Hikvision ColorVu vs Darkfighter

MockedCroissant

Hello everyone,

I  am new here and also new to CCTV cameras, I read about Hikvision Cameras are best so decided to buy 4 camera system for home now i am not sure which one to choose 4K Darkfighter or ColorVu. Do i need Darkfighter or ColorVU NVR as well?

forgotmyname

Best for what?   If someone says they are the best without knowing exactly where they will be fitted and whats

required then they are selling them and will sell you anything, probably something right on your max budget.

Panasonic...  <~~~  Very good and long lived.  Which one who knows but there are many brands out there.

fwor

Sorry, I read about Hikvision Cameras are very bad quality - best to choose something better.

fenwick458

I bought a hikvision setup a few years ago, it's never worked well, logging in to view on my phone  or online never really worked, I couldn't ever get in touch with tech support because i didn't buy it from an end of line retailer (where they charge twice the price)
and the image quality and playback was poor quality. 
been shopping around for a replacement recently, and in the end decided to get 2 x video doorbells from a company called Eufy and a separate pan and tilt camera. £235 for it all (black friday prices) it's all wireless, very easy & quick to install, lots of notification settings, 2 way audio, the app works perfectly, image quality is far better than hikvision.

s.Smith_2

i fit hikvision for a living, There is a reason they are one of if not the biggest CCTV manufacturer in the world.
When surveyed and fitted correctly then the kitm is more than capable.
as with getting any work done, research and investigate, contact a few professionals in the field, not just the cheapest option off facebook, these guys will normally quote for free and specify what would be best for your need

To the OP though hikvisions Darkfighter range is sensor that can provide very good clear images in low light conditions however will still require the infrared in really low light. Lower exposure still means smoother images on playback
Colourvu is another step above, this doesnt even have inbuilt infrared because they stay in full colour high exposure throughout the night. The full exposure can make night time playback a bit "ghostly"

One thing i can say is do not buy trade equipment online, you dont know what your getting and where from. Also you will find many installers will not fit customer bought equipment.
IF its DIY equipment your after then browse away, my one word of warning is stay away from wireless. There's a reason that hardwiring is expensive and intrusive, its by far more reliable when streaming anywhere from 1080p to 4k resolutions at near TV level framerate