This hit all the points I have been trying to satisfy in my search for the right cameras with the right combination of features. It feels like users designed it.
Brian, great review & coverage of this Tapo camera. Love the fact that you don’t need a subscription to get the features your really need & want. Love the fact it works well with Amazon Alexa! I think this is the camera to beat that’s feature rich with NO subscription necessary! Thanks!
My brother bought this and absolutely loves it. He did his research and picked this one out of them all. Now I’m going to buy it. Thank u for the great n thorough review. ❤
Thank you for a great review what seems to be finally a great product. There's been a vacuum in this field for ages and this devices seem to fill the void left because there are hardly good cameras out there that could offer all of these features (as partially hitting a few of them won't cut it for many of us): 1) High quality (not just resolution) in daylight as well as night and low light conditions, 2) No forcing into cloud-only storage or subscription-based AI features, 3) Ability to store locally, mainly NAS rather than microSD (often unreliable and easy to steal), 4) Good AI feature-set also able to detect objects, animals, humans, 5) Work quickly as far as responsiveness and saving, over wifi, 6) Good set of features for automation and easy to manage settings, 7) Good range to cover small and large properties, 8) Decent price point If nitpicking, I'd want to better the mounting options. While I understand the magnetic holder (well engineered nevertheless) as it could be used inside a house perhaps, but I'd never use one even indoors since I'd want to make it as difficult as possible to physically remove the device from where it's been mounted. In fact I'd love if there was an option to place them in a more tamperproof and theft-deterring casing which could achieve maximum concealment so that they'd be even hard to spot.
Wyze now has multi-cam view where you can view 4 live streaming cameras all at once and you get 3 cameras for $100. $10 a month membership would would take 2 years before you even reach the cost of Tapo's $300 price tag
Its a huge flaw IMO for the camera yo have local video storage ON the camera. It would be as simple as the perp taking the SD card out, or breaking the camera off and taking it, along with the footage...
What's the difference between the Tapo TC85 & Tapo C425 (from this vid) cameras? The Amazon link calls it out as both and the tp-link website has both as separate as well.
Same. Too much trust these days. Too many products rely on the perp not having a ladder or not covering their face from the cameras or running away when its anti-tamper features sound off alarms. I want to like Tapo because their home automation sensors can make for one really nice custom alarm system but they don't even sell any loud outdoor-safe alarm sirens. Can make it really loud inside your home with lots of hubs but that's it. Too many flaws.
@@E71 Not covering their face or running away? I mean... cameras can't chase perps, detain them or physically snatch off their masks. 😂There is a perpetual degree of vulnerability from living among other human beings that cameras cannot solve for. Bullet proof windows can't control for someone driving a military tank into the building they're installed in, you know?
@@cjjuszczak I have aluminum siding, so I screwed the mag plate into the siding and attached the camera high enough, that a perp would need a ladder to grab it, which would be recorded in the cloud.
@@AutomateYourLife does this have motion tracking and can we move view from application And can we screw them Because magnet mount can be stolen easily
So very helpful and comprehensive thank you. As with you, nights here in the UK seem very dark suddenly and I was thinking about my first external camera(s) purchase.
@@Cylindermaster I've been looking too and it looks like the model number is different, look for TC425 not 85. You have probably found them 4 months later though :)
@@jimmcdonald6465 I've been looking too and it looks like the model number is different, look for TC425 not 85. You have probably found them 4 months later though :)
I have 2 of these cameras with solar panels. Quick review its worth it. Solid units very good. On the non magnetic mount I got an earth magnet attached it and now magnetic. The battery life all depends what bells and whistle u have set as preferences. If u get the solar panel definitely extends your battery life.
The most important feature I look for is web access for the camera. Most camera companies don't offer it for low cost cameras and reviewers don't mention negative things about the item they are reviewing.
Have you tested the cameras recording when under attack by a 2.4ghz de-auth attack; For example using a flipper zero? I ask because both of my Eufy door bell cameras stop recording events even to local storage if I de-auth them with a flipper. This is a serious problem for any 2.4 camera that stops working while disconnected from wifi.
Hi Im in the Market looking for the same setup. It's so many options but haven't found 1 to suit my needs at all!! If you do happen to find any information before I do please let me know. thank you
With these specifically, I'd use an Echo show cause the integration would allow you to bring them up automatically when they were needed. Otherwise, it depends on what you have!
Since these are 2K cameras, they look pretty good. I have never been left wanting on my phone but you could definitely see some grain on the larger screens if you were zooming in
This was a great video. I'm looking for doorbell/outdoor cam setup to replace my older ZMODO setup and TP Link checks all my boxes. No other cam system matches price, features, capability and no subscription like the TP Link cams. Much appreciated.
Brian, this camera looks really interesting, but for me it has to also work in Homekit. While it doesn't have native Homekit support there is a Homebridge plugin called "Homebridge Tapo Camera" which I think could bring in the camera feed as well as some notifications for automation purposes. The plugin appears to be being maintained as there was an update last April. I'm hoping one of your viewers will read this and comment on it. I don't know if you have a Homebridge, or Hoobs set up there or not. Anyway, thanks for the review!!!
Good review. What isn't clear to me is the camera able to send the clip via wi-fi to a hard drive so that the home owner doesn't have to pull out the SD card.
Great review. 1) Could these be mounted inside behind a window and still detect movement outside? 2) Without connecting to 3rd Parties like Amazon, will it send instant notification/footage to a phone app? 3) Can you deactivate some cameras when I'm at home to conserve battery life?
1) No because it's a PIR motion sensor being used to do initial detection. 2) Yep! 3) Yep! They have an automation portion of their app for that. I use Amazon though for a few additional options.
Looks like a great camera, Confused on how it compares to the C420. The C425 (or TC85) doen not need the hub ( not sure if that is a positive or negative - the SD card would be in the hub and record all cameras - less sd cards necessary and its away from the camera so no one can just steal all the cameras (and its recording). No idea what the hub does to the range compared to a good wifi router. The magnetic mount looks much better on the C425.
Hey Carl (thanks for earlier by the way) I'm not sure which cameras you're talking about. But in general I think these cameras look great and I find that they are very clear for me in every situation I've put them in. You can absolutely look at the feed of these cameras when you're away from the house. They work pretty well too, as I don't usually have a ton of delay. That will depend on your network but they've been great for me
So loving my TP link Tapo system! Only thing missing is 4k cams . I'm also a bit upset you need a 2nd subscription after 10 cameras. I'm up to seven already, and most likely would like 15 total.
@@sx20Ramar At six, zero issues wireless. Minus learning curve on where to adjust settings. That is a bit confusing. FOR THOSE new, YOU MUST do your settings in HOME, and AWAY! Otherwise, settings are lost immediately! In Home and Away, you must press the three vertical dots and than edit from there. NOT FROM MANAGE! Whoever designed the software app STINKS! BIG TIME. NO reason for it to be so stupid and confusing. Should be only ONE WAY to set and edit cameras. Otherwise, you will be wondering why your camera keeps ignoring your settings and resetting.
It's tough to stop signal jammers at all. You'd have to have a stronger signal than the jammer to basically override it. But if you put an SD card in these (and most cams), they will still record. Check that with any other cameras but these do it
Great review, we have been looking high and low for a decent security camera setup and I think these may be the ones. I run Homebridge, with connects to HomeKit and there is a TP-Link TAPO plugin for it. May have to get one to test the waters.
You will be surprised that using the same Tapo eco system the old Tapo 1080p C200 (£$30 each) cameras are super cheap, but if set to DAY mode permanently you can simply point them out of your windows to your yard or car park area and they have great colour night vision so long as you have some basic street lighting. This is the remote control camera so you can steer it from the app. Don’t get the newer 2K version though as it’s DAY mode night vision is not suitable. The camera has to be set to DAY mode otherwise you will get infrared reflections off your windows.
@@AutomateYourLife I uploaded a sample capture through glass, although it looks like we have very bright street lights that is not the case. To the naked eye it looks quite dark but to the C200 it looks bright and colourful, hope you don’t mind the link ruclips.net/video/7dwoTQt7Sdc/видео.html
Hello Yoof! I just noticed these on Amazon and they interested me. I also knew i knew a man that would know the details and so here i am. Lol. I hope you are doing well my Yoof? Thanks for a great video as ever.
Is there a way to monitor on my computer instead of an app on the phone only? I use my computer more than my phone and I hate dealing with apps. I know I'm weird but I would really like to monitor from my office computer.
I just got the Tapo C425. If you look at the live feed on your phone 20 times a day, your battery will drop around 15%. My camera goes down to around 40% in a week! I put a 256 card in it. I was going to get the Tapo cloud storage, but seeing that I recharge the camera every 12 or 14 days, I just recharge the battery & format the card. The color night vision requires that the led lights come on, which I don't like as it shows everyone where the camera is at night. And this"micro USB is a deal breaker" stuff... Why? Because you have to look at connector to see which way it goes in instead of USB-c? If you want the best security cameras, wired is way to go, but for simple, easy to set up & use, this camera does a good job. I turned off the motion detection and turned up the sensitivity of people & pets, to eliminate passing cars, my flag, Halloween decorations, ect.
Brian, thank you very much for your video. Question: records conversations, music? If you have tested these parameters thoroughly, and at what distance? Thanks in advance for your answer.
It records audio, but I haven't really checked an exact distance. Music, I haven't tested specifically either. Sorry! I can tell you that I heard the kids out over 15 feet away.
Great video, to bad you mention NAS storage capable and within a split second go to battery live. Overall the video feels like a tapo commercial then a review. But I understand that you love the product so much. Personally I hate that people have to have an account with Tapo and load there app, that the app isn't open source meaning we cannot check what the app does in background. If TP decides they don't want to support the product they can just turn off the hardware you bought, you are not the real owner of the hardware. As a toy it's super cool as security I would get something more controlled by myself rather then a company.
I’ll stick with my Arlo cameras half the size of these and Arlo doesn’t have a subscription either neither do these but like I said Arlo half size and when one of my arlo went bad which was my fault Arlo replaced it with no problem. i’ve had my Arlo cameras now for going on five years only had a problem one time and like I said Arlo replace the camera right away, so I’ll stick with my Arlos thanks for the video.
Would it make sense to use a solar panel even for indoor use? That way you don't have to take the cameras down to charge up the batteries. You just turn the light on in the room?
I think if you get it up against a window then the solar panel can be useful but inside of a house using ambient lighting isn't really going to charge much. I haven't seen it work very well even with panel lights that put out a lot of light at different frequencies
I'm in the process of adding a few outdoor security cams as part of a kitchen reno. In our (Eastern Canada) winters, battery-powered solutions really don't make sense - and the abundant heavy sticky snow here isn't likely to play nice with a solar panel either - so I've opted for POE-powered wired cams exclusively (though I haven't ruled out a battery-powered option inside the garage). I have a NAS for local storage as well - though I'm not ruling out a monitored security subscription (if I can get one) for when we're in travel mode...
You will have that heavy snow, so you gotta watch out for it! You know, the Eufy ones I had out there with the solar panel on top always did alright. Never ran out :)
@@AutomateYourLife I'm not surprised a solar panel would work fine on the Prairies: the winter days may be short, but with the cold climate they generally don't lack for sunshine!
Thanks for this video. I was wondering if a resurve battery is available? Seems to me it would be easist to have one fully charged for one trip up the ladder to replcace then 2 trips to remove and ger it charged.
If you didn't need to purchase a subscription for the "Rich notifications with snapshots" I would have went with this camera. I'm now leaning toward Eufy cameras for that reason alone. Every-time you get a notification having to launch the app and connect to the camera isn't ideal.
@@AutomateYourLife That's a shame. I thought Eufy had addressed most of them. This camera will be outside near our front door covering the front door and driveway. What cameras do you recommend? I'm still looking.
Brian, yes these camera's look very promising - short of the Google Home integration you mentioned. Followed the links you put in but not seeing any CDN retailers for this model?
A couple of questions please. Will it record brightly at night without the spotlight having to be used? And can you purchase spare bases so you can just move the one camera around various locations?
It can, you'd need just a little light to see things but it does pretty well with the IR lighting. Just if you want color at night the spotlight is normally used. As for the bases...I don't know sadly!
Great video I have been using the Tapo c325WD and had it on my garage but in saying that where I am moving there is no place to run wires is the magnet strong enough for like a side mount or would I have to get the tripod mount
I really wish does cameras comes here also,. and in single or dual pack. would be perfect for my balcony where i got a Tapo C320WS. Ofc if it would work with HA or ST in the future.
You can put cameras into privacy mode by pressing a button for each camera in the app. I believe there is an automation option to do that as well and if I remember correctly, Alexa has an option in their routines to turn on or off privacy for each camera. I have to do that for memory because I recently moved and haven't set everything back up yet
Well I know one which is installed here in my customer.. Whenever I come inside his house it will siren and I need to call the owner to disarmed it so that I can work inside his house
It's hard to get cameras that actually give the quality of image that should be expected. 4K cameras, even in expensive ones, do not ever give 4K resolution. I mean, compare your 4K security camera to 4K TV. They should be equally clear as they are all meant to be 4K, but in most cases CCTV / IP Cameras are very disappointing. But people still get caught up in megapixels, and megapixels are not the name of the game. On the WiFi thing, 2.4GHz is ideal for cameras. Even hard wired cameras are so often 100mbps ethernet, not 1gbps, and you will easily get 100mbps out of 2.4GHz WiFi, even on single stream wifi N. 2.4GHz is ideal for for these cameras and has plenty of bandwidth for multiple 2K cameras. For a wireless camera offering, these look pretty decent and that solar panel, if you have a place for it, is definitely a great option. SD Cards, however, are not good for camera storage. Even high quality ones will fail quickly with constant write/rewrite cycles. Writing is what wears them out quickly. If you are serious about using cameras for security you would not bother with an SD Card and run it into a NAS or some other CCTV Software.
As always, you're totally right! The sensor is good with this one, though I didn't talk about it. And as for the SD card and local storage option, you're right again! It's almost like you've been doing this a while. ;)
I have a Reolink 4K Wi-Fi camera that has a dual 2.4/5GHZ bands, but it doesn't give you the option to choose which one, so I assume it uses the best reception band available.
MicroSD are not as fragile as you'd think. I have a 128GB MicroSD card in a dashcam which sees far more continuous recording than a motion triggered home camera ever will. That card has been used in at least 4 different dashcams (two 1080p, a QHD and a 1080p+720p dual dashcam), it is over 8 years old now and still going strong. The biggest weakness of on-camera storage is risk of theft or vandalism, which can be mostly mitigated through secure mounting at a height that cannot be reached without ladders. Plus, I don't think most burglars first thoughts when seeing a CCTV camera is going to be to steal it or check it for a MicroSD card, they've likely got their eyes on more valuable targets.
@@fenrir7969 There are many many reported cases of SD Cards failing. Sure, you can get lucky and get good ones, but they are not good with continuous writing. No solid state device is.
I like the compatibility with other systems better than EZVIZ's options. I think that's worth any differences in Night Recording, but sadly I don't have that specific camera to be able to tell you for sure that it's better. I can say that I've been very impressed with the night recordings on these cameras.
Love the info. Thank you. Will it work in Fairbanks, Alaska with cold winters? (-25 F) Will any system? I was thinking light socket camera may stay warmer? I have only just started looking and landed on this video first. If you have the time to reply, I'd appreciate it.
Hey Ken - I actually think it's the right thing that they're not using WiFi 6 on outdoor cameras. Even 5 GHz just isn't going to work well. As for Max Recording Time, 2 minutes :)
I would be curious to find out if you’ve experienced any issues with the night vision when it gets cold outside. I’ve had a couple of other brands that literally fail to detect motion at night when the temperature gets below 40F ~ 4C.
Do you know if you're using the micro sd card for storage and you lose internet for a while and get it back, will you be able to access the recorded clip during the outage?
In the video, you'll see it pick up cars 50ft+ away. It'll depend how you set them up and what you want to trigger based on, but that's been the performance if I wanted it.
Great video. Thanks for all the detailed information regarding the features of the camera. I want the ability to have local storage with no subscription. You mentioned RTSP in the video but I’m not familiar with that and how it works with an NAS. Can you point me in the right direction of a video that explains that whole concept pretty well?thanks again
Last I checked, they were RTSP but the setup was a little complicated. Nothing difficult, but it required a second account. Haven't tried in a while though
Glad it was helpful! There are cloud, SD card, and a new option that Tapo is selling. They have a "base" like device that can keep recordings on site for you. Oh and an NVR option.
It can be directly connected to your home's wifi :) It should work off an extender, but watch out...that might slow down your video feed. Generally use Mesh
Since you got the 3 pack of cameras do you also need 3 solar panels? Do you need a memory card for each camera or will all three feeds record to one card?
Is it true that the Tapo TC85 doesn't support the RTSP/ONVIF profile(S) protocols, therefore making it unable to stream the camera from NAS/NVR/PC via RTSP/ONVIF. In other words no wall or tiles of live cameras to monitor?
i would be interested in this but you didn't clarify if there is actual loop recording, meaning when the sd card fills up will it automatically record from the beginning over the old footage as some cameras do?...this would save people from having to buy sd cards every few months or pull the existing one to format it again. which some people can forget to do.
Brian, what's the best type of SD card for this use, and which outdoor mounts with a threaded camera connector work with this camera? I just got one, and I have a 128 GB card, but I don't know which one to replace it with. Does it matter?
In both cases, the answer is that this camera is very flexible. I'd buy smaller cards that don't cost you a ton. Outdoors conditions can be harsh and cards will die no matter what after a lot of writing. As for the mounts, I'd been using a few different ones from other cameras. Since these cameras have the mount at the back of them, they are very flexible with a style of mount that you use. So it just becomes a question of how do you want it to look on your house?
@@AutomateYourLife Mate, you are the man! Also, I found a generic temp-proof, 512 GB, Class 10 Micro SD card for $11 on Amazon. I'm willing to spend that much to try it.
Anyone have issues with the camera not wanting to format the sd card? What brand and size SD card did you use for this video? I am hearing of many issues of people not being able to format their SD cards.
There is a help file on which brands of SD cards to buy with Tapo. We talked about that in our latest review of their doorbell, but you should be able to find a help file on that :)
Hi Brian, I have a disturbing dilemma which I hope you can provide your guidance and opinion to determine if this security camera solution would help me address a problem we are having around my home. My husband and I live in a small 300 home NJ lake community. We have a modest 1800 sqft corner home that sits on less than a 1/4 acre lot so the front and right sides of our property face the road. We are a quiet couple with no children. We keep to ourselves but get along well with most neighbors although at times, you can compare our community to high school where you have clicks and bullies of all sorts especially those who have generations of family that have lived here so entitlements out weigh individual peaceful enjoyment and many dictate how things should be done. In the last 3 years, someone in our neighborhood has taken a significant dislike to us and has been going out of there way to intentionally defile our property on an ongoing basis. They leave bags of dog poop on our property sometimes 2-3 times a week and we have been unsuccessful in catching them. We have found bags half way up our drive way with a rock on it to secure it when it’s been windy. They have thrown it over our 4 ft fence into our backyard lawn. They have left it in the middle of our front lawn and on the walkway into our home. Unfortunately, we have been unable to afford a security camera system but this may finally be the solution we need to catch the culprit. I have a few important questions before making such a significant investment and would greatly appreciate your opinions and guidance to determine if we should move forward with the purchase. Take note that my husband is not handy in the least so the ease of the installation here is definitely a plus. First question may be a bit difficult but would you have any guideline on how far away from the home can you position a camera and still connect to the WiFi? Not sure if I can get a clear line of sight to where people walk with the fence in between on the side of the backyard so I may need to resort to attaching it to a tree or possibly my neighbors tree across from me. This is why I am concerned about distance for connecting to WiFi. Since I also live in the suburbs, there is no sidewalks or street lights so there is no lighting in the backyard. Since the side of my backyard fence is approximately 20-30 ft from the home with no lighting, will the security camera be useless at night to actually see a person walking with their dog 30 feet away and will the motion sensor even detect from this distance? Also with a 512GB Micro SD card, do you have any guidance on how many video recording hours will it hold at 2k. I was having trouble finding an answer online with certain unknown variables. My husband tries to walk the property often so we typically find the poop bags within a day or two which you can tell now especially because the bag is on top of the fallen leaves vs covered by leaves. So we think we would only need a few days of storage. Will 512GB be enough? Can we actually use a smaller card size considering they are expensive and the plan would be to buy the 3 or 4 device package. So would need 3-4 SD cards. Also, what happens if someone takes the camera since it is magnetic, they could possibly pull it off the base or throw a rock to break it. If the device is stolen or broken and because the SD card stores the videos would I not be able to see who did the deed? Thank you in advance for any information and guidance you can provide.
Long story and a tough one! I think the truth is you have many options for taking care of this. There are many battery powered cameras and many that will be good options. I think if I was worried about someone stealing a camera on me, I'd mount it up high and make sure they had a heckuva time getting to it. I'd also use a mount that made it difficult to steal (so not the mag mount here, get a twist on or even a tougher mount). Then, I'd probably do a test with 1 or 2 cheap cameras and see what I see. A cheap Wyze cam sitting at your home might do the trick. Then if I see them, then I'd get the big system. As for the card, you'll never fill it at 512 GBs ;). Battery cameras just record events, never record full time so they film a minute or two then stop. Everything else you said sounds like you could use a camera like this. One of the reasons that people do sometimes go with a company like ring is because they do offer replacement of stolen cameras.
Yeah and that will be the case for sure. So far, I've had a few -10 C days and it's been really good. I haven't noticed any acceleration in battery % degradation.
You will never get near 300 days. I look at my live feed maybe 10 to 15 times a day, no motion detection, just people & pets, and get maybe 15 alerts a day, and I recharge mine around every 10 days.
You said in an earlier comment about leaving the TC85 plugged into a charge bud permanently, that it leaves a port open to weather. But is that not same situation with the solar panel plugged into the TC85? Also where are 3 packs in Canada?
I was a Wyze fan but they've bungled 2 security situations now, so I'm looking elsewhere. How does Tapo stack up with disclosing/handling vulnerabilities?
This hit all the points I have been trying to satisfy in my search for the right cameras with the right combination of features. It feels like users designed it.
They seem to have come to a great place!
Brian, great review & coverage of this Tapo camera. Love the fact that you don’t need a subscription to get the features your really need & want. Love the fact it works well with Amazon Alexa! I think this is the camera to beat that’s feature rich with NO subscription necessary! Thanks!
Thanks Dan! This is a good one! :)
@@AutomateYourLifehi
My brother bought this and absolutely loves it. He did his research and picked this one out of them all. Now I’m going to buy it. Thank u for the great n thorough review. ❤
Enjoy!
Thank you for a great review what seems to be finally a great product. There's been a vacuum in this field for ages and this devices seem to fill the void left because there are hardly good cameras out there that could offer all of these features (as partially hitting a few of them won't cut it for many of us):
1) High quality (not just resolution) in daylight as well as night and low light conditions,
2) No forcing into cloud-only storage or subscription-based AI features,
3) Ability to store locally, mainly NAS rather than microSD (often unreliable and easy to steal),
4) Good AI feature-set also able to detect objects, animals, humans,
5) Work quickly as far as responsiveness and saving, over wifi,
6) Good set of features for automation and easy to manage settings,
7) Good range to cover small and large properties,
8) Decent price point
If nitpicking, I'd want to better the mounting options. While I understand the magnetic holder (well engineered nevertheless) as it could be used inside a house perhaps, but I'd never use one even indoors since I'd want to make it as difficult as possible to physically remove the device from where it's been mounted. In fact I'd love if there was an option to place them in a more tamperproof and theft-deterring casing which could achieve maximum concealment so that they'd be even hard to spot.
Agreed on all of this! Thanks!
Much better than anything coming from Wyze!! Better picture, sound and value for the money! :-) Excellent review.
It better be since it’s 3x the price.
Wyze now has multi-cam view where you can view 4 live streaming cameras all at once and you get 3 cameras for $100. $10 a month membership would would take 2 years before you even reach the cost of Tapo's $300 price tag
Its a huge flaw IMO for the camera yo have local video storage ON the camera. It would be as simple as the perp taking the SD card out, or breaking the camera off and taking it, along with the footage...
Also, there's an NVR option. Not a flaw, just an option :)
@@AutomateYourLife Where is the NVR option for this camera?
Not even have to break it, it’s magnetic so just pick it up
Not if you buy a different mount.
In the recording settings, there's an option for NVR but it takes a second account setup
What's the difference between the Tapo TC85 & Tapo C425 (from this vid) cameras? The Amazon link calls it out as both and the tp-link website has both as separate as well.
Any answers to this?
Support told me they’re the same. Between the 2 cameras Amazon only sells the C425. Didn’t make sense TP link website sells both.
The one thing I can't wrap my head around is the magnetic base. What's to stop someone from walking up to your cam and 'Yoink, my cam now' ?
Nothing if you put it at a reachable level. But it has mounting capabilities.
Same. Too much trust these days. Too many products rely on the perp not having a ladder or not covering their face from the cameras or running away when its anti-tamper features sound off alarms. I want to like Tapo because their home automation sensors can make for one really nice custom alarm system but they don't even sell any loud outdoor-safe alarm sirens. Can make it really loud inside your home with lots of hubs but that's it. Too many flaws.
@@E71 Not covering their face or running away? I mean... cameras can't chase perps, detain them or physically snatch off their masks. 😂There is a perpetual degree of vulnerability from living among other human beings that cameras cannot solve for. Bullet proof windows can't control for someone driving a military tank into the building they're installed in, you know?
I guess maybe the magnetic plate is for non-destructive mounting indoors ?
@@cjjuszczak I have aluminum siding, so I screwed the mag plate into the siding and attached the camera high enough, that a perp would need a ladder to grab it, which would be recorded in the cloud.
I bought 2 a few months ago. I love them!
Oh! Ahead of me on that one!
Ahead of you? NEVER!
@@AutomateYourLife does this have motion tracking and can we move view from application
And can we screw them
Because magnet mount can be stolen easily
@@muhammadsaeed6057 No, yes, and you put it high enough that someone would need a chair or ladder to reach.
So very helpful and comprehensive thank you. As with you, nights here in the UK seem very dark suddenly and I was thinking about my first external camera(s) purchase.
Wonderful! Good luck!
Can't find it the UK, have you had any luck
@@Cylindermaster unfortunately no.
@@Cylindermaster I've been looking too and it looks like the model number is different, look for TC425 not 85. You have probably found them 4 months later though :)
@@jimmcdonald6465 I've been looking too and it looks like the model number is different, look for TC425 not 85. You have probably found them 4 months later though :)
I have 2 of these cameras with solar panels.
Quick review its worth it.
Solid units very good. On the non magnetic mount I got an earth magnet attached it and now magnetic.
The battery life all depends what bells and whistle u have set as preferences. If u get the solar panel definitely extends your battery life.
TL:DR ;)
Thanks!
Np😊
The most important feature I look for is web access for the camera. Most camera companies don't offer it for low cost cameras and reviewers don't mention negative things about the item they are reviewing.
Web access is a rarely asked for feature since apps are normally used, but if you want that, you can look at Wyze or Ring with a subscription
Love Tapo, tried so many different brands but hands down tapo is the best.
They've been great for us here!
Have you tested the cameras recording when under attack by a 2.4ghz de-auth attack; For example using a flipper zero? I ask because both of my Eufy door bell cameras stop recording events even to local storage if I de-auth them with a flipper. This is a serious problem for any 2.4 camera that stops working while disconnected from wifi.
I have a FireTV that I want to use as a monitor for live cameras. Can I have all 3 cameras displaying live images on the TV at the same time?
I haven't been able to do that
Hi Im in the Market looking for the same setup. It's so many options but haven't found 1 to suit my needs at all!! If you do happen to find any information before I do please let me know. thank you
@@AutomateYourLifeCan it display one location/camera feed on the TV if motion is detected?
Thank you for this. :)
What do you recommend as a permanent display, say on your kitchen counter, for all your cameras? Old tablet?
With these specifically, I'd use an Echo show cause the integration would allow you to bring them up automatically when they were needed.
Otherwise, it depends on what you have!
@@AutomateYourLife thank you. Good point. I'm about ready to upgrade my echo show anyway!
@mssbjh watch out next unboxing video :)
Good info. If the feature is available, you didn’t mention how the quality of video looks if/when you zoom in during live viewing.
Since these are 2K cameras, they look pretty good. I have never been left wanting on my phone but you could definitely see some grain on the larger screens if you were zooming in
Comprehensive review! Well done for covering everything!
Thanks!
This was a great video. I'm looking for doorbell/outdoor cam setup to replace my older ZMODO setup and TP Link checks all my boxes. No other cam system matches price, features, capability and no subscription like the TP Link cams. Much appreciated.
Great system. Still using them to this day!
Brian, this camera looks really interesting, but for me it has to also work in Homekit. While it doesn't have native Homekit support there is a Homebridge plugin called "Homebridge Tapo Camera" which I think could bring in the camera feed as well as some notifications for automation purposes. The plugin appears to be being maintained as there was an update last April. I'm hoping one of your viewers will read this and comment on it. I don't know if you have a Homebridge, or Hoobs set up there or not. Anyway, thanks for the review!!!
Thanks Hugh! I do have a hoobs setup but I barely use it so I'm not well versed enough to comment!
Picked up the Tapo C425 due to your great coverage on the product on Amazon Prime Days! Thanks Brian for your product thumbs up!
Nice! Enjoy so much Dan!
Good review. What isn't clear to me is the camera able to send the clip via wi-fi to a hard drive so that the home owner doesn't have to pull out the SD card.
Yes, so you'd have to go through a bit of a setup process. You can do NVR/NAS through RTSP.
NVR/NAS through RTSP means what actually? @@AutomateYourLife
Great review. 1) Could these be mounted inside behind a window and still detect movement outside?
2) Without connecting to 3rd Parties like Amazon, will it send instant notification/footage to a phone app?
3) Can you deactivate some cameras when I'm at home to conserve battery life?
1) No because it's a PIR motion sensor being used to do initial detection.
2) Yep!
3) Yep! They have an automation portion of their app for that. I use Amazon though for a few additional options.
Something simple without a subscription. I don't need this model with solar package, but I'm sure they offer others.
Kudo's 2 U for the video..
Thanks! And yep, they offer many cameras. My advice is to look at recent release models because they contain most or all of the features here
Looks like a great camera, Confused on how it compares to the C420. The C425 (or TC85) doen not need the hub ( not sure if that is a positive or negative - the SD card would be in the hub and record all cameras - less sd cards necessary and its away from the camera so no one can just steal all the cameras (and its recording). No idea what the hub does to the range compared to a good wifi router. The magnetic mount looks much better on the C425.
They are really good. Installing solar panel #2 in a few days
😀😀🔥
Another great video, might pick a 3 pack when I move house 🤔
How do you like this in comparison to the small 2K QHD Indoor/Outdoor camera?
Plus, can uou view these cdneras when you're away from the house?
Thanks
Hey Carl (thanks for earlier by the way)
I'm not sure which cameras you're talking about. But in general I think these cameras look great and I find that they are very clear for me in every situation I've put them in.
You can absolutely look at the feed of these cameras when you're away from the house. They work pretty well too, as I don't usually have a ton of delay.
That will depend on your network but they've been great for me
@@AutomateYourLife You're welcome. 😃 I meant your thoughts between the Tapo C120 outdoor/indoor vs the Tapo Mag Cam.
What if someone steals the camera or destroys it, how can I get the video clips?
Get a cloud subscription or mount it up high (or with a different mount) so they can't :)
So loving my TP link Tapo system! Only thing missing is 4k cams . I'm also a bit upset you need a 2nd subscription after 10 cameras. I'm up to seven already, and most likely would like 15 total.
I'm sure we'll see them up to 4K soon :)
Having that many cameras, you should be going wired! Much better but also more expensive.
@@sx20Ramar At six, zero issues wireless. Minus learning curve on where to adjust settings. That is a bit confusing. FOR THOSE new, YOU MUST do your settings in HOME, and AWAY! Otherwise, settings are lost immediately! In Home and Away, you must press the three vertical dots and than edit from there. NOT FROM MANAGE! Whoever designed the software app STINKS! BIG TIME. NO reason for it to be so stupid and confusing. Should be only ONE WAY to set and edit cameras. Otherwise, you will be wondering why your camera keeps ignoring your settings and resetting.
Hello Brian. I would like to know if the TAPO also can work if someone is using a signal jammer or how to protect my cameras from being jammed
It's tough to stop signal jammers at all. You'd have to have a stronger signal than the jammer to basically override it.
But if you put an SD card in these (and most cams), they will still record. Check that with any other cameras but these do it
Great review, we have been looking high and low for a decent security camera setup and I think these may be the ones. I run Homebridge, with connects to HomeKit and there is a TP-Link TAPO plugin for it. May have to get one to test the waters.
Yeah I think someone else had said they wanted to do that or had used the homebridge to get it into HK. Good luck!
@Tuxuser2003
Hey. Did you tested this security camera with HomeKit? If yes how it went?
@@vladasss I did not purchase them yet. Still looking.
You will be surprised that using the same Tapo eco system the old Tapo 1080p C200 (£$30 each) cameras are super cheap, but if set to DAY mode permanently you can simply point them out of your windows to your yard or car park area and they have great colour night vision so long as you have some basic street lighting. This is the remote control camera so you can steer it from the app. Don’t get the newer 2K version though as it’s DAY mode night vision is not suitable. The camera has to be set to DAY mode otherwise you will get infrared reflections off your windows.
Nice! Good use case Paul!
@@AutomateYourLife I uploaded a sample capture through glass, although it looks like we have very bright street lights that is not the case. To the naked eye it looks quite dark but to the C200 it looks bright and colourful, hope you don’t mind the link
ruclips.net/video/7dwoTQt7Sdc/видео.html
Time tp link gives option sd card 512mb most charge too much monthly Nice review good to know about tp link camera ok bye
Ok bye!
Hello Yoof! I just noticed these on Amazon and they interested me. I also knew i knew a man that would know the details and so here i am. Lol. I hope you are doing well my Yoof? Thanks for a great video as ever.
Ahahahaha, well look who the cat dragged in! :) Doing well over here, and hope you are too!
Is there a way to monitor on my computer instead of an app on the phone only? I use my computer more than my phone and I hate dealing with apps. I know I'm weird but I would really like to monitor from my office computer.
You're not weird. Just not possible with this one as of yet. :)
I just got the Tapo C425. If you look at the live feed on your phone 20 times a day, your battery will drop around 15%. My camera goes down to around 40% in a week! I put a 256 card in it. I was going to get the Tapo cloud storage, but seeing that I recharge the camera every 12 or 14 days, I just recharge the battery & format the card. The color night vision requires that the led lights come on, which I don't like as it shows everyone where the camera is at night. And this"micro USB is a deal breaker" stuff... Why? Because you have to look at connector to see which way it goes in instead of USB-c? If you want the best security cameras, wired is way to go, but for simple, easy to set up & use, this camera does a good job. I turned off the motion detection and turned up the sensitivity of people & pets, to eliminate passing cars, my flag, Halloween decorations, ect.
Great experience with the camera here. Exactly what I've experienced over the long haul!
Brian, thank you very much for your video. Question: records conversations, music? If you have tested these parameters thoroughly, and at what distance? Thanks in advance for your answer.
It records audio, but I haven't really checked an exact distance. Music, I haven't tested specifically either. Sorry!
I can tell you that I heard the kids out over 15 feet away.
@@AutomateYourLifeThank you very much. If need to buy some property in Soth Florida let me know. :)
amazing review this sealed my decision on getting this camera!
Enjoy! They are so good
Great video, to bad you mention NAS storage capable and within a split second go to battery live. Overall the video feels like a tapo commercial then a review. But I understand that you love the product so much. Personally I hate that people have to have an account with Tapo and load there app, that the app isn't open source meaning we cannot check what the app does in background. If TP decides they don't want to support the product they can just turn off the hardware you bought, you are not the real owner of the hardware. As a toy it's super cool as security I would get something more controlled by myself rather then a company.
I’ll stick with my Arlo cameras half the size of these and Arlo doesn’t have a subscription either neither do these but like I said Arlo half size and when one of my arlo went bad which was my fault Arlo replaced it with no problem. i’ve had my Arlo cameras now for going on five years only had a problem one time and like I said Arlo replace the camera right away, so I’ll stick with my Arlos thanks for the video.
Enjoy!
Does it record 24/7? Can it be permenantly hardwired to a power source?
whats the max clip length this can be set to for motion events?
can it record 24/7 or is this just motion trigger events?
Just motion
Would it make sense to use a solar panel even for indoor use? That way you don't have to take the cameras down to charge up the batteries. You just turn the light on in the room?
I think if you get it up against a window then the solar panel can be useful but inside of a house using ambient lighting isn't really going to charge much. I haven't seen it work very well even with panel lights that put out a lot of light at different frequencies
Hi 👋, what is the diameter of it, If you could, please let me know, but not sure whether I can get it in Europe yet,
Thank you, from the moulin,
What if I use AT&T internet service will it still work and if so how do I connect it?
Any 2.4 GHz WiFi network should be just fine. Make sure you have that with a strong signal out where you're going to install these.
Wired cams are the best way to go.
I'm in the process of adding a few outdoor security cams as part of a kitchen reno. In our (Eastern Canada) winters, battery-powered solutions really don't make sense - and the abundant heavy sticky snow here isn't likely to play nice with a solar panel either - so I've opted for POE-powered wired cams exclusively (though I haven't ruled out a battery-powered option inside the garage).
I have a NAS for local storage as well - though I'm not ruling out a monitored security subscription (if I can get one) for when we're in travel mode...
You will have that heavy snow, so you gotta watch out for it! You know, the Eufy ones I had out there with the solar panel on top always did alright. Never ran out :)
@@AutomateYourLife I'm not surprised a solar panel would work fine on the Prairies: the winter days may be short, but with the cold climate they generally don't lack for sunshine!
@@AutomateYourLife I was looking at the Eufy S340, however don't know how they would handle the -30c in Alberta.
Very well done.
Thank you kindly!
Thanks for this video. I was wondering if a resurve battery is available? Seems to me it would be easist to have one fully charged for one trip up the ladder to replcace then 2 trips to remove and ger it charged.
No sorry, just a solar option that I've seen
If you didn't need to purchase a subscription for the "Rich notifications with snapshots" I would have went with this camera. I'm now leaning toward Eufy cameras for that reason alone.
Every-time you get a notification having to launch the app and connect to the camera isn't ideal.
Sure thing! Just watch Eufy and their privacy concerns. Still haven't resolved some older issues!
@@AutomateYourLife That's a shame. I thought Eufy had addressed most of them.
This camera will be outside near our front door covering the front door and driveway. What cameras do you recommend? I'm still looking.
These ones :) Ahahhahaha.
Eufy's good if it's outdoors. Just understand that I don't think they've cleared that all up yet.
Brian, yes these camera's look very promising - short of the Google Home integration you mentioned. Followed the links you put in but not seeing any CDN retailers for this model?
It's been a painful wait for us Canucks. It should come to Best Buy asap.
When you use a magnetic setup, what stops someone from throwing a brick at it (dropping it on the floor)
Absolutely nothing. What's stops that normally though? Even with a regular mount, you're going to break the camera with a brick.
A couple of questions please. Will it record brightly at night without the spotlight having to be used?
And can you purchase spare bases so you can just move the one camera around various locations?
It can, you'd need just a little light to see things but it does pretty well with the IR lighting. Just if you want color at night the spotlight is normally used.
As for the bases...I don't know sadly!
Thank you sir. 👍🏼
Thank you sir!😃
Great video I have been using the Tapo c325WD and had it on my garage but in saying that where I am moving there is no place to run wires is the magnet strong enough for like a side mount or would I have to get the tripod mount
The magnet is very strong. Exceedingly
I really wish does cameras comes here also,. and in single or dual pack. would be perfect for my balcony where i got a Tapo C320WS. Ofc if it would work with HA or ST in the future.
I'll let you know if I see it go international Finn
Thanks for the video, is it possible to record 24/7?
Nope
@@AutomateYourLife and do they have such camera like eufy that can record 24/7 to homebase and not just SD card?
Can you disarm the tapo mag cams from the TP Link app, or do you have to press a button on each camera?
You can put cameras into privacy mode by pressing a button for each camera in the app. I believe there is an automation option to do that as well and if I remember correctly, Alexa has an option in their routines to turn on or off privacy for each camera. I have to do that for memory because I recently moved and haven't set everything back up yet
Can you remotely review locally stored clips from a location / city other than where the cameras are installed?
Yep, through the app you can review incidents
I didnt hear anything about the camera having a siren?
Sorry about that! It does!
The video was excellent and great information. Can you offer suggestions on tripod to facilitate a permanent install.
Well I know one which is installed here in my customer.. Whenever I come inside his house it will siren and I need to call the owner to disarmed it so that I can work inside his house
It's hard to get cameras that actually give the quality of image that should be expected. 4K cameras, even in expensive ones, do not ever give 4K resolution. I mean, compare your 4K security camera to 4K TV. They should be equally clear as they are all meant to be 4K, but in most cases CCTV / IP Cameras are very disappointing. But people still get caught up in megapixels, and megapixels are not the name of the game.
On the WiFi thing, 2.4GHz is ideal for cameras. Even hard wired cameras are so often 100mbps ethernet, not 1gbps, and you will easily get 100mbps out of 2.4GHz WiFi, even on single stream wifi N. 2.4GHz is ideal for for these cameras and has plenty of bandwidth for multiple 2K cameras.
For a wireless camera offering, these look pretty decent and that solar panel, if you have a place for it, is definitely a great option. SD Cards, however, are not good for camera storage. Even high quality ones will fail quickly with constant write/rewrite cycles. Writing is what wears them out quickly. If you are serious about using cameras for security you would not bother with an SD Card and run it into a NAS or some other CCTV Software.
As always, you're totally right! The sensor is good with this one, though I didn't talk about it. And as for the SD card and local storage option, you're right again!
It's almost like you've been doing this a while. ;)
I have a Reolink 4K Wi-Fi camera that has a dual 2.4/5GHZ bands, but it doesn't give you the option to choose which one, so I assume it uses the best reception band available.
MicroSD are not as fragile as you'd think. I have a 128GB MicroSD card in a dashcam which sees far more continuous recording than a motion triggered home camera ever will. That card has been used in at least 4 different dashcams (two 1080p, a QHD and a 1080p+720p dual dashcam), it is over 8 years old now and still going strong. The biggest weakness of on-camera storage is risk of theft or vandalism, which can be mostly mitigated through secure mounting at a height that cannot be reached without ladders. Plus, I don't think most burglars first thoughts when seeing a CCTV camera is going to be to steal it or check it for a MicroSD card, they've likely got their eyes on more valuable targets.
@@fenrir7969 There are many many reported cases of SD Cards failing. Sure, you can get lucky and get good ones, but they are not good with continuous writing. No solid state device is.
Great video ! Will they trigger alexa routines?
They do, and fast enough to be useful. That comes later in the video :)
Hi there. Good job. You think is it better than ezviz bc1c? I think that are similar but i dont know if the night record is better.. thank u
I like the compatibility with other systems better than EZVIZ's options. I think that's worth any differences in Night Recording, but sadly I don't have that specific camera to be able to tell you for sure that it's better.
I can say that I've been very impressed with the night recordings on these cameras.
Love the info. Thank you. Will it work in Fairbanks, Alaska with cold winters? (-25 F) Will any system? I was thinking light socket camera may stay warmer? I have only just started looking and landed on this video first. If you have the time to reply, I'd appreciate it.
It worked in Canada at -30 C. The batteries definitely drain quicker in that situation, but I was impressed :)
Unfortunately -4f low operation temp is a no go for me. It can stay below that for days if not weeks here.
Me too. I'll let you know how it goes.
very good review points, thanks, ..
Isn’t it odd it doesn’t have WiFi 6?
What is max recording time?
The fact that it can be set to record to a NAS is impressive!
Hey Ken - I actually think it's the right thing that they're not using WiFi 6 on outdoor cameras. Even 5 GHz just isn't going to work well. As for Max Recording Time, 2 minutes :)
2k @ 30fps is only 16 Mb/s. It's not the speed you have to consider but range and penetration.
I would be curious to find out if you’ve experienced any issues with the night vision when it gets cold outside. I’ve had a couple of other brands that literally fail to detect motion at night when the temperature gets below 40F ~ 4C.
Nothing I've noticed. That would likely be based on motion sensing using PIR sensors not being able to pick up the changes in infrared
Do you know if you're using the micro sd card for storage and you lose internet for a while and get it back, will you be able to access the recorded clip during the outage?
Yes! It seems to continue to record for me :)
At what range do these cams pick up motion? I have cams that can't see further than 10 Ft. In terms of triggering cam
In the video, you'll see it pick up cars 50ft+ away. It'll depend how you set them up and what you want to trigger based on, but that's been the performance if I wanted it.
Great video. Thanks for all the detailed information regarding the features of the camera. I want the ability to have local storage with no subscription. You mentioned RTSP in the video but I’m not familiar with that and how it works with an NAS. Can you point me in the right direction of a video that explains that whole concept pretty well?thanks again
I don't actually have a video on that Frank! Sorry about that!
Do they make a lte 4g camera for places where wifi is not available?
I haven't seen that from TP Link just yet. I bet they make one though
How is the person detection? Does it give a lot of false alarm compare to Google outdoor battery cam. thanks
I thiiiiiink I spoke about that in detail, but suffice it to say it's been excellent. Near perfect, actually.
Are they ONIF or RSTP compatible? I want to connect them to Blue Iris. Thank you.
Last I checked, they were RTSP but the setup was a little complicated. Nothing difficult, but it required a second account. Haven't tried in a while though
Can you access history of videos remotely from the app, from local SD card storage? Does the app work well with Android phones?
Yes, yes, and yes!
good review ! clear content
Much appreciated!
Great for trucks 🚛 night security !!!!!
Does it support masking in battery mode?
You mean the privacy zones? Yep!
I may have missed it but, how long does it take to charge the battery and what SD card do u recommend? Thanks!
I haven't ever timed it actually. I take them down for about half a day and they're all charged up.
No SD Card recommendations. Don't spend too much as they're outdoors and will take some punishment :)
Did not see storage options. Great review though. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful! There are cloud, SD card, and a new option that Tapo is selling. They have a "base" like device that can keep recordings on site for you.
Oh and an NVR option.
@@AutomateYourLife How do these compare with the C520WS? Which camera has the nvr option or could write to my qnap nas? I know your busy, thanks.
I don't actually know about the C520WS. But this one can write to some NAS. Takes a second account
Does it have a built in wifi or can it be connected to my home wifi service directly? Will it work off of a wifi extender?
It can be directly connected to your home's wifi :)
It should work off an extender, but watch out...that might slow down your video feed. Generally use Mesh
Great video, can the cameras be added to the H200 hub and have the recordings be sent there instead of the local sd card?
I don't know that actually! I don't have the H200. Sorry
Since you got the 3 pack of cameras do you also need 3 solar panels? Do you need a memory card for each camera or will all three feeds record to one card?
You need 3 of each!
I just have a 256gb card in the h200 hub + 2 camera
Is it true that the Tapo TC85 doesn't support the RTSP/ONVIF profile(S) protocols, therefore making it unable to stream the camera from NAS/NVR/PC via RTSP/ONVIF.
In other words no wall or tiles of live cameras to monitor?
There's a method in the advanced settings to create a second account to make it work with rtsp
Great review! Do you know if I can have the recordings stored to my NAS instead of the SD card on each camera?
You can!
i would be interested in this but you didn't clarify if there is actual loop recording, meaning when the sd card fills up will it automatically record from the beginning over the old footage as some cameras do?...this would save people from having to buy sd cards every few months or pull the existing one to format it again. which some people can forget to do.
Yes it does loop the recordings and writes over them
Brian, what's the best type of SD card for this use, and which outdoor mounts with a threaded camera connector work with this camera?
I just got one, and I have a 128 GB card, but I don't know which one to replace it with. Does it matter?
In both cases, the answer is that this camera is very flexible. I'd buy smaller cards that don't cost you a ton. Outdoors conditions can be harsh and cards will die no matter what after a lot of writing.
As for the mounts, I'd been using a few different ones from other cameras. Since these cameras have the mount at the back of them, they are very flexible with a style of mount that you use. So it just becomes a question of how do you want it to look on your house?
@@AutomateYourLife Mate, you are the man! Also, I found a generic temp-proof, 512 GB, Class 10 Micro SD card for $11 on Amazon. I'm willing to spend that much to try it.
What battery? Where are you supposed to plug in a 3 inch usb? Very little on powering the camera. I don't want a 1 sq ft solar panel.
The battery is inside the unit
@@AutomateYourLife how long douse the battery last?
can record 24/7 on the micro sd with automatically erasing the old videos?
Not 24/7 as far as I remember
Anyone have issues with the camera not wanting to format the sd card?
What brand and size SD card did you use for this video?
I am hearing of many issues of people not being able to format their SD cards.
There is a help file on which brands of SD cards to buy with Tapo. We talked about that in our latest review of their doorbell, but you should be able to find a help file on that :)
Hi Brian, I have a disturbing dilemma which I hope you can provide your guidance and opinion to determine if this security camera solution would help me address a problem we are having around my home. My husband and I live in a small 300 home NJ lake community. We have a modest 1800 sqft corner home that sits on less than a 1/4 acre lot so the front and right sides of our property face the road. We are a quiet couple with no children. We keep to ourselves but get along well with most neighbors although at times, you can compare our community to high school where you have clicks and bullies of all sorts especially those who have generations of family that have lived here so entitlements out weigh individual peaceful enjoyment and many dictate how things should be done.
In the last 3 years, someone in our neighborhood has taken a significant dislike to us and has been going out of there way to intentionally defile our property on an ongoing basis. They leave bags of dog poop on our property sometimes 2-3 times a week and we have been unsuccessful in catching them. We have found bags half way up our drive way with a rock on it to secure it when it’s been windy. They have thrown it over our 4 ft fence into our backyard lawn. They have left it in the middle of our front lawn and on the walkway into our home. Unfortunately, we have been unable to afford a security camera system but this may finally be the solution we need to catch the culprit. I have a few important questions before making such a significant investment and would greatly appreciate your opinions and guidance to determine if we should move forward with the purchase.
Take note that my husband is not handy in the least so the ease of the installation here is definitely a plus.
First question may be a bit difficult but would you have any guideline on how far away from the home can you position a camera and still connect to the WiFi?
Not sure if I can get a clear line of sight to where people walk with the fence in between on the side of the backyard so I may need to resort to attaching it to a tree or possibly my neighbors tree across from me. This is why I am concerned about distance for connecting to WiFi.
Since I also live in the suburbs, there is no sidewalks or street lights so there is no lighting in the backyard. Since the side of my backyard fence is approximately 20-30 ft from the home with no lighting, will the security camera be useless at night to actually see a person walking with their dog 30 feet away and will the motion sensor even detect from this distance?
Also with a 512GB Micro SD card, do you have any guidance on how many video recording hours will it hold at 2k. I was having trouble finding an answer online with certain unknown variables. My husband tries to walk the property often so we typically find the poop bags within a day or two which you can tell now especially because the bag is on top of the fallen leaves vs covered by leaves. So we think we would only need a few days of storage. Will 512GB be enough? Can we actually use a smaller card size considering they are expensive and the plan would be to buy the 3 or 4 device package. So would need 3-4 SD cards.
Also, what happens if someone takes the camera since it is magnetic, they could possibly pull it off the base or throw a rock to break it. If the device is stolen or broken and because the SD card stores the videos would I not be able to see who did the deed?
Thank you in advance for any information and guidance you can provide.
Long story and a tough one!
I think the truth is you have many options for taking care of this. There are many battery powered cameras and many that will be good options.
I think if I was worried about someone stealing a camera on me, I'd mount it up high and make sure they had a heckuva time getting to it. I'd also use a mount that made it difficult to steal (so not the mag mount here, get a twist on or even a tougher mount).
Then, I'd probably do a test with 1 or 2 cheap cameras and see what I see. A cheap Wyze cam sitting at your home might do the trick.
Then if I see them, then I'd get the big system.
As for the card, you'll never fill it at 512 GBs ;). Battery cameras just record events, never record full time so they film a minute or two then stop.
Everything else you said sounds like you could use a camera like this. One of the reasons that people do sometimes go with a company like ring is because they do offer replacement of stolen cameras.
Great video, I have a few questions…does the sd card fill or overwrite when full? How far does it reach for detection? Thank you
Overwrite!
Detection...I've had a solid 20-25 feet be no problem. Vehicles I've detected 50+ feet away no problem
Looking for some nice wifi cameras any brands you recommend would be appreciated . . Thank you
You're watching a great one here. :)
Is there a way to turn off the sound it makes when motion detection is activated?
Mine makes no sound, so yep
The 300 day battery is interesting....but what about environmental effects....ie..the cold. Tends to have a lot of affect on how the batteries last.
Yeah and that will be the case for sure. So far, I've had a few -10 C days and it's been really good. I haven't noticed any acceleration in battery % degradation.
You will never get near 300 days. I look at my live feed maybe 10 to 15 times a day, no motion detection, just people & pets, and get maybe 15 alerts a day, and I recharge mine around every 10 days.
You said in an earlier comment about leaving the TC85 plugged into a charge bud permanently, that it leaves a port open to weather. But is that not same situation with the solar panel plugged into the TC85? Also where are 3 packs in Canada?
3 packs in Canada is impossible still...
Yes it is the same, but it's fairly well handled with location. Just warning folks
Nice video. This seems to be a good contender, although I love my Wyze cams
I'm actually just starting to work on a comparison of the two. Both really great systems :)
@@AutomateYourLifeI look forward to your comparison!
I was a Wyze fan but they've bungled 2 security situations now, so I'm looking elsewhere. How does Tapo stack up with disclosing/handling vulnerabilities?
Brian, does the camera show a live view without recording 24/7 or does it just activate when there is a detection?
There's a privacy mode that you can turn on and off, but it's always on for a live view if you want it :)