Eight channels is the best-selling format – and for good reason: it covers an entire home or business with enough leeway to add cameras without replacing everything.
What is it used for?
A four-sided house is properly covered with four to six cameras: entrances, driveway, garden. A business requires coverage for the till, storeroom, entrance, and sales floor. In both cases, an 8-channel system leaves two free spots.
PoE: how many ports?
Be careful not to confuse channels and PoE ports. An "8-channel 4 PoE" records eight cameras but only powers four – the others require a switch or separate power supply. Also check the total PoE budget in watts, not just the number of ports: a camera consumes 5 to 12 W, more if it is motorized or has hybrid lighting.
WizSense
WizSense models feature AI analysis: person and vehicle detection, line crossing, zone intrusion. In practice, this filters out unnecessary alerts and makes searching archives much faster – instead of scrolling through six hours of footage, you filter by "person".
Storage
Approximately 4 TB for eight 4 MP cameras over one week continuously, 12 TB for one month. Models with two bays allow for extended retention time or mirrored disks.