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This is a smart choice for anyone who wants a wire-free outdoor camera that does it all. It is very easy to install, works with lots of other smart devices, and has a built-in spotlight and siren that help keep unwanted visitors at bay. You also get some neat features such as motion tracking, auto-zoom, and intelligent alerts. Sharp 2K video, wireless installation, and a generous feature set make the battery-powered Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight one of our top picks. In addition to working with Alexa, Google Assistant, and HomeKit, the camera can interact with lots of third-party devices via IFTTT. In testing, it delivered sharp, colorful video during both day and night, as well as provided accurate motion alerts.
We rely on our valued partners to deliver powerful and innovative customer solutions based on Authentic Mercury hardware, enabling organizations to extend their access control beyond the door for total building security. Our hardware is designed and manufactured specifically for access control based on emerging technologies, changing industry standards and evolving network environments. This makes it possible for our partners to proactively meet dynamic system requirements and end-user demands.
What should you look for when buying a home security camera?
When the storage fills up, you can manually delete all of the stored clips or allow Eufy to automatically delete the oldest videos to make room for new ones, avoiding the need for you to manage storage. If you need to monitor a cabin, a boat, or a worksite where there is no electricity or Wi-Fi, this is the camera for you. It installs in minutes and uses a cellular radio to connect to your phone, thus allowing you to view live and recorded video or dial 911 if necessary. It can also use a Wi-Fi connection when one is available, provides long battery life with an option for charging via a solar panel, and can store recordings locally or in the cloud. All of the best home security cameras CNET tested fall between the range of $38 and just under $200.
New to this model are color night vision, 3D motion detection, dual-band Wi-Fi, and HDR video. Also new is a Birds Eye View feature that gives you an aerial view of where visitors have traveled on your property. In testing, the floodlight did a great job of illuminating our backyard and delivered sharp 1080p video.
Abode Cam 2
As is the case with nearly all Wyze products, the Wyze Cam Floodlight is very affordable. It pairs the Wyze Cam V3 with a floodlight fixture that shines bright and can support a second V3 camera for wider coverage. The fixture uses two LED bulbs to deliver 2,600 lumens and has a loud 105dB siren to ward off unwanted visitors. Wyze disappointed some of its customers in 2021 when its ridiculously cheap cameras got slightly less ridiculously cheap. But at $36, the Wyze Cam, which we gave an 8.5 review score, remains a great budget security camera -- and a great camera, period. The cameras were installed and running for roughly a month, while I monitored which cameras identified the same motion events and how soon an alert arrived.
It also brings color night vision to the mix, giving it a slight bump in overall video quality over the Floodlight Cam Wired Plus. But at $249.99, the Floodlight Cam Pro is expensive given that these features are mostly of interest to tech enthusiasts. In order to set a level testing field for the various cameras involved, and to avoid drilling countless holes into the side of my home, I built a testing rig that allowed me to mount and power 11 different cameras. This provided each outdoor security camera with the same basic field of view, allowing each one to identify the same motion triggers.
State of the Market: Access Control 2018
That pricing is roughly competitive with the likes of Arlo, which starts at a cheaper $9.99 a month but only stores video for up to 30 days. Since its start in 1992, Mercury Security has focused on a distinct manufacturing niche, innovating OEM hardware for the increasingly-demanding world of facility security and access control. In collaboration with our OEM partners, we have built an unmatched set of features into an open hardware platform that is unequaled for reliability, longevity and effectiveness. Answering the doorbell, live viewing, and accessing recorded clips are all easy to figure out, but it would be great if Arlo streamlined the settings to make them easier to use. This camera delivers high-resolution images and can distinguish between people, pets, and motion, a feature usually available on high-priced models. And if you want the ability to go back and see everything, look for a camera that offers a CVR plan.
Granted, there had been plenty of motion during the test period to trigger the Pro 4, but its battery life fell far short of Arlo’s estimates. This was, however, no worse than Ring’s wireless Spotlight Cam, which also fell short of the manufacturer’s estimates under our testing conditions. One hiccup you may run into with the Eve Outdoor Cam is how it’s mounted against the outside of your home.
How much should you spend on home security cameras?
All that said, most wireless cameras will require Wi-Fi to use all their features as intended. Of all the floodlight cameras we tested, the Eufy Floodlight Cam 2 Pro is the least attractive, resembling a small spaceship . If you're concerned about privacy and would rather not store your video in the cloud, look for a camera that offers a local storage option via a microSD card slot. A few cameras let you save video recordings to a portable USB or NAS drive, but these devices are rare. A rugged indoor and outdoor camera, the Google Nest Cam packs a useful selection of smart features to help you keep tabs on your home.
Arlo’s Essential Spotlight Camera is one of the most capable outdoor security cameras we tested, especially impressive given the low price. It’s also one of the few cameras we tested that supports HomeKit, Alexa and Google Assistant. The Ring Stick Up Cam Plug-In Wi-Fi camera comes with a lengthy, weather-resistant power cord but can also run on a battery . We prefer the cord, which enables the camera’s ability to record longer clips and more accurately capture motion events. The camera delivers crisp two-way audio and 1080p video, with a 130-degree field of view. A Ring Protect Basic plan (which starts at $4 per month or $40 per year) is required to store camera recordings, but it also enables person alerts and smartphone notifications with video stills.
It has a built-in spotlight that can illuminate your driveway or backyard when it detects motion, as well as an 89dB siren that can scare off intruders. You have to pay extra to access intelligent alert features, but the fee is nominal and gets you additional cloud storage. Most smart outdoor security cameras use a Wi-Fi radio to connect to your home network, enabling you to access them from anywhere via a mobile app. Some models even use Ethernet, Bluetooth, Z-Wave, or a proprietary wireless technology to connect to a mobile app or a dedicatedhub. Take everything nice I said about the Floodlight Cam Wired Plus, and it applies to the Floodlight Cam Wired Pro. On top of that, the Cam Pro adds better motion tracking capabilities, thanks to its 3D motion detection technology that can map out the path a person took to get within the camera’s current field of view.
The area the cameras overlooked is a medium-traffic area of my backyard, where there are plenty of chances for kids, dogs and even a rabbit or stray cat to trigger motion alerts. Apple’s HomeKit platform continues to mature and get better with each major iOS update. And the Eve Outdoor Cam is the first outdoor security camera with a floodlight that supports HomeKit. The Outdoor Cam takes advantage of HomeKit’s ability to provide full object detection and activity zones that let you block off areas within the camera’s field of view to cut down on extraneous alerts. Ring’s Floodlight Cam Wired Plus gives you the complete outdoor security camera package.
Figuring out where particular settings are located and then adjusting them isn’t always a clear process. Matt Barnette to lead panel discussion on best practices for hardening an access control infrastructure for enhanced security. New LP intelligent controller platform offers advanced security, enhanced performance and extensive third-party integration support for a wide range of complimentary applications. People who want to capture nighttime images with a brighter image or who need a light to guide them to the door or to scare critters away from trash cans. People who don’t have an outdoor outlet or who want maximum flexibility when installing an outdoor camera.
If you need an outdoor security camera that gives you a view of your entire yard, this is worth your attention. Despite its reasonable price, it offers lots of useful features including dual-band Wi-Fi and wired LAN connectivity, free local and cloud video storage, color night vision, and motion tracking. The D-Link DCS-8630LH is a moderately priced outdoor camera that packs lots of features to help you monitor your property.
