Home security: My review of the Amcrest 5MP PoE Camera (IP5M-T1179EW-28MM) |
- My review of the Amcrest 5MP PoE Camera (IP5M-T1179EW-28MM)
- Lorex 4K network bandwidth
- I need a camera, looking for advice.
- First time homeowner looking for security system
- DSC, Paradox or Ring?
- Trying to decide on POE camera brand for home security
| My review of the Amcrest 5MP PoE Camera (IP5M-T1179EW-28MM) Posted: 21 Nov 2020 07:46 PM PST ---FIRST IMPRESSIONS--- This is my first Amcrest device. My first impressions opening the box were good. The actual device feels solid and of good quality. It feels well made. The mounting bracket is a quality-feeling plastic material and the camera unit itself feels to be metal I think. It came with some small papers for getting started as well as a reminder to change the default password (good to see this suggested right away for security). Mounting hardware was included as well as a waterproof enclosure for the ethernet plug. I did not see anything to cap off the DC power input unfortunately. ---MOUNTING--- This was slightly easier to install than my other similar-shaped cameras. I screwed the mounting bracket to wood, then snapped on the camera. My other cameras twist on which is a lot harder to do. This is my first camera with a plastic mounting bracket so time will tell how that holds up. All-metal is mode vandal resistant but this does feel like a quality strong material though. Also this is a fraction of the price of those. I slid my ethernet cable through the waterproofing network connector enclosure. It has silicone grommets and seems to hold tight to keep water out and the plug from being pulled out. A nice touch. ---SETUP & WEB INTERFACE--- There are a few options for how you can set it up depending on your needs. I wanted to use it with my existing 3rd party app so I did a manual setup. I logged into the web interface, was prompted to set a new password for security purposes (good on them for forcing this), and was immediately shown a realtime live view of the camera. The web interface is an insane upgrade from my previous cameras that required Windows and Internet Explorer. It's clean, fast, and works with modern browsers cross-platform. I was especially impressed with how low-latency the video is. There's a speaker icon in the upper right you can click to listen to what the microphone picks up. You can also go to a Setup screen to change all the many customizable options and an Alarm screen to set up alarms for things like motion detection or errors. I set a static IP for my needs. I also set up snapshots so I can do a 'time lapse' type thing, taking a photo every 60 seconds. You can set any customizable period for this. Everything is a lot more customizable than other camera's I've had though the defaults for this camera seem to be good. I did also initially try checking for a firmware update and when I clicked that button nothing happened. I'm not sure if that's not working or there's no upgrade available right now. Also if you enter the wrong login there's a typo of a space missing between two sentences in the error message -- a minor nitpick. ---MICROPHONE--- The addition of the microphone is really nice. None of my other cameras have this. It works really well and seems to be really sensitive but clear. I installed my camera in a windy area so I was worried that would be a problem but it seems to filter out wind noise really well. Sometimes people park right next to my house and seem kind of up to something so it's nice to be able listen. ---VIDEO QUALITY--- From other reviews I read I was hopeful for good video quality but I was pretty blown away. It's completely dark out yet this thing's sensor is sensitive enough to be lit up enough to look like it's dawn. With a little bit of light pollution bouncing off some clouds tonight it's able to operate at night in full color. When it's even darker its night vision infrared lights illuminate the area really well, much better than my older cameras. I've attached a comparison picture of my old vs this new camera, installed just a couple feet apart, taken at the same time tonight. About 15 minutes later it got a little darker and it switched to nightvision mode (also shown). The nightvision is so sharp and bright too. COMPARISON PICTURE: https://imgur.com/a/5YIDrUn ---SDCARD VIDEO STORAGE--- I really like the option to store video directly on a memory card in the camera. I got a 256GB Sandisk Extreme SDCard. I plan on setting this up with BlueIris eventually but it's good to have another local backup of the video in case something goes wrong with that system. Playback is easy and fast so I'm pretty happy with it. My old system made it a chore to play back events. ---3RD PARTY STREAMING--- I'm using a 3rd party app since I have other cameras. It only took me a few minutes to add this camera into that and it worked flawlessly since it is compatible with standard protocols. Even listening to the microphone works perfectly with it. I did briefly give the Amcrest Viewer Pro app a try and the interface did seem a bit confusing. I had trouble figuring out how to add the new camera too it and the included Getting Started paper's interface differed a bit from the latest version. ---OVERALL--- Overall I'm pretty impressed by the quality I got for $50. Both the hardware and software are well beyond my other cameras. I'm probably going to be replacing a bunch of cameras soon and this camera and/or the 4K version are my top contenders most likely. I'm very happy with this so far. Pros: - Amazing video quality - Amazing low-light quality - Practically zero latency live viewing - Tons of customization options - Good microphone audio quality - Seems solidly made and good quality - Great price Cons: - A waterproof cap for the 12V DC cable when not in use would be nice - Firmware update button not giving feedback (not sure if not working or just nothing to update right now) - A metal mounting bracket would be nice but as long at this holds up it should be fine [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 22 Nov 2020 02:12 AM PST I recently purchased a lorex 4K ip camera system from Costco. Does anyone have any info on the bandwidth usage per camera and possibly the overall network usage under varying conditions? I'm planning on having 4 cameras connected directly to the NVR, and a group of 4 cameras linked from a switch. Could this be a potential bottleneck in terms of viewing my feeds for those cameras that are connected to the switch? I'm not concerned about the speed from the cameras and switch to the router, as it will be 10G, but potentially the 1G (I presume, I didn't see the speed of the port listed in any of the manuals or spec sheets) link between the router and NVR. Thanks for any info! [link] [comments] |
| I need a camera, looking for advice. Posted: 22 Nov 2020 02:12 AM PST Hi all This might not be your average spec me a camera thread. So right now I have 2x TP-Link Tapo C100 and viewing it back using Ispy agent software. The camera themselves are excellent for my needs. Monitoring a leopard Gecko enclosure. I would really like to maybe change to one single camera that supports PTZ also WIFI is a must and I can play it back on a windows PC for recording etc Must also be small enough to mount on top of the exo terra mesh lid using magnet. Lets say price range is up to £100 Please see image below on the amount of picture I am missing. Kind Regards Please see image [link] [comments] |
| First time homeowner looking for security system Posted: 21 Nov 2020 10:34 PM PST There is already a hookup to JM Security Systems (whatever that is) in my house. I could just call them up, but they seem nonexistent. What are best options these days other than ADT? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 21 Nov 2020 03:48 PM PST Seems like a silly question, I have a new build, I like what ring has to offer (the simplicity, the price and the elegance of the system) but I don't like that the entire ecosystem is locked down (very little tinkering, automation stuff). A family friend said that they can install a DSC or paradox (not sure if he has access to all the parts) for free and with no markup on the parts from his company. He says he has no opinion on the ring system as he hasn't used it, and is probably binded by his company. My house is not wired for any sensors, so things will have to be wireless. Ultimately, after all upgrades, I want a self monitored system:
I guess what I want as a bare minimum would be:
The bare minimum is basically what ring offers for a very competitive price and with self monitoring via app, but the challenge is expandability is next to none. And I don't think I can hook it up to home automation or anything of that sort. Should I still consider DSC or paradox? I don't feel like being locked into the ring ecosystem, but at the same time, I don't want to overbuy things I don't need or have time to deal with if it becomes a black hole of a time sink. Thanks [link] [comments] |
| Trying to decide on POE camera brand for home security Posted: 21 Nov 2020 05:40 AM PST I have been looking around and think I want to go with axis cameras. I am willing to spend max of $400 per camera and need 3 outdoor cams for cover the outside of my house. Planning on using a synology NVR for software and storage. Is axis generally the preferred brand for cameras or should I look into another? Is the setup I picked out most optimal for what I am looking for or should I go another route? [link] [comments] |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Home security. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
No comments:
Post a Comment