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In the realm of home security, technology has enabled homeowners and businesses to take charge of their safety with cutting-edge surveillance systems. Among the heavyweights in this arena are Lorex and Night Owl, both of which have cultivated strong reputations in providing robust security solutions. Lorex, renowned for its high-definition clarity and advanced motion detection capabilities, often appeals to those seeking a premium surveillance experience.
On the other hand, Night Owl is celebrated for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive round-the-clock monitoring. Both brands offer a diverse range of products designed to cater to varied security needs, from basic monitoring to intricate security setups. So, when it comes to choosing between Lorex and Night Owl, which system truly stands out? Dive into our comprehensive comparison to find out which might be the best fit for your security needs.
Verdict: 6 Reasons Lorex is the Best Bullet Security Camera
- The Lorex analog bullet camera has a built-in siren
- The Lorex analog & WiFi bullet camera records in 4K at 15fps
- Lorex IP Bullet camera supports up to 4K@30fps recording
- The Lorex bullet cameras include an IK10 vandal-proof options
- The Lorex bullet wireless cameras support dual-band WiFi 6 protocol
- The Lorex analog, PoE, & WiFi bullet camera is compatible with Alexa and Google Home
Lorex Mini-Review
Lorex is one of the oldest CCTV makers, with over three decades in operation. It’s not exactly cheap to own, which is understandable considering it’s still operating as a Canadian brand. But you can get an NVR or DVR at a low cost and build your security system gradually from the scratch.
Speaking of which, Lorex has some pretty decent security camera systems for warehouses and other business properties in general. You can get up to a 32-channel kit in 4K Ultra-HD if you won’t mind the huge price tag.
In the Montavue vs Lorex review, we saw your Lorex recorder can come with spotlight cameras for colored night vision. It also has dedicated IK10 vandal-proof cameras, which can withstand up to 20 joules of hammer impact. Then there are the options with motorized lenses to capture even the objects at a distance in clarity.
Night Owl Mini-Review
Are you looking for a cost-effective way to monitor your home or store? Night Owl has a complete security camera system with DVR from as low as $250. Of course, this is still a little too high considering brands like ANNKE and SANNCE have DVR systems under 150 dollars.
However, Night Owl is a US-based video surveillance brand from Florida. And as with other American companies from other different fields, we can say its pricing gap is relatively fair.
The wired Night Owl security cameras in 4K resolution are the priciest in the whole catalog. But as with Lorex, you can get a plain recorder and build your system gradually.
Sadly, however, Night Owl doesn’t have many options we can consider as commercial-grade for business. It has neither varifocal nor vandal-proof cameras at the moment.
Lorex vs Night Owl: Which is the Best Analog Bullet Security Camera System?
Overall, IP security cameras are usually the best wired CCTV systems on image quality, audio features, and ease of installation. But if on a tight budget and already has an existing BNC infrastructure, an analog camera still works great.
Both Lorex and Night Owl have various analog security cameras you can choose for your property. But they do vary in several aspects, as you can see below:
Best of Pricing
Price-wise, both Lorex and Night Owl are almost the same. You can get an (add-on) Lorex 4K analog bullet camera at $50 to $80 or a complete 8-channel Ultra-HD DVR with all cameras at about $500.
A Night Owl 4K add-on analog camera will also cost you up to $80 per piece. Then a complete 8-channel DVR kit will cost around $500 with all the 4K cameras.
If you’d like to build your security system gradually, the companies have a 4k DVR that will work with these bullet cameras at $170-$350, depending on the number of channels. But for 1080p DVR (alone), Lorex has a few options from as low as $130, whereas Night Owl has the cheapest at $150.
Best of Build Quality
Like many brands nowadays, Lorex and Night Owl have used polycarbonate housing on our two reference cameras. They are weather-resistant, albeit Lorex will be a little better if in need of a cold-weather security camera.
In their catalog, Lorex also does have specialty IK10 vandal-proof bullet cameras, with sturdy metal housing. And this is something Night Owl is yet to release.
Best of Video Quality
When we compare Night Owl vs Lorex picture quality, they are about the same in clarity. As listed on our chart, the two analog cameras have an 8MP sensor and a narrow-angle lens (relatively small field of view).
However, the Lorex camera supports 4K@15fps, which captures more frames of the object in motion. You’ll notice the video is smoother/ less choppy than the Night Owl camera that records in 4K@7ps.
Best of Night Vision
Either Lorex or Night Owl could fit the bill if looking for a 4K color night vision security camera. Our two reference analog bullet cameras have a built-in spotlight that lights ups with motion detection. You can identify a face at up to 10 feet or the color of a car at up to 25 feet.
If the spotlight is off (when sleeping or after you’ve deactivated), the two cameras will continue to work. They have powerful IR LEDs that make it possible to detect objects up to 150 feet with Lorex and 100 feet for Night Owl.
Best of Audio Recording
Sadly, neither of the two analog cameras supports audio recording or two-way talk. But the Lorex camera does have a built-in speaker for audio alerts.
Best of Active Deterrence
As we’ve just mentioned, the Lorex analog bullet camera has a built-in speaker. You can activate the siren to scare away the would-be intruder before breaking into your house or vandalizing your car.
The spotlight integrated into the Lorex camera is also a nice warning light that you can set to activate whenever motion is detected. But the Night Owl camera does have the white LED too- doesn’t support a siren, though.
Best of Smart AI Detection
Like most analog cameras, our reference Lorex and Night Owl models utilize software-based motion detection that works by a significant change on the pixels of the captured frames. The technology usually has relatively many false alerts as things like leaves, shadows, and even an abrupt change in lighting can trigger it.
However, the two makers did include smart AI features that can help ignore irrelevant motion detection. You can program the Night Owl camera to only send alerts when it detects a human/face. Then Lorex supports “Smart Motion Detection”, whereby you can set it to only receive alerts of people and vehicles, or either.
Best of Local Storage
Technically, an analog security camera is tricky to use alone as a standalone. It’s the reason manufacturers usually don’t add them with their local storage- say a slot for a MicroSD card.
However, you still get to enjoy motion-activated or continuous recording into the hard drive of the DVR with no monthly fees. And in the continuous video recording mode, both Lorex and Night Owl support High-Efficiency Video Encoding (HEVC/ H.265) that maximizes storage usage by up to 50%.
Best of Smart Home Integration
As already mentioned, none of the analog cameras can work as a standalone. But when you hook up to the recommended DVR, Lorex does support integration with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant devices. Thus, making it possible to manage various features of your cameras with simple voice commands.
Night Owl security camera system also supports voice control via Google Assistant devices. But it’s not compatible with Amazon Alexa at the moment.
Lorex vs Night Owl: Which is the Best IP Bullet Security Camera System?
If can remember, we said wired IP security cameras are usually better than analog counterparts in image quality, audio, and a few other areas. However, which brand is more worthwhile to have between Lorex and Night Owl?
Well, our two brands have quite many features similar to the analog cameras we’ve just discussed. The few differences we can point out are:
Best of Video Quality
If we’re just talking about our reference cameras, both Lorex and Night Owl would share a point here. The IP cameras have an 8MP sensor that records in 4K quality, whereby you can even zoom and read still car plates at up to 35 feet. Then they record at up to 15fps speed, which is decently smooth and not choppy/ laggy.
However, Lorex has a selection of 4K 30fps security cameras that can capture plates of moderately-fast vehicles. It also has various varifocal cameras with a motorized lens that you can zoom distant objects without losing picture details.
Best of Night Vision
As spotlight security cameras, our two systems bring you night vision recordings in full color. You can identify important details like a face, tattoos, and colors for the objects in proximity.
The security cameras also have infrared (black & white) night vision. But similar to the analog selections, the Lorex PoE cameras have a slightly better night vision range (150 feet vs 100 feet).
Best of Audio Recording
Either Lorex or Night Owl now is an excellent option if looking for a 4K security camera with audio. The IP cameras have a built-in microphone and speaker. Thus, you can have recordings you can listen to during live-stream or playback, plus two-way talk.
The sound quality from the two-way talk is clear enough to hear every word from either side without breaking.
Best of Active Deterrence
Similarly, our two brands will be splitting the point here. They have multiple ways to deter potential burglars, including a built-in siren and warning lights.
You can also use the two-way talk feature to shout or scream at the trespassers in real time.
Best of Smart AI Detection
When we now compare Lorex versus Night Owl motion detection, they both have the option to set activity zones. They also support advanced AI features, with the option to enable person and vehicle detection on Lorex.
On the other hand, you can set the Night Owl camera to only receive alerts after the sensor captures a face or humanoid shape.
Best of Local Storage
Basically, you can use any PoE security camera as a standalone camera. You just need an Ethernet cable, PoE injector/ switch, plus an active internet and free LAN port on the router.
Once you have these things, you can then connect your CCTV camera to a computer or mobile app.
Sadly, however, our reference Lorex and Night Owl IP cameras don’t have built-in local storage. If you use them as a standalone, you’ll need to pay the monthly/ yearly cloud fee for storage.
Alternatively, you can connect your IP cameras to the respective network video recorder (or compatible DVR). They will record to the installed hard drive disk, either in short activity clips or continuous mode.
And similar to the analog systems, the Night Owl and Lorex network recorders support recording in HEVC (H.265) compression.
Lorex vs Night Owl: Which is the Best Wireless Bullet Security Camera System?
Last but not least, Lorex and Night Owl has a line of wireless bullet security cameras you can choose for your home. The cameras can connect to compatible recorders but also has everything you need to use them as standalone:
Best of Video Quality
First, many wireless security cameras you will find from Lorex or Night Owl, for now, are 1080p models. However, the company does have a limited line of 4k Ultra-HD you can get for your property.
The pictures with the 4k cameras seem almost the same. But you’ll notice the Night Owl camera appears a little clearer, which has a lot to do with its narrower field of view.
Conversely, the Lorex bullet camera can record in 4K Ultra-HD at up to 15fps, which has smoother video than Night Owl with 4K@7fps.
Best of Night Vision
Similar to analog and IP options, our two reference wireless cameras have built-in a spotlight. You get to enjoy both infrared and color night vision.
Best of Audio Recording
The two cameras also have a built-in microphone and speaker. They can record videos you can listen to, as well as get a two-way talk feature to communicate with your guests while away.
Best of Active Deterrence
Again, both Lorex and Night Owl have multiple features to deter potential intruders. They have a built-in siren you can activate remotely and the integrated spotlight can work well as a warning light.
Also, the two-way talk is a nice feature to deter intruders. You can shout, warn, or scream at the would-be intruder in real-time.
Best of Smart AI Detection
When we now compare Night Owl versus Lorex wireless camera motion detection, they have relatively more smart AI features than analog and IP cameras.
For instance, the Night Owl camera has not only the option to enable person-only and vehicle detection. You can also set the camera to receive alerts after the sensor captures a face of a person.
On its end, the Lorex wireless security camera has person/ animal/ vehicle/ package detection. But for some reason, the company has designed the camera such that you can’t use package detection when person, animal, and/ or vehicle detection modes are also active.
You’ll have to deactivate person/ animal/ vehicle detection to use package detection.
Best of Local Storage
Both Lorex and Night Owl are also winners here as you can use the security camera without a subscription. They have a built-in slot you can insert a MicroSD card and record locally.
The local recording option is a nice touch and you can access the recordings remotely via the app. Then the WiFi security cameras can continue to record even during WiFi outages.
Best of Smart Home Integration
If interested, the wireless cameras also support smart home integration for fun and easy control by your voice. The difference is that the Lorex camera is compatible with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant devices, whereas Night Owl only supports the latter.
Final Thoughts:
Either Lorex or Night Owl will work if you’re just looking for a decent security camera to watch your home or business space. The bullet cameras from all categories (analog, PoE, & wireless) are available with up to an 8MP sensor that records 4x clearer than the standard 1080p resolution. Then they have a weather-resistant design you can use even outdoors without having to worry about water/ dust damage.
However, Lorex will always have an upper hand from the wide array of products. And as our favorite choice, it has vandal-proof bullet cameras that have a low risk of sabotage.
The Lorex line of analog and IP cameras also have varifocal options with a motorized lens to focus on distant objects in clarity. Then the wireless WiFi cameras support even the latest WiFi 6 (802.11ax) protocol, with dual-band connectivity.