Message: The Best Wireless IP Camera !
The Best Wireless IP Camera
LAST UPDATED: NOVEMBER 25, 2015
JASON SNELL
After 20 hours researching and testing seven models hands-on, we found that the Nest Cam is the best wireless IP camera for most people. It offers a simple way to capture what’s going on in your home while you’re away and can alert you to unexpected sounds and movements. The Nest Cam provides a clear high-definition video stream with a field of view wide enough to encompass almost any room (larger than most competitors). Video is crisp and clear, with fine detail across a variety of lighting conditions; the Nest Cam performs as well or better than the other models we tested. It also sports an easy-to-use, frequently updated mobile app.
Last Updated: November 25, 2015
Expand Most Recent Updates
A security site posted news today that setting a Nest Cam to "off" via its mobile app doesn't actually stop the unit from capturing audio and video. If you read the headline, you might be worried about whether Nest honors your privacy. But because no audio or video is processed, no motion events are monitored, and no multimedia is streamed in "off" mode, we aren't concerned. For our full thoughts on this issue, see the Flaws but not dealbreakers section below.
IP cameras stream live video from your local network to the Internet and let you watch that video on a computer, smartphone, or tablet. The ones we examined also let you play back recorded video and alert you when they’re triggered by motion or sound. You might want one to check on whether the kids have returned home from school, see if a pet’s behaving, or alert you to intruders—and provide the police with the incriminating video.
Nest Cam
The Nest Cam delivers a high-resolution, high-quality image with excellent app and web support plus cloud-based archiving and footage retrieval.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $190.
The Nest Cam comes from Alphabet’s (formerly Google’s) Nest division and is the latest evolution of a long-running product line (its predecessor, the Dropcam Pro, was our previous pick). The Nest Cam adds higher-resolution 1080p video output (the Dropcam Pro captured 720p video) but removes a much-liked feature for geofencing that is promised to return in a future software update.
Also Great
*At the time of publishing, the price was $180.
Netgear Arlo
The Arlo system is the only IP camera system offering battery power, and Netgear offers less-expensive cameras and a much cheaper (but more limited) recurring cloud storage plan.
If you need a multiple-camera setup or to place cameras far away from a power outlet, Netgear’sArlo offers an affordable but radically different approach, comprising a flexible system of wireless camera pods (powered by lithium batteries that can last for many months) that route through a special Ethernet-connected hub.
Also Great
Simplicam HD
If you’re looking for a lower price for more modestly sized rooms, the Simplicam delivers.
ArcSoft’s Simplicam is nearly as good as the Nest Cam, but the narrower field of view will be a dealbreaker for many people. For smaller spaces, however, its lower cost per unit (and per year for cloud storage) may fit the bill. The initial and annual savings add up with multiple cameras.
By themselves, IP cameras don’t offer the kind of comprehensive monitoring offered by complete home-security systems, which feature door and window sensors, a siren, and always-on professional monitoring. Two IP camera systems we tested—Canary Connect’s Canary and Icontrol’s Piper—incorporate some home-security system features, but both products have limitations that keep us so far from wholeheartedly recommending either.
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