Stunning 4K Image | Reolink RLC-810A CCTV Review

Full review and Reolink smartphone app demonstration of the RLC-810A. This power over ethernet 4K CCTV camera packs quite a punch both feature and quality-wise and has an amazing price tag to go with it.
• Buy on Amazon - geni.us/rlc810a
• Reolink Website - bit.ly/3gkPqRc
00:00 - Opening
00:18 - Progress of 4K CCTV
01:34 - RLC-810A Basic Specs
01:57 - What's In The Video
02:42 - Unboxing
03:12 - Product Overview
06:45 - Reolink App Demo
09:20 - Number Plates in 4K
12:15 - Playing Back Video
14:30 - Setting Overview
17:52 - Review & Final Thoughts
I've been sceptical about the need for 4K CCTV for a while, particularly when recording 24/7. This camera has changed my mind. With outstanding colour and detail and good motion detection that removes most false positives, you can now set the camera to use motion detection and be sure that you'll get the footage you need. This wasn't always the case in the past so I always erred on the side of caution and just recorded all the time. With 4K footage, that takes up a lot of space!
Reolink RLC-810A Full Specs
=======================
• Image Sensor: 1/2.49" CMOS Type
• Max Resolution: 3840x2160 (8.2MP)
• Max Framerate: 25fps (4K)
• Lens: 4.0mm Fixed F/2.0
• Codec: H.265/HEVC
• Housing: Aluminium
• IP Rating: IP66
• Field of View: Horizontal 87˚ Vertical 44˚
• Night Vision: 30m / 100ft
• IR LED Type: 18 x 14mil 850nm
• Power: PoE IEEE 802.3af 48V or 12V DC 1A
• Ethernet: 1 x 10mbps/100mbps RJ45
• Storage: MicroSD up to 256GB
• Length: 192mm (including mount)
• Length: 105mm (camera only)
• Width: 68mm
• Height: 60mm
As you can probably tell from this review, I really like this camera. I can see myself replacing my old system at some point with a few of these instead.
I hope you find this review useful. If you enjoy the video, please give it a thumbs up or consider subscribing to the channel. Thank you for watching!
#reolink #4k #rlc810a #cctv #review
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All products in this video were provided by Reolink for review. This is not an advert, and all opinions are entirely my own. I will not accept a product unless a company is happy with an impartial review. I do not provide any content or scripts for checking prior to publishing.
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[@tdcattech]

Buy the RLC-810A on Amazon - geni.us/rlc810a --- If you'd like to support the channel, please use this affiliate link to check out this or anything else on Amazon. Thank you! -- Reolink Website - bit.ly/3gkPqRc

[@matthendriks5104]

Don't buy, is useless, since can't distinguish a bush a human and a car. It sends just a lot of notifications just cause the bushes are moving!!!! Don't buy! Choose another camera. Basically any dome/bullet is doing the same thing. This 810a doesn't have even a charger in a package and reolink is asking 10$ for their charger, for the camera

[@rw4526]

@@matthendriks5104 -- i am thinking of buying this -- why would it need a charger if its plugged in?? -- What am i missing in this research

[@TheFiveyoungs]

Thanks for the review on this camera. I especially appreciated the comment in regards to having POE supplied. I then checked on my router and it did not provide POE. You did a very thorough review.

[@tdcattech]

Thanks for the feedback.

[@michaelkoss999]

Hi, Great video. I'm buying seven Reolink RLC-810A cameras. My question is - What are the pros/cons of using an NVR to manage the cameras vs local 256GB cards and using the iPhone app to manage the cameras. The cost will be about the same for a POE switch and the SD cards vs the NVR. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

[@waynowat53]

I love reolink I live in a all-weather climate and it never fails...WW

[@davesmith4804]

Will it loop to a SD card, so you don't need cloud storage ?

[@69Dartman]

I just ordered the complete Reolinc security dvr set up for a black Friday deal here in the states and it includes 4 of those cameras and everything else you need to set it up. Under 400 US including a 2tb drive. I already have a decent 1080p camera setup but I want better quality and much easier to deal with cables. The BNC cables my setup uses now needs a huge hole to run through the wall or floor unless you want to redo the ends after you run them. It includes 8 POE ports on the DVR box too so don't need a new switch. Looking forward to getting it and so far reviews are great, thanks.

[@tdcattech]

Nice 👌🏻! I hope it works well for you.

[@69Dartman]

@@tdcattech It is supposed to be here about Dec 7th or so but from all the reviews including yours I've seen I think I'll be happy and I have room for more cameras if needed.

[@cruiserjohn3790]

This camera is interesting. Used with Reolink 4K 8channel PoE NVR very nice.

[@planetearth4312]

Great informative video, very helpful

[@dickgozinya9228]

Why does Amazon keep showing the RLC-800 cameras in their Reolink systems instead of the 810's? What's the difference?

[@wilsonsothernames]

Hi I often miss parcel deliveries when im home because my current camera set up is too slow and unreliable at loading live view picture, 5-30 seconds. I can install a screen in a room if that will be faster than opening app to view. What set up do you recommend to get live view from say 2-6 seconds consistently?

[@Chessonflex]

Dear, I need help! bought RLC-811A today, I wonder what is the problem is since it does not work. I use the blue original network cable that includes in to Poe and CAT 6 network cable to Lant, that going to my network router. I use the Ubiquiti PoE injector. What can be the problem ?

[@joefro9473]

Gotta hook the cameras up

[@1fastbuggy502]

I have a RLK-800D4-8mp unit . Can this camera work on my VNR ? Need higher quality identification for faces at night .

[@TechWithAdil]

great video, compared to lorex 4k camera, which one would you choose?

[@johankitzing5807]

Thanks for a great video.

[@brentkasl6510]

If you just use power how do you connect to Wi-Fi?

[@smellypunks]

Can you have it loop so when the card is full it just records over the oldest footage?

[@tdcattech]

Yes. It works like that as standard as far as I know.

[@1975Stevo]

Hi apologies it you've already answered this one but what height did you install the camera? I've just bought this 4 camera system not installed yet but trying to find out what the optimal height would be. Ideally id like to install up high (gutter level on my std 2 story height house) but wonder if this is too high and wont detect people / other activity etc from that high up.

[@tdcattech]

I think it will still detect people (it might reduce effectiveness a bit) but it's quite high for CCTV. Optimum height is generally deemed to be about 2.5m. High enough to be out of obvious reach but low enough to allow a clear ID. Gutter level cameras are excellent in addition to paint the 'overall picture'.

[@oppai1568]

Can i using this camera with only SD card for 4k recording without Ethernet? Please reply.thanks before

[@gallahant]

If you connect this to 12v, how is it connected to the internet? Need to also plug an ethernet cable from my router?

[@tdcattech]

Correct. The 12V option is there if power is not carried over ethernet.

[@pandabearguy3318]

Small question: i see you're zooming in on your footage, but the camera doesn't support zoom. I'm confused about what zoom functionality on cameras actually add (f.e. the 811A)?

[@tdcattech]

Best thing about a zoom is to allow reframing of your captured image to maximise the usefulness of what you film without any loss of detail (as you get with digital zoom). For example, you can tighten up on the entrance to a building and not include so much wall around it.

[@livelovelaugh473]

@TDCatTech: Thank you for making and sharing this video. This is the first video review that I have seen for the RLC 810A camera on KZbin that was detailed, went at a good pace and was not rushy. I have a few questions. 1) Does this camera happen to show color during the night footage? 2) Does it have a two way communication feature?

[@tdcattech]

No and no. You can set it to colour night and the gain is pretty good it’s not good enough for very low light.

[@livelovelaugh473]

@@tdcattech Oh ok.

[@LaMuerteSilenciosa]

Is there a difference in resolution between what is recorded to an NVR and the resolution when you just take a quick look with your mobile phone? Or in other words. Does the NVR record's in 4k and for mobile you can have a lower resolution? Thanks for your answer.

[@tdcattech]

On live footage, you have the choice of three resolutions (UHD, SD and something just a bit more than SD). On recorded footage you have a main stream (3840x2160) and a sub-stream which is SD (640x360)

[@awesomeiMike]

Thanks for a great video. I just bought one and I want to record 24/7 on SD card but I can see the following message, where do I change time frames? “Customize to enable/disable recording after selecting preferred time frames. (Note: If you plan to record continuously to SD card, please select proper time frames, otherwise it may lead to SD card damages.)”. What do they mean by time frames? FPS? It’s in the display section but I assume it’s only for preview not for recording?

[@tdcattech]

I think the wording means time periods, so schedules. If you want to record 24/7, your ‘time frame’ would be Mon-Sun 24 hours. Silly wording.

[@AbdulCasal]

Great review

[@titi7776]

Thanks for the video. I do'nt see how good it is at *reading car plates at night*. that's super important as you can barely recognize humans with night view.

[@alviv14]

Hi good video and well explained. Where can i buy that long ethernet cable to power the camera via router. Thanks in advance.

[@waatao9856]

Can you tell me how far apart is the mounting holes

[@malin7919]

My biggest issue with reolink camera is motion blur. Bad guy will run or walk fast after vandalism and impossible to identify face, especially at night. As you mentioned, Reolink software is very good with support for multiple platforms. That's why I am willing to put up with motion blur.

[@tdcattech]

I find that with almost every camera I've used. To freeze motion in a person moving, you'd need a shutter speed of at least 1/250 second which is a huge challenge for a small, low cost sensor on consumer CCTV during low light. Daytime, no problem. There is the option is individually control the brightness for night mode but I don't know if this is just a digital gain or whether the camera will first increase the shutter speed to a sensible level.

[@malin7919]

@@tdcattech Are there tutorial videos on brightness and shadow adjustment? If not, care to make one? :) I wish Reolink provides shutter speed adjustment which is easy to understand.

[@racar7211]

And if the sd card is full, the new video will just overwrite the old datas right?

[@tdcattech]

Correct. Newest in. Oldest out.

[@oppai1568]

Can i using SDcard only for record without ethernet?

[@TheArchitect101]

Hi bought the camera what injector did you use?

[@k.j.hulander2204]

Cloud service not working in Europe yet due to GDPR compliance issues.

[@tdcattech]

Yep. GDPR is strict compared to other countries but Reolink absolutely need to sort this.

[@asnaeb2]

@@tdcattech Honestly I'm not a fan of cloud storage anyways. Subscription models are super annoying. At least having the option for local storage far offsets this cloud stuff. I just bought a 811a because it supports local storage.

[@Bill613]

Hi, great video with lots of information. A couple of questions hopefully not to silly, if the camera is set to fluent, could recorded events be viewed later with a higher resolution? Also I have a RLC 510 and find that the IR lights over expose images (faces) at night, is there a way of reducing the spotlight effect on this camera at night?

[@tdcattech]

1. Absolutely. The camera will always store in high resolution regardless of what you request while viewing. The two are independent of each other. 2. Not sure. You can tweak exposure on the image so may be able to improve this but in my testing, the camera was a good distance from subjects. I’ll need to test this a little more.

[@Bill613]

@@tdcattech Thanks for the information and prompt reply. 👍

[@vietnamvet6474]

Maybe I missed it but can you connect it to an NVR recorder?

[@tdcattech]

Yes. Shouldn’t be a problem. It supports the full range of standards so providing you can power it (either from the NVR or with an injector), you’re good

[@johnkenney7217]

The two main drawbacks with this camera are (a) inability to set shutter speed, and (b) inability to (digitally, of course) zoom in in playback mode. The first I understand because it's probably a hardware/cost issue. The second should be solvable in the client software.

[@tdmdchannel2339]

I can zoom in in playback mode without any issue (mobile app, windows client & NVR)! My cameras are the RLC-820a & RLC-824a. The 820a is the same as the 810a but in Turret style. Did you update your cameras?

[@hambledonsurrey9814]

Some cameras can do shutter speed setting. I had an ieGeek HD CCTV camera and you had a sliding scale of 1-1000 for shutterspeed setting in the web-based settings menus. This allowed me to prioritise reg plate capture at the cost of light levels... so in good light it would hold a fast shutter speed and maybe use gain to boost as light levels dropped. I bought a second identical camera but the updated software that came with it meant that shutter speed set was disabled and reg numbers were blurred.... and the supplier had no fix to enable this. So it is not a hardware barrier.. just software.

[@jdrecords]

Is there and app for windows

[@cathzeta10]

can i use a cat7 ethernet cable with this model?

[@tdcattech]

Sure. CAT7 will work fine. Not required but it will work.

[@DJNITROALLY]

cat 7 is actually better to use coz it reduces noise

[@user-vn2td4dl5e]

Купил. Камера отлична. Все работает, иногда подвесает в интернете. Номер автомобиля отлично видит.

[@tdcattech]

What? Seriously? The demo in the video shows numberplates from considerably further away than 5m.

[@ficus4p]

POE and POE+ is fairly common on consumer grade switches

[@tdcattech]

Sure, it’s available but I guess what I’m saying here is, just because you’ve got a switch, definitely don’t assume that it supports PoE.

[@69Dartman]

My huge pro level 24 port switch does not support POE. I'd have to buy a separate new switch if I need it. They aren't super expensive now for small ones but a extra piece of gear to add to the shelf.

[@saifalislam4104]

if your in UK DO NOT BUY THIS, Product REOLINK if you have an issue they expect you to pay to return. Customer service is 1 email answered 1 question if you have 2 questions that is ignored, are you getting the picture,, yes it is a nightmare to get any real help,

[@SergioBlackDolphin]

I am glad you got an answer! I called first. The guy told me to send an email. I did and got no answer!

[@chriswebster2015]

Thanks nice review. Very British….

[@tdcattech]

Thanks Chris 👍🏻

[@sterobloc6645]

Really disappointed with the filter demo (at 12:45) for vehicles detected. Yes there was a car but all you could see was just the offside headlight. Hardly enough detail to be sure of identification. I’m writing this comment November 2022, I note the video was posted a year ago. Things may have been improved, but even so!

[@MikeHunt-rw4gf]

Algorithm.

[@matthendriks5104]

Since this camera can't distinguish a bush a human and a car and sends a lot of notifications for nothing, is useless. And doesn't got a charger in the package 😂

[@tdcattech]

You're right, it's not perfect. It does need some fine tuning by the user and there is no question that I have had rain passing as a person on numerous occasions which is crazy. The AI needs refinement! However, the number of false positives are *massively* lower than a camera without this feature. Annoying if you use it for notifications? Yes. Very good for recording though.

[@roberttreskin5979]

Reolink equals GARBAGE! I have a 8 camera Reolink (REOLINK 4K Security Camera System), (16CH NVR with 3TB HDD RLK16-810B8-A). Using PoE IP Kit Cameras RLC-810A. Wish I never purchased this system. 4K cameras? I doubt it! Maybe 2K at best. I also had one camera fail completely in under 6 months. Bottom line....I can't even see vehicle license plates clearly at less than 50 feet away from cameras. My very old Q-See QT534-4E4-5 4 Channel Full D1 Surveillance System with 4-960H/700TVL Cameras had better resolution. These "paid" KZbin reviewers should be ashamed of themselves.

[@tdcattech]

Reolink are consumer cameras. They perform well for the price but they’re not on a par with a camera from Sony, Dahua or Hikvision at over twice the price. To see what happened in the daytime, they’re perfect. To see what happened at night is OK but don’t expect to ID or use it as evidence. If you want a true security system, be prepared to pay thousands.

[@tdmdchannel2339]

I'm surprise. I bought the same kit as you but in turret style (RLK16-800D8) in 2020 to replace my previous 2016 DVR system 8-channel 4 cameras 1080p (Annke) and I really like that new system overall. Almost 3 years and zero issue so far. The sub stream in multimode view is 640x360 in resolution but the video recorded are 4K (3840x2160). Did you even export (download) a clip to check your video file resolution? Why doubt if you can easily verify the file? Hopefully, not a user error. In the camera setting, you could set the main stream to record at lower resolution and bitrate even if your camera is capable of 4K 25fps. Also, they have a 2 years warranty on their nvr & cameras. We also had many different security camera systems (4-5) since the 90s and this one has the best video quality so far. Your old Q-see system is a few generation behind, if the video quality of your Reolink system look worse then there is something wrong for sure. Because I can read license plate around 45-50 feet in straight line (front facing) with the best lighting condition. At an angle, it's difficult even at around 30 feet. That is my experience.