Pros & Cons
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- Easy setup.
- High-quality streaming spy video.
- Two-way audio lets you talk to subjects.
- Night vision.
- Free 24/7 viewing.
- Can make video public.
- Mobile apps for iOS and Android.
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- High cost for cloud-based, DVR-style video storage function.
- No local video storage.
- Lacks battery?must be plugged into AC.
- Indoors use only.
It's been a couple of years since Dropcam's first release, the QVGA-only Dropcam Echo (3.5 stars). That camera, made by Axis, was bulky and conspicuous, compared with the new Dropcam HD ($149 direct), which is $50 less expensive and can go almost anywhere. The Dropcam HD uses Wi-Fi to send video and audio to the Internet. You log into a Dropcam account online or using mobile apps to watch a live 720p (1280-by-720-pixel) HD video stream from the linked camera (or cameras). You can even watch in the dark. Our Editors' Choice Logitech Alert 750e Outdoor Master System ($349.99, 4 stars) costs much more , but has weatherproofing and local video storage. It's the cost of the Dropcam's cloud-based storage service that will get you.
Design and Setup
The Dropcam HD camera is a little puck that clips into a wall-mountable metal stand. Sitting on a shelf, it's about 4.5 inches high; the base is 3.15 inches in diameter, with a hinge to tilt the view as needed. Inside is a 2.4GHz 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi radio that supports WEP/WPA/WPA2 security, LEDs for the night vision feature, plus a microphone and rear speaker for two-way audio. The service sends video over the Internet using AES 256-bit encryption and SSL connections, keeping it safe from sniffers.Setup is easy. Connect Dropcam HD to your computer via the included micro USB cable. The setup software for Mac and Windows is stored on the camera. Run it to create a Dropcam account, put the camera on a Wi-Fi network, and get tips on camera placement. Unplug from the PC, place the camera where you want it, and plug it into AC power, which admittedly, limits placement. A steady blue LED indicates Dropcam HD is connected to Wi-Fi; you can also turn the light off in software settings. The Avaak VueZone System's ($199.95, 4 stars) battery-powered cameras are a better solution, since you can stick them almost anywhere and not have to worry about proximity to power.
Dropcam offers several tiers of online service. The basic free account provides 24/7 live viewing. Meanwhile, new customers get a 14-day trial that stores seven days worth of video online. This is Dropcam's DVR-style service for watching what came before. As it captures video, the camera pinpoints motion and audio events, and later you can view from those points, or send requests to Dropcam for a clip covering a specific time frame.
After the trial ends, seven days of stored video costs $9.95 per month for one camera, and $4.95 per month for each additional (or $99.95 per year and $49.95 per year for each additional camera). It's a lot more if you want 30 days of recorded video, but that's an option.
Features and Performance
Your Web browser works as the viewer, streaming video over the Internet from Dropcam.com. In daylight the picture is great, as it sends full-motion H.264 video, and the wide-angle lens lets you see plenty of the room. The so-called "digital panning" is actually a digital zoom on any of five areas of the image. In practice, I found the full-screen view more useful.The fun view is via a pair of apps for iOS or Android smartphones. You can create alerts that are sent to your email or your iPhone (not Android) when there's a motion event, sound event, or both. Of course, too much action or noise means you're inundated with emails and notifications. Luckily you can turn this feature off using the desktop Web interface. There's no way to adjust the level of event sensitivity, but you can set microphone sensitivity.
If a lot is happening, the real-time video stream will occasionally re-buffer. After watching for about two hours, I lost the video feed entirely, but still heard ambient room noise. Logging out and back into my account fixed the problem. Changing settings can throw the camera offline for a few seconds as well, but at least it doesn't seem to interrupt recording to the online "DVR."
Click a Talk button (even on the iPhone app) to give those under surveillance an order, request, or even soothing words—Dropcam HD can act as a video baby monitor that can talk back. You'll hear your own voice echoed after a two to four second delay, as it travels over the Internet and back to the camera's speaker.
The infrared night vision works perfectly, just like you've seen on TV shows, complete with glowing eyes. The 12 high-power infrared LEDs that make it work light up bright red, so if you're hoping the camera will remain hidden in the dark while this is happening, forget it.
Sharing a stream is easy—just enter an e-mail address. The recipient gets a request to setup a Dropcam account. That's a little cumbersome, but probably best for security. There's an option in Settings to make a video stream public, once you agree to the legalese.
Conclusions
While Dropcam HD lacks local storage and outdoor use options like the Logitech Alert 750e, it makes up for that with ease-of-use, night vision, two-way audio, mobile apps, and an affordable starting price. The Dropcam also offers better video quality, and is easier to setup than the pricier Avaak VueZone System , because Dropcam HD doesn't require a gateway device to plug into your home network router—the integrated Wi-Fi is all it needs. We wish the Dropcam used battery-powered cameras, and that the ongoing fees for the DVR service weren't so steep, but if you only want live views you can access on any PC or smartphone, it's a solid solution.More Webcam Reviews:
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