Rino's efficiency and speed are second to none.
I needed to install cameras urgently. I called a couple of small companies, as well as one big company, to find out how quickly they can move on with my project, and to get an overall impression of their customer service.
Here is my experience with a big competitor company: I was put through a very, very, very lengthy questionnaire. I tried, a few times, to repeat my enquiry, which was how quickly they can install cameras. Their response was that they will not answer until after I complete their questionnaire, which seemed was geared towards collecting data about me and what other potential products/services they might sell me. At the end of this lengthy questionnaire, they told me they will forward my contact information to yet another specialist, who was away in the field, but was supposed to call me when he becomes available. I do not remember if anyone called back. This was my experience with a very big company.
I also spoke to a couple of small companies, and had a better experience with them, and actually scheduled an appointment with one of these companies. They could not come right away, so I had to wait a few days.
As I was waiting, I decided to call New Age Group. Their assistant immediately transferred me to their CEO, Rino, who was able to identify my needs within a matter of a few minutes. As we were still on the phone, Rino googled my property and created a mock design of where he would install cameras, and e-mailed me. Then he walked me through various camera options, pros and cons, and the cost. This was all within a few minutes after I called New Age Group.
Rino's efficiency and speed are hard to match. As I got to know other people in the company (Phil, Joe, Vanessa, Mohammad, Doug), it became clear that all of them operate in the same efficient and customer-focused manner as their CEO, Rino.
Technicians were scheduled to install cameras within a matter of days. Phil, Joe, and Doug were very kind, polite, and hard working. As we moved on with the project very fast, they did not have particular cameras in stock, and had to ship them from the USA. Unexpectedly, cameras were delayed at the customs. To solve this unexpected delay, Rino installed temporary cameras for me, which were then replaced with permanent cameras a few days later.
Within a matter of days, I had my cameras up and running, and the software was installed so I could take still shots and record videos from my cameras. I was very impressed, and very grateful.
The biggest challenge for me, personally, was that I did not own proper technology, and had to revisit the project a few times, so that I could either upgrade existing technology, or find some ways around. This was not the fault of The New Age Group, though.
If anyone decides to go ahead with a similar project, you might take into consideration the following:
1. If you are planning to take still images and/or video recordings from your camera (e.g., to provide footage to authorities), invest in a good computer. If you have a very basic $300-$400 computer, it might start freezing when you are streaming your cameras to the computer, and you also might not be able to use other programs at the same time as you are streaming cameras. For example, I was getting a message that my computer was running at CPU100%, so I could not even open a Word document while my cameras were streaming.
2. If you are on a budget, you can still get away with a basic computer, but you might be able to stream only 1 or 2 cameras at a time. Let’s say, you have several cameras installed, but you stream only select camera(s) on your computer. The software allows you to pick and choose what cameras to show on a computer display. You can adjust this yourself, takes a few seconds to do.
3. Some computers are sold with a video card installed (e.g., NVIDIA), which makes images more vivid. If you are on a budget, you do not need this card.
4. You can also stream cameras and do a playback on a smart phone, but I found that the telephone was much slower than the computer, creating lag time and, sometimes, freezing. If you need to do playback, it is much faster and easier to use a computer than a smart phone.
5. If you do not care about playback, and just want to stream your cameras, you do not need a computer. You can either stream to a smart TV (it needs to have HDMI ports), or to a monitor. You can purchase your own monitor, or New Age also carries them. They can connect all your equipment at a separate cost.
6. If you want to be able to view your cameras remotely on a smart phone, you might need to upgrade your telephone plan. Also, in my case, I learned that if I were to buy a new phone, my service provider, a very big company, would have discontinued my existing plan.
7. I tried to view my cameras on my smart phone remotely from a couple of different coffee shops, using their WiFi. Internet connection at the coffee shops was very slow. In one coffee shop, it took me a few minutes to load my cameras remotely, and in the other coffee shop I could not connect at all, but was able to load regular internet pages. I did not have any issues using my WiFi at home to stream to my smart phone. I have unlimited internet at home.
8. You might be able to stream your cameras on an iPad. Talk to New Age Group to confirm.
9. Also, I bought a Tablet (Android 4.4 Kit Kat), and tried to download a video streaming software on my Tablet, and received a message that the software was not compatible with my device. I was able to install another software on my tablet, but it was not compatible with the New Age’s DVR. You need to use the software that New Age recommends, so it is compatible with their DVR, which means you might not be able to use some of your devices (e.g., tablets, possibly phones), if they are not compatible. Talk to New Age Group, as they have tested a number of devices.
10. Another thing I learned is, do not try to install software yourself, or you might infect your computer inadvertently, which was what happened to me. Let their IT specialist, Mohammed, install the software for you. He can do this remotely, or he can guide you on the phone. This is already included in the installation price, up to a certain number of devices, if you do it on the same day as you are installing cameras.
11. A couple other issues with the software: If you decide to save footage from you camera to your computer (e.g., to provide to authorities), the file is saved as MP4. Windows Media Player cannot play this format, so you’ll need another software installed, e.g., VLC Player. However, on my computer, VLC Player did not work properly due to codec issues, and we needed to install another software, which worked initially as it was compatible with my McAfee, but when McAfee expired and I installed Norton, it did not like my player software and actually deleted it from the computer.
12. One other thing you might want to consider is upgrading to unlimited internet, depending on how much you will be streaming your cameras.
If you decide to proceed with another installer, chances are you will have the same technical points to consider, e.g., upgrade your computer, upgrade your internet, buy a monitor or a smart tv, etc. You need to budget for these extra expenses. If you have lead time, talk to New Age Group to determine what technology you need. Their IT specialist, Mohammad, is very helpful and patient, and Rino can also advise you on technology.
If you are in an emergency, you can still have Age Group install their cameras (and their monitors, if you want), and then you figure out the rest of technology afterwards (e.g., upgrade to a more powerful computer, buy a new phone and data plan, upgrade to an unlimited internet, etc.). You might even be able to use your current $300-$400 computer, but stream only one camera at a time, as computer might freeze otherwise. However, figuring out technology after the fact takes an effort, it is much easier if you plan all technology/devices ahead of time.
Overall, New Age Group was the most efficient in installing cameras on a very short notice, and I had an emergency. Cameras, definitely, gave me more peace of mind. I am very grateful.
Dee in Richmond Hill
