Yale SV-4C-2ABFX-2 Smart Home CCTV Kit, x2 Outdoor Night
Yale SV-4C-2ABFX-2 Smart Home CCTV Kit, x2 Outdoor Night Vision Cameras, 1080p, 1 TB Hard Drive, App Controlled
Intelligent search and detection
 |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of cameras | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Connection | Wired | Wired | Wired |
| Weatherproof | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Night Vision | 20m | 20m | 20m |
| App Enabled | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Total Camera Capacity | Up to 4 wired + 2 WiFi cameras | Up to 4 wired + 2 WiFi cameras | – |
| Inteligent Search and Motion Detection | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Weight: | 2 kg |
| Size: | 1 Count (Pack of 1) |
| Dimensions: | 16 x 6 x 7 cm; 2 Kilograms |
| Model: | SV-4C-2ABFX-2 |
| Part: | SV-4C-2ABFX-2 |
| Pack Quantity: | 9 |
| Batteries Required: | No |
| Batteries Included: | No |
| Manufacture: | Yale |
| Dimensions: | 16 x 6 x 7 cm; 2 Kilograms |
| Quantity: | 9 |
| Size: | 1 Count (Pack of 1) |
Easy to fit, good quality equipment, easy to use app.
Straightforward to get going but as with all cable cameras, cable runs and installation key.
Was able to send a video clip to friends of an accidental clip of their vehicle by a delivery driver. Quality perfectly adequate.
Simple to set up, I found the motion sensors a little to active.
Pictures are very good very clear even at night records when movement is detected good sensitivity settings good technical back up with Yale spot on actually
Setup and installed myself simple if you know a few basics about wiring and have a drill. The cameras have a connection close to them so if you run cables externally get small junction boxes to run the cables through to protect the plugs.
Excellent system. Easy to set up for basic operation. Have yet to try the more advanced set-ups, however – already does everything I need it to do.
You need to plug your DVR system into a monitor or tv so that you can register and set a password. Then you scan the QR code and add the system to the app. You can then remove the monitor and finish set up on the app.
The instructions just aren’t clear enough but you can call Yale and request a call back for help.
The actual system is now running and great. Can turn on notifications separate to my existing systems, which is handy. Night vision is good and having it in HD is a nice bonus.
Easy to install, camera’s seem very sturdy simple set up.
Easy set-up in my bungalow. Made a mess of things getting on line, had to do a re-set. Remove cover and hold down re-set button for 10 secs. I bought the two camera set, will be getting another two cams later. A very good product for the price and speedy delivery from Amazon.
I didn’t set this up myself, I chose to get an electrician to do it while doing a bigger job at my property. He said it was pretty straightforward and it didn’t seem to take long to get it up and running. I have to say I don’t think I’d have wanted to attempt it myself though as I would end up spending more time than it’s worth for just paying someone else.
Despite a little teething trouble when I was trying to use the wrong Yale app and it wouldn’t connect (there are 2 really similar! You want Yale View) it’s been otherwise fine. The picture is decent during day and night time as long as you’ve positioned your cameras to get the best view and lighting. It’s ideal to have your camera somewhere you can easily access with a ladder as it may take a few light tweaks until you’ve perfected your angle. It’s quite sensitive on motion detection but I’d much rather that than not sensitive enough.
I think the app could be a bit better but it isn’t bad enough to cause me any trouble in using the system and hopefully further updates may help. Yale is a name that I know and trust for security, and I’m pleased with the system overall.
This cctv is brilliant lovely and clear day or night easy to set up would definitely recommend
The kit was well packaged, with plenty of protection, and immediately I was surprised by the build quality of the cameras themselves. In my mind, I was expecting the camera bodies to be composed of a hardened plastic, but they are infact made of a much more rugged metal material. The DVR looks pretty modern and low-price too, unlike the other, much wider and more plain-looking DVRs that are available on the market.
I opted to install this kit myself (with the help of a handy friend), and this went pretty successfully (as pictured). We used our own plugs, but we used the screws that came with the kit (although plugs are also included). We decided to run the cables outside of the building, which meant that we had to use IP-rated junction boxes to protect the connections between the cameras’ cables and the extension cables to the DVR. We then pinned the cables and ran them into the attic, where we originally positioned the DVR (the cable lengths were fine for this). This also required us to run an ethernet cable from the router, outside the house, and into the attic, although there are other ways of achieving this (such as mains adapters).
It quickly became apparent that the DVR had become very hot in the attic (it was a very hot day), with the metal base plate at the bottom becoming far too hot to touch. This concerned me quite a lot, as I considered this to be a significant fire hazard, so have since bought some CCTV extension cables, and run the DVR down into a cupboard in one of the upstairs bedrooms. This seems much more reasonable, and I am now far less considered about any potential fire hazards.
When setting up the kit, I did accidentally download the wrong app (Yale Smart Living Home instead of Yale View) and was getting an error message when registering. I called the support telephone number for Yale, and the lady who answered was able to resolve my query within seconds (it much be a pretty common mistake!). With this resolved, I was able to set up the App with ease.
Both the mobile app, and the software on the DVR are packed full of features, although sometimes I must say I get a little bit lost when using the software. This isn’t helped by the fact that the documentation is a little light or difficult to find. However, I have since been able to find the settings to adjust the image on a schedule (in terms of brightness, contrast, etc), set motion detection ranges (on the app), add privacy overlays (on the DVR), and much more.
I think I need to work on the motion detection settings a little bit, as I’m getting a lot of notifications on my phone, but this is just a small details that is on me. Furthermore, I found that at night, the night vision can be pretty poor if the built in IR has too much of a reflective surface to bounce off. This had the affect of casting the rest of the image into darkness. I have since adjusted the camera position to be pointed less at the wall, and this image balance seems much better.
Overall, I am very please with my purchase. It is reasonably priced, is of good build quality, was simple to install, and many complaints are minor and few in number. I would certainly recommend this product to others, and I highly doubt they’d be dissapointed.
Good quality vs value for money. Motion detection is a little hard to set up. Overall easy to install and good quality picture.
This two camera CCTV kit is by Yale — a trusted and long-established name in home security — and offers a traditional wired setup with the additional benefit of control and monitor via a Smartphone app. For home use there are probably better security options available that are easier to fit for the average DIY enthusiast, but for commercial premises and unattended areas the security of a wired system and the large capacity 1 TB storage on the hard drive could be ideal if professionally installed. The two weatherproof external cameras offer motion detection and night vision at full HD 1080p, although the field of vision is somewhat limited — careful camera positioning is required to monitor the exact area required. A fully wired system does away with any power or connectivity issues you may get with a wireless system, but it is much harder work to set up initially — especially to get it neat and tidy if you are not used to running electrical wiring. At around two hundred pounds currently from Amazon this Yale SV-4C-2ABFX-2 Smart Home two camera CCTV kit is decent-enough value for the features and build-quality it offers — plus the system can be expanded if required in the future. However, the average homeowner may well prefer something a bit easier to get up and running — even if not quite as good as a fully wired security system. For commercial premises where this Yale setup could be professionally installed I would say it is certainly worth considering — for the average home handyman, however, I would suggest something cheaper and a bit simpler to install for general home use.
It comes in beautifully packaged boxes within boxes all with oodles of cushioning, plastic bags and sticky protective film over the electronics and the lenses.
Please note, the system is complete but there is no monitor. Output from the hard disc unit (HDU) is either standard VGA or an HDMI, whichever your screen can handle. Connectors are standard for CCTV systems and power supply and sockets are typical which means that although two cameras come with the system you could easily buy more as an add on or even buy more from Yale. It all comes together quite intuitively and there are oodles of cable all with the correct connectors so that you don’t have to start soldering connectors onto cables and so on. In addition, because standard connectors and cables have been used, extension cables, for the CCTV and power are readily available.
Images from the two cameras are excellent with a great resolution and are in full colour in daylight mode. This drops to B&W when the night mode comes in and the cameras contain the LED lighting to facilitate this. Please note the resolution and light sensitivity of the cameras is excellent and they are supported by well-featured software and Apps giving many more options and versatility. The display screen can be altered according to user wishes. Up to 6 cameras can be displayed at once in a variety of patterns. Please note that the HDU only has 4 connectors for wired cameras and they are quite close and a bit fiddly so you’ll need a bit of patience and strong thumbs to get the connectors to lock on properly. Although there are only 4 cable connectors the system will also interface and display Wi-Fi enabled cameras and during software installation the user is asked about these. I am assuming up to 6 cameras of any combination can be installed on the HDU. Software installation is fairly easy especially on the HDU and upon connecting it to my router it installed all the require IP addresses and so on all without ne having to worry about them. I particularly liked the mouse control of the HDU and as you might expect there are several layers of password protection for your system. I had a little more trouble installing it on my phone mainly because these days one is besieged by lots of other Apps that all want to be installed at the same time and on a small screen its easy to get lost as to exactly what you are about to install and which passwords you need to do so. Eventually the job was done and I received on my little phone (a Samsung A3 Galaxy ) and my iPad excellent images.
Software is excellent and well thought out with a great many features that you didn’t know you needed. For instance you can have your phone alert you when one or more of the cameras detect movement. Such facilities would really come into their own when the owner is away and could form part of a wider remotely accessed security CCTV home control system. Each camera has the option of a digital zoom. There is even the option for face recognition and of course comprehensive recording and playback options courtesy of the hard disc of 1TByte capacity no less. In addition, there is the one-shot photo option and the HDU has 2xUSB ports at the back — one occupied by the mouse and one which will allow for image or picture download.
Paradoxically it is the excellence and wonderful feature set of this unit that represents its greatest frustration. Of course, these days the manual has long since been passed over and we are encouraged to use online help, Youtube and so on but this system is crying out for a well written and comprehensive manual if the user is to get the best out of it. For instance there is a point in the installation where the software asks you to scan a barcode or enter the serial number. I looked in the box, outside the box. I looked for an insert and eventually found the serial number underneath the main HDU. Ok its intuitive but a well penned manual would have got round this. Then there was an option that I’d obviously triggered where my phone was alerting me every few seconds to movement detected by one of the cameras. Then I got stuck in one screen and tried everything to go back thinking that I would have to pull the plug only to eventually discover that right-clicking the mouse would take me back. There is also an array of TLA’s three letter acronyms for you to get your head round. I am sure they are all logical and I must emphasise that they represent what a well-featured software set lies under this equipment but for the new user wanting to get his/her best out of the kit then a manual is essential to explain these and what they do. Without doubt, the user would, with time, learn the ways of the system and the meaning of the TLAs but bear in mind if you have a limited time window to install the system maybe in your loft or similar then you won’t be wanting to go up there every five minutes to find out what POS, IVS, PTZ mean or how to schedule the array of alarms the system presents you with — before you even get to the really tricky stuff!
In conclusion then, this is nothing less than a brilliant system. I have an old CCTV system that I installed about 10 years ago and this Yale offering is in a very different league. However, the frustration that the new user will experience before familiarity and hence full usability dawns will also represent a different league – one of unwelcome complexity that a decent manual could solve at a stroke.
So ***** for the kit and the feature set
And ** for the usability.
Say **** for now.
Some pictures of the screens and the display on the iPad and mobile phone and a screen shot of just one of the hundreds of screens crying out for a manual ! Many thanks from a frustrated Duncurin.
I didn’t take note that this was not a wireless unit so had to connect it up in exactly the same way as my existing, failing unit with cables. It’s easy enough to do but fiddly. Thankfully the cables are black and tend to blend in to the brickwork (my neighbours’ are white, imagine how that looks).
The base unit doesn’t need much except a connection to your wired/wireless with a dongle network, and a connection to your TV, at least initially. Setting up the system via the app was typically hit and miss for while (maybe it’s my network?) but eventually we got there and it all sprang into life. Using the app and watching the footage is easy enough, especially as I have YaleView already installed for a couple of indoor cameras. The picture quality is superb both in daylight and at night.
As a user of an existing (but failing) CCTV camera system I suppose I’m a little disappointed that this unit did not come with wireless cameras to make installation easier and neater, as well as allowing me to remove all that ugly cabling around my house. I understand only too well that wireless signals can be a bit temperamental but I’m sure Yale has the technical expertise to make a system that would be almost foolproof. The Yale Easy Fit home alarm system (which I have) is wireless and works flawlessly.
Another reviewer noted that it’s worth getting it all connected up on a workbench or something so you know it all works and can get familiar with the entire thing. Then, when you move the cameras and cables you know it should all “just work” and if it doesn’t it’s something you’ve done in the moving process rather than a fault with the unit.
Frankly I’m still getting to grips with it all as I have the original CCTV unit still running (limping) and I’m slowly replacing each camera with this one. It’s a fine unit but wireless will be my next upgrade in about 5 years!
This kit comes with 2 wired cameras and a wired base unit, with the ability to add additional cameras later if you wish.
These can be wireless.
Running wires from the camaras to the base unit and then from the base unit to the router and TV can be quite tricky unless your TV and base units are close by.
Once the main installation is complete it is easy to setup the app on your mobile phone to stream the cctv imaging.
Overall a good security cctv system that well help you with keeping a watch on your property when away from home.
Shame no wireless cameras were included and you might do better for your money if you shop around.
The cameras included are not very good as they do not provide a wide field of view but do give a very clear image day and night. The hardrive is of a good size and will record around 20+ days of continuous footage. The yale smart home app is easy to use and can easily connect it to the system however the one major let down is that these cameras are wired and not wireless as for the same price or less you can get wifi or poe cameras which make installation alot easier and cleaner.
Really like this security set-up! very good quality pics/vision.
In the box there are well packaged components including a computer mouse for doing the settings (once set you will no longer need this but i still have mine plugged in) 2x camera’s, 1x Terabyte storage and playback drive (that’s what i call it anyway..), 2x sets of 60ft wires to go with each camera, and all power supplies needed to plug in both camera’s and the hard drive. The plugs are very handy as they are faceless with adaptors you just slide-on depending on where you are in the world, a standard UK plug front and a European 2-pin plug front. (as seen in pics). This system comes with an app you need to download but you can set it up without it, as i have done, my phone doesn’t have enough storage at present to download it but you can use just on-screen settings with the mouse to set it up so it’s not mandatory to have the app, i have so far just used the mouse, scrolling on the screen helps zoom in and out, if you place the cursor in a certain spot the camera will focus on that spot. I have yet to go through all the settings and it may be easier by app but you get a lot of options just using the mouse either way.
I live in a first floor flat and my garden is situated at the rear of the property behind my downstairs neighbours garden. Because of this it’s ideal to be able to keep an eye on things from inside my home (and the camera STILL pics up motion even being over 20 ft away from my actual garden!). I have yet to hook everything up totally but i’m already amazed at the clearness and quality of picture both day and night time vision!. I will edit when it is all properly in place but everything is working as it should so far.
I have mine plugged directly into a net gear switch also plugged into my router (i have a virgin super hub but there were only 3 ports which were already all in use) so i purchased an unmanaged switch to provide more ports, (cost about 12) and works perfectly so for anybody with this issue it’s a simple fix (if i can hook it up anyone can!) so it shows how easy it is.
It is hooked up to my tv via hdmi and to my router with a small ethernet cable-also provided. On the first screen you get all the instructions on what to do with the cctv. There is also a manual downloadable, i do think this should be provided with this kit, there is a ‘quick start guide’ in the box but you must go online to get a detailed manual. It is a bit of a pain but no big deal really when you realise the end product.
I have provided pics to show quality of vision, both night and day. I am really astonished and would recommend this system to anyone wanting this kind of set-up. I used wire clips to keep the wires tidy that run from the storage system to the camera, no biggy but something to make sure you have ready when purchasing this item. the camera’s can also be run off wi-fi but i have not tried this yet and prefer hard wired anyway. They do a lot of accessories you can buy to go with this kit at not bad prices which suggests to me Yale care about safety first and then profit, i would consider them a reliable company.
I will also be buying a third camera , i have one covering the back garden, one covering the front but i also have an alley-way and downstairs area i wish to oversee. You can plug up to 6 camera’s in the back of the system so a good amount of area’s are able to be covered. The ability to zoom and zoom out is brilliant, very large expanse covered so no issues, in the case of my back garden there is a long path running to it which i was worried i would not be able to get in the picture but to my surprise this camera covers most of it!, really happy with this set-up. I cant find one fault so far. As you can see from the pics the angle is so wide that not only my garden (at the back left) but also my neighbours gardens are also covered by the angle and a good deal of the path leading to them also.(All these pics were taken by me with my phone by photographing exactly what is seen by the camera through my tv screen, apart from the pitch black one which i took, again with my phone, out my kitchen window from the same angle as the camera, i wanted to show the difference in reality and the way it showed up on the camera which is startling in clarity. It is always pitch black in my garden but no worries any more about seeing what if anything is down there. I have had no issues with picking up movement even from about 20 foot away!. also a really great thing in my case.
(and last but not least.. now i can send the kids to take the dog out to the garden and ensure they do, not just tell me they have and then find a little ‘parcel’ in the downstairs hallway she’s left because they didn’t in fact let her out! lol)(see!, handy for lots more than just security.. maybe that last bit is just in my case though, with my kids haha..)
I will edit once i have the app downloaded to show how well it works with it but even without it’s an amazing bit of equipment. I would say you can feel totally safe purchasing this item 100% in my opinion.
Hope this review helps and answers a lot of the questions i also had when thinking about purchasing.
Arrived very well packaged and super fast. Excellent.
It was worth spending a hour or so first practising and understanding how to operate the CCTV before installing it. HD images are very good and recorded footage is easily viewed via HDMI cable to a tv or monitor from the DVR software main screen. Night vision is fine, wide angle of view. Highly recommended
On the face of it this WIRED system addresses a number of issues with wireless security camera set ups. There are no issues with powering and recharging the cameras – the provided cables provide both wired link to the hard disk and also power. There’s also no issue with WiFi signal strength or a possible impact of footage quality.
There are some significant issues however. Most obviously this kit involves significant effort to install, or at least install neatly. A physical cable needs to link the HD unit and the cameras. Neat installation is a bit like installing a burglar alarm in an existing house – it can be done very well but requires some DIY skills. Regrettably my DIY skills are sadly lacking. Second, the HD box has to be physically liked via an Ethernet cable to your router. I suspect it is possible to get around this by using a remote Mesh or WiFi signal booster with an Ethernet port but the stated need for a wired connection makes installation yet more difficult. This is made still more challenging as really the HD needs to be connected to a TV using the fairly short HDMI cable included. So in an ideal world the camera wiring needs to be installed close to your router which will be close to a TV and will be in a good location to reach the wired remote cameras! For most this will be a tall order.
Other concerns include the type of camera you’ll be fixing – it’s only HD and not 4K. I thinks with this sort of permanent installation it’s best to buy the most advanced cameras possible. This clearly does not apply to the HD cameras included in this kit – so go for the updated kit with 4K cameras. More positively it’s worth noting that one WiFi camera can be bundled with the system so you can have a camera in a location your really can’t get a cable to. But the total number of cameras that can be wired to the system is only four so the system is not really extensible. In terms of the software I find Yale software a little lacking although the iOS app for this kit works reasonably well.
If you have a house with WiFi issues – perhaps due to very thick walls – and you are DIY competent, and you want a reasonably priced security camera system, and can reach the camera locations by cable, this kit makes some sense. But I’d go for the 4K cameras. For others the Arlo wireless camera system, whilst a lot more expensive, is probably a better solution, especially the new Ultra camera system. Four stars.
These cameras work really well. The package contains two cameras, a DVR recorder, and the wires you need to connect it together and to your home WiFi system.
There is an accompanying app, which recognised the system straight away. The quality of the pictures is great when streaming live, and when reviewing recorded footage.
My main concern, and the reason for four stars not five, relates to the storage, broadcasting and ownership of the data. This isn’t particular to Yale devices – its a concern I have with any smart devices. I have searched on the Yale website but cannot find info to say how the data is managed. I would want to have this information clearly displayed before I trusted this system enough to use it. I can see it hampering, not improving, home security if the data isn’t secure.