SpotCam Solo Pro Review – Wire-Free Surveillance Camera System

I’ve beforehand reviewed the SpotCam Video Doorbell 2 and located it to be a very good, reasonably priced various to well-liked video doorbells akin to Ring, Eufy and Arlo.

Spotcam lately launched the SpotCam Solo Professional, which is a wi-fi digicam system designed to compete with wi-fi surveillance cameras such because the Arlo Professional 5 and Eufy Safety S300.

The SpotCam Solo Professional presents 2.5K video decision, a 160-degree discipline of view, free 7-day cloud storage, and color night time imaginative and prescient. It has a novel design with an omnidirectional magnetic mount, permitting versatile positioning. The built-in battery guarantees as much as 6 months of operation per cost, making it simple to put in anyplace with out wiring.

On this evaluation, I’ll cowl the important thing specs, design, setup course of, app options, video and picture high quality throughout day and night time, movement detection efficiency, pricing, and alternate options. After testing this digicam extensively, I discovered that it lives as much as most of its claims and offers superb worth for cash.

Specification

Decision: 2560 x 1440p (2.5K)Discipline of View: 160 levels diagonalNight Imaginative and prescient: Constructed-in white highlight for vibrant night time imaginative and prescient and flashing deterrent.Audio: Constructed-in microphone and speaker to hear and discuss to the SpotCamMotion/Object Detection: Constructed-in microphone and speaker to hear and discuss to the SpotCamConnectivity: Wi-fi (Digital camera) / Ethernet cable (Base Station)Weatherproofing: IP65 ratedBattery Life: As much as 6 months per chargeCloud Storage: Free 7-day cloud storage, as much as 1 yr availableLocal Storage: MicroSD card slot, as much as 256GBMounting: Magnetic base or tripod threadDimensions: 8.7cm x 4.7cm x 5.9cm (digicam), 14.5cm x 8.5cm x 7.5cm (base station)

Design

The SpotCam Solo Professional consists of the bottom station and cameras.

The bottom station is comparatively distinctive because it connects to your private home router through Ethernet. The Eufy HomeBase can be wired to Ethernet however many reasonably priced manufacturers stick to WiFi.

The bottom station then has two exterior antennas to maximise the wi-fi vary to the cameras. The utmost line-of-sight vary is 50 meters.

The cameras are compact and light-weight at simply 218g. It has an all-white end with black accents across the digicam lens. The lens itself has a large 160-degree discipline of view.

The digicam has a omni-directional magnetic base. This enables the digicam to be mounted on any metallic floor at any angle. It may possibly simply be repositioned as wanted. The bottom has a typical tripod thread, which I discover preferable hen utilizing outdoor as I stay in a coastal city within the north of England and something not bolted down will get blown away.

An non-obligatory photo voltaic panel accent is obtainable, permitting theoretically indefinite operation with out charging. The photo voltaic panel connects on to the digicam’s USB port.

Total, the design is trendy and versatile, permitting set up in additional locations in comparison with opponents.

Set Up

Getting arrange takes round 10-Quarter-hour. First, it’s essential to join the bottom station to your router utilizing the included Ethernet cable.

Subsequent, energy on the digicam and hook up with its WiFi entry level out of your cellphone. Launch the SpotCam app and observe the on-screen directions to hyperlink the digicam with the bottom station.

As soon as related, you’ll be able to identify the digicam, assign it to a location, and configure settings like movement detection and cloud storage. The app guides you thru every step, making setup simple.

Much like Eufy and different programs with a base station, the cameras hook up with the bottom station instantly utilizing their very own personal wi-fi protocol. I assume that is simply regular 2.4GHz WiFi however a hidden community. The advantage of that is that cameras connecting on to a base station sometimes have an extended battery life than those who hook up with your private home WiFI.

Subscription Companies

SpotCam has walled off a whole lot of superior options with subscriptions. This isn’t unusual for surveillance cameras.

Manufacturers like Arlo can be utilized with out a subscription, and in case you have a base station, you’ll be able to report with out a subscription, however superior options like individual detection require an Arlo Safe subscription, which is able to set you again £4.49 pcm for a single digicam at 2k or £10.99 for 4 cameras at 2K each with 30 days cloud recording or for £14.99 pcm you’ll be able to have limitless cameras, 4K recordings and 60 days of storage.

SpotCam is barely completely different as they’ve a extra complicated however modular strategy to their companies, which is damaged down into cloud recording choices and cloud AI companies.

For all of the subscriptions, it’s a per-camera price, which may get costly rapidly.

For cloud recording, you’ll be able to apply for a free 7-day subscription, which I believe is a unbelievable provide.

However, if you would like 30 days recording, that’s $3 pcm per digicam or $5 per digicam for 180 days recording.

Then for the cloud AI companies, you’ve got a great deal of spectacular choices however these all price between $4 and $10 monthly per digicam.

There may be an indoor service pack which supplies you human and pet detection then lacking object and digital fence. That is $10 per digicam, nevertheless it doesn’t work with these cameras.

The outside pack can also’t be utilized, nevertheless it prices $10 and offers human/automobile detection, adopted by the identical lacking object and digital fence.

One of many particular person choices is face recognition, which is definitely fairly a uncommon characteristic that I’ve solely used on the Eufy Safety S300, Netatmo, the Aqara doorbell and a few of their digicam hubs. I’m impressed that they’ve this characteristic, nevertheless it prices $10 monthly for a digicam, which is simply ridiculously costly.

It’s good that you simply don’t want a subscription to make use of the SpotCam, however sadly the subscription service is so costly I can’t see why anybody would purchase it.

Recording Choices

I’ve already coated recording choices above, however to reiterate, there are two methods to retailer video from the SpotCam Solo Professional:

Cloud Storage: All cameras include free rolling 7-day cloud storage. This implies the most recent 7 days of recordings are accessible within the cloud without charge. You may optionally buy 30-day or 1-year cloud plans for $3.99/month and $39.99/yr respectively per digicam.

Native Storage: For twenty-four/7 steady recording, a microSD card might be inserted to retailer footage regionally on the digicam. Playing cards as much as 256GB are supported. There is no such thing as a month-to-month price for native storage, simply the upfront price of a reminiscence card.

Throughout my testing, each cloud and native recordings had been dependable, with no gaps or corrupted footage. The benefit of native storage is that it avoids any cloud subscription charges. The benefit of cloud storage is distant entry from anyplace. So you’ll be able to select the most suitable choice in your wants.

The native storage additionally helps a backup perform in case of disconnection. If customers are concurrently utilizing a reminiscence card and a cloud storage plan, the footage might be synchronized in each places. Within the occasion of disconnection and subsequent reconnection, the footage will even be uploaded to the cloud, offering customers with twin backup performance for added peace of thoughts.

App Settings

The SpotCam app (out there for iOS and Android) offers full management over the digicam. The dashboard reveals all related cameras, battery stage, sign power, and cloud storage utilization.

From the digicam feed display screen, you’ll be able to take a snapshot, allow audio and use the microphone. There is no such thing as a approach to remotely allow the highlight.

Inside the settings, you’ll be able to regulate the picture high quality, outline how night time imaginative and prescient works and allow HD video. By default, the night time imaginative and prescient is ready to primary B&W with the highlight not turning on. This can protect the battery, however I’d advocate setting it to return on when movement is detected.

The Settings menu additionally consists of choices for alerts, notifications and schedules, however there isn’t any movement detection sensitivity or exercise zones as I assume these are throughout the subscription service.

Lastly, underneath the overall app settings and sensible connection, you’ve got choices for Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and IFTTT, which can be utilized for automation based mostly on movement occasions. You may, for instance, flash a sensible bulb each time the digicam detects movement at night time.

Movement Detection

And not using a subscription, you solely get primary movement detection. It labored properly, and it was correct and fast to answer. You may get notifications to your cellular and electronic mail with the e-mail containing a picture of the occasion.

Fundamental movement detection works properly indoors however for outside sue, you really want the AI object detection to minimise false positives.

Inside the settings, you’ll be able to outline the recording length. The default is 10 seconds however there are alternatives for 20 and 30 seconds.

As beforehand talked about, you’ll be able to set the picture high quality within the settings with the default being regular. Switching to top quality considerably improves the picture high quality.

Due to the two.5K decision sensor, daytime video high quality is superb. Footage is crisp and clear with correct colours and loads of effective element. The vast discipline of view captures total driveways or backyards properly.

I in contrast the SpotCam Professional side-by-side with different cameras just like the Eufy Safety S300 and Reolink Argus 2E and was pleased with the efficiency.

The body price is regular at 15 fps, which is ample for safety footage. There may be minimal lag or choppiness. Streaming additionally works properly, permitting clean stay viewing via the cellular app.

So, for daytime video, the two.5K decision makes a tangible distinction and offers numerous zoom flexibility.

At night time, the digicam has two illumination choices:

Infrared: The IR LEDs allow monochrome night time imaginative and prescient in full darkness. The vary is specified at 30 toes, which I discovered to be correct. IR footage is obvious for many safety functions and has respectable distinction and brightness.Color Evening Imaginative and prescient: The Solo Professional is a built-in highlight consisting of three LEDs with adjustable brightness. When enabled, this casts white gentle on the scene, permitting the digicam to seize color footage at night time. The brightness is sufficient to illuminate topics round 20 toes away. The foremost benefit over IR is color particulars make footage a lot simpler to interpret.

I discovered that switching to the high-quality picture made essentially the most distinction with nighttime footage, particularly with the highlight on.

With picture high quality set to excessive and the highlight on, the color night time footage is superb. It’s not one of the best because the Eufy is healthier but additionally costlier. I’d say that is one of the best color night time footage of an reasonably priced wi-fi digicam.

Worth and Different Choices

Pricing is:

SpotCam Solo Professional Highlight Digital camera – 2 Pack with Base Station $235SpotCam Solo Professional Highlight Digital camera – 4 Pack with Base Station $377

It’s that can be purchased from Amazon US however will not be presently out there on Amazon UK.

The eufyCam S300, which I’ve referenced on this evaluation, is £320 for a 2-pack.

Reolink has a number of Argus cameras, together with:

Argus 3 Extremely with 4K, a highlight for color night time imaginative and prescient and a couple of.4/5GHz WiFi connectivity. This prices £125 per digicam.Argus Eco Professional with 5MP 2K Tremendous HD, a highlight for color night time imaginative and prescient and a couple of.4/5GHz WiFi connectivity for £107 per digicam.

Total

I believe the SpotCam Solo Professional is an efficient wi-fi digicam system with a horny up entrance price, glorious video high quality and versatile storage choices which incorporates 7-days free cloud recording and subscription free native recording to microSD.

I’m impressed that they’ve a major variety of AI options which incorporates facial recognition and fall detection. These are options you received’t discover on many competing merchandise. Sadly, that is let down by the excessive subscription charges. I’d pay $/£10-15 monthly for all of the options for all of the cameras, however lower than $10 monthly per characteristic per digicam.

Total although, should you don’t want the AI options, I believe the SpotCam Solo Professional is properly price contemplating.

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

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

In my tutorial pursuits, I earned a BSc in Data Programs 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 know-how curve.

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