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- Review count3
- Helpfulness votes127
- First reviewDecember 29, 2016
- Last reviewJanuary 6, 2017
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating3.7
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- Answer count25
- Helpfulness votes3
- First answerJanuary 6, 2017
- Last answerJanuary 6, 2017
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This contributor's Reviews
Meet the Nest Cam Outdoor security camera. It stands watch 24/7, rain or shine. Plugs into power so you never have to worry about dead batteries. And sends an alert to your phone when it detects activity. It even lets you talk back through the Nest app. This is what an outdoor security camera should be.
Customer Rating
4
Great camera - terrible cable design
on January 6, 2017
Posted by: Anonymous
Verified Purchase:Yes
This, like Nests indoor cameras, has an outstanding quality image and the recordings are very nice to have. The paid service to save your history is a bit overpriced in my opinion so you may want to pick and choose which cameras you subscribe to.
The unit itself is well built quality wise, the camera is easy to mount and aim and stays in place well with the super strong magnet that holds it.
However, the cable design is absolutely awful. You have 25 total feet of cable, in two 10 and 15 foot sections. And right in the middle of these two sections is a huge round blob/block that connects the two. Hiding the cable is a little difficult since its thick, so thieves could easily see it and cut the cable or just cover their face and cut the cable right at the camera itself and then have no issues. The big round block is so big it stands out like a sore thumb, inviting thieves to simply unplug it and then they are no longer on camera. And it's also so big that putting it inside of a standard electrical box is the only real option you have to hide it... aside form having it hidden behind the wall outside which could be a code violation.
I believe it needs a safety cuff around the cable at the camera that is coated with something that can't be cut, there needs to be a screw or similar to make it stay attached to the magnet and the cable design needs to be completely redone by someone who knows what they are doing.
With that said, the quality is excellent both night and day and having quick and easy access via the Nest app anywhere is really nice. Mine alerts me when packages arrive, the mail is here, people come to my yard etc.
I would give the installation a real serious going over and consult with your electrician before buying this product, especially if you have a window inside you can simply place one of the indoor cams in to see outside. That exposed cable is just too much of a security risk, ironic since its supposed to be a security camera.
My Best Buy number: 0534553089
My Best Buy number: 0534553089
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+41points
43of 45voted this as helpful.
Ring Wi-Fi Smart Video Doorbell: Find out who's at your door, even when you're away from home. Just connect the doorbell via Wi-Fi and use the Ring app on your iOS or Android device to interact with visitors, receive alerts and review footage.
Customer Rating
4
Great Idea - But has lag and cold problems
on January 6, 2017
Posted by: Anonymous
Verified Purchase:Yes
This is a cool idea for a product. It has a nice clear super wide view, is very easy to install, especially if you use the battery option, and is very nice to be able to see whos at the door anywhere and talk to them.
However, it has 2 major issues.
1) Lag between doorbell press and you getting notification. This lag can be anywhere from 1-5 seconds and I've had a few test runs that took 5-10 seconds. Since it's wired directly into my doorbell, I hear that ding-dong and know someone is there. And I can open the app and answer the door faster then the notifications arrive usually.
2) The cold when using the battery option. This is going to be a problem for you. As you may know, batteries tend to loose their charge MUCH faster in the cold. So if you live somewhere its cold often, you will want to get the version that hard wires into your power and have it installed by an electrician. My unit was at 100% yesterday afternoon in 23f temps. I tested it 4-7 times getting the zones right etc. Today it's 18f currently and the battery is already at under 50%. Keep that tiny little security tool handy because you will need it a lot in the winter. I highly suggest the hard wired electric in this instance.
Overall, its nice, works nicely and has a good view of things. Do keep in mind that if you have siding, you will most likely need to make a mount plate that makes it lay flat and not angled against the siding, thus pointing it forward and not slightly upward. Mine, as it's installed now cannot see the ground but I can see people at the door easily.
You'll also need to take some time working on getting your motion zones setup as they can be triggered easily if not set right. Luckily this is not too difficult and the zones are very versatile.
Overall, this is a cool product and the monthly/yearly fee to keep your recordings is very reasonable at only $3 a month or $30 a year. Compare that to Nest's cams which cost much more a year to save footage.
My Best Buy number: 0534553089
My Best Buy number: 0534553089
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+6points
6of 6voted this as helpful.
Dyson Ball Animal Bagless Upright Vacuum: Tackle messes on your carpet and hard flooring with this versatile upright vacuum. The powerful motor and Radial Root Cyclone technology thoroughly clean dirt, dust and debris. Plus, the cleaner head automatically adjusts to suit your flooring. Tangle-free turbine, multi-angle, stair and combination tools are included, so you can reach every nook and cranny of your home.
Customer Rating
3
It's a Dyson but it's not the Dyson quality
on December 29, 2016
Posted by: Anonymous
Verified Purchase:Yes
I've had and loved a Dyson DC17 Absolute Animal for 10 years, it was nothing but amazing. Sadly, All that pet hair and dust finally did it in. So I replaced it with the Ball Animal, avoiding the bigger ball version that has received lots of bad reviews.
First impressions. This is a cheap low quality built vacuum. Nothing like the solid DC17 from 10 years ago. Everything is flimsy and feels like its going to break off. When assembling it, a random red clip flew off and vanished and took me 15 minutes to find it. This clip appearantly holds the main roller assembly on. A tiny $.50 piece stands between you and a paperweight. The handle for the cannister is wobbly and flimsy as well as the main stick portion that goes does into the tube itself. The former being cheap and plasticy, the DC17 was metal and solid in this department.
Vacuuming... As a standard vacuum, it works, but leaves trails behind it and you have to pass it over the same spot more then once overlapping to get full coverage. The suction is not nearly what the DC17 had, even after 10 years of dust clogging it. When you want to use the handle and stretch out to get areas, you will be disappointed. Besides being plastic feeling and flimsy, the suction is even lower here in comparison to the DC17's hose.
Standing... Want it to stand up? Be prepared to force it forward until it stands. The rear wheels may drop but the handle and body will flop right backwards if you do not force it hard to stick. I've used it twice now and have fought to get it to stand every time I went between floor and hose use.
It's a little quieter then the DC17. Probably because the motor is weaker and that leads to less suction. And dont believe the "Doesn't lose suction" nonsense, my DC17 and this one both easily loose suction. All you have to do is get something small stuck in the hose, or fill the bin just a tad too much. If your house is small and you have pets, you'll probably have to empty the bin for each room. I had to do so twice in my tiny house. I can't imagine doing a larger house with this.
The DC17 from 10 years ago, I'd give that a 5 star rating and recommend it without question. The volume of dirt and pet hair it picked up was amazing. This model I cannot say the same. I give it 3 stars, mostly for how cheap and flimsy it is, and because its not nearly the powerful machine their older models were. There's a reason a DC17 Animal original still sells for $400. Because its a better option then this one.
The Ball. I did not get the Cinetic ball, those had horrid reviews and the extra $100 seemed excessive for "dual cyclone technology" and a larger ball. The build quality on the Cinetic is also just as cheap and plasticy based on playing with it in the store. I found for the most part the unit was easy to maneuver around and it did its job. However it doesn't get as close to edges as the old one, and sometimes moving it around things is more difficult because you are having to deal with both the ball and the swiveling head.
The Hose... Short and cheap. So cheap that mine has already after one evening started to pull apart and get saggy. It took the other unit years to do this. The hose is also short and stiff and needs to be worked and stretched unless you like pulling a vacuum behind you that then falls over.
I won't know until I've used it a bit longer, but I am not impressed with this new model. And I wish I had just found another 10 year old model DC17 instead based on my initial use.
The Head... It looks good, looks low profile, but there's a big box in the middle so pushing it forward and under anything, you hit the taller box part. You can angle it and slide it under edges of sofas or other furniture, but its awkward.
I think if the build quality was better, this would be a pretty decent machine. But it's no DC17 Animal. Love Dyson products or own one and want to replace it? Look at them in a store carefully before purchasing. And make sure you can return it if it is not up to your standards.
Usable but this is NOT your high quality Dyson from the golden Dyson age. It's more like a Hoover or Eureka vacuum but 3x as much.
Pros:
It's a Dyson
It works more or less
It relieves your bank account of some of that excess weight called money
It does vacuum for the most part.
Comes with quite a few accessory heads.
It's a Dyson
It works more or less
It relieves your bank account of some of that excess weight called money
It does vacuum for the most part.
Comes with quite a few accessory heads.
Cons:
Cheap and flimsy
Handle hose assembly is cheap and requires extra work to use and even more to put away
Doesn't stand up without force.
Using hose and handle is awkward and clumsy.
Expensive for a cheap flimsy vacuum
Accessory heads fall off easily.
If you get something sucked into it that cant make the turn at the base of the hose, you have to take it apart to remove it.
Cheap and flimsy
Handle hose assembly is cheap and requires extra work to use and even more to put away
Doesn't stand up without force.
Using hose and handle is awkward and clumsy.
Expensive for a cheap flimsy vacuum
Accessory heads fall off easily.
If you get something sucked into it that cant make the turn at the base of the hose, you have to take it apart to remove it.
Question this purchase, do your research. This is coming from a 10 year owner of another Dyson product. Don't assume because its Dyson its good.
My Best Buy number: 0534553089
My Best Buy number: 0534553089
Mobile Submission: True
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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+71points
78of 85voted this as helpful.
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Meet the Nest Cam Outdoor security camera. It stands watch 24/7, rain or shine. Plugs into power so you never have to worry about dead batteries. And sends an alert to your phone when it detects activity. It even lets you talk back through the Nest app. This is what an outdoor security camera should be.
How could someone rate this unit if it is only in pre-order status?
Unfortunately, thanks to the power of the internet, some people like to be "first" and will post a review based on what they've read alone without having used the product. This is a sad fact of life in this technological age.
Unless they are a magazine or similar who has access early to the product, they are just giving an opinion and facts they got elsewhere and nothing more. That is why you should always look for reviews with photos and ones posted after release if possible.
Unless they are a magazine or similar who has access early to the product, they are just giving an opinion and facts they got elsewhere and nothing more. That is why you should always look for reviews with photos and ones posted after release if possible.
7 years, 3 months ago
by
alienmeatsack
Meet the Nest Cam Outdoor security camera. It stands watch 24/7, rain or shine. Plugs into power so you never have to worry about dead batteries. And sends an alert to your phone when it detects activity. It even lets you talk back through the Nest app. This is what an outdoor security camera should be.
Meet the Nest Cam Outdoor security camera. It stands watch 24/7, rain or shine. Plugs into power so you never have to worry about dead batteries. And sends an alert to your phone when it detects activity. It even lets you talk back through the Nest app. This is what an outdoor security camera should be.
I want to mount this indoors in a window. Will it work thru glass at night?
During the day, yes. At night, no. This is due to the LED's that provide the night vision hitting the glass and bouncing off of it, causing you only to see the camera reflected in the window. Unless you have special treated glass that allows this to pass through it in your windows or have the camera angled in a way that it can see but not reflect off the glass.
7 years, 3 months ago
by
alienmeatsack
Meet the Nest Cam Outdoor security camera. It stands watch 24/7, rain or shine. Plugs into power so you never have to worry about dead batteries. And sends an alert to your phone when it detects activity. It even lets you talk back through the Nest app. This is what an outdoor security camera should be.
Is that camera can read licence plate number onthe parked vehicle ?
If the camera is installed somewhere that the vehicle is in view and has its plate towards the camera, yes. If the car is parked facing away from it, no, as the camera isn't magic and cant see through things. At night the plate is hard to read due to the night vision and the reflective coating on the plate, so don't expect to get a plate number in the dark unless the contrast of the plate is good or the reflective coating is dull (or has none).
7 years, 3 months ago
by
alienmeatsack
Meet the Nest Cam Outdoor security camera. It stands watch 24/7, rain or shine. Plugs into power so you never have to worry about dead batteries. And sends an alert to your phone when it detects activity. It even lets you talk back through the Nest app. This is what an outdoor security camera should be.
I have the Arlo cameras and there is a 3-4 second delay, for example the car is already in the garage or I only see the rear end pulling in the garage by the time the camera starts recording. Is there a lag with these cameras?
That depends on your wifi, the connection strength and wifi traffic. I typically get almost instant notifications, but sometimes there is a 1-3 second delay. However, your video is recording using Nest Aware if you have the service so you can rewind and review the video to see the activity after the fact.
7 years, 3 months ago
by
alienmeatsack
Meet the Nest Cam Outdoor security camera. It stands watch 24/7, rain or shine. Plugs into power so you never have to worry about dead batteries. And sends an alert to your phone when it detects activity. It even lets you talk back through the Nest app. This is what an outdoor security camera should be.
Are you able to remove the power plug and hardwire the existing wires to an outdoor electrical source. For example, remove motion lights and hardwire this camera in?
Technically, yes if your existing wires are the same voltage/current/amps as the device uses. However, by cutting the cord you violate your warranty and they will not cover the camera. Same goes with using their indoor camera outdoors, also will not be warranteed. Their Customer Service is outstanding, and they have replaced years old products for me, so I try not to break the warranty.
7 years, 3 months ago
by
alienmeatsack
Meet the Nest Cam Outdoor security camera. It stands watch 24/7, rain or shine. Plugs into power so you never have to worry about dead batteries. And sends an alert to your phone when it detects activity. It even lets you talk back through the Nest app. This is what an outdoor security camera should be.
Does Geeksquad help with the installation including drilling into your home to access power?
I believe that you will need an electrician to do the install if you want it to be up to your local town's code. I know in my town, I cannot legally install it myself since it requires a standard electrical outlet, so I have to have someone at the very least install that somewhere out of sight. Then you could do the camera install itself on your own. I dont know if Geek Squad can do anything beyond basic mounting, as they are not licensed electricians.
7 years, 3 months ago
by
alienmeatsack
Meet the Nest Cam Outdoor security camera. It stands watch 24/7, rain or shine. Plugs into power so you never have to worry about dead batteries. And sends an alert to your phone when it detects activity. It even lets you talk back through the Nest app. This is what an outdoor security camera should be.
Would this stick on a wrought iron railing
Indeed it will. Wrought iron is magnetic and the magnet mount is pretty strong so it would stick with no issues. However, I'd highly recommend attaching it with a more permanent option such screwing it into the railing or a mount attached to the railing since it could get bumped or easily accessed otherwise.
7 years, 3 months ago
by
alienmeatsack
Meet the Nest Cam Outdoor security camera. It stands watch 24/7, rain or shine. Plugs into power so you never have to worry about dead batteries. And sends an alert to your phone when it detects activity. It even lets you talk back through the Nest app. This is what an outdoor security camera should be.
will this work thru the smartthings hub or is it completely indipendant?
It is completely independent. The only connectivity it has with other devices is Alexa and Siri that I know of so far. I bark orders to thermostat via both all the time. The cameras however have no controls or anything that can be done via anything but their app.
7 years, 3 months ago
by
alienmeatsack
Meet the Nest Cam Outdoor security camera. It stands watch 24/7, rain or shine. Plugs into power so you never have to worry about dead batteries. And sends an alert to your phone when it detects activity. It even lets you talk back through the Nest app. This is what an outdoor security camera should be.
I act as tech support for my parents, thus can you set up the alerts/notifications for several different smartphones - say 3 plus?
Absolutely. I have it installed on my phone, tablet, and Apple TV. It does not however support multiple accounts logged in at the same time.
You can configure each device and its notifications so, say you want to get immediate notifications on your phone, you can, but your tablet you dont want any, just turn them off. There are options in the Nest app as well as the OS of your device to turn on and off notifications to give you more control.
I am also my parents IT person. So when I add devices to their house, I just setup their devices using my account and name their cameras as theirs so I can track them. They can then also have it on their phone or tablet as well using the same login to Nest but will see all of your cams, thermostats and protects as well.
You can configure each device and its notifications so, say you want to get immediate notifications on your phone, you can, but your tablet you dont want any, just turn them off. There are options in the Nest app as well as the OS of your device to turn on and off notifications to give you more control.
I am also my parents IT person. So when I add devices to their house, I just setup their devices using my account and name their cameras as theirs so I can track them. They can then also have it on their phone or tablet as well using the same login to Nest but will see all of your cams, thermostats and protects as well.
7 years, 3 months ago
by
alienmeatsack