Lorex vs. Backstreet
Nov. 2022
The FCC Acts! Lorex is put on the chopping block, Dahua and Hikvision on the run. The slow-motion train wrecked the 2019 NDAA Law and started approaching its crash site. Many people started questioning, “Is Lorex banned in the US?”
The actions of the FCC are quite decisive: no more FCC licenses for new electronics produced from Hikvision or Dahua-Lorex. In response, Dahua sells Lorex the same day! The impact of this decision is a devastating blow for these companies: Lorex and Hikvision cameras banned in US. All they can do now is sell and support existing licensed equipment, cameras and NVRs.
No new up-grades, no new equipment, only legacy system support if it's profitable, but in our opinion it's only a matter of time before they are forced to abandon the USA market completely. In reaction to the FCC actions, Dahua sold off their Lorex store-front to a Taiwan company, a company that is not associated with the NDAA ban; this preserves the Lorex store-front so another Asian supplier can have their turn dumping electronics into the US market!
List of banned security cameras in the USA
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Huawei
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Dahua
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Hytera
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ZTE
Let's recap “Why was Lorex banned?” and “How did we get here?”
- It was brought to our government's attention around 2018 that an extensively used CCTV video chip was equipped with a very sophisticated remote backdoor access that was completely undetectable.
- The problem was the video chips that were compromised were produced by Huawei and offered some of the best 4K resolution on the market. They were extensively used by brands such as Hikvision and Dahua. Because these brands are large manufacturing companies and have thousands of engineers in their development departments, it was assumed they had knowledge of the backdoor access.
- So, our government acted with the 2019 NDAA Law. They banned the use of all products produced by Huawei, Dahua, or Hikvision in any federal facilities, and many state governments immediately took the same stance. However, this law did not stop the companies from selling the compromised chips to the US general public. So, these brands continued to take large shares of the US market, transferring our wealth to China and destroying the possibility of manufacturing any cameras in the USA.
US Government Bans Hikvison/Dahua Security Cameras
- The FCC jumps on board. In June 2021, they unanimously voted to start procedures to ban the sale of these brands to the general public by denying FCC approval to new products.
- November 2022, the FCC finally acted and started enforcing the ban on new licenses for any products these manufacturers produce.
What does the future look like for US customers?
Security and surveillance electronics evolve quickly; products do not stay on the market for the past three years on average. Constant updates, revisions, and new models are forced onto the market because it's the same migration the component-level manufacturers follow. It means all those Hikvison and Dahua systems installed across this country are now frozen in time.
Maintenance and replacement of the systems is the only option. The risk with maintaining the system is guessing how long these suppliers will support them. It's a dead market for them; as current models go out of production, the replacement options will dwindle until it's unsustainable to provide service. It could easily happen within one to two years.
Lorex gets dropped like a Hot Potato!
What can we say about a company that has 4 different owners in 8 years? Seems strange, right? Not so strange if you understand what Lorex is. Lorex Chinese Company is the next Asian manufacturer storefront in the US market. Lorex's operations are located in Canada, from where they market into the US.
They make big deals with big box stores while they artificially suppress security industry prices. The reality is they are NOT an American-based company, and other than artificially low prices, the US consumer does not benefit at all. When you purchase from them, it is a 100% transfer of wealth to the foreign manufacturer who owns them.
All their customer support services are located in other countries, and they do not maintain facilities in the US, with the exception of one product return location. They are the premier "western store front" for any Chinese, or Taiwan manufacturer that wants direct access to the US market. From our point of view, Lorex is just a storefront for Chinese dumping into the US security market.
Since Lorex was 100% owned by Dahua and now Dahua is banned from the US market, what good is their western-branded storefront? You might as well sell it off to the highest bidder, and that is exactly what Dahua did. On the exact same day the FCC announced the ban on new Dahua products, they sold Lorex to SkyWatch, located in Taipei, Taiwan. It effectively saves Lorex from the electronics company trash bin and lets the "smoke and mirrors" marketing start all over again.
What impact will this have on the US security industry?
Now that you know "why was Lorex banned in US?" It's time to understand its impact on the US security market.
These three companies, Dahua, Hikvision, and Lorex, are the main security camera brands that are banned in the US. These companies have artificially suppressed fair market prices to the extent US companies could not compete; our government calls this "dumping".
Since these companies could easily constitute 50% or more of all the professional security cameras sold in the US, there are huge opportunities for USA-based security companies that focus on supporting and migrating Dahua and Hikvision systems to new NDAA-approved equipment.
Most system migrations can be cost-effective. The existing cabling can be utilized; simply replace the cameras and recorder, then download a new secure app onto your devices, and you're done. All our equipment is and always has been 100% NDAA compliant. This is backed by our award-winning USA-based free-for-life technical support department.
All our equipment is and always has been 100% NDAA complaint. And backed with our award winning USA Based free for life technical support department.
The Industry's Longest Warranty
A manufacturer's warranty period is a direct indication of a product's quality and the expected lifespan of the equipment. If a manufacturer only warrants their equipment for 1-2 years, a consumer can expect it to last 3-4 years. However, when a supplier offers a higher-quality product, they confidently extend the warranty period. Our extended warranty is a testament to the superior quality of our equipment. With a 5-year warranty, we demonstrate our confidence that our equipment will consistently perform well beyond 10 years. After all, who wants to go through the hassle and expense of changing their camera surveillance system every few years?
(CS2Wifi) Wifi Surveillance Camera- · WIFI / PoE Bullet Camera
- · Human Body Detection
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(Pro2Way) Indoor Wifi IP Pet & Nanny Camera with Two-way Audio- - Live Viewing & Motion Alerts
- - IP Wifi - Requires Power
- - Built-in Microphone & Speaker
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(Pro60VW) 3K Turret Vandal Dome, 3.6mm Wide Angle- - Active Deterrence, 2-way Audio
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(Pro60VB) 3K Turret Vandal Dome, 3.6mm Wide Angle- - Active Deterrence, 2-way Audio
- - Siren & Alarm Lights
- - Wide Angle Lens 3.6mm
- - 60ft COLOR Night Vision
$199.00
Oct 5th, 2021
One of the most common questions we are asked "What is the difference between Lorex & Backstreet?" We'll do our best to explain.
Lorex is located in Canada and owned by a Chinese manufacturer called Dahua. Lorex is the marketing store front for this 100% Chinese owned company. They market into the USA from Canada. Not having physical locations in the USA allows them to undercut all USA-based suppliers and forces prices into a false discount level that substantially impacts USA jobs and the US security market; our government calls this “dumping”.
Company
When you purchase a Lorex system, some of your investment is dropped off in Canada but the majority of your investment ends up in China forever. It is a true and permanent transfer of wealth.
Backstreet is USA owned and operated, we market and support customers nationwide from Salt Lake City, Utah. Unfortunately no company manufactures security cameras 100% in the USA, but when you buy a Backstreet product over 75% of your investment stays in the USA supporting American jobs.
Lorex vs Backstreet: Complete Overview
One of the most common questions we are asked is: "What is the difference between Lorex & Backstreet?" We'll do our best to explain.
Let's start with "Who owns Lorex security cameras?"
Lorex is located in Canada and is owned by a Chinese manufacturer called Dahua. Lorex is the marketing storefront for this 100% Chinese-owned company. They market into the USA from Canada. Not having physical locations in the USA allows them to undercut all USA-based suppliers and forces prices into a false discount level that substantially impacts US jobs and the US security market.
When you purchase a Lorex system, some of your investment is dropped off in Canada, but the majority of your investment ends up in China forever. It is a true and permanent transfer of wealth.
Backstreet is USA-owned and operated; we market and support customers nationwide from Salt Lake City, Utah. Unfortunately, no company manufactures security cameras 100% in the USA, but when you buy a Backstreet product, over 75% of your investment stays in the USA, supporting American jobs.
Support
Lorex contracts their technical support to outsourced customer service reps in foreign countries who use prewritten scripts to support their customer's technical issues. Lorex might be the right choice for you, but please give them a call before you buy and confirm you are comfortable with the support you will receive.
Backstreet’s USA-based technical support representatives are trained on our products and have advanced skills in troubleshooting issues based on the input from the customer, not from prewritten scripts. It allows us to identify issues and find appropriate solutions quickly without wasting the customer’s time. We offer this free support service for the entire life of the product. Give us a call. We would love to speak with you.
Warranty
We believe a warranty period is a direct indicator of the quality of the product. Lorex offers a 1-year warranty. All purchases from Backstreet are covered under our complete 5-year warranty - the longest in the industry!
Why can we more than triple the warranty period compared to our competitors? It’s our quality; we engineer our equipment to last and select only quality components. We use metal housings that meet and even exceed the extreme weather ratings of the national standard IP67. Simply put, our equipment is built to last.
The data is in! Over the last decade, we have monitored warranty costs/replacements, and we could not be more proud of our equipment's performance. The results are so positive that we are now offering customers the ability to extend their warranty to 10 years!
The Industry's Longest Warranty
A manufacturer's warranty period is a direct indication of the quality of the product and the manufacturer's expected lifespan of the equipment. If a manufacturer only warrants their equipment for 1-2 years, a consumer can expect it to last 3-4 years. However, when a supplier offers a higher quality product, they confidently extend the warranty period. Our extended warranty is a testament to the superior quality of our equipment. With a 5-year warranty, we demonstrate our confidence, as our equipment consistently performs well beyond 10 years. After all, who wants to go through the hassle and expense of changing their camera system every few years?
Dahua-Lorex & Hikvision Products Banned by US Government
Are you still doubting, "Is Lorex banned in the US?"
The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) made it official and voted unanimously to stop the sale of all future products from Lorex and Hikvision by denying them new FCC licenses. While the NDAA 2019 law banned these companies from being used in government facilities, this action now makes it illegal for them to sell new products into any US market.
Supporting News Articles
Retail Giants Pull Lorex Off the Shelves
In 2019, the US government banned the use of Dahua, Hikvision, and Montavue security cameras in federal facilities. In June 2021, the FCC unanimously voted to start procedures to ban the sale of these brands to the general public by denying new products FCC approval.
The proposed measure bans equipment from these companies by denying FCC licenses to sell new products in the United States. The FCC is also considering including all existing equipment from these companies. While this FCC action has not yet been ratified, it is likely to become law soon. Without the FCC license, it is illegal to sell or install this equipment in the United States.
In 2018, Dahua purchased Lorex outright and owned 100% of the company. According to the CEO of Lorex, the law does not apply to them; however, if you read the law, it's clear all subsidiaries and companies offering products from these suppliers are included in the ban.
Security Sales & Integration News: 2018 Dauha buys Lorex for $29 Million
How do you know you are buying equipment that is approved and secure? Only buy equipment that states it is NDAA compliant.
And if you are thinking, “Which security cameras are not made in China?” Backstreet is the answer.
All the equipment in our ProVue & Cyber Secure Series is NDAA compliant.
Supporting News Articles
