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The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.

• Rated 5 out of 5 stars

  Version 2 outdoor camera SimpliSafe system

  • Tech Insider Network Member

  We have owned a SimpliSafe system for about 2.5 years. It has been flawless, although (thank goodness) we have never run into a real test of the system. The only maintenance so far has been to replace the button batteries in about 3 of the 15 window/door opening detectors. My system originally included a previous version of the outdoor camera. With high-quality HD video, night vision, and 10x zoom, the newer Outdoor Camera optimizes your view of the premises. This Series 2 version offers the ability to subscribe to SimpliSafe’s Active Guard Outdoor Protection, which is an additional charge over the base “Core” level of professional monitoring. The entry level Core plan will contact your local police if there is a trigger of one of the home sensors, broken glass, a breached door or window, or motion detection inside the house. The Active Guard Outdoor surveillance monitoring has two tiers of extra cost over the Core level, the lower being active for night time incursions, and the higher being 24 hrs a day. 
When using the Series 2 camera to benefit from the higher tier monitoring, is the requirement that you have your camera plugged in to an external power source, not just battery powered. The Series 2 camera has added a loud siren to the camera, which is triggered by the monitoring professionals, once alerted of a possible intrusion. SimpliSafe states that they have incorporated AI biometric analysis of moving objects to facilitate and accelerate the detection of any intruder. A 16 foot long power cable and a plug adapter are included with the series 2 camera. My original outdoor camera was powered solely by battery. This required swapping out a freshly charged battery occurred once I got a notice of low battery in the camera. Battery charge is good for about 2-3 weeks, depending on the amount of motion detected. More triggers, such an open view of the street, or a high density of walking traffic on a sidewalk would spend the battery more rapidly. In our installation, the camera only triggers when someone walks up the walkway and turns into the alcove of our front door. We have a video doorbell installed, but having the surveillance camera 7 feet up rather than at torso level, seems to be more secure and less likely to be destroyed by vandalism. But a higher camera may show mostly the tops of heads and ball caps, not the face of the person, if taken from very far up. You pick your subscription to monitoring, with various monthly fees. The higher priced tiers of detection offer a couple of advantages: monitoring of triggered motion once the SimpliSafe system is armed {either your “away” or “home” mode, versus the “off” setting). If the system is activated and a person is detected (reportedly enhanced by AI recognition), at the monitoring headquarters a human takes over, and views real time the scene. Two way conversation via a speaker incorporated in the camera can be instituted if deemed necessary, and a siren alarm in the camera can be activated. The entire encounter is stored on video storage and can be shared with Police. Using the mobile phone app, you can review and download to your photo library the videos of all motion detection, even if you do not have any remote monitoring plan in place. With a plan, you have a 30 day archive of all recorded clips. In checking New Hampshire’s laws, posting a notice of video monitoring of persons who might approach your residence is beneficial. Recording of audio conversations without consent of ALL parties is forbidden. SimpliSafe included a peel off sticker to add to your yard sign that the premises are monitored by SimpliSafe. (The yard sign comes with any complete system you purchase, and can be purchased separately). The new sticker adds the notice that audio recording, video footage, and biometric data is being captured. The audio recording that SimpliSafe obtains seems to be illegal in NH, especially if it is distributed to non-law enforcement entities. Before offering the audio file to the police, it might be a wise measure to ask for a subpoena for the audio file prior to sharing the recording. At this point I have yet to pass the wall current power cable to the camera. That will for me require drilling a hole adjacent to the camera and once inside plugging it into a wall socket. But at 7 ft up, it would be a chore for them to disrupt the power to the camera! If you do not have a power source within the 16 foot cable reach, another option available from SimpliSafe is to automatically recharge your battery with a small solar panel, that can attach high off the ground and be aimed for optimum solar exposure. This will recharge the camera’s battery, and obviate the need to swap out the battery every few weeks. The higher your camera is mounted, and the larger a ladder is needed, the more a solar panel is quite appealing. However, the advanced monitoring requires line voltage power, not battery power for full utility. I have not tried out the optional full 24 hour, higher power monitoring. That will be a choice to make after I get hard-wired power cord installed. In summary, this upgraded camera is a very versatile addition to a home security system. The remote monitoring option, with faster triggering of an intruder alert using AI biometrics, and a surprise blast from a siren controlled by the off-premises monitoring service, might scare away an intruder BEFORE the door or window alarms even come into play. Adequate perimeter surveillance might make the indoor system redundant, repelling a potential intruder before they even enter the domicile. And repairing a broken window or breached doorway won’t be on the agenda!

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  Posted 5 months ago by Josenieve

• Rated 5 out of 5 stars

  Another Great Camera, improves on the Series 1

  • Tech Insider Network Member

  Ever since we moved into a bigger home, I wanted another outdoor camera to pair with my SimpliSafe system. So, I decided to pick up another Outdoor Camera, but opting for the newer Series 2 this time. Pros: - Easy setup and app control. - Includes charger and power cable. - Loud speaker and siren. - Bright spotlight. Cons: - None so far. Setup: Setup of the SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera Series 2 is simple. There are 2 main ways to add a camera to your SimpliSafe system: 1. In the SimpliSafe app, navigate to the Camera tab, scroll to the bottom and click on the Add New Camera button. Or 2. In the SimpliSafe app, navigate to the My System tab, Device Settings, then scroll down to the bottom and click the Add Device tab. Either way, the step-by-step instructions walk you through the setup process easily. The camera can be threaded on a standard camera mount or attached via the magnetic holder that is included to a wall or fixture. The magnetic holder makes it easy to tilt the camera to any angle you need incase the thread on isn’t adjustable. Either way, the flexibility is helpful and appreciated. App Control: App setup was simple. Configuration is just as simple. The SimpliSafe app has options to adjust the Motion Detection, Video Quality, Night Vision, Flip Image, Mic & Audio, Siren, and Status Light. Motion Detection allows you to set the camera sensitivity, the type of Motion that triggers an alert, and the activity zone that triggers an alert. Video Quality allows you to select from 480p to 1080p, with the default set to 1080p. Night Vision allows you the option of off, standard, and spotlight which turns on the spotlight when motion is detected, or live viewing is done. The other options are just on or off, or in the case of Flip Image, it flips the camera image in the case where the camera is mounted upside down. One of the best setting options is that you can adjust the functionality of the camera based on the status of your security system, such that is your home or away, you can have different functionality from the off mode. I’ve set this up in a way that I get more notifications when the system is armed in either mode. Video Quality: The highest video resolution is 1080p, with the image quality being sharp both during the day and at night. I didn’t have any issues being able to determine what I was looking at, with the 10x zoom it was quite easy to zoom in to see any part of the field of view. I had this out in my backyard, which allowed me to watch the squirrels, birds, and my dog getting into things. Battery Life: The battery life on the SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera Series 2 is a major improvement over the Series 1, I’ve only charge it once in about a week and the camera still reads as 100% fully charged. The Series 1 needed charging every few weeks, but that could have also been due to the placement at my old home being more active compared to a quiet backyard. The included charging cable is a huge plus, as it usually is sold for $49.99 separately. You could use any micro-USB cable when inside, but for outdoor use you will want to have the cable with the seal on it to prevent water from getting into the camera charging port. The included 16ft cable is plenty of length to reach an outdoor power plug by a door or from a garage. Connectivity: Your results will vary depending on your WiFi signal strength or base station placement, but I was easily able to connect to the wireless camera anywhere within my yard or house. I was pleasantly surprised when I could easily connect from the garage and alley. Might have to pickup another one of these to attach onto the garage. Detection & Alerts: The detection range depended on the sensitivity, but on the highest sensitivity I could trigger the alerts at the edge of my yard during the day which is easily over 30ft away. At night, the alerts would trigger around 30ft away, depending on the sensitivity and how dark it was. I found my preferred level of notifications occurred at Sensitivity of Medium and Motion Type of People Only, I got no false alerts and captured all actual alerts, I know this as I’ve got other cameras from other angles that capture all motions. The Squirrels and Birds love to trigger them, but I did find out who was leaving chicken bones in my yard! Night vision is good, I prefer the standard night vision to the spotlight as the bright spotlight is great when you have the system armed but can be disorientating if you catch yourself in it. I prefer to disable the alarm from my phone before approaching because of the spotlight effect. Similarly, don’t accidentally trigger the siren, it is VERY loud and the echo in a small space is painful. Conclusion: If you already have a SimpliSafe security system, the Outdoor Camera Series 2 is a great option to add additional monitoring and greater security to your home. With the included power cable and wireless connectivity, you can setup the camera almost anywhere and at any angle. I’ve got 2 already, and planning to pick up a few more for the rest of the home.

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  Posted 5 months ago by BradfordBT

• Rated 5 out of 5 stars

  The best outdoor camera for SimpliSafe users

  • Tech Insider Network Member

  I’ve been using SimpliSafe for home security for about 6 years now. I like the simplicity of use and set-up, and the endless customization to fit your specific household security needs. All the different elements, from sensors, motion detectors, smoke and carbon detectors, smart locks to cameras integrate so well into the SimpliSafe universe. The latest addition to my household security is the SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera Series 2. It’s a step above the Series 1 camera which I also own. Once the battery was charged, installing the camera with the included magnetic mount was a quick and easy process with the right tools. Connecting it to the SimpliSafe app was a process of following the prompts, and after a couple of minutes, it was ready to go. I chose to connect it to an electrical outlet with the provided cable and power adapter to be able to use some additional AI and security features through the Active Guard Outdoor Protection service. Performance wise, the Series 2 is a great performer. Most important for a security camera is movement detection, and it does it reliably well and you have the option to set the monitored activity area from the app. I was impressed by both the video and audio quality. The 1080p images are sharp and colorful and easy to discern details. The audio quality is also impressive. Two-way communication through my Series 1 camera was a hit or miss and a source of frustration. With the Series 2, SimpliSafe seems to have solved this issue. So far, it’s been nothing but clear audio communication with every trial. For night vision, you can either use the standard black and white infrared or full color with the spotlight activation. I chose the latter since I have it powered to an outlet. This camera features a loud siren that can be activated manually, automatically depending on configurations, and even remotely by SimpliSafe monitoring agents. This camera also comes with some AI capabilities such as the ability to distinguish between people, animals and objects; however, it seems that it only works with the Active Guard Outdoor Protection subscription. In conclusion, the Outdoor Camera Series 2 is an improvement on its already solid Series 1. It excels in all areas that makes it a good security camera, with reliable motion detection and great video and audio performance. The addition of AI capabilities will make it more desirable for some users. My only wish would be to have a continuous streaming option, but this will not prevent me from recommending it to SimpliSafe subscribers looking for the best outdoor camera in the SimpliSafe ecosystem.

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  Posted 5 months ago by Joe1015