Buffalo TeraStation 5200 Network Video Recorder Review
by Ganesh T S on July 31, 2015 8:00 AM EST- Posted in
- NAS
- IP cameras
- Buffalo
- NVR
Miscellaneous Aspects and Final Words
Power consumption is an important factor for systems that run 24x7 like the Buffalo NVR setup. The last 2-bay NVR that we reviewed consumed more than 27 W during operation, mainly because of the 7200 RPM enterprise drives that were pre-installed. Thankfully, Buffalo uses NAS drives (WD Red in our review sample) for the NVRs that ship with disks pre-configured. During operation, we found that the number of streams that were recording to the NVR (1 or 2) didn't actually cause too much shift in the power consumption. Interestingly, the impact of accessing the archived footage using the Axis Camera Companion was also minimal. We were also curious about the power consumption numbers of the PoE switch. Our observations are summarized in the table below.
| Buffalo TeraStation 5200 NVR Setup - Power Consumption | |
| TeraStation 5200 (2x 1TB WD Red) | 18.77 W - 20.58 W |
| BSL-POE-G2105U PoE Switch (no clients) | 4.52 W - 5.2 W |
| BSL-POE-G2105U PoE Switch with 1x Axis M1054 | 8.14 W - 8.82 W |
| BSL-POE-G2105U PoE Switch with 2x Axis M1054 | 11.53 W - 12.21 W |
Power consumption numbers are very reasonable, and a definite improvement over the LenovoEMC PX2-300D. The PoE switch also manages to remain fanless, thanks to its low power consumption profile. The TeraStation 5200 NVR is a proper NAS, and it had no trouble operating in degraded mode when one of the member drives in the RAID-1 array was pulled out. The cameras continued recording to the NAS even in that state and also during the rebuild process.
Coming to the business end of the review, we see that the TeraStation 5200 NVR with two 1TB drives comes in around $770 and the PoE switch is less than $90. There are a wide variety of compatible Axis cameras to choose from. For less than $900, we get a NVR setup which can also double up as a proper x86 NAS. This is a bit on the high end, but par for the course when comparable devices such as the LenovoEMC PX2-300D are considered.
It must be noted that the TeraStation NVR seems to have been created keeping only the Axis cameras in mind. Unlike the LenovoEMC PX2-300D NVR, the TeraStation 5200 NVR doesn't come with a VMS that runs on the NAS. Instead, most of the heavy lifting in terms of user-experience is done by the Axis Camera Companion. However, the Buffalo components enable the actual installation and usage by operating without hiccups in the background.
Except for the wiring part, the rest of the setup process has been simplified to a great extent. The process is intuitive and even non-tech savvy users could probably do a self-install. For others, a detailed how-to has also been created on Spiceworks by Buffalo. Recent firmware improvements to the Axis cameras (not available for all models, but applicable to the M1054 we used in the review) have made the configuration even more user-friendly for day-to-day usage. In terms of their target market (small businesses and home consumers), we believe that the partnership between Buffalo Technologies and Axis has resulted in a compelling IP surveillance solution.
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DanNeely - Friday, July 31, 2015 - link
That looks a bit bulky for a 2 bay model, is there something extra inside using the extra space?For comparison the TeraStation 5200 is 166 x 170 x 231 mm (H x W x D) barely smaller than Synologies 4 bay DS 415+ at 165 X 203 X 233.2, and nearly twice as thick as the 215+ at 157 x 103.5 232 mm.
ganeshts - Friday, July 31, 2015 - link
The TS5200 has an inbuilt PSU - no wall wart / hanging adapter - and that accounts for the extra thickness.DanNeely - Friday, July 31, 2015 - link
Ahhh. Getting rid of a wall wart/soap on a rope PSU is a good tradeoff for a slightly larger chassis.bds71 - Friday, July 31, 2015 - link
I know this is primarily a NAS review, but would the Axis Camera and the PoE Switch be able to provide on-demand (only when movement is detected) streaming via in-house monitor or iPhone? this is more what I would be interested in as a hunter on my local property.ganeshts - Sunday, August 2, 2015 - link
Currently, the Axis Camera Companion mobile app doesn't seem to do push notification. However, if you were to use the camera with a NAS like one from Synology or QNAP (Surveillance Station package and mobile app) - what you want to get done is possible.zlandar - Saturday, August 1, 2015 - link
Compelling? Only for a computer noob incapable of putting their own system together. For $900 you could buy an i3 PC outfitted with a larger hard drive running Blue Iris. You can buy Hikvision 3MP cameras that are cheaper and run @ 30 fps.ganeshts - Sunday, August 2, 2015 - link
You do understand that this is for businesses like veterinary hospitals / shops etc. - people who don't want to or have the time to put together a surveillance system with bits and pieces from different vendors / shops. These people also want a one-stop shop for support. Why do you think programs such as the 'Axis Partner Program' under which this Buffalo NVR is qualified exist?Yes, if one has the inclination / time / technical know-how, a DIY solution is definitely going to be priced lower. There is always a trade-off, and given that $900 seems to be the price that most vendors seem to be demanding for this type of solution, it looks like the market has spoken.
zlandar - Sunday, August 2, 2015 - link
If you are making the argument that this system should cost more because it's an all-in-one setup then why not just go to Costco and buy a Lorex camera system? You can buy one for a $100 less and get a 4 camera setup:http://www.costco.com/.product.100153164.html?cm_s...
These are POE cameras that can run at 1080p @ 30fps and rated for outdoor use. The Axis cameras featured are significantly inferior.
Does a business owner who doesn't know anything about PCs care about a NAS vs a dedicated recording box like the Lorex? According to you they would not. So why pay such a premium for a NAS with two mediocre cameras?
I'm giving you a hard time because you said it's "compelling". It's overpriced IMO.
wolrah - Monday, August 3, 2015 - link
Or Ubiquiti's UniFi Video (formerly AirCam before their marketing team decided to shoehorn it in to the UniFi brand) system, which can be had with an "appliance" style controller or can be used with a homebrew type setup on basically anything that can run Java. An appliance, three cameras, and an 8 port PoE switch can be had for about $200 less than this Buffalo thing alone. The cameras include PoE injectors so if you just use those and run the controller on a pre-existing server you're under $100 per camera for 720p.ganeshts - Monday, August 3, 2015 - link
We are talking about a system that can also double up as a NAS - that is the class of products that this belongs to.IMO, the closest product that we have covered before in *this* particular category is the LenovoEMC px2-300d with an integrated VMS. That one costs around the same as this, and actually consumes more power / older Atom CPU / uses enterprise server HDDs instead of NAS drives - and that is the reason this one is more compelling.
All I am saying is that there is a market for this type of device, and there is a market for the N-channel NVR setups sold in Costco - and I am sure there is an overlap between the two (for example, those who want their NAS device to be separate from their NVR may go for the Costco NVR setup) - but, for those who belong to the former category, I still stand by the statement that the Buffalo / Axis setup is compelling for ease of setup, usage and also cost when compared to systems with similar credentials.