Tiandy

Tiandy IP Cameras and NVRs in South Africa

Tiandy is a Chinese surveillance manufacturer that competes directly with Hikvision and Dahua, and it is worth knowing about mainly because it undercuts both at the entry level while offering full-colour night imaging across most of the range. NeonSales carries 10 Tiandy products, from R449 for a 2MP IP camera up to R5,915 for a 10 channel PoE NVR.

What Tiandy products does NeonSales stock?

• AK Series: 2MP IP dome and bullet cameras, the entry point
• Color Maker Series: 2MP, 4MP and 5MP IP dome and bullet cameras with full colour night imaging
• Omni Spark Series: 2x2MP dual sensor camera
• NVRs: 8 channel Spark with PoE, 10 channel Lite with PoE, 20 channel Lite without PoE

What Color Maker means

Color Maker is Tiandy's full colour night vision, equivalent to Hikvision ColorVu and Dahua Full-color. A built-in warm light keeps the image in colour after dark rather than switching to black and white infrared. That matters when you need clothing colour or a number plate rather than simply knowing that something moved. The AK Series cameras are the conventional infrared alternative at a lower price.

Choosing an NVR

Note that the 20 channel unit has no built-in PoE despite being the largest, which is why it costs less than the 10 channel PoE model. If you choose it, budget for a PoE switch alongside. Buy at least two channels more than your current camera count, since expanding later means replacing the recorder.

Where Tiandy fits

Against Hikvision and Dahua, Tiandy trades brand recognition and installer familiarity for price. The hardware is capable and the feature set is comparable. The practical consideration is support: any local installer knows Hikvision and Dahua boards, and fewer know Tiandy. On a system you will maintain yourself that matters little. On one you will hand to a contractor later, it matters more.

Common questions

Dome or bullet? Domes are more discreet and harder to redirect. Bullets are easier to aim precisely and their housing shades the lens. Both are stocked in the same resolutions.

What is the Omni Spark dual sensor for? Two 2MP sensors in one housing, covering what would otherwise need two cameras, typically a wide view plus a second angle.

What resolution do I need? 2MP is adequate for general coverage. 4MP is the sensible middle ground for a new install. 5MP helps where you need to identify detail at distance, at the cost of storage.

Do I need a surveillance hard drive? Yes. A desktop drive in an NVR writing continuously will fail early. Use a SkyHawk or equivalent.

Related: CCTV · NVRs · CCTV Accessories · Hikvision · Dahua · Surveillance Drives