Philips Hue Floodlight Camera Review

The Philips Hue Floodlight Digicam was introduced at IFA 2023 as a part of the Philips Hue Safe launch, together with three different cameras.

It joins a rising variety of floodlight cameras available on the market, however its integration with the Philips Hue ecosystem units it aside.

As I’m closely invested in Philips Hue, I’ve been desperate to check out the floodlight digital camera and see how nicely it really works with Hue, so I’ve lastly changed my ageing Netatmo Good Out of doors Digicam.

Associated Evaluations

Specification / Options

Decision: 1080PSensor: CMOS – F35Field of View: 141.2Floodlight:Lumen output at 4000K: 2,250 lmLumen output at 2700K: 2,050 lmMotion Detection: Sure, together with folks, automobiles, animals, packagesNight Imaginative and prescient: YesMicrophone / Audio: Sound alarm  Two-way audioWeatherproof: Sure, IP65 digital camera, IP44 floodlightConnectivity: Zigbee  WiFi (2.4GHz – 5GHz)

Unboxing

Upon unboxing the Philips Hue Floodlight Digicam, you’ll discover the digital camera itself, then the massive metallic physique it mounts to with the floodlight.

What’s fascinating is that the digital camera is separate from the primary floodlight, and it attaches magnetically to the primary physique with a small safety cable operating to the digital camera to keep away from it being stolen.

It’s a little bit of an odd design determination, as it will be fairly simple to dislodge the digital camera whether it is at arm’s attain. I additionally stay in a notoriously windy city, so I used to be involved the digital camera would possibly get dislodged when the climate is unhealthy, however thus far, so good.

Set up

As I used to be swapping out my Netatmo, the set up was comparatively easy as I had the bodily wires in place already.

I did run into some points, however these had been associated to me making an attempt to make use of the previous wires and the location of the earlier digital camera.

The principle physique of the floodlight digital camera has a big footprint, so it would be best to ensure it matches the place you propose. The place I put in the digital camera, I’ve an ornamental sandstone encompass and the primary physique nearly didn’t match, I needed to give it a little bit of a bash to get it to squeeze in.

The precise set up is intuitive. You take away the again plate from the physique and run your cables by way of the opening with the rubber grommet to scale back the chance of water ingress. Then, wire the cables into the terminal block.

I then bumped into one other subject as the present wiring was minimize quick to suit neatly into the earlier digital camera. With the Hue floodlight, the terminal block is screwed into place additional up from the entry gap.

The terminal block wants to remain in place as a result of the primary physique doesn’t have wires to screw into place. There are three pins that slide into the block. It’s a good suggestion because it ought to simplify the set up when you’ve got wires lengthy sufficient.   

Lastly, you simply want to attach the safety cable to the digital camera (or do that earlier than mounting the physique in case you are up ladders) and join the info cable.

Set Up with Philips Hue App

As soon as the digital camera is put in, you’ll be able to set it up utilizing the Philips Hue app. The app guides you thru the method of connecting the digital camera to your Philips Hue bridge and configuring its settings. The app offers a user-friendly interface for managing the digital camera’s options and settings.

I skilled just a few extra points with the set-up course of, which I’m sure was because of the digital camera not connecting to my WiFi with a robust sufficient sign. The app would discover the digital camera and hook up with the WiFi, however the firmware replace saved failing, and the digital camera wouldn’t add correctly to my system.

I had minimal information charges assigned to my SSIDs and the band, so I diminished these and elevated the output energy on my entry factors.

With these settings modified I used to be in a position so as to add the digital camera and replace it. In its present place, it states that my WiFi sign is honest, and I’ve an entry level on the bottom flooring within the room subsequent to the digital camera, and one other in my workplace above and to the precise of the digital camera.

Lastly, I used to be confused about why the floodlight digital camera was at all times on. I later realised that the floodlight is added individually as a lightweight inside your private home, so that you must assign it to a zone or create a brand new one. This then permits the sunshine to operate like another mild you might have within the Hue app.

App Settings

The Philips Hue app presents a spread of settings to customize the digital camera’s behaviour. You may alter movement detection sensitivity, arrange exercise zones to give attention to particular areas, and configure mild and sound alarms. The app additionally means that you can handle video recording and storage settings.

Movement Detection

The Philips Hue Floodlight Digicam’s movement detection function is extremely efficient. It could actually precisely detect and distinguish between folks, automobiles, animals, and packages, decreasing false alarms. You may obtain instantaneous notifications in your smartphone when movement is detected, permitting you to remain knowledgeable about exercise round your private home.

There are just a few quirks that make this fairly completely different out of your common floodlight digital camera.

For cameras just like the Eufy Floodlight Digicam E340, the floodlight, digital camera and all of the capabilities are restricted to the digital camera as one unified system that doesn’t discuss to my different Eufy cameras.

The Hue floodlight works extra like three separate units: the digital camera, the floodlight, and the movement sensor.

You may management the sunshine through the Hue app similar to another Hue mild. This contains setting schedules and having equipment like movement sensors or dimmers management the sunshine.

Then, inside the digital camera settings, you’ll be able to outline which movement sensors are used for the two-armed modes, residence and away.

Then, you’ll be able to outline which lights will probably be activated in movement and the completely different time zones.

So, for me, I assigned my workplace lights and hallway lights. Then, I outlined which scenes to make use of and the time. I saved the floodlight brilliant for every of the time zones, then off after 5 minutes, whereas for the opposite lights, I set an acceptable scene for the time after which reverted to the earlier state.

Alarms & Lights

Along with movement detection, the digital camera helps mild and sound alarms that may be arrange within the residence and away armed modes.

When triggered, the floodlight illuminates the world, whereas the digital camera’s built-in speaker emits a loud alarm to discourage potential intruders. These alarms might be customised and managed by way of the Philips Hue app.

Floodlight Efficiency

The floodlight on the Philips Hue Floodlight Digicam delivers spectacular efficiency. With a lumen output of two,250 lm at 4000 Ok and a pair of,050 lm at 2700 Ok, it offers brilliant and even illumination to your outside house.

The floodlight’s color temperature might be adjusted to fit your preferences, making a welcoming atmosphere or a deterrent impact. It’s also RGB, so you might have the total vary of colors accessible. That is fairly helpful when you’ve got the digital camera put in masking a non-public backyard, permitting you to light up the surface with a extra nice lighting have an effect on than you get off regular floodlights.

The Philips Hue Floodlight Digicam is proscribed to 1080P, which is sort of low for a floodlight digital camera at this worth level. Eufy has a 3K and 2K floodlight digital camera, and the Arlo floodlight digital camera is 2K.

That stated, in the course of the day, the digital camera captures clear and detailed footage that appears to be higher high quality than lots of the different outside cameras I’ve used.

The huge 141.2-degree area of view ensures complete protection of the monitored space. The digital camera’s picture high quality is superb, with correct colors and good distinction.

One other quirk of this digital camera is that it doesn’t do color evening video. Most competing choices will document in B&W when the highlight or floodlight is off then swap to color when the sunshine is activated. Hue bizarrely stays in B&W.

I stay in a well-lit road, and I discovered that the digital camera sensor was adequate to disable evening imaginative and prescient altogether, leaving it to document my color all day and evening.

With the sunshine off, the footage is enough, you’ll be able to clearly make out folks strolling up my path, however there’s a variety of noise and lack of element.

When the sunshine prompts, the standard is a lot better. Nonetheless, as I’ve the digital camera put in low down, the sunshine does glare again off anybody strolling previous, however this is a matter with my placement, not the digital camera.

Philips Hue Safe Pricing

You don’t want a Safe plan to make use of the floodlight digital camera. Nonetheless, a plan provides you entry to extra options, similar to video historical past and exercise zones. If you initially arrange the digital camera, you’ll get a 30 day free Safe trial.

With the free plan you get:

Reside streamingLight and sound alarmsInstant movement notificationsEnd-to-end video encryptionBlackout zonesVideo snapshots

The essential plan prices £35 per 12 months per digital camera and provides you entry to:

Again-to-back video clip recordingActivity zonesAI-powered particular person, animal, automobile and bundle detection30 days video historical past

The plus plan prices £85 per 12 months however that is for 10 cameras and offers 60 days of video historical past.

As compared, Arlo cost £45 for a single digital camera, £110 for 4 cameras, or £150 for limitless cameras with 60 days recording and as much as 4K decision.

Worth and Various Choices

The Philips Hue Floodlight Digicam has an RRP of £300

The eufy Safety Floodlight Digicam E340, which is a dual-lens floodlight digital camera with pan and tilt, has an RRP of £220 and is offered for £180 at present.

The Ring Floodlight Cam is £140.

The Arlo Floodlight Safety Digicam Out of doors is offered for £150.

The Netatmo Good Out of doors Safety Digicam is £190.

The Google GPLE9 Nest Cam with Floodlight (Out of doors, Wired) is £210.

The Reolink Duo Floodlight isn’t fairly the identical as this makes use of PoE however is priced at £130.

Eufy and Netamo work with out a subscription, they usually each have facial recognition.

Total

In my view, the Philips Hue Floodlight Digicam and the opposite Hue cameras are designed particularly for people who find themselves already invested within the Hue ecosystem.

Like all Hue merchandise, it has a premium worth, and there are higher floodlight cameras at a lower cost level in case you simply need a good floodlight digital camera.

Nonetheless, as at all times with Hue, the digital camera integrates completely with the Hue ecosystem and can be utilized along side your current movement sensors and lights. Both alerting you to when somebody is on the door or used as a fundamental alarm system.

Manufacturers like Ring and Eufy have expanded into the sensible alarm market, however they don’t combine into your sensible residence fairly in addition to the Philips Hue Floodlight Digicam.

There are just a few quirks that might do with ironing out. The principle one being the choice to have color evening video.

I’m James, a UK-based tech fanatic and the Editor and Proprietor of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Obsessed with all issues expertise, my experience spans from computer systems and networking to cellular, wearables, and sensible residence units.

As a health fanatic who loves operating and biking, I even have a eager curiosity in fitness-related expertise, and I take each alternative to cowl this area of interest on my weblog. My numerous pursuits permit me to carry a singular perspective to tech running a blog, merging way of life, health, and the most recent tech traits.

In my educational pursuits, I earned a BSc in Info Methods Design from UCLAN, earlier than advancing my studying with a Grasp’s Diploma in Computing. This superior research additionally included Cisco CCNA accreditation, additional demonstrating my dedication to understanding and staying forward of the expertise curve.

I’m proud to share that Vuelio has persistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of many high expertise blogs within the UK. With my dedication to expertise and drive to share my insights, I goal to proceed offering my readers with participating and informative content material.