Top 5 connected cameras

2015-12-18

DIY security affords you the opportunity to install gadgets in a way that suit you and by doing this you are free from contracts resulting from subscription-based services. We make provision for flexibility and let you determine how your home should be wired. Despite this provision our self-install system are available in diverse options. The all-in-one units are designed to contain built-in camera while cameras are provided a la carte or given subsequently as an optional addition after your first purchase. There are also notable differences in the related apps.

There are varieties of cameras with diverse features some are designed to record a clip once motion is detected, with live streaming feature, have local storage options and others save materials to a cloud server (some charge a fee for the service while others do not). It is suggested that you take a quick check on our list of security so as to have adequate knowledge about the different type of DIY options you can select from.

Archos Smart Home Starter Pack

Archos smart Home Starter Pack $250 (cost £200 in the UK, its availability in Australian market has not been made public) The Smart Home Starter Pack is equipped with an Android tablet hub, temperature sensors,various motion and two small sized battery-powered cameras. The cameras did not work efficiently. I would suggest that the cameras are easily angled on the magnetic base support and also I noted that they do not stream live, but only record when you set them to record or when motion is detected.

BelkinNetCamHD+Wi-Fi Camera

The Belkin's(costs AU$170 in Australia and £130 in the UK) NetCamHD+Wi-Fi Camera is an efficient DIY camera and cost $130. You are required to make a baseless payment of $10 each month so as to store clips and to receive push notifications. It is void ofthe local storage optionfound on Samsung SmartCam HD Pro'sand it fails to deliver Dropcam Pro-level optics. But it can be controlled from the WeMo app when used with other home automation products designed by Belkin.

Doorbot

The DoorBotwhich cost $200(available internationally for about £120, AU$215) is actually a smart doorbell which is designed to captures live video footage once a person appears at the door. It affords you the opportunity to chat with the person outside the door without having to open up using the two-way talk feature and also you receive a push notification to open the app and find out who is at the door. It is sad that the video display is quite poor, producing yielding stripped, pixelated images most of the time. Although, you can still find Doorbot units for sale online, a novel designed Ring Video Doorbell has been produced by startup to replace it.

Flir FX

Flir FX is a $200 camera equipped withstreaming resolution of 720p, optional battery backup and also accessories (available separately). It is aptly fashioned to convert from an indoor model to a variety of functions such as outdoor security camera, action camera and possibly a car camera mounted on the dashboard of a vehicle.

Sadly, it is plagued by app usability issues and under-performance.During a trial run, it was noticed that phantom alerts were sent consistently between intervals of 2 to 3 second intervals. Also detected were obvious delays during the process of receivinga sound alert or motion and reviewing the clip which was saved in the app. The device also displayed an error messages on many occasions as we adjusted the alert settings.

Homeboy

A magnetic backing and rechargeable battery are essential features of the $150 Homeboy security camera. These notable features help ensure it can travel all around the house (it is for indoor use alone) for ideal angling and placement in a most suited position. (It is expected to become available internationally by 2015, but no information on pricing at present; direct conversions of the US price would be about £95 or AU$170).Other features include a siren, arm, disarm settings and IFTTT channel but this palm sized device may not provide live streaming or HD resolution and also it doesn’t function as a webcam. The device will notify you to potential security issues and also key into third-party products and services.