Any one actually like the outdoor camera?

I like my outdoor wireless cam just fine so far. Base unit is plugged into ethernet port, Web cam is attached to tree in the side yard- pointing towards driveway/street. No issues so far not even with base unit and wireless web cam.

I think the camera itself is a solid product especially for the bargain basement price. However, the limited range renders it almost entirely useless. I put it through several tests. The furthest I could get from the base station with completely clear line of site was 60 feet. This use case and scenario is unrealistic for most customers. The furthest I could get from the base station with standard drywall, an exterior wall, and vinyl siding obstructing line of sight was 19 feet which is unacceptable and cannot be expected to fulfill most customers expectations. I have perfect WiFi coverage within a 150 ft perimeter of my house. Can we maybe get the option to connect directly to WiFi rather than using the base station?

Now, I need to respond to people calling these “security cameras” and expecting them to perform as such. These are NOT “security” cameras. They are “surveillance” cameras at best, Most accurately they are video monitoring cameras. Yes there are absolutely differences between all of those types of cameras both technically and, in some cases, legally due to compliance standards. I have engineered and deployed enterprise level security camera systems consisting of over 500 cameras which required an SLA of 99.99999% availability and a plethora of regulatory & security certifications to guarantee the integrity of footage for real-time and forensic usage. You’re not doing to see anything like a Wyze cam. Even at medium size business Office building, I wouldn’t even dream of using a Wyze camera for security or surveillance. For that, You’re looking at cameras that can cost several thousand dollars and require an extensive network, server, and power infrastructure to operate. Plus, you then need specialized software to run the whole thing.

For home, I have several Wyze cam v2’s and pan scans for monitoring the inside of my house. I’m not relying on them to save my life though. These cameras are not meant for it. What are they meant for? I like to call them “peace of mind” cams. They are very easy to use, very cheap, have excellent features (like person detection) that is still considered a premium feature in entry level security camera systems, and they are great when you need to move them around house. I can check in on my pets, see if a package was delivered, etc. Basically, I can keep a general sense of situational awareness. The world doesn’t end because one of the cameras doesn’t work for a few minutes.

If you want a true security camera system for home, you have to invest in the correct equipment. I’m not saying you need to spend $500 per camera and thousands on networking equipment and servers though. You can get a quality security camera system for home without breaking the bank if you do some research BUT expect some trade offs too. It’s pretty common that these systems lack a robust mobile app with easy remote connectivity, you may have to spend extra if you want “smart” features like person detection, etc.

7 Likes

Right on the money, agree with your assessment, the larger issue seems to be Wyze not responding to legitimate shortcomings

2 Likes

:+1: :+1:
Too much to quote - Spot on on all points!

but especially…

This is exactly the problem I’m having. Notifications are getting delayed (from both V2’s and WCO), and then when I pick up and unlock my phone I get a flood of notifications all at once. I wasn’t having this issue previously; I used to get notifications pretty consistently in seconds after an event had occurred.

I have tried turning off battery optimization for the Wyze app (prevent the phone from suspending the app in the background), but that hasn’t had any effect. So it seems there is a code issue w/ the latest Wyze app.

This is a known android issue and it happens with some other apps for me as well (gmail). Wyze has said they are working on it. It can be temporarily fixed by hooking up your phone to a computer and running an ADB command. The problem is If you restart the phone the command has to be run again.

Can Wyze take accountability for extremely delayed notifications? - #32 by jeffkey?

1 Like

Absolutely a legal thing. It’s the same reason gated apartment communities have “control access gates” and not “security gates”. The word security implies a guarantee of safety and therefore liability.

1 Like

Yup! Just like putting up a “Beware of Dog” sign increases your liability because it legally admits that you know your dog is dangerous.

Hence the “Be Aware of Dog” or a “Dogs in Yard” signs showing German Shepherd or Rottweiler silhouettes…

The law is such fun… :upside_down_face:

Point taken, but it could change

1 Like

I like it, but it definitely has some bugs with staying connected and especially re- connecting to it while the camera is in travel mode.

Right now, I have to turn the camera off, then force close the app and clear the cache, then turn the camera back on - and even then it takes a few tries.

WOC is a HUGE letdown for me. After the indoor camera I wanted a similar outdoor offering that would work for security. Why did the company design a camera with little actual demand? Please make a GREAT outdoor security camera with PoE ethernet cable and follow standards allowing 3rd party apps like Blue Iris and others to manage it (or make an app in house). Keep the price fair and sell tons of cameras.

1 Like

Sod, I just noticed your image icon…

I’m let down by my WOC too. I bought it with the hopes of catching animals in our back yard. I’ve had it installed for a week now and it has only recorded one instance. And the video started too late and almost missed the animal. This is with sensitivity set at 100%. The game camera I have right above the WOC captured the animal long before the Wyze camera.

4 Likes

Good catch! :slightly_smiling_face: Yes, well, um, er, I adopted that before they came out and I liked the visual similarity to the AT&T Death Star. But, during the infamous Zoom launch event I decided to hold off on ordering one until some real world results were in. Now I’ve just been too lazy to change it… but one day! :grinning:

:rofl: :joy:

Thank you for posting that video! It really hit the spot!

After years of playing with varying quality game cameras, often poorly located through, ahem, bonehead user error, my family gives me endless grief about my collection of what they call “Animal Butts Running Away - Volume 12

Now I will really have something to show them! :grin:

So yes, you have my sympathy! This is quite a letdown because the one thing I expected the WOC to be was a “game camera with WiFi” :frowning_face:

3 Likes

yup most videos I got (of the few it did actually capture) were exactly that, the last 0.5 seconds of the object in frame, than 11.5 seconds of nothing

1 Like

I like mine. I will order at least 2 more. Mine has worked flawlessly. The battery life is awesome. Great live stream resolution. Very versatile. I can move it anywhere I want.

2 Likes

Motion Detection stopped working about an hour after I set it up. Tried all kinds of troubleshooting. So far this is a piece of junk…

Somebody please explain to me how a camera that costs 5-10 times a Wyze camera and is labeled a security camera saves lives?? :thinking:

I dislike the outdoor camera because it falls short on what I wanted and expected from the way it was described…plain and simple!!

It costs more but performs poorly compared to the V2… :man_shrugging:

2 Likes

This topic a little overwhelming to read. The TL;DR version I think is: WOC is not a security.product. Got it.

One thing that is for certain. No one company is owning this space of Be All to End All array of home automation and security products so I’m currently doing the next best thing; using in parallel multiples of everything from different vendors and protocols. From sensors to cameras to central hub, I have multiples all working in parallel all doing the same thing at the same time.

What has it gotten me? Major headaches and much angst of quality and design but greater sense of confidence of something working barring dead internet but that’s yet another story about LAN only func.

On a good day I get multiple notifications of same event at the same times or very close. On a average day, I get only one notification of an event from only one product. On a bad day, needless to say, no notifications that my house was completely wiped out robbed blindly.

Failure of interoperability and lack of standard is killing this industry. Wyze of course follows none of the industry std aka Zwave, zigbee etc so they have a closed system. What I’ve built is a hybrid in trying to find the best for the money.

Although I have plenty to complain about. For the most part Wyze stuff does work from cost and reasonable expectation of function perspective for being a home product.

One key reason for why I’m doing the craziness I’m doing is I’m trying to figure out a good system I can implement elsewhere with high sense of reliability or at a minimum knowing limits of function.

I’m actually having fun with Wyze. As mentioned in a different post, I have in excess of 20+ V2 cams, 5 sensors I think, 3 WCO’s, 2 Locks and keypads and a pear tree.

2 Likes