have identical performance and features EXCEPT the number of channels and POE ports. I personally need more than 8 cameras, so 16 channels is important to me. This also means I need more than 8 POE ports, so I am getting a separate POE switch. That means the NV5216 is perfect for me, but if I needed fewer than 8 cameras, I would lean towards the NV5208E - you save $75 bucks and don't need to buy an extra POE switch.

I placed an order on Friday for the 5216, and will report back with my results when it arrives.