Today we're going to talk about a PoE camera made by Amcrest.
It's their new UltraHD 4K, outdoor, Bullet, IP, PoE, weatherproof, black
camera. Something like that.
Their words, not mine.
And before we begin I have two disclaimers.
One, Amcrest provided this camera for testing, but of course, you will get my unfiltered
opinion.
regardless, And two, this camera's features vary based on the storage solution you choose
which also affects the app you use.
I tested it using the Amcrest Cloud app which stores videos to the cloud.
I wanted to call that out as this review will focus on cloud storage.
If you use the Amcrest View app, you can store videos to an FTP server, an SD
card, or your PC.
The camera is also ONVIF compliant and can record to compatible NVRs or DVRs.
It also works with third-party software solutions like Blue Iris and TinyCam.
First things first, the camera is a PoE camera which means that you will need to run an Ethernet
cable outside.
You can power the camera via a PoE switch or you can purchase the Amcrest PoE Injector
for $17.99.
The Injector plugs into your wall outlet and has an in and an out port to connect to your
router and your camera.
But keep in mind that the Injector can only connect to one camera at a time.
If you want to add multiple Amcrest cameras, a PoE switch is a better solution.
The camera has a 112-degree field of view and offers WDR.
And while the camera is capable of offering a 4K resolution, one con of using the Cloud
service is that the max resolution is 2688x1520p.
For me, this recorded at 10 frames per second though the camera is capable of a higher frame
rate if you lower the resolution.
To compare, this is footage from my Full HD Nest Cam Outdoor.
While the resolution difference between Nest and Amcrest isn't stark, the difference is
in the details which you can see by looking at the flowers and the writing on my shirt.
I also found that the overall resolution of the Amcrest camera was more stable, probably
due to the fact that it's wired.
According to the box, the camera also has color night vision but this is not true.
The camera has a low light sensor but does not offer color night vision.
As far as night vision performance, the difference again is in the details, which you can tell
by looking at the tree on the right but Nest can see farther.
Using Nest, the house across the street is visible.
While the camera's resolution was a win, there were other areas where performance was a little lackluster.
For starters, there was a 4 second lag between what was happening in real life,
happening in real life, and what I saw on the app.
Second, it took on average 4-12 seconds to load a live feed after swiping to open a push
notification.
But it also took about 17 seconds to receive a push notification after an event occurred
which meant that there was often almost a 30-second delay between event and monitoring
of the event.
As far as security value, the only thing the camera can monitor for is motion.
If motion is detected, it will record a 30-second clip, send a push notification, and an email.
And It's important to call out that there is no audio.
The camera will stream and record video only.
In testing motion, I compared Amcrest to Wyze Cam Indoor, which I've been using outside since
June.
Wyze Cam does a great job of capturing the event plus adding
a little bit of pre-event footage.
Amcrest does too.
I've checked on numerous clips over a two week period, and don't have any complaints.
The camera seems to capture most motion events from start to finish.
Recorded events are stored to the cloud for four hours for free.
If you want more than that, you'll need to pay $6 per month per camera.
The only thing a paid plan adds is access for more cameras and more storage.
Everything else is included for free including access to four motion zones.
Zones tell your camera what areas within its field of view it should monitor and ignore.
For each zone, you can adjust sensitivity and threshold to try to reduce the number
of alerts received.
Amcrest also supports a motion schedule, which like zones, is needed as the camera lacks
a PIR motion sensor, which means that it will send alerts for everything little thing that moves.
During testing, before I had adjusted my settings, I received several alerts every minute.
Fortunately, you can turn notifications off, and regardless of if you have them on or off, the camera will continue to record
and mark events the timeline.
The blue marks on the timeline represent events.
You can sort these by day and time, but that's it.
I found it really difficult to find footage when I wanted to find it, and this was even true when I had a vague idea
as to when the event occurred.
From the timeline, you can also playback, download, and delete activity.
Finally, if you use the Cloud plan, you can connect to Amcrest's Amazon Echo skill which
works with Echo devices that have a screen like Spot, Show, and Fire TV.
My opinion is that if you want a cloud-powered camera, this is not the camera for you.
Even if you plan to use this camera with the Amcrest View app and an alternative storage
solution, I would still say, "proceed with caution."
First, Amcrest's customer service is not great.
Second, the camera only detects motion and lacks a way to intelligently filter and sort
alerts.
Third, the camera lacks audio, and for me, that's a deal killer.
Finally, Amcrest ships all of their cameras with same username and password combination,
and there's no way to automate firmware updates.
If you want to update the camera's firmware, you'll need to
visit their web user interface and do it from here. If you want to know if a firmware update is
available you'll need to visit a separate website and sign up for updates, a fact which is conveniently omitted from the camera's instruction
manual.
In short, I don't this is a camera for everyday users, but
if you have any questions about the Amcrest Ultra 4K HD POE IP Outdoor Bullet Weatherproof Black Camera, let me know in the comment section below,
and while you're down there be sure to subscribe, and I will see y'all soon.