Released in 2021, the Uniview Tri-Guard series was a welcome addition to the security camera market. It offered many functions – including two-way audio, human & vehicle detection, and a powerful white LED for lighting up dark places.
This camera also had a feature called ‘Active Deterrence’ which allowed it to flash LED lights and give a loudspeaker warning when someone entered the detection area. For this reason, it was a popular choice for construction, car dealerships, and front driveways.
New Tri-Guard 2.0 Series – Better in Every Way
While the Tri-Guard cameras offered great performance and features at a competitive price, it was lacking in a couple areas. Most notably, the night performance was not as good compared to the Uniview ColorHunter series – there was a possibility of ghosting or noise in low-light scenarios. Also, the speaker was not loud enough for some applications; especially at distances more than 30ft (10m).
Fast-forward three years and the new Tri-Guard 2.0 series has just been released worldwide! These cameras improve upon the previous generation in every way, including:
- Improved light sensitivity due to large F1.0 aperture (2.56x better than previous series)
- Upgraded powerful 3W speaker for louder and clearer sound
- Added a red & blue strobe light, which is more noticeable than white light
- Upgraded image processing chip for better clarity of motion
- Added alarm I/O & audio I/O for connectivity with external speakers, alarm panel, siren, etc.
Should You Upgrade from the Previous Tri-Guard Cameras?
If you already have Tri-Guard cameras, you may be wondering if it’s worth upgrading. After all, there have been a lot of improvements with version 2.0 – but does it make sense to replace a perfectly functional camera?
First off, if you’re not satisfied with the performance of your cameras at night, then you should consider upgrading. Tri-Guard 2.0 cameras have a large F1.0 aperture, which puts them on par with the Uniview ColorHunter cameras. You’ll notice less noise, less ghosting, and overall clearer video of people and vehicles at night.
Also, if you’re protecting high-valuable assets, the added red & blue strobe lights could be a useful addition to your camera system. They are more noticeable than the previous white flashing lights – especially during foggy or rainy weather. Any potential intruders will know right away they are being monitored, causing them to think twice before scoping out your property.
However, if you’re happy with the performance of your current cameras then there’s no reason to rush out and buy the new Tri-Guard 2.0 series. You can wait until something better comes out, or one of your cameras starts to fail, before replacing them.
Slightly Larger – Requires a Different Junction Box
If you are mounting Tri-Guard 2.0 cameras on the exterior of a building, you’ll need to use the TR-JB03-H-IN or TR-WM03-B-IN junction boxes. These are slightly wider than the mounting boxes for the previous generation of Tri-Guard cameras.
If the cameras are mounted indoors on a drop ceiling, or underneath the soffit of a house, you can skip buying the junction boxes. Of course, we recommend asking a professional installer since they may have a different opinion.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the Tri-Guard 2.0 cameras are an upgrade over the previous generation when it comes to image quality, active deterrence features, and speaker output. We look forward to seeing them installed out in the field – and we hope they will be appreciated by both installers and end-users.
If you’re looking to buy these cameras, you can click one of the buttons below. Our company (XLR Security) is an authorized distributor for Uniview. We ship across Canada and the United States, and offer local pickup options.
Shop Uniview Tri-Guard Series (5MP and 8MP)
IPC3635SS-ADF28KMC-I1 (5MP Tri-Guard 2.0)
IPC3638SS-ADF28KMC-I1 (8MP Tri-Guard 2.0)
