Bryn
Doubleplusgood
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2010
- Messages
- 15,673
I searched but don't see this discussion covered. I already have a decent Samsung CCTV 4-channel kit running and it provides 1080p live feeds on a display in the kitchen of both entrances to the property and two decent vantage points that give a good idea of who is outside. They're used pretty much exclusively to see who is at the gates, and the display is above the main intercom we use.
I'd like to supplement that system with some smart cameras though. The current cameras won't do a damn thing to alert us of an immediate emergency situation (Samsung's motion zone/notification functionality is better left off it's so useless - even passing clouds set it off). Facial recognition is available now for ordinary consumer cameras and considering SA's precarious security it seems a no-brainer to get on board.
I understand they tend to work by recording snippets rather than continuously and usually upload to the cloud as well. This isn't an issue with the existing Samsung kit providing the live feeds we need and our internet being uncapped fibre.
These are some options I've looked into:
Google Nest Cam IQ Outdoor
- $598 for two, $349 for one
- Not sure how to ship to SA, may need a mail forwarding service
- Excludes waterproof power adapter for outdoor use
- Crazy expensive Nest Aware subscriptions, but the 5 day one for $5pm is fine for my needs (50% off each additional camera)
- May have issues getting the subscription enabled for SA, a non-supported country
- Will upload 200-400GB per month per camera (24/7 footage though)
- Cameras only connect wirelessly, which might not necessarily be an issue with an extra access point
- Seems to have the smartest people and facial recognition from what I gather
Arlo Pro 2
- $1.1k for a 6-pack and base station from Amazon, ships to SA
- Also no weatherproof power adaptors included
- Mounts need to be purchased separately to cover my needs
- Free cloud subscription included, covers 5 cameras for 7 days
- Records only clips
- I've read that the night vision sucks, even compared to its predecessor
- Not sure if getting subscription to work in SA is a mission
Logitech Circle 2
- $320 for 2, or $180 for 1 direct from logitech.com
- Circle Safe subscription required for smart features and SA not supported
If I can get the subscription to work here, I'm leaning towards the Logitech. The Nest Cam features look great, but the data use is really extreme and would double our monthly bandwidth use. The Arlo Pro 2's supposedly disappointing night vision might render it pointless if it could miss an invasion between 1am and 6am.
Is anyone running smart cameras? Would love some feedback about what locals are using in this regard.
I'd like to supplement that system with some smart cameras though. The current cameras won't do a damn thing to alert us of an immediate emergency situation (Samsung's motion zone/notification functionality is better left off it's so useless - even passing clouds set it off). Facial recognition is available now for ordinary consumer cameras and considering SA's precarious security it seems a no-brainer to get on board.
I understand they tend to work by recording snippets rather than continuously and usually upload to the cloud as well. This isn't an issue with the existing Samsung kit providing the live feeds we need and our internet being uncapped fibre.
These are some options I've looked into:
Google Nest Cam IQ Outdoor
- $598 for two, $349 for one
- Not sure how to ship to SA, may need a mail forwarding service
- Excludes waterproof power adapter for outdoor use
- Crazy expensive Nest Aware subscriptions, but the 5 day one for $5pm is fine for my needs (50% off each additional camera)
- May have issues getting the subscription enabled for SA, a non-supported country
- Will upload 200-400GB per month per camera (24/7 footage though)
- Cameras only connect wirelessly, which might not necessarily be an issue with an extra access point
- Seems to have the smartest people and facial recognition from what I gather
Arlo Pro 2
- $1.1k for a 6-pack and base station from Amazon, ships to SA
- Also no weatherproof power adaptors included
- Mounts need to be purchased separately to cover my needs
- Free cloud subscription included, covers 5 cameras for 7 days
- Records only clips
- I've read that the night vision sucks, even compared to its predecessor
- Not sure if getting subscription to work in SA is a mission
Logitech Circle 2
- $320 for 2, or $180 for 1 direct from logitech.com
- Circle Safe subscription required for smart features and SA not supported
If I can get the subscription to work here, I'm leaning towards the Logitech. The Nest Cam features look great, but the data use is really extreme and would double our monthly bandwidth use. The Arlo Pro 2's supposedly disappointing night vision might render it pointless if it could miss an invasion between 1am and 6am.
Is anyone running smart cameras? Would love some feedback about what locals are using in this regard.
