Compro TN4230 Outdoor PoE IP Camera Review

Final Thoughts

Pricing

For the entire setup as we have here in this review (TN4230 and BM-100 arm), UK pricing is in the region of around £280, although Amazon.co.uk seem to be the only outlet, apart from a few sellers on eBay, with prices around the £270 mark. Us availability is also very low with once again only a few eBay sellers stocking the camera.

Overview

When I take a step back and look at the camera from various angles, there are some good features that it has to offer, but at the same time there are also some that do worry me quite a lot.

On the good side of things we do get a nice high-resolution of 1600 x 1200 , with both IP and BNC composite video outputs alongside the capability to record in any weather condition and light environment – an area where some cameras fail to succeed. The addition of ComproView over just the mobile application and the web-based interface that I saw with the TN60W is also very welcomed. The software makes the monitoring and recording of video footage very easy and considering the fact that many users are likely to have more than one camera positioned around the home or business environment, the ability to view up to 32 video streams simultaneously once again makes things a whole lot easier.

Whilst on paper the TN4230 sums up to be a suitable solution, it is not without its faults and sadly for Compro, there are one or two faults that are very concerning. One item that would be more beneficial is a longer cable set that runs from the rear of the camera. Being able to pass the bunch of cables through a wall or up to a junction box for example would be of a benefit, as opposed to having only a small amount of flex to work with. The other problem that I have with this camera is far more than superficial however. Whilst I was in the process of testing this product (and before I had done a product strip down) I was experiencing faults were the camera would stop responding to any network traffic and although my PoE switch was reporting that the camera was drawing power, it appeared the system had crashed. Initial instinct pointed at a firmware crash and after having the camera powered off for a couple of hours and then updating the firmware, I was surprised to see that the same problem was still occurring. Naturally I went through the process of elimination by using a number of cables and ports on the switch, however the only solution was to disconnect the camera for a couple of hours – not exactly practical for a security system.

During the strip down I made a shocking discovery. On top of the solid heatsink that cools the SoC, the two silicone thermal pads that are supposed to bridge the gap between the heatsink and the cameras body still had the plastic protective film on them that is supposed to have been removed during the manufacturing process. Leaving the film in place severely affects the thermal performance of the silicone pads and after removing these and reinstalling the camera outside, the issues with the system cutting out ceased to occur. This leaves me to believe that the drop-outs were a result of the SoC overheating due to insufficient cooling.

At this point I would typically justify the good and bad points of a product to set my overall view, but this time I am left with a recommendation that a product recall be made on the TN4230 cameras. Quality control and care during the manufacturing process is something that every manufacturer should enforce, however the simple process of removing this film was not undertaken in this particular item and considering this is a retail sample, I am left wondering if there are other items that have the same flaw. Considering the fact that the camera ceased to cut out after the film was removed indicates that it is a thermal issue that is the problem. With that said I have contacted Compro directly and I have already let them know my findings and my recommendations as described above, with the aim to have a product that works and functions as intended.

Pros:

• IP66 rated for outdoor use
• IR night viewing
• High 1600 x 1200 resolution
• PoE support
• Composite BNC output
• Built-in heater for colder conditions
• Well equipped ComproView software
• Cloud access
• Vari-focal lens

Cons:

• Severe concern regarding quality control during production caused the SoC on our sample to overheat, causing the camera to crash without warning
• Cables from the camera could be much longer

“On paper the TN4230 is a great all round product that caters for a variety of systems including IP and BNC layouts. Sadly though the concern over quality control during manufacturing and the consequent issues with the system cutting out following thermal overload is hard to overlook.”

Thanks to Compro for providing us with this review sample.