Businesses that push their products through advertising and marketplaces like Amazon are only interested in selling as much as possible. One of those businesses in the security camera industry is Lorex. When companies like Lorex put a focus on sales rather than providing great technical and customer service the results are predictable: unsatisfied customers. Those unsatisfied customers are not afraid to voice their experiences about Lorex.

Thinking about upgrading or replacing a Lorex system or security cameras?

Although Lorex offers low prices, the low prices are due to the level of support the company offers. Lorex’s public BBB profile speaks for itself by displaying an average review rating of 1.08 out of 5 stars collected from 201 customer reviews at the time of writing of this post. In total, they have had 415 complaints in the last 3 years; the BBB does not display complaints older than three years.

We are unsure if Lorex doesn't care about their reputation or they feel they are too big to fail. It is a shame their customers feel they must resort to a third party website like the BBB to get support from the company they purchased from. The reviews and complaints provide a great reference for anyone who is already fed up with Lorex and considering moving away from Lorex for their security camera needs.

Why are customers complaining about Lorex?

Examples from the BBB profile focus on frustrating back and forth exchanges with Lorex’s phone and email support. Based on some reviews the calls involve customers being transferred between multiple employees who are equally clueless about the security cameras and systems they sell. It’s easy to get customers to buy products with flashy marketing and low prices, however it’s not so easy to support those customers when they have a problem. Speaking from our own personal experience no one likes to be handed off over and over and never receive a solution. Here’s a perfect example of a tech support complaint right from their BBB reviews.

An example complaint about Lorex on their BBB profile

How to replace a Lorex DVR or NVR

One of the first steps to moving away from Lorex and their lackluster customer service is to replace the brain of the system, the security camera recorder. Replacing a DVR or NVR is easy. Most Lorex systems are directly replaceable with a recorder from CCTV Camera World. Our easy to use remote viewing apps and PC software are included for free with the purchase of one of our security camera recorders.

To ensure our technicians suggest the best possible replacement for your Lorex recorder please provide the following information.

  1. The model number of the Lorex DVR or NVR
  2. A picture of the front and back of the recorder
  3. A picture of the main menu interface displayed on a monitor or TV connected to the recorder

How to replace Lorex Security Cameras

Replacing security cameras can be difficult because there are so many options to choose from. Whether you are replacing IP Cameras, or HD Security Cameras over Coax, it’s important to understand which cameras you need. IP cameras (also called PoE cameras) use Ethernet cable or computer networking cable to send video to a NVR. HD security cameras (also called MPX cameras by Lorex) transmit video over Siamese coax cable to a DVR. Below we describe the information our techs will need to make the best recommendations to replace Lorex security cameras.

Below is a diagram of some of Lorex's series and our suggestions for replacements.

Easy suggestions for replacing Lorex

How to replace Lorex PoE IP Cameras

PoE Security cameras always have concerns about compatibility due to differences in software and firmware. Lorex sells various generations of cameras with different firmware versions. Whether you’re upgrading or replacing Lorex cameras without replacing your NVR, or purchasing a brand new system our techs will need the following information about the cameras to suggest the best replacements.

  1. The model number of the NVR
  2. Pictures of the front and back of the NVR
  3. A picture of the camera registration or camera list page in the NVR’s settings

How to replace Lorex HD Coax and analog cameras

Compatibility issues are no stranger to Analog HD security camera technology either. HD Coax cameras use varying signal types to send video that are sometimes not interchangeable. The camera resolutions supported by the DVR are also extremely important to understand.

For a brief period of time Lorex sold systems that used the HD-SDI signal type. HD-SDI is no longer supported by most major security camera manufacturers and suppliers. If you have any SDI equipment it is a great idea to replace any cameras or DVRs as soon as possible.

Suggesting compatible replacement security cameras is tough without knowing the signals and resolutions a DVR supports. For our techs to recommend HD coax security cameras please provide the following information.

  1. The model number of the DVR and the brand if it is not Lorex
  2. A picture of the front and back of the DVR
  3. A picture of the software on a monitor or TV showing the main menu or system information
  4. Pictures of the Encoding or signal settings for the cameras you want to replace

If the DVR no longer powers on, or you’re unable to get the above information for the DVR then the information from the cameras will be useful for our techs to make recommendations.

  1. The model number of the Lorex camera(s)
  2. Pictures of the Lorex camera(s)

Once you’ve gathered all of the required information for the equipment you want to replace, reach out to our tech support department using the support form here.

Why buy from CCTV Camera World?

CCTV Camera World offers top of the line products and support to back those products up. We have knowledgeable technicians who live in the USA, and who work over the phone or email to provide proven solutions to our customers. Our support is based on our professionally produced articles and videos made right here in the USA. If there is not a guide or video for a pressing issue then our team will create one within 72 hours. We provide email support with response times within 15 minutes to an hour. If you need hands-on help because you don't have the time to learn new things or just want us to help you maintain your system, paid support is readily available here.

Matt Rossi is a Technical Support Manager at CCTV Camera World, a leading CCTV Camera distributor located in Buffalo, NY. He is a technical support expert for everything video surveillance related.

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