Best Security & Surveillance Installation Services
Camera SPEC. Two-way audio - The camera has a built-in mic so that you can talk and listen through the Zmodo app anywhere and anytime, making it feel like you never left home. Receive motion alerts - This WiFi camera will send push notification alerts to your smartphone when motion is detected so you will know what’s happening immediately. Always stay connected to your home by remote monitoring through the mobile Zmodo app for iOS and Android or via Internet browser on user.zmodo.com.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I initially purchased a 3-pack, and after testing them for a couple weeks, I decided to get another set. It took me about 10 minutes to set up the first 3 that I got, not counting the time I spent positioning and mounting the cameras. One last bit of advice I would offer, is that you might want to consider purchasing an aftermarket power cord. The cords that come with it are fine, but I bought a set of 3 10ft USB to micro USB cables in order to have more flexibility about where the cameras were placed in relation to the power source, and conceal the cord more effectively."
"My only complaint is zmodo say you’ll get free 24 hour recording playback if you don’t have the cloud based recording playback but there is no 24 hours recording playback."
"Stunning HD image, easiest app of the 3 I have tried, and a very compact nice looking camera."
"They do what they say, you can monitor them via the Zmodo App on your phone or PC, but the quality is not good at all. First let me say that I have worked in IT for almost 15 years and I always setup my own home networks, cable equipment, etc. This involves connecting to an AdHoc wifi network the camera creates when in Setup mode. After a lot of research and some fairly obscure forum finds, I saw a recommendation for another Zmodo camera model from a user who was using an iPhone 6 and having similar problems. The next issue; Image Quality. Now I finally have my two cameras setup sort of caddy-corner to cover a large room. Now, if I hadn't gone back and read the support docs, I would probably have never guessed that meant "Low Definition." Unfortunately, it seems that LD is the default option (to save on mobile data) and you have to toggle HD every time you access the cameras. From my research, that seems to be impossible without some serious reverse engineering (there is a project out there a guy is working on to grab images from these cameras outside the Zmodo world). Then, there's a security concern... Out of the box, these devices were running an older version of the firmware. With that version, once I got them on my network I discovered they had several ports open by default: 23 (Telnet). 80 (Web Interface). 8000 (Video Interface). 9000 (Mobile Video). The troubling thing is that in all my digging through the web, I could not locate any solid info on what the default telnet admin password could be. I DID find that some Zmodo cameras have a telnet account for root that is passwordless!! But, and this is a HUGE But, the default seems to always be Low Definition, including the alert images that are captured. For that reason, these will most likely be delegated to the box of toys that won't get used for any serious security setup. In the attached photos, you will see a screenshot I took from the phone while viewing in LD and HD mode. Lastly you will see the example "video" I captured form my phone while reviewing a motion even in the Zmodo app."
"I've had these for a while and the one time I needed it the most it failed me wow it's quite astonishing.The notification i recieved was after they had ransacked my house n manage 2 get a 43 in vizio wireless t.v..."
-5MP TVI(2560x1944P 12.5FPS) test, 5MP AHD(2560x1944P 12.5FPS) test, 4MP CVI(2560x1440P 25F/30F) test, 3G-SDI/HD-SDI/EX-SDI test(1080P 25/30/50/60fps). -Digital Multimeter :DC and AC voltage measurement, Resistance measurement, Continuity test, Diode measurements, Capacitance measurement. -Optical power meter: for optical power testing and Fiber link loss relative measurement. -Visual fault locator : Emit red laser sources to test multi-mode and single mode fiber’s bending and breakage, test range 10KM. -TDR cable test: BNC cable, network cable, telephone cable, RVV cable and elevator cable, cat 5/6 cable’s length and short circuit. Rapid Onvif, auto login and view video, creating testing report. PoE power output.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"problem with axis camera not displaying was due to the fact that when you change the default user name and password for the camera, its is not recognized by Onvif, because that information has been deleted. you have to log into camera using your web browser and in the camera settings you look for the Onvif settings and create a new profile using your new camera user name and password."
"For my business doing security cameras and IT work this is one of my best tools to have well worth the investment.."
"Used with my EZVIZ 1080p cameras with a 100ft run of cat5e cable."
"Excellent product and will buy again."
"Worked Great."
"Very pleased with the product."
Intelligent recording - Intelligent recording mode will allow you to save space on your hard drive, recording at fewer frames per second when no motion is detected and at maximum frames per second during motion.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Hooked up a wireless mouse to make viewing options from big screen TV so much more pleasant. Phone access works great for me as does motion notifications really not hard setting up if your tech savvy."
"System is super easy to install and unbelievable ease of use."
"Great for the price, pretty effective, two hours to install four cameras."
"I don't really record stuff, but if needed you can easily do so by tapping a button in the companion app. Since cameras not wireless, they work pretty well throughout the day as long as they plugged into power, another great thing I don't have to worry about recharging/replacing batteries. I'm giving this set 5 stars only because the hardware didn't fail so far and the price is a bargain."
"I have not used much (have not had time to run cables for permanent set up, but I have played with and moved cameras around to check out."
"The only thing that I wish was different is that there is no instructions included and I wish you could do a double split screen."
"I opted for the 1tb hard drive because I couldn't afford the cloud service for 5 cameras (I bought and extra one). I can hit record and record onto the hard drive and when there is an alert it automatically records in 1 minute increments."
"Three of the four cameras that arrived had condensation in the lenses so that the picture they record is cloudy at best, and extremely unreliable as a security camera."
Best Surveillance & Security Cameras
The Nest Cam Outdoor is the perfect addition to any home. SECURITY HAS NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD: The Nest Cam Outdoor is here to help set your mind at ease. Nest Cam Outdoor is beautiful, weatherproof, and it plugs into power, so you never have to worry about dead batteries. Whether you're watching for the kids to get home from school, checking to see if your package has arrived, or scaring off a potential burglar, Nest Cam Outdoor is here to help! Nest Cam looks for motion and listens for loud sounds, like a boom or the crash from a window breaking.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Had a Christmas package stolen form my driveway, because of the camera we were able to identify the license plate and the thief which ultimately resulted in his arrest."
"We've had occasional situations where a camera has gone offline, but I attribute that to a flaky WiFi signal and not necessarily the camera. Regarding the Nest video recording service, we pay the monthly fee for all of our cameras. In the simplest of installations, you'd mount your camera in the desired location and then run the cord to an outdoor power outlet, securing the cord along the way with the included clips. I wanted to use this wiring so I was able to use a power over ethernet (POE) splitter and injector (bought on Amazon) to run power to the camera and then connected the splitter to the camera's power cable using a USB adapter. Because the cable is permanently attached to the camera itself (which isn't inherently a bad thing, and probably has to do with waterproofing), installations like mine which don't require the cable to span a long distance to connect to power end up with a long mess of extra cord. Aside from the physical installation, Nest makes it simple to connect and configure the camera to your home wifi. Using the app you can view your camera's live feed, view past motion events (still images if you don't subscribe to the Nest Aware service to record your video), configure settings like night vision, sound, etc., as well as turn the camera off and on (if you ever need to)."
"You will either get too many annoying alerts that aren't important or basically no alerts. You get (Some) snapshots of alerts. (This means you're probably going to get a lot of annoying alerts that don't matter to you, or you can basically not get any alerts). Since you only have picture snapshots, a lot of alerts won't even have anything in the picture because the motion detected it too late."
"The problem is that they only offer 2 cloud storage option subscriptions to store your history with their Nest Aware cloud storage offering. Here is the break-down: Currently as of 10/24/2016: 1) 10 day - $100 per year per camera with a $50 discount for each additional camera. So for me - that would be $300 / year - to store 10 days of history for 5 of my cameras. OR - They also have: 2) 30 day - $300 per year / camera with a discount 50% discount per camera ($150 per year). This is ridiculous for home consumers who want simple home security. Nest - please make a subscription option for home security for owners to choose how much storage they want or offer and entry level package to store 1 or 2 days storage at a reasonable price."
Best Surveillance Accessories
Reliable Wi-Fi connectivity to access your camera with YI Home App on mobile device, and YI Home App on PC at anytime, anywhere. YI Home App allows you to customize your settings according to your preferences: defined activity regions, camera sharing, customize alert schedules, and more.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If you read other reviews that complain of 6 second clips, I assure you, all you need to do is click on "view full clip". I am uploading a video that shows a stranger looking in my mailbox in the middle of the night. So long as the night vision is turned off."
"Collects data, passwords, browsing history, time spent on websites unrelated to the company, etc... it states that they collect information ,including browsing history, passwords, etc..., and stores the info on the servers."
"It states that YI server can record you and your family in your home for up to 6 seconds at a time and can share the videos too."
"Got these cameras a few weeks ago, two of them..Really liked these cameras, worked very well and would have given them 5 stars.. until the latest firmware update. Update 9/1/2016 They have still not released any new firmware since the broken 201604071151 firmware to resolve the quality issue, they seem have have dropped any development or support of this camera and only are supporting their newer YI Home camera 2 and the new pan tilt."
"Would be an excellent camera if it were customizable (it's not)."
"Not sure why AMAZON allows such products to be sold in US since it directly violates basic privacy of its customers, but these details are not initially disclosed when we bought these cameras."
"Deal breaker for me."
""By using the App, you authorize the collection of information about you, your use of the App, the device on which the App is installed, any cameras you have connected to the App, and the use, transmission, processing, and storing of information as described in XiaoYi’s Privacy Policy (located at http://www.weareyi.com).""
Best Complete Surveillance Systems
Arlo Pro is a 100% wire-free indoor/outdoor security camera with rechargeable batteries and audio and can be added to any Arlo base station system. Weather-resistant - Arlo Pro cameras are Weather-resistant so you can place them anywhere-indoors and out.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I had some locations outside far from power outlets where I wanted surveillance, purchased and Arlo Pro system for this coverage. The image quality is slightly poorer, but the functionality is easier, there is free cloud recording, the app interface is cleaner, and the wireless feature means I can place these in spots the others can't go. Works out of the box, recent app update lets you scroll through video feed in time-lapse fashion. A small hiccup in that a recent app update seemed to wipe camera settings, but afterward everything else has been fine. From personal experience I will say the cost doesn't sound so bad at first, but after 3 years of paying it I'm realizing using Nest cameras has become a multiple thousand dollar system for us. No cloud option; SD card stores video locally, app on phone allows you to view feed in real time. In my experience, Samsung's zoom is crisper and its night vision is superior than Nest. Night vision is on par with Nest, but if you buy the Arlo Pro skins (sold separately), they actually reflect off the IR in the corners of the screen and wash out the image. If you use it to monitor & talk to a baby or pet, the lag is considerable and you cannot hear yourself on the other end. Fantastic audio quality, and it's true two-way so both sides can speak and hear each other at the same time (like a cell phone). Samsung Smartcam can also double as a baby monitor by playing lullaby music and a few other songs. I used to have a Nest cam in my detached garage but I had to bring it back in the house as it was dropping signal multiple times per day. But it has worked every time I've called on it, connects fast, doesn't drop video for me, and is currently located farther from my router than my Nest cams. And in this winter's 30 degree weather, my Arlo Pro cameras had no problems recording clips while my outdoor Nest cam fell offline several times. Recording sometimes takes too long to start (i.e. 2-3 seconds after motion first detected), which means I get a lot of clips where I see the tail end of something moving across the screen. I have the cameras perpendicular to the area they are monitoring so objects go across the screen, if you use them head-on the motion sensing is poor. For me, the positives easily outweigh the negatives: Ease of use, everything working out of the box, and the wireless capability is a combination of features the other systems don't have. If you're still on the fence, the one thing I'd circle back to are Nest cam's long term costs for cloud storage. UPDATE: Less than a month into ownership, some of the shine has come off the Netgear Arlo Pro. None of these issues started until after a week or two after deployment, the cameras worked well out of the box but began to show warts soon after. The biggest disappoint has been Netgear tech support, they never did help me and left my trouble ticket with the answer that a new app will be coming out soon and that should resolve things. When the cameras record video clips, I get large green stripes blocking the field of view. During the Spring and Summer we had no green blotches and the cameras properly reported power levels. If the cameras make it through the winter without doing the green blotch thing and I can pull up the feed on command, I'll raise the rating again. I do like the system, the app and cameras, but the niggling issues (and the fact it still doesn't pick up everything) have kept it from being a five star product."
"I bought this system because I wanted to hang cameras outside of my house so that I can see what's going on when I'm not home and so my wife can feel safer. I have 4 cameras all together, and 3 of them are attached to trees outside, the 4th is outside, but attached to the house. The camera sends you an alert, almost immediately (which I love) when it detects motion. I was looking at the camera image in real time and when I saw one of my cats in the backyard I was able to tell her where he was and she was able to retrieve him. That being said, I have lots of trees near my house, and even with pruning branches, I still get so many alerts when it's windy that I tend to turn off the cameras until it gets less windy. Also, I had to work on placement of the cameras so that I don't get an alert every time a car drove by my house. For me to get on a ladder, unscrew the camera from the mount on the tree, bring it in to charge via USB, then go back out and get on my ladder and try to re-aim the cameras is a pain the butt. The camera is supposed to be an HD camera, but the image during the day is really pixelated, especially if it's windy. The cameras internal IR light is puny, but I have security lights outside to light up my yard, so I don't rely on the cameras own IR light. I would recommend this if you want a general idea of what's happening around your house, just don't expect crisp, sharp images (but really, how often do you see security cameras footage on the news that's clear? I think most security cameras aren't that sharp anyway. ). In fact, I felt the difference was great enough that I've returned my previous system of 5 arlo pro cameras (thank you Amazon for your amazing customer service) and bought 5 arlo pro 2 cameras. I did call netgear and ask if they had some kind of exchange program for owners of the arlo pro who want the arlo pro 2, where I could send my old cameras in, pay the difference, and get new cameras..."
"Mounted a few outside, and that's when I started to notice how poor the quality was. I understand the benefits of having a wire free system (renting a place where you cant drill or run wires, or having the ability to move the camera when ever you want). I would have kept it if it didn't cost so much or if it had a slightly higher bit rate which would result in a lot more detail."