- Hey, it's Katie from SafeWise,
I'm talking to you right now from the Reolink Argus PT.
How do I sound?
This is a pretty special camera
and I wanted to do a standalone review it for it.
It has 2K video, local and cloud storage,
it is a dual-band Wi -Fi
so it works on 5 and 2.4GhZ internet.
I could go on and on
and I will so join me for this particular review
as I talk about what makes the Reolink Argus PT so special.
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After testing four security cameras side by side,
one seemed to stand out from the pack,
the Reolink Argus PT.
It's a member of an award-winning family of cameras
from Reolink that has topped our lineups for a long time
but unlike its siblings, the PT can move
nearly 360 degrees around and near 180 degrees up and down.
Sure, having top-notch video resolution is a perk
but I chose this camera as my favorite this year
because it feels like the best choice for the most people.
It has options around how it connects,
charges and stores video in a variety of settings.
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Up close, the video and audio look awesome.
We might as well be on a Zoom call right now,
but that's not really what these cameras are used for.
Over my weeks of testing,
I checked in to watch my front porch and driveway.
We didn't catch any lurkers coming onto our property
but we did see a staggering variety of spring weather,
night and day, sun, snow, rain,
this camera produced consistent high quality video.
You can even see raindrops in the puddles from yards away
in this clip.
The ones that I just showed you
are in Argus PT's high resolution.
That's 2K, but if you want to save battery life
and put less strain on your own Wi-Fi,
this camera has a lower, closer to 720P resolution
that you can switch to.
You can also adjust video quality settings,
like frame rate and bitrate, to improve how it sees motion.
There's even adjustments for night and day
picture brightness and shadows.
These do update slower than other features
but they're great if you have large objects
like trees in your field of view that block sunlight.
Since the camera rotates,
you can see your home from all angles.
For my test, I noticed a bit of a lag
when moving the camera from the app.
It takes some patience to learn and adjust to the movement.
As for the audio,
the microphone on the PT is pretty powerful.
It can pick up wind, street sounds,
dogs barking and voices really clearly.
But the speaker on this camera
sounds more like a walkie talkie.
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A camera's not much use if you can't watch what it records.
The Reolink Argus PT has local and cloud storage options,
meaning you can get the best of both worlds.
This small slot fits cards up to 128 gigabytes of memory.
From the app, you can record live clips or set schedules
for when you want the camera to start recording.
And thanks to that same local storage,
your camera will continue to capture moments
even without Wi-Fi.
In fact, we accidentally caught our producer, Brent,
working in the studio when the camera wasn't connected.
Sorry, Brent.
That SD card also makes room for time lapses
and recorded video history where each clip is marked
with the type of motion it recognized,
people and vehicles seem to be the most common in my tests.
But if you'd rather go the cloud route,
Reolink still has you covered.
It has a free plan for up to 1 GB of video storage,
which is a pretty rare find.
Similar brands charge at least $3 a month
for any cloud storage at all, but for more space online,
you will need to sign up for a subscription from Reolink.
With these paid plans, the number of supported cameras,
storage space and video history
grows for $7 a month to start.
Either route you go opens up more playback options
within the app.
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The Argus PT has a built-in battery
that lasted through our four week testing period.
Despite consistent recording, checking in
and recognizing motion, it ended that period
around 30% capacity.
It even outlasted the Ring Spotlight Cam.
Along with the battery option,
you can add on accessories like a solar panel
to keep your camera running 24/7.
Without cables or cords keeping it powered,
there's more freedom around where you can put this camera.
With all of those placement options
comes easier installation.
The Reolink arm mount is the only thing
you have to secure to a wall.
The camera simply screws into the mount from there.
Like all wireless security cameras,
the Argus PT needs an internet connection to work.
Usually cameras like this only work
with 2.4 GhZ networks
but the Argus PT also works with 5.
If you have multiple networks in your home,
this means that you can connect the PT
to its own Wi-Fi network, giving it more room to roam,
which means faster loading speeds and response times.
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So what makes this camera so special?
Well, quite a bit actually.
In a world of 1080P cameras, the Reolink Argus PT
records in 2K, has lots of fine tuning features,
options for local and cloud storage
and works with two types of Wi-Fi networks.
As far as drawbacks go, they exist, but they're picky.
The laggy PTZ movement wasn't ideal
and it's speaker isn't crystal clear.
But overall, for the price and features you get
for this camera, it's a serious workhorse
ready to protect your home right out of the box.
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Check out the links below to learn more about Reolink
and its other cameras.
You can also watch our full "Best Wireless Cameras" video
to see how the Argus PT stood up
against Ring, Nest and Wyze.
Thanks for watching and stay safe.
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