6 hours ago, PeterJames said:

Ive been to China and seen how they operate a copy is exactly that, a copy. Not an original in an unbranded case. Though the case may be the same, and in some cases it may have a Hik chip it will not have the same quality. 

I appreciate that there will be firms copying branded units and using poor quality motherboards but as you have been to China and seen how the manufacturers work you will appreciate they are also producing products for distributors that brand them with their own name .i.e same DVR, NVR, cameras different brand.

Edited January 17, 20179 yr by westy1

7 minutes ago, westy1 said:

I appreciate that there will be firms copying branded units and using poor quality motherboards but as you have been to China and seen how the manufacturers work you will appreciate they are also producing products for distributors that brand them with their own name .i.e same DVR, NVR, cameras different brand.

It really isnt like that, its more down to sony, hik, ect selling their rejected chips ect, and they are reused to make cameras. Most of the cameras China sell are assembled to order not manufactured to order, it really is a case of you get what you pay for because there are variants of grade of rejects from good to poor, and the cheaper the camera the cheaper the chip they used. Many of the recorders are the same firmware but I've never found Dahua or Hik re-branded, I buy Seetong as a budget recorder. When Goolink was changed to look exactly the same as the Hik mobile software four weeks later it was back to its original design. Even the mobile phones in China are not what you think.

26 minutes ago, PeterJames said:

I buy Seetong as a budget recorder. When Goolink 

Sorry but I've just spat out my tea.

iirc the chipsets are sold on a country basis. Japan keeps the best, then south Korea, china then probably north lol

9 hours ago, PeterJames said:

It really isnt like that, its more down to sony, hik, ect selling their rejected chips ect, and they are reused to make cameras. Most of the cameras China sell are assembled to order not manufactured to order, it really is a case of you get what you pay for because there are variants of grade of rejects from good to poor, and the cheaper the camera the cheaper the chip they used. Many of the recorders are the same firmware but I've never found Dahua or Hik re-branded, I buy Seetong as a budget recorder. When Goolink was changed to look exactly the same as the Hik mobile software four weeks later it was back to its original design. Even the mobile phones in China are not what you think.

 

Fitted a few HIK rebrands over the years there is atleast one out there with the same firmware tho. 

There still could be quality issues even with the "same" firmware.

The firmware just like the hardware could have been RE'd and loading official firmware may cause buggy behaviour.

There are copies of all sorts of electronic stuff, sometimes they're so convincing you only find out when it goes wrong.

11 hours ago, norman said:

Sorry but I've just spat out my tea.

LOL!

After installing kit from various manufacturers from various suppliers over the years, about 2 years ago we went exclusively with Hik kit supplied by Dynamic CCTV.  I also have installed OEM kit with possibly the same but unbranded firmware.

 

It may be cheaper, but the problem is post install support.  18 months after install when end user loses their login details and needs a reset, you won't be able to quote a serial number to the wholesaler to get a reset, you'll have to swap out the DVR.

 

I find Hik as reliable as anything else out there, it has a 3 year manufacturers warranty, so even after your own 1 year warranty you can refer the end user to the manufacturer, or charge for a recall but swap kit out for free.