One of the most popular home security systems available at the moment is the Dropcam Wireless IP Home Security Camera with online recording.
Produced by the Dropcam company, the system is available in two basic designs, the standard Dropcam system which retails for around $200, and the Dropcam Echo which adds a sound recording capability and which retails for around $280.
We have been testing the Echo system for several months now to guage it’s suitability in different situations, so what’s the verdict?
Well we have to say that generally the system justifies it’s popularity but there are one or two areas in which the system could improve, more of which below. The great strength of this system lies in it’s speed and ease of installation and management.
We consider ourselves pretty savvy when it comes to computer based systems in general and even we have come unstuck a couple of times when trying to negotiate the installation proceedures required by some other Home Video Security Systems. The beauty of the Dropcam system is that all the installation is done for you. All you need to do is plug the camera into a regular power socket and the supplied ethernet cable to your router, go to ‘setup’ on your computer and follow the onscreen instructions to register the camera with the company.
In less than a minute the Dropcam system will configure your hard wired and/or WiFi system and you can remove the ethernet connection and plug the camera into an electrical socket at it’s chosen location. Once you have installed your Dropcam system you will need to choose the level of surveillance you require. This is offered in three levels Basic, Plus and Pro. Basic – This plan is included in the price of the Dropcam and offers live access to your camera via your laptop or computer terminal anywhere in the world. You will also get alerts sent directly to your cell phone or e mail should motion be detected at home. An app is also available free of charge to enable alerts to be sent directly to your iphone or android. Plus – Available for a subscrition price of $8.95 a month this has the benefits of the basic plan plus seven days online recording on Dropcam’s secure servers.
This enables you to go back through the week to check up on anything you may have missed. Dropcam even offers the facility to download screen shots or video clips for a permanent record. Pro – Costing $24.95 this increases the recording time on the server from seven to thirty days. Some may see this additional cost as a problem but the company do offer a free thirty days trial period to let you see if you would benefit from the rewind facility.
I tend to look at it as a small price to pay for peace of mind and with the added security of the images being stored on a server many miles away, any would be thief could not make off with the security footage as could happen with other home based systems.
Whether to go for the Dropcam or Dropcam Echo system would depend on your needs and whether you think the addition of sound recording would justify the extra purchase price. Perhaps if you were using the system as a superior baby monitor you would value the extra level of surveillance.
At the other end of the scale we know of a system which has been installed in the living area of the home of an elderly parent, enabling the family to check that they are ok, combining the ability to hear them call if there are any problems in the rest of the house whilst allowing them to keep a degree of privacy. One of the early problems we found with the system was the fact that we got alerts from the motion sensors at around 3pm every day which lasted about half an hour or so. The company checked the system which all checked out and we were mystified until we realized that at that time of day the sun reflected off an outside pond on to the wall of the room in which the camera was located, giving a shimmering effect which triggered the system. Checking online I found some others had experienced similar problems with the reflections from passing car windows and the like.
Dropcam have moved to rectify any problems with the sensitivity of the cameras to low light levels and some motion capture issues which some customers have had and I am hoping that my problem will soon be over. Another benefit of the Dropcam system is that when an upgrade is developed you will automatically receive it as the router is of course at their location, so you will never have to replace your system because it has become outdated.
So what is our experience with the Dropcam Echo home video security system and would we recommend it? The simple answer’s are great and yes!
The great advantage of the system is it’s ease of installation and hands off maintainence. Our system was installed and up and running in about 30 seconds and ok, if you want more than the basic package you will pay a bit extra, but the payments are optional and you can decide which level of service suits your needs and budget. The ability to monitor the situation at home from literally anywhere in the world at any time via the laptop and receive alerts on a variety of devices make the system incredibly flexible.
Factor in the remote upgrades that will be keeping your system bang up to date and we have no hesitation in recommending the Dropcam Echo Wireless IP Home Security System.
Increasingly home video security is being provided by night vision security cameras. A good wire free system can be quickly and cheaply installed in less than one hour by any professional or competant householder. Simply fix the sender unit and align the camera on the area you wish to monitor, plug in and away you go. Once your system is connected to either your t.v or computer system you can check on what’s going on outside at any time of the night at the flick of a switch or by using the ‘picture in picture’ (PIP) function
