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This review was originally published in issue 356 of PC Pro.
TP-Link is widely recognized for its cost-effective business networking solutions, but it also plays a significant role in the video surveillance sector. The VIGI series from TP-Link includes a variety of network video recorders (NVRs) and cameras. In this evaluation, we will focus on the NVR1004-4P, a four-channel NVR, and examine its compatibility with TP-Link’s latest C540V outdoor PTZ IP camera.
Prized under £100, the NVR appears to be an excellent bargain, although you’ll have to add the cost of a SATA hard drive for video storage. The rear features four ports for network cameras, each equipped with PoE+ services, amounting to a total power budget of 53W.
It includes HDMI and VGA ports for local monitor connections, with two traditional phono jacks for audio input and output, plus an additional Fast Ethernet port for NVR web management. Setup is straightforward; after installing a 4TB Western Digital Red Pro hard drive into the NVR, we linked it to an HD monitor and followed the setup wizard on screen.
To ensure secure access, you will set up an admin password and provide a recovery email. Additionally, you can configure a universal username and password, as well as a recovery email for use with VIGI cameras when they are first activated.
The setup wizard concludes by providing QR codes for the TP-Link VIGI mobile applications. To utilize them, you will need to create a TP-Link ID account and link the NVR to it via its web console. We also installed the TP-Link Security Manager app on a Windows device to connect to our account for remote access to the NVR, although this does not support event management.
To integrate the C540V camera, we connected it to one of the PoE ports and waited about ten seconds for the NVR to recognize it. All security configurations and firmware updates were automatically implemented, and the NVR allocated initial video settings, including activation of the latest H.265+ codec.
This IP66-rated camera boasts impressive image clarity. With good contrast and color accuracy, it maintains sharp focus, performs well in bright sunlight, and features motorized pan and tilt functions that cover a broad area. Its IR LED provides sufficient illumination at night for up to 20 meters, while the white LEDs are exceptionally bright, and the built-in speaker can deter intruders effectively.
Though the NVR1004-4P may not compare to Synology’s DVA appliances which offer advanced features like people counting, facial recognition, and crowd management, it does come with a solid array of detection and recording capabilities. For basic motion detection, you can outline several polygonal shapes in the camera view to specify areas of interest, set filters for object size, adjust sensitivity settings, and enable detection for humans and vehicles.
Advanced events offer even more, allowing the drawing of lines within the camera view to create digital boundaries, with options for one-way or two-way direction settings. Custom detection zones can monitor items being removed or lingering objects, while entry and exit regions can track specific locations such as building entrances.
In addition to event recording, the system can trigger alerts such as pop-up notifications, activating both NVR and camera audio alerts, and turning on the camera’s security lights. You can access recordings through the local monitor or web console of the NVR, the Security Manager, and the mobile app with options to select camera channels and navigate through their timelines to find noteworthy moments.
This NVR1004-4P supports ONVIF-compatible IP cameras, quickly discovering our D-Link models when connected to PoE ports. We tailored the live view to display feeds from all cameras, although features remain limited, as we could only apply basic motion detection settings.
For optimal performance, it’s best to use TP-Link’s VIGI cameras, but the NVR1004-4P represents an excellent option for small businesses in need of affordable in-house video surveillance. It provides a good range of video analytics features, the C540V camera excels in image quality, and all components are offered at very competitive prices.
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