Finally saying goodbye to Wyze

Sensors
169

Danial,

Yes you were quite correct in your comments on the “errors” in Wyze implementation, they are certainly flaws and you certainly articulated them far better than most can do on this forum. The “fanboy” comments are really just poor articulations of the fact that that specific user did not need/use the features that you do to the extent that you do. Also you have to remember that a number of them have been brought up on the MS business model (sell alpha or beta software) and are thus used to the Wyze business model, and take it a given for any new company they come across and use. So yes - ALL Wyze software when first sold was by design only about 80%-90% . I might summaries your comments as a frustration that they have not over a period of 12 months taken their software to 99%-100%. Again, per the average of software development in the PacificNorthWest; it takes at least 24 months before a company gets past 95%. Some don’t get there because they run out of revenue before they do; hence the negativity directed to your comments. So, by the measures of their predecessors they are doing quite well on software development: and hopefully they can keep the revenue flow going with the new hardware they are releasing (albeit with beta software).

170

Hey zulu. Interesting posts.

Even as product offerings (which the software must integrate) are expanding rapidly?

I think the concern of many is, will they EVER reach 95% if they continue to expand offerings at this rate.

171

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172

Too true. On history Wyze probably will not. The more relevant user statistic though (mentioned elsewhere in this forum) is how much of the unfinished (buggy) code is entwined with data privacy (data available to “hackers”) and functional reliability (catastrophic breakdown: which, according to that well known engineer “Murphy”, will always happen at the worst time for the user). Unfortunately these parts of a software program are the most difficult to debug, so many companies (following the PNW model of software project management and sales) get to them last and many times never.

173

Yes, but the issue is not that a Pi could be used to replace a Wyze its about why you would do it; its too expensive. A higher cost multi-fuction computer can always outperform a single function cheap computer. This cost can only be justified IF the computer is being used for multiple functions and the cost assigned proportionately to each function. In your Pi example if you were already using PiAware and wanted to add Motioneye surveillance. So I would only recommend a Pi or smartphone or Laptop or Tablet be used instead of a Wyze IF the device had been bought for other purposes and could be co-opted to perform the visual surveillance function. Why spend more money than you need to.

174

Humph.

Here’s a funny thing. “Move fast and break things,” is more like “Move fast and break things with broken things,” nothing ever destined to reach 95% again.

Out here in Moronville, “disruption” and “destruction” are still synonyms - though we speak truth sotto voce in Our Church of Tech.

Given the above, it would seem the only way to truly use tech “efficiently” would be to withdraw from it.

I know. Blasphemy. Apostasy. My desk chair just burst into digital flames. :fire:

Ouch. :zipper_mouth_face:

175

while i agree, for the most part, my reaction to anyone w/ a ‘lazy’ response would more along the lines of “it’s $2)!” an actual security cam is closer to $200 to $500 for something completely reliable, range useful and water resistant/outdoor capable. i’ve had great results w/ mine for the property use i’ve applied, watching my parking lot, etc. great pic, time lapse and uploading. although i’ve had issues w/ wifi, because for some reason my appt is saturated w/ wifi signals and i cannot get more than 15’ away from the router w/o losing signal, but the cam itself works just fine for $20

176

Yours is the lazy response - read the thread. Your comment is about hardware. That is why we are attacking the software and its development path and not the hardware. As you say the hardware is extremely good value compared to the alternative (the $200). But the software on the $200 camera is pretty much the same as the software on the Wyze - buggy and prone to breakdown with new “features” code layered on poor code foundation. So if I was reviewing the $200-$500 camera I would be making the same comments. BUT, since Wyze are a NEW company why do they program/code like an old company, and get software development wrong like an old company. Solution: Wyze - get a good programmers (like Steve Gibson) to teach you the correct programming techniques and write/fix your programs correctly.

177

you clearly missed my point.

178

if wise doesn’t get on the ball and fix all these goofy ridiculously troublesome problems with this lock and the plug, they’re going to be another has-been that didn’t last long. Everything started out working okay and seeming solid. Then the door locks stopped unlocking automatically, probably due to a weak Bluetooth receiver I’ve determined. If I get my smartphone right against the door, it might unlock. It’s not the Bluetooth in my phone, that’s solid to 50 feet or more through two interior walls. Now my wise outlet won’t reconnect or install. The pairing light flashes alternating red and blue, and can’t even fiund any help showing that possibility…reallllly???
I don’t care how cheap it is, if I can’t rely on it, it’s getting thrown in the trash. I’m becoming totally disenfranchised with the company. From huge supporter to “I’ve had enough” in just three months!

179

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away my Wyze cams recorded alerts for all sorts of moving objects - cars, people, plants, animals, clouds, shadows and endless swarms of insects dive bombing the camera lens.

Today, one V2 cam recorded exactly one event of any kind, which I will describe later.

What it did NOT record as an event, was a dump truck pulling into the yard and dumping a load of #68 stone on the property.

Yes

A freaking dump truck

furtively snuck into the yard

lifted its bed 15 feet up into the air

and poured thousands of pounds of rock onto the earth

and then scurried away completely undetected

A freaking dump truck

Anyhow,

about an hour later

I did get my one event of the day from that cam

of a Golden Retriever walking by the fresh mound of crushed rock.

Thank goodness for that orange dog.

Luckily the continuous SD card recording did preserve how and when the magic gravel pile appeared.

Which why I REALLY REALLY want better remote access to the SD card video and do not especially care about CMC - which I believe has to be triggered by a motion event to start recording anything in the first place.

Likewise my concern is that my $20 cameras used to work a lot better for me than they do now, and I am somewhat less than enthused about having to manually flash them all back to a better earlier firmware… once I figure out which one that might be…

Here’s a still of what the cam decided not to record as a motion event…

2020-05-25-(web)
2020-05-25-(web)800×454 18.9 KB

(No worries, I was expecting the delivery and am still ROTFL )

EDIT

After conversing with @desertshores I turned off the PR notifications and turned off PR under Wyze Services. Turned everything else on. Did not remove/reinstall the app or change firmware.

Today those cams are once again detecting dump trucks when they pull into the yard. :slightly_smiling_face:

I’m not sure how adding Person Recognition would so completely blind the existing sound and motion detection, but apparently that’s what it did.

180

Oh :poop:, that’s perfect, thanks for the laugh! :rofl:

181

You are incorrect in your assumptions. We tolerate issues as a concession to the low cost of entry. Recent issues with stability, usability and consistency are sufficient to evoke a response of this nature. Clearly there are a number of very experienced and skilled persons that have been taking their precious time and energy to bring the concerns to light in an appropriate forum. You should be thanking them for their dedication and candor.

We are all so happy that you are pleased with your products and they meet your expectations but for some of us, that is not the case at all. I personally share the exact same opinion as @Daniel_SA in this post. I’ve purchased and use +20 cameras and have grown increasingly disenchanted but hopeful that Wyze would resolve issues instead of pushing forward and exacerbating them.

Look; for $30 including SD card you can slap up a operational and extensible video ecosystem with cloud services, notifications and 2 way audio. All of this with less than a 30 minute investment in the actual installation? It would appear that all the check boxes are addressed. Unfortunately that is only the surface presentation and like an iceberg, 90% of the usability and satisfaction lie below the surface.

As to your mention of mass satisfaction due to the small size of this thread and lack of public expression of dissatisfaction; again dismissing valid and concerned consumers with solid and well founded criticisms could be a fatal flaw and I sincerely hope it is not one shared by Wyze management or marketing. There will always be someone with a product that pushes the price / value barrier and that provides opportunity to build a market but, this is the opportunity to retain and grow that base or fail due to inattentiveness.

182

Have read your dissappointmt of Wyze. I’ve invested very lightly in2 Wyze products & have been pleased w/ their product line. They performed all in their price point $20, if U expected more, they U need 2 pay more. Wyze has been gr8 in keeping their prices very low. Good luck in yur search for better solution, I think yur needs grew faster than Wyze product line.

183

Hey @sllavene

Without stepping on @brichter 's possible response, let me pose you a question.

Do you see the reason for my puzzlement here?

 
Note: Click the image to expand the quote for more context, if available.

184

Agreed, with the caveat that my particular problem with the lock at least has nothing to do with Internet connectivity. After doing further testing it appears that the Bluetooth module in my lock has a very weak receiver, at least intermittently. Maybe 1 in 4-5 times the door will be unlocked when I walk up to it. The rest of the times it is not. I discovered accidentally the other day if I’m very close to the lock and I bring my cell phone up to manually command the door to unlock, it will suddenly auto unlock. This proves that the first step, the geo-fence activation via Wi-Fi, has succeeded.This has happened probably 3-4 times now. Makes me think that at least some of the time, the Bluetooth receiver in the lock is not hearing the Bluetooth signal from my phone. I know it is not my phone because I use it frequently for other uses and I reliably get 30 to 50 feet or more even going through two interior walls without any dropouts or problems whatsoever. I have been electronics and communications technician for almost 50 years. My troubleshooting skills are pretty good LOL.

185

All three of my laptops always stay connected to the primary connection no matter what other Wi-Fi connection is open. Two are Toshiba Satellites, one is an IBM ThinkPad. Plus you can go into your Wi-Fi network settings and tell it not to automatically switch to other access points. Of course a lot of users probably don’t bother to learn enough about their device to know they can do that LOL.

186

With all due respect, you could not be more mistaken! All of them have performed well at times in most ways. As for the occasional glitches if Wyse is having some server difficulties, or firmware has a bug in it, I totally accept, understand, and even expect that with everything from the cheapest product to the most expensive. However, I also fully expect a company to stand by their word no matter how inexpensive they price their productwWen they tell me I can buy it and expect it to do this or that, in this way or that way, it bloody well better do it. if problems occur and the company owns it and communicates what they are doing and works to correct the problems excellent. If they don’t, then I will publicly help blow them out of the water. That’s called the risk of doing business. Cheap prices are meaningless if your product doesn’t do what you claim it will. My needs are very simple and have not grown at all, only talking about a couple of cameras, a plug, and a lock for God’s sake. It’s the Wyse product line and performance that is not keeping up with their own promises. Again they are a small growing company and I expect some glitches. But I have been around engineering product development and sales for 40 years and if they continue as they have been in the last 90 days they won’t be with us for much longer. I’m betting they will survive, and I hope they do, I love the company completely!

187

if you think people are whining then disregard. don’t whine about the whiners–makes you doubly irritating than the original complaint.

188

Sometimes new products are released with half-baked software or, occasionally, half-baked hardware. It’s almost as though they’ve consciously decided to allow buyers to be their Beta-testers. Either that, or they are careless and stupid enough to believe the product is truly ready for market. If they are that careless or stupid then it doesn’t bode well for future updates to resolve glitches, does it?

Having said that, even some of the much more expensive designs suffer significant problems when first released. How the maker handles those problems is important. Please check out this video about the fancy-dancy Arlo Ultra 4K camera and how Arlo resolved the issues that their customers experienced. The video is well done: