Sometimes my Wyze cameras miss one or two events even though similar events do trigger an event recording 99% of the time. I have not found a pattern for the miss, so I cannot tune my camera any further.
I do think there is an issue in Wyze firmware’s motion detection or event upload connection, but it’s rare enough that I just let it be for now.
If a particular camera is missing a lot of events despite all tuning efforts, I’d recommend swapping it to a low-traffic area. Or like me, complain to Support multiple times and get enough $5 gift cards to get a new camera.
That has nothing to do with it and I highly doubt that is the case. It is more about experience in extensively testing and using the cams in a security role under multiple conditions and positions over the years. It doesn’t matter how smart any one of us is so long as we recognize that the cams will only be as successful as we set them up to be. Anyone can do it. I only gained that experience thru trial and error, probably more error, with many cams. I have moved and adjusted many cams multiple times because they just didn’t work for the FOV I gave them. Tuning a cam takes time. Sometimes a long time to gain perspective on how the cam reacts under different conditions.
The only cam of the three with a bad FOV for AI detection is the one over the concrete step and walkway. If you notice, when the subject is walking in the driveway on the left, he is actually almost horizontal in the FOV and moving downward diagonally. Additionally, it has a considerable downward angle. The FOV with the cars is ok, but could be better by placing the cam with a profile view rather than a head on view. It also has an object in the upper left, perhaps the soffit, that is obscuring the FOV and will affect the light balance and contrast under IRNV. The FOV should be clear of such nearby obstructions. The FOV of the street is the best of the three and doesn’t look to have any major issues at all.
The AI detection on these cams has a sweet spot where it is the most accurate. Move the cam away from that sweet spot, and the accuracy will diminish progressively. This is because the AI Engine, like the human eye, is much more accurate at identifying an object based on a profile view. If the vantage angle, pitch, and yaw of the cam is altered, the object starts to look less and less like the AI Object than it did as a profile shot. High angles, and rotated FOV will immediately alter the appearance of the object from the standard profile. Direct approach and exit shots, especially from height, will also diminish the effectiveness of the AI. Distance is also a factor. The farther away the target object zone, the less likely it is to get a positive tag. The sweet spot for these cams is at eye level with a pattern of movement moving across the FOV. With a focus on security, it is important to place cams with this in mind to give them the highest probability of success and the greatest likelihood that they will alert you as a perimeter warning system.
My two biggest suggestions for security cams: (1) Focus on the placement of the cams. The FOV is far more important than the settings. (2) The Sensitivity is the last setting to be changed only after all other options are exhausted. Reducing the Sensitivity globally reduces the cam’s ability to do its job.
“The only cam of the three with a bad FOV for AI detection is the one over the concrete step and walkway. If you notice, when the subject is walking in the driveway on the left,”
Of course, I notice that. Do you notice the main purpose of that camera is to see who is at the front step, and it is square to the step?
Of course, there is always the “ideal” setup, but that is not always possible in all locations.
You make a lot of excuses for the cameras. I think the fact is sometimes they do not capture an image they should and that is a big concern for a security camera. The other issue is the web view. If in the middle of the night you hear a loud noise outside and someone is on your property, but you don’t know where they are you want to look at all your cameras now not later, and you are forced to log in to web view and that takes too long and for some reason they require at that moment for you to solve a CAPTCHA that makes the system useless to you. Of course, you could look at your cameras on the phone, but you can only see one at a time, so that is useless also.
So I bought a couple of security cameras to try out, and I signed up for CamPlus the AI to identify sound and video events then I find if I want to identify gun shots or breaking glass I need to sign up for another plan? I can of course be notified with CamPLus if a cat is meowing or a dog is barking. Not impressed with that.
I have had many events that should have triggered a recording that did not, and for me that is unacceptable. I would like my videos all downloaded to my NAS, but Wyze will not allow me to mount the SD drive, so I can not set up an automated system to keep the archival footage. I have had occasions where I was made aware of an event that happened in view of my cameras, but it was a little over a month in the past, and so I had no way of viewing the videos. That is not a good security policy, you should be able to look at archival videos back at least 6 months.
You insist all my problems would be solved if I just set my cameras up like you do and the cameras are good security. That is fine, you can think that if you like. I don’t agree, is that ok?
Best of luck with your cams and resolving your issues. There are solutions for the additional issues you have listed in your last post, however I have offered all the experience and assistance I can.
A few times when i had missing events in the cloud, I actually just had accidentally tapped the box that says “motion” and when it’s not green, it doesn’t show motion events in timeline. It’s a stupid UX design but that’s how it is.
If that’s green and there’s nothing in the timelines, my experience tells me it’s just that Wyze is broken right now (and they are having service issues again for at least a week) and eventually they will fix it and usually there’s nothing you can do.
Wyze cams are more of an information device, they aren’t super setup for security. Like you pointed out, there’s no real archive, they’re finicky, etc. they will never replaced true hardwired CCTV setups.
A few times when i had missing events in the cloud, I actually just had accidentally tapped the box that says “motion” and when it’s not green" That is not what my problem is here.
I have had a number of events not get recorded to the cloud. The neighbour was selling their house and an inspection company looked at the home. The guy walked the length of the house in full vie of the driveway cam and no event was triggered. They do not seem to do well with objects coming straight towards or going away. Of course, a person walking across the field of view is much easier to trigger an event.
Not being able to quickly view all cameras without logging in is a real showstopper for security systems.
I just don’t feel they can be relied on. I am looking at NAS based systems but have not made up my mind yet.