Amcrest4K NV4232-EI 32CH AI NVR, Smart NVR, Facial Recognition, Facial Detection & Vehicle Detection - Supports 32 x 4K IP Cameras, Supports 2 x 16TB HDD (Not Included) (No PoE Ports Included)

I have been actively using the Amcrest NVR model NV4232-EI for a few weeks, and I feel that I have a firm grasp on most of the overall functionality of the device.When I received it, it was packaged well. In addition to the NVR, Amcrest included a mouse, two SATA cables, some standard screws for mounting hard drives (not included), and a quick start guide. The quick start guide is comprehensive to get going, and to become acclimated with most of the device’s functionality. If you need additional information, a downloadable PDF manual is available on Amcrest’s web site.After installing a 4TB hard drive that I had, I powered on the device and performed the initial setup. I did so with the device connected to a monitor via an HDMI cable, using the mouse that was included. Set up was easy enough this way. Once I assigned the device a static address (not necessarily a requirement – but something I would advise) I opted to run the NVR “headless” and accessed it via the web interface.The web interface is largely the same as accessing the device directly. Navigating the interface is fairly simple, albeit with a slight learning curve. After spending an hour or so clicking through the functions and cross-referencing them in the quick start guide, I was able to put the guide away and make my way around without any issues.I have five Amcrest cameras around my home and property, all different models. The NVR detected all of them, and after I supplied their credentials, it was able to manage them fully. The Amcrest NVR is built for their cameras, and it mirrors nearly all of the functionality that is available within each camera’s own web interface. Any changes made to the camera in the NVR are updated on the camera itself.I set up two of my outdoor cameras to record continually, one outdoor and one indoor to record upon detection of humans-only, and one outdoor camera (which I use for weather) to never record. I can live view any/all of the cameras at the same time, which is really nice.Reviewing recorded footage is easily performed through the NVR’s “Search” function. Varying types of recorded activity can be reviewed through this interface. For example: it’s easy to review only “IVS” events on a camera that is continually recording footage by deselecting “General” recorded footage, so only the interesting footage and applicable time of recording is shown.Navigating through footage is quick, and can be done by clicking on the time index of the footage that you want to review. You can also have multiple cameras selected for this review, so you are able to see footage from different cameras at the same time index at the same time. This is a very nice feature to have. One thing that I was not able to find is the ability to playback recorded footage at an increased speed (for example, 2x, 4x, 8x, etc). I need to look through the manual to determine if this is possible.The human and vehicle detection features of the NVR work well, and the AI search feature makes it easy to search for these types of events in a given timeframe.The only challenge that I have had occurs with notifying me, via email, when a human is detected on one of my cameras. The NVR consistently sends me an email when a human detection occurs, but it does not consistently attach a picture. After some troubleshooting, I reached out to support, and they are working on the issue with me. It’s certainly not a deal breaker, as the footage is consistently recorded. More of a “nice to have” feature.Overall, I am quite pleased with this device. After a few days, I retired the use of my Synology Surveillance Station and now exclusively use the NV4232-EI NVR, as it has more features and it is built for this kind of use. If you are looking for an NVR that does what it is supposed to do, look no further.

I've been slowly replacing all my cameras with Amcrest ones and figured I should replace my aging NVR with an Amcrest one. This NVR is a highly capable and effective solution. The 4K resolution provides exceptional image clarity, and the integrated AI functionalities, including person and vehicle detection, significantly reduce false alerts. Power over Ethernet simplifies installation, while the intuitive interface and mobile application facilitate easy system management. Adding two drives gives ample storage capacity and ONVIF compatibility further enhance its versatility. While initial configuration may present a slight learning curve, the overall performance and feature set justify the investment. Highly recommended for those seeking a comprehensive and intelligent surveillance system.

Setup was easy. Unboxing included a Cat5e cable, power cords, and screws for the drives. The model I got did not have drives so I added one myself. The process was straight forward and relatively easy. I did have to change the orientation of the drive to get the cord to fit properly. I was a little disappointed that the drive power cord has a proprietary connector on the motherboard. If this cord breaks, replacing it will be difficult. Once the drive was installed, I connected the NVR to my switch, plugged it in, and turned it on. I was able to connect to it through a web browser and initialize the NVR. It recognized the cameras already on my network and I was able to add them.Watching live video is easy but it would be nice if the Live View maintained state (cameras selected) after closing "LIVE" and reopeneing.Search suffers the same problem as Live in that the selected cameras are reset when you come back in. So if I close Search and click Live, I have to reselect the cameras. An enhancement to the Search to search for specific events / times would be nice. Disabling the "General" Stop option makes it easier to find events.I tested the web interface in Chrome, Edge, and Firefox and all worked equally well. I did not try to add any cameras that were not Amcrest cameras.

I been using the nvr for a few weeks now and overall pretty happy with the product. Here are what I likes and opportunities for future improvement.Likes- 4K video is high quality for the 4K cameras. Note that I'm using Amcrest 4K camera and haven't tested other brands.- Audio is clear and no noise.- Intelligent mode is also the selling point. The NVR can detect faces and outline them in 25 grid pictures.- The system is easy to install and set up. The NVR automatically detect camera connected. All needed is added the camera specific password and configure names and other aux function.- Good value for the money compares to other 4K NVR system.- the unit is sturdy and seem well made. It support 2 bays hard drives which come in handy when I wanted to upgrade additional storage space in the future.- It's a peace of mind knowing that I can monitor the house when on vacation. It's is a set it and forget it kind of system.Opportunities for improvement:- the unit is bit lagging. There is a good 1-2 second delays when going through the menu.- Lacking of POE function. Doesnt impact much on my end since I have separate POE switch.- even though face detection is great benefit. But they are a bit blurry. Maybe the pictures downgraded to fit 25 icon on the screen.

This Unit Motherboard is so small it scare me in the quality. The Motherboard on my 5-Series is good size and unit works perfectly just wish they update there firmware on 5 series. The unit was dead on arrival and I was able to get to run for a while but it was dead in no time. It is the cheap and I sell a lot of 5-series with no problem.