Axis Companion Recorder 2TB (0832-004) 8 Channel Network Video Recorder with PoE Switch - 1 LAN Port, 5900RPM HDD, H.264

Wonderful looks. The recorder sits very pretty under my computer table. The white shiny exterior makes it feel less intimidating. At a glance you miss the fact that it’s a security recorder because it looks more like a router. In the category of recorders the Axis companions feels pricey as there are cheaper models available. The axis recorder has fan less design which for me meant placing it out of sight isn’t an issue. The second point is the storage space you get on purchase. A two terabyte hard drive costs rougly one third of the DVR’s price. With many recorders the hard drives have to be bought separately or when bought along with a recorder bump the price up.

A decent recorder. There are two pros and cons that make this an average product for me. First pro, the compact design makes it easy to store. The last recorder I had was a boring black box in the shape of giant rectangle. The functions on both recorders are identical but the new one takes less than half the space. Second pro, on a tiny device you can connect eight cameras. Better yet the recorder can run any resolution and frame rate. The first con is the price. Don’t get me wrong the portability is great but the price is high. The second problem is you need a computer to view the video. Streaming would be highly appreciated.

Home DIYer here. Even though this is my first experience with Axis products, I really like them. I fought with a different security camera solution for a couple days and ended up returning it. I had a few issue with the Axis, but support was great and able to work me through it. I have the Companion Recorder and 7 Companion cameras. The system has be up and functioning correctly since install. Exactly what you want in a security camera solution. The remote access is a nice feature as well. Very happy with purchase.