Pros and cons of using v3 as a security camera

Cameras
1

I know there are expensive real security cameras with poe. But they all seem to be expensive. So what would be the pros and cons of using v3 as a security camera?

2

There are a lot of things that could me mentioned…but common thoughts:

Con:

  • Cloud/internet-dependent…at least for now (can’t really use NAS or do lots of other things people like to do). --Wyze said they are looking at changing this in the future.
  • RTSP is fairly limited and I believe currently not available.
  • Integration with other platforms is fairly limited (though there is some integration with IFTTT, Google, and Alexa. There are some 3rd party hacks too. I’ll include that in the pros)
  • If you don’t pay for cam plus, you are limited to a maximum of 1 motion recording & notification every 5 minutes. So, if the wind makes a tree branch wave, the camera will detect motion. Then if a person walks by in the next 5 minutes, it will not notify you of this or record it to the cloud.

Pro:

  • Great price, especially for the quality and features
  • Great Color night vision (rare in other camera options which almost always are only black and white in dim light)
  • Some useful Rules for automations within the Wyze ecosystem
  • With the subscription, if you get it, there are Great AI features and options. The Subscription is really competitive compared to other cloud and AI options.
    • You can get free person detection with Cam Plus Lite
  • SD card option for continuous recording.
  • 3rd party solutions for pseudo RTSP, and other things.
  • Very simple to set up and use without requiring technical expertise, as can be required with professional security camera setups.
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3

I have 10 V3 being used as security cams. I also have CamPlus on all of them.

Pros: inexpensive, person detection, push notifications, two way talk, siren, IR night vision, awesome color night vision, onboard continuous uSD record.

Cons: notification latency. They can sometimes take a bit to receive. I am averaging about 15 seconds over the last 2 days. Occasionally, but very limited, they never arrive. Have had several arrive minutes later. Also, the AI, while relatively accurate, has specific weaknesses when it comes to parked cars with vehicle AI on, and fast moving cars when vehicle AI is off but person\pet is on. Lastly… WiFi\internet dependant for everything.

For the price, there are far more pros than cons.

Agree w\ @carverofchoice on all his points. He types faster than me!

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4

Nice additions. I have over 24 cams, all with Cam Plus. :slight_smile:
I rarely have problems with notification delays or issues (except with my WCO v1), but I know other people have mentioned this.

Yes, I have basically turned off “Vehicle” detection on all my cams, because it isn’t that useful right now, though they said they are working on changing it to ignore parked vehicles in the future, so I will likely turn it back on after that happens. :slight_smile:

Also, I did not type faster than you…it told me when you started typing…I started typing a while before you got to it, so I just had a big headstart! :rofl: :+1:

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