Security camera vs. smart camera

Cameras
21

Not sad at all. They may not be good enough for a security camera but are good enough for their intended use.
Remember, $20. :slight_smile:

2 Likes
22

Yeah, well, I don’t agree with that. A $20 product that ought to have been a $30 product.

23

Then they wouldn’t be able to get people to upgrade from V2 to V3 in a year. and V4 a year after that. They have to maintain sales among existing customers with small margins.

Personally, I use the cameras to monitor my dogs and cats when I am away from home. The dogs are my security system and they do their job well.

2 Likes
24

I’m not sure what you don’t agree with.
They aren’t good enough to be a security camera.
They are good enough for their intended use.
They are $20.

25

I don’t think they could have made it a security camera for $30 either

1 Like
26

via GIPHY

27

1
Reviewer: I love this hammer!
Snap-on: Is a wrench. Use as a hammer at your own risk.
Reviewer: I love this wrench! Ouch!

2
Showbiz: You don’t cut funny. You change the plot.
Bizbiz: You don’t stunt profit. You print a disclaimer.

1 Like
28

Interesting thread where commenter @tom123 (who has “installed alarm systems for a local company”)
and others debate the merits of Wyze as security and details his efforts to achieve that result:

29

If Adam Savage says it, then it must be true…

2 Likes
30

According to “How Stuff Works” a surveillance camera allows you to simply watch an activity while it happens, and a security camera allows you to record it. https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/home/security-cameras.htm

31

“Any technology sufficiently advanced from your own will appear as magic.”

That’s a loose quote of Arthur C Clark I think. Point being there is no legal definition of what exactly qualifies as a “security” camera so it’s kind of senseless to draw comparisons to a non existent standard. From a product liability standpoint Wyze is very clear that their products are not to be used for life safety or security purposes. It’s in the terms of service.

That said the camera functions as (to me) a perfectly adequate camera for watching my pets, seeing whom is walking through my yard or coming to my door or whatever I choose.

They may not be adequate for your use or need. My 2012 Ford Explorer is fantastic at getting me to and from the grocery store, or work, or the beach. It is not going to do so well in a Formula 1 race. That does not mean “to bad so sad” it just means for that particular use you need a different tool.

I don’t know why people try to compare this product line (Ford Explorer) to other lines (Lamborghini) and complain it’s not good enough. You are free to buy what you need. This product line will not suit or fit every need, none does.

3 Likes
32

I wouldn’t consider them a security camera for several reasons.

  1. They aren’t rated for outdoor use.
  2. The power supply can’t be secured to the camera.
  3. The casing isn’t designed to withstand any kind of punishment. They are kind of flimsy when you get down to it.
  4. They record 12 second events with a 5 minute cooldown. What good is that for security?
2 Likes
33

That’s my point, these are not meant to be used as security cameras and they don’t call themselves security cameras. Why people keep showing how a camera that IS NOT advertised as a security camera falls short at being one I don’t know.

1 Like
34

But neither do they correct reviewers’ misnomers, I think. And kind of nod-wink at customers’ ingenius “misuse.” :slight_smile:

35

Policing reviews other than egregious false statements is typically just not done. It’s expensive and time consuming. I don’t know or any manufacturer that does.

1 Like
36

To be clear, I’m not saying Wyze’s behavior compares unfavorably to that of their competitors in this respect. Standard business practice, AFAIK.

37

My point is people on this very thread make statements that would indicate they are terribly disappointed because the product does not meet their expectations of a security camera. Then they list off a number of features typically common to high end security or surveillance cameras.

An appropriate analogy is when I take my Dodge Viper “race car” to the LeMans and they won’t let me race. I mean people all over call it a “race car” and Dodge does not stop them or correct them. Or heck I have heard a Ford F-150 lightning described as a “race car” yet I don’t think it’s much of a threat to a low end NASCAR car.

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38

Point taken. :slight_smile:

The individual has the responsibility to discern the actual purpose of a device when presented with a variety of characterizations that are in confict.

Agree?

1 Like
39

Absolutely :grin: