Arjun
IPCT Contributor
Because of the current economic times, your best bet is to ride your current cameras until they die. The path to upgrading is worthless, unless there is something profoundly worth craving for in the newest models which to be honest isn't all that much. The 5442 series is the best IP camera on the market from a quality and cost-perspective. Nothing rivals the 5442 series unless you have the cash to spend hundreds of dollars on premium brands like Axis, Bosch, etc.
@wittaj is right, that Andy's competition has shrank tremendously. There are installers that rely ultimately on Andy's Empiretech brand. Because of rising political and economic tensions between US-and-China, it will not surprise me if in the near future, his business approach in the states shrinks as well especially due to recent MINIMUM 15% increase in prices announcement by him which goes into effect TOMORROW FEBRUARY 15TH. I don't know what his approach will be with customers that want volume-pricing for elaborate installs, but I cannot think of any US-Brand (which are somewhat rebrands) that can still match the price and quality of Andy's cameras. Even with a 15% increase in prices, his cameras are still going to be desirable versus the competition. What really sucks at the moment is Amazon and their fulfillment centers - they cannot even package a camera right nor do they handle cameras correctly; they even mix up inventory between other sellers as well as Amazon Resale and New items. Andy does direct fulfillment within the states as well and has a small operation out of Pennsylvania (I wonder if his business partner is present on this forum), but the quantity and availability are questionable - thus his cameras are largely shipped either via Amazon or directly from China.
If you are concerned over end-user support, you have the best support there is on this forum as well as Andy's presence. If you are still not convinced, I can only suggest Ubiquiti cameras as your next resort but TRUST ME - you will be disappointed with overall performance, unless you prioritize aesthetics and fancy web user interface graphics. Most of us on this forum favor 24/7 Performance and practicality and this is where Andy's cameras come in.
I like to think of Andy as an independent seller even though he outright has direct ties with Dahua, but the point is he has been transparent and honest in almost every business aspect; nobody is perfect, but at least he has tried to make us happy despite the tensions between the US and China.
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