Review about SpotCam HD Wi-Fi Video Monitoring Camera
Introduction
Personal home security is not something we necessarily always think about, especially if people happen to live in an apartment. For most people setting up a WiFi camera can be complicated and just frustrating. Well Spotcam wants to solve that problem and give them video monitoring to their home that is easy to set up and can be viewed from any device. Spotcam is a a WiFi camera that offers 720p HD video, 24 hours of free recording, motion alerts via their mobile app or e-mail, scheduling, and two-way talking. At only $119 it is a very inexpensive way to add security to peoples home.
SpotCam Sense Technical Detail
Feature and Performance –
- Dimensions (Camera Spec): Bracket Ф7.5cm(2.95″), Body Ф 4.8cm(1.89″) × 14.8cm(5.83″)
- Weight: 206g(7.27oz)
- Power Input: 12V1A
- Video: Up to 1080P FHD(1920×1080) at 30 frame/sec
- Streaming: H.264 encoding
- Field of View: 155 degrees (diagonal)
- Audio: Speaker and microphone
- Night Vision: 12 High-power IR LEDs
- Internal Storage Space: 500 MB
- Operating Temperature: 0°C – 50°C, designed for indoor use
SpotCam HD Pro Technical Detail
Feature and Performance –
- Dimensions (Camera Spec): Bracket Ф7.5cm(2.95″), Body Ф 5.4cm(2.13″) × 14.8cm(5.83″)
- Weight: 275g(9.7oz)
- Power Input: 12V1A
- Video: Up to 720P HD(1280×720) at 30 frame/sec
- Streaming: H.264 encoding
- Field of View: 110 degrees (diagonal)
- Audio: Speaker and microphone
- Night Vision: 12 High-power IR LEDs
- Protection level: IP65
- Operating Temperature: -10°C – 50°C, designed for outdoor use
Design & Packaging
The SpotCam HD is made of white plastic and has been designed for indoor use. There’s also a SpotCam HD Pro that can be installed outdoors. The camera has a lens on the front with a status LED below it and a microphone below that. The camera can pivot forwards and backwards to adjust the viewing angle. On the back is the power port and a switch that is used during the setup process. The SpotCam has a non-slip rubber base so that user can set it on a flat surface or you can use the included wall mount that snaps over the base.
The Spotcam comes in a nice retail box. On the front if of course lets us know it is a WiFi camera and there is a photo of the unit. On the back there is a listing and overview of features. Opening the package up and getting everything out we have the Spotcam device, wall-mount kit, power adapter and quick start guide.
Overview about Spotcam
The Spotcam has a sort of cylindrical-type design and is all white. While we may want security devices to be small and out of sight, the Spotcam will definitely be noticeable wherever user plan to install it at. On the front of the device user of course have the 720p HD video camera. This camera has a 100 degree field of view, night vision and of course built-in WiFi. On the front there is also an activity LED and microphone, so yes when they are recording it does record audio as well.
At the top of the device user will notice a speaker. This is for the two-way talking feature. So if they are viewing the camera from a remote location they can actually talk to the person they are viewing. The camera is held up by a base that can be adjusted to change the angle of the camera. User can also easily mount the camera to the wall or even upside down from the ceiling by using the wall-mount kit. On the back of the device there is a single connection for power and a switch to turn the WiFi mode from access point to client.
Getting Spotcam setup is pretty easy. User will need is either a smartphone, tablet or PC with a WiFi connection and internet access. If they happen to be on a PC head over to MySpotCam.com and click on “Add SpotCam”. If they are on an iOS on Android tablet or smartphone download the SpotCam App and once installed choose “Add Spotcam”. The mobile app works well enough to view live video. User can also use their mobile device to speak through the Spotcam. This did infact work, but there was a lot of static. The settings of the camera can be changed via the mobile app, but they cannot change the event settings using the mobile app, this is only available using a web browser.
SpotCam looked into the issue user were having with the loading/buffering screen, and has now adjusted the software that resolves the issue. The problem was that they had the minimal FPS set a little too high, and when the FPS dropped below the minimum threshold, the loading screen would initiate, even if actually the camera was recording and sending the video to the server and back to them just fine.
