Blink: Models

Both Blink models are battery-powered and both offer a fairly narrow 110° angle of view. Both require a hub that is inexpensively bundled with one or more cameras. Up to 10 cameras can be connected to a single sync module or hub (as long as all are within 100 feet), and multiple separate Blink systems can be bundled together in a single account.

They’re designed to allow short recordings only to preserve battery life, and include the above-mentioned lithium metal batteries.

It’s surprising Apple sells the original Blink, because it’s under-featured even at the price. It records 720p video and is rated for indoor use, but lacks a speaker—so no intercom function and doesn’t have infrared night vision.

The Blink XT2 (Figure 32), however, captures 1080p video, allows live remote video viewing (up to 30 seconds at a time), and has an outdoor rating of IP65. It also offers infrared night vision.

Blink: Capture and Storage

As battery-powered devices, the Blink models rely on PIR motion detection. The free cloud storage is for a total of two hours from all cameras connected to the same account.

Clips default to five seconds, but can be adjusted to as long as 60 seconds. The cloud storage, which is included forever as part of the purchase price, allows for 7,200 seconds (120 minutes) per hub up to five hubs; storage is capped at 36,000 seconds (7,200 times five).

You can opt to have them purged after set periods of time (3 days, 7 days, 30 days, or 1 year), or let the newest clips bump the oldest out, whichever comes first. You can also delete clips manually.

While the cameras record at 30 frames per second in good lighting, they drop to as low as 7.5 fps in dim lighting or the dark.

Blink: System Price

The original Blink is $79.99 for a single camera with a hub up through $279.99 for a five-camera and sync module bundle. You can also purchase add-on cameras for $69.99 each.

The Blink XT2 costs $99.99 for one camera and one sync module up through $379.99 for five cameras and one module. Add-on cameras are $89.99 each.

Blink: Privacy

Blink’s site doesn’t provide any information about security, privacy, or encryption methods or safeguards.

In December 2019, the BlinkXT2 module was discovered to have a surprising number of security vulnerabilities patched by Amazon in a subsequent firmware update.

Blink: Platforms and Integrations

Blink video and controls can be access via an Android or iOS app—and also through an app for Fire phone, of course.

Naturally, Blink supports Amazon Alexa.

Blink: Bottom Line

Cheap, no fuss, no recurring costs, a two-year (estimated) lifespan before swapping standard batteries, and only one clear choice for a model? What’s not to like?

But it adds up for a win only if you’re in a relatively low-traffic area, because the Blink models’ longevity is entirely dependent on not being triggered much—only about 50 seconds a day with no two-way audio and no live video gets you to two years. Likewise, the small amount of storage would be quickly overwritten in an area with the sort of traffic around a not-very-busy neighborhood like mine.

Blink’s lack of disclosure and detail on the privacy and security front is also a major lacuna.

You would be better served with only slightly more expensive cameras with a wider angle of view and modest annual fees for storage.

Ring: Models

Ring fills the zone with cameras, nearly all of which are 1080p and have two-way audio (Figure 33).

The camera categories break out like this:

• An indoor camera that plugs in

• Indoor/outdoor cameras made with weather resistance and the option for battery power and solar charging

• Outdoor cameras with a siren plus a spotlight or floodlights, with various options for power and charging

• Video doorbell for front-door interaction; an older model still for sale is 720p, but the latest is 1080p

Ring: Capture and Storage

All Ring cameras come with a free tier of service, which provides motion-triggered alerts, live video viewing, and two-way talk.

Amazon offers two tiers of paid Ring Protect plans: Basic at $3 a month ($30 a year) for a single device and Plus at $10 a month ($100 a year). Both tiers store 60 days of video clips and single images.

The Plus service allows for unlimited devices, and includes professional monitoring if you also have a Ring Alarm device installed.

A 30-day trial of Ring Protect starts when a buyer sets up a camera.

Ring: System Price

Pricing is straightforward and starts low:

• The single indoor-only camera is $60.

• The standard indoor/outdoor model is $100 for either a battery-powered version or an AC-powered one. It’s $150 for one with a solar panel and $200 for a Power over Ethernet model.

• The lights-and-siren models are $200 to $250, depending on power, light intensity, and mounting options.

• Ring Video Doorbell ranges from $90 to $200 depending on model, and whether it’s wired into existing doorbell.

Ring: Privacy

Amazon says data is encrypted in transit and video is stored on secured servers operated by the company. It’s a little thin on specifics for a company that deals with security and privacy all the time.

Ring: Platforms and Integrations

Ring is the rare hardware that comes with apps for all major platforms: Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows.

Ring: Bottom Line

Ring is an affordable array of equipment that can be paired with a larger array of alarm devices. The cloud-based storage system is quite inexpensive for the set of included features. The only count against it is if you have an issue with the maker’s name.

Canary: Models

Canary offers three options, all of which shoot 1080p video, have night-vision lighting, and include Wi-Fi networking (Figure 34). Each also has a mic and speaker, but the speaker can be used for two-way audio only with a paid subscription.

The three cameras have a fairly crisp distinction among them:

• The Flex has a 116° angle of view and the option for either battery or powered use. It’s rated for outdoors.

• The View captures 147° of video and requires power.

• The Pro also sports a 147° lens, but includes a siren and three sensors for air quality, temperature, and humidity. It can also connect via Ethernet instead of Wi-Fi.

Canary: Capture and Storage

The Flex relies on PIR motion detection when it’s either unplugged or it is plugged in and it’s battery isn’t fully charged. In all other cases and always for the View and Pro, motion is determined by CV. Canary offers zone-based triggers to reduce false alerts.

A free service includes 24 hours of motion-triggered clips for up to four cameras.

Canary heavily promotes its $9.99 a month ($99 a year) Premium Service for up to five cameras by making the camera free either with a single or two years of service, depending on the model. Additional cameras beyond five have a hefty price, at $4.99 a month ($49 a year) each.

As with most similar offerings, you will have to provide credit card information to activate the plan, which will be used for an evergreen subscription renewal unless canceled in advance of the anniversary of the one- or two-year plan purchased.

The “free” device only applies to the first one, as far as I can tell, so additional Canary cameras are purchased at full price, which is sometimes more than the one- or two-year discounted price.

Premium captures 30 days of video clips and enables “Canary Talk,” a proprietary two-way intercom system that works only within its apps.

Canary: System Price

Canary offers its three models at standalone prices, but the first camera you buy can also be bundled with Premium Service:

• The View is $99 by itself, $198 with a one-year subscription, and $178 with a two-year subscription.

• The Flex costs $139 on its own, $228 with a one-year subscription, and $178 with a two-year subscription.

• The Pro runs $169 without a subscription, $99 with a one-year subscription, and $178 with a two-year subscription.

Canary: Privacy

Canary says they encrypt data in transit and encrypts storage at rest, though they don’t provide details. They also locks out all inbound access to the devices. Cameras can only connect outward and are locked to stream to just Canary’s servers.

Canary: Platforms and Integrations

Canary offers Android and iOS apps, as well as apps for viewing on Apple TV, Android Wear devices, and the Apple Watch. With the Premium Service, users can access a live view and video history via a web browser. Canary supports a range of voice commands via Google Assistant.

Canary: Bottom Line

Canary’s simple product line offers a good range of features and quality for a moderate price—it’s not as cheap as some nor expensive as others, but all three models are solid 1080p cameras. The Premium Service subscription seems like a necessary add-on to reap the greatest benefit from these cameras.

mydlink: Models

The D-Link mydlink set of camera products includes seven distinct models that have such a huge feature matrix without overlap that it would take pages to detail all the differences. D-Link offers a way to compare models on its page, but only four at a time, which puts a crimp on figuring out exactly what does what, too.

Each camera has a different angle of view, and I recommend if you’re considering one or more of these, you review the specs for each to determine which captured view area is ideal.

You can choose among models that variously offer (with a count following) each:

• Pan/tilt (1) or fixed (6)

• 720p (2) or 1080p (5)

• Indoor only (6) or outdoor, rated IP65 (1)

• Ethernet and Wi-Fi (1) or just Wi-Fi (6)

• Cloud-only storage (4) or cloud or storage card (3)

• PIR motion detection (5) and CV motion detection (2)

• Audio detection (3)

• Two-way audio (3)

mydlink: Capture and Storage

D-Link’s plans include clip-based video storage. A free tier covers up to three cameras with 24 hours storage. Three paid tiers are $2.49 per month for 7 days and up to 3 cameras; $4.99 a month for 14 days and up to 5 cameras; and $9.99 a month for 30 days and up to 10 cameras. Annual prices are $24.99, $49.99, and $99.99, respectively.

Models that allow storage to a user-supplied MicroSD card can use up to a 256 GB module to store clips.

mydlink: System Price

Prices range from about $40 to $80 per camera.

mydlink: Privacy

D-Link has a history of security and privacy issues, notably that they had exploitable firmware (May 2019) and didn’t encrypt or protect web-based direct access to the cameras (October 2018). While the security issues have apparently been fixed (May 2019), D-Link has never made clear whether they have now encrypted all traffic.

mydlink: Platforms and Integrations

D-Link offers Android, iOS, and various web apps. The line supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

mydlink: Bottom Line

Despite the low cost of cameras and cloud-based plans, avoid D-Link cameras until the company affirmatively states that they are encrypting all data accessible from cameras, and they publish details about how they encrypt and protects data in transit and at rest on its servers.

Nest: Models

Google simplified its product matrix by offering essentially the same basic camera features in four variations: Cam Outdoor (rated IP65), Cam IQ Outdoor (rated IP66), Cam Indoor, and Cam IQ Indoor (Figure 36).

Each of its four Nest Cam models capture 1080p video with a 130° angle of view, but the IQ cameras add daytime high-dynamic range (HDR) shooting, which effectively shoots at least twice as many frames to provide a broader range of lights and darks.

All four communicate via Wi-Fi, require power, and have two-way audio.

Nest: Capture and Storage

The Nest Cams all rely on CV motion detection, a natural for Google.

The cameras include, at no cost, live viewing and the last three hours of motion-triggered clips stored in the cloud. At the free tier, cameras recognize whether a person is in the frame. The Indoor and Outdoor cameras also let you define activity zones to watch.

With a Nest Aware subscription, all four cameras receive additional features. The IQ models activate both activity zones and allow facial recognition for registered people.

Google is in the middle of a transition on its service plans. As I write this in early 2020, there are three Nest Aware plans offering 5, 10, or 30 days of 24-hour-a-day continuous recording for $5, $10, or $30 a month per camera, respectively (or $50, $100, and $300 for annual subscriptions). Each additional camera costs $2.50, $5, or $15 a month, or ten times that a year.

The revised Nest Aware plans come in two flavors, and feature all the same camera features. These plans cover all cameras in the same house for a single fee. They’re $6 a month ($60 a year) for 30 days of clip-based history or $12 a month ($120 a year) for 10 days of continuous recording and 60 days of clip-based history.

Nest: System Price

The Nest Cam Indoor is $199, the IQ Indoor $299, the Outdoor $199, and the IQ Outdoor $399. Bundles are also available, such as three NetCam Indoor models for $357 and five for $425, and a two-pack of Nest Cam IQ Outdoor cameras for $598.

Nest: Privacy

Google uses secure transport for data, but doesn’t provide information about how or whether it encrypts video at rest.

Nest: Platforms and Integrations

Naturally, Nest Cams solely support Google Assistant. Apps are available for Android and iOS. With a Nest Aware subscription, a user can also view video on the web.

Nest: Bottom Line

Before the cloud-based price change, I would have suggested a lot of feature comparisons and price shopping to figure if Nest was worth the price to you.

But with the soon-to-be-available Nest Aware pricing, the quality of the Nest cameras coupled with an extremely low cost for cloud storage for multiple cameras makes it far more attractive for your total ongoing cost of ownership.

Circle: Models

Logitech Circle 2 has a blissfully simple model lineup (Figure 37):

• Circle 2 Wired, which plugs into a supplied USB-to-AC adapter

• Circle 2 Wire-Free, which is battery powered

Both models connect to a network only via Wi-Fi. They offer up to 1080p recording and infrared night vision rated up to 15 feet. The field of vision offers three framings, described as wide, ultra-wide, and 180°. Both also include a mic and speaker. Both also have an IP65 weatherization rating.

For the Wire-Free model, Logitech’s documentation indicates 30 days for high activity and up to 90 days for low activity. But in areas with motion detected regularly at night, the battery charge will be exhausted faster.

Circle: Capture and Storage

Logitech has two options for capture and storage, but both are cloud-based and proprietary.

Circle: System Price

Pricing is also straightforward: $179.99 for the wired version and $19.99 for the battery-powered model. Two wireless cameras plus a spare battery ($50 separately) are $399.99 in a standard bundle.

Circle: Privacy

Logitech documents the steps they take to secure data in transit and at rest. If you opt for Apple’s HomeKit Secure Video storage, it is end-to-end encrypted, the gold standard.

It doesn’t allow inbound connections to the device, instead using an encryption certificate that only allows the camera to connect to Logitech’s servers and authenticate itself.

Circle: Platforms and Integrations

Logitech offers Android, iOS, and web apps.

They support Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant in the standard ways offered by each ecosystem.

Circle: Bottom Line

Circle 2 is a very good combination of price and features paired with simplicity. The ongoing cost of its cloud storage is comparable to other services, though Google Nest beats it on cost and storage features.

However, for those who use mostly or primarily Apple equipment, the option to use HomeKit Video Storage can reduce recurring costs (for those already paying for iCloud storage), reduce privacy risks, and improve video clip access. Circle 2 plus HomeKit Video Storage is currently the most secure and least-expensive combination available.

Arlo: Models

NETGEAR offers three distinct lines of Arlo cameras: an indoor/outdoor set, an indoor-only set, and an outdoor cellular-connected model (Figure 38).

Arlo: Capture and Storage

Arlo takes a mixed-mode approach to motion detection. Without a paid plan it works like this:

• Most of its camera rely on PIR. Some models have a battery option, but when plugged in will keep the camera active and add a few seconds of video before a PIR-triggered event.

• Only the Pro 2, Q, and Q Plus have CV detection built in. However, the Pro 2 has the option of being battery powered or wired, and CV detection only works when it’s plugged in and indoors.

Arlo cameras come with Arlo Basic, a cloud-based service that keeps seven days of motion-triggered (all) and sound-triggered (on select models) for up to five cameras in your system.

However, three types of paid plans are available, all of which appear to add CV-based detection, but only when a camera is plugged in.

Two standard paid tiers, called Premier and Elite, include 30 days of video clips. Premier stores up to 2K video; Elite, up to 4K. These paid plans also add smart detection of people, animals, vehicles, and packages, and setting activity zones for detection when cameras are plugged in.

Premier is $3 a month for a single camera or $10 for up to five cameras; additional cameras are $1.50 a month each. Elite is $5 a month for one camera, $15 a month for up to five, and $2.50 a month above that.

Arlo Ultra cameras come with a year’s Elite service covering up to 10 cameras.

There’s also a continuous video recording (CVR) option for most of the Arlo camera models. Cameras must be plugged in to use this tier at all. It’s $10 a month ($100 a year) per camera to store 14 days of 24-hour-a-day video and double that for 30 days. Additional cameras cost half the first camera’s price.

Arlo: System Price

Arlo indoor/outdoor cameras require a hub, and NETGEAR makes a variety of them. Starter kits include at least one camera and the appropriate hub that works with them. You can then purchase compatible cameras separately as single units. The Q, Q Plus, and Go can be purchased individually.

The price range varies quite a bit, and it’s to sweep all the variables in briefly, but here’s a quick glance:

• The indoor/outdoor models range from $140 for a single camera, $200 for a two-camera/hub Arlo Pro bundle, and $360 for a four-camera/hub bundle up through $230 for a single Ultra, $580 for a two-camera/hub bundle, and $960 for a four-camera/hub bundle.

• The Q is $130 each and Q Plus $200 each.

• The Arlo Go is typically purchased directly from a carrier, where it costs around $400 but requires a service commitment and penalties for cancellation or return.

Arlo: Privacy

NETGEAR encrypts data in transit. Its FAQ describing privacy and security doesn’t offer any information about how data at is secured.

Although several models of Arlo cameras offer local storage to a MicroSD Card or a USB drive, NETGEAR explicitly notes that all video is also sent to the cloud, however long it’s stored there with or without a paid plan: “Local storage to a USB device cannot be used on its own as a substitute for cloud recording.”

Arlo: Platforms and Integrations

NETGEAR announced Arlo support for Apple HomeKit in October 2019 for its Ultra line of cameras. Arlo also includes Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant support.

Arlo: Bottom Line

NETGEAR’s Arlo products have a reputation for quality and offer some of the best set of options paired with a cloud, especially for very high-resolution video.

But if you want to avoid cloud-based storage or want more details about how they secure your video in the cloud, Arlo isn’t for you.

Kasa: Models

All the Kasa cams feature 1080p video, two-way audio, and night vision, and all communicate via Wi-Fi (Figure 39). Two battery-powered models require a hub, however, that’s include in a bundle. None offer local storage.

Here’s how the lineup shakes out:

• The Kasa Spot and Kasa Cam are indoor models that can detect motion and sound, and let you define four activity zones for alerts. They require power.

• The Kasa Cam Outdoor is IP65 rated, requires power, and includes a siren that can be triggered based on the setup in four activity zones.

• TP-Link offers both the Kasa Spot Wire-free Camera System and Kasa Smart Wire-free Camera System. Both are sold as a bundle of two IP65-rated battery-powered cameras with a hub. The Smart model’s hub doubles as a siren and this system can detect audio, too. Both let you define multiple zones.

• The indoor Kasa Spot Pan Tilt requires power and can cycle in patrol mode between four distinct regions. It offers motion detection, and can track motion when that’s triggered, as well as allowing areas to be defined as not of interest.

Kasa: Capture and Storage

TP-Link includes up to two days of free clip storage depending on the model, though I couldn’t find a listing of which models had which amounts of free storage.

Its paid subscriptions come in two tiers: $4 a month ($40 a year) for 14 days of clip history and $7 a month ($70 a year) for 30 days. You can also trigger manual recordings with a paid subscription, though the duration isn’t specified.

Kasa: System Price

The prices run a large gamut. The indoor Kasa Spot is $39.99, the pan/tilt model $49.99, the Kasa Cam $59.99, the outdoor powered Kasa Cam $79.99, the battery-powered outdoor systems are $179.99 for the two-camera bundle without a siren, and $269.99 for the one with it.

Kasa: Privacy

TP-Link says data is encrypted in transit and says simply for storage that the Kasa uses Amazon Web Services, which doesn’t provide any detail about encryption at rest or other protections.

Kasa: Platforms and Integrations

TP-Link offers iOS and Android apps, but no web-based access.

The marketing documentation says you can stream video to Amazon Alexa and Google devices with a display, but also notes that Google Assistant can only be used to target which display a camera appears on—it can’t be used for other commands.

Kasa: Bottom Line

Kasa doesn’t appear to offer any particular advantages over other systems except price. Without more details about cloud storage privacy and security, it doesn’t seem like a choice to recommend unless you have already bought into the Kasa ecosystem and want to expand it.

Wyze: Models

Both of Wyze’s cameras are indoor only, Wi-FI, and capture video at 1080p. They include two-way audio and must be plugged in:

• The Wyze Cam V2 offers a fixed 110° angle of view

• The Wyze Cam Pan rotates 360° around its base at 110°/second, and captures a 120° angle of view

Wyze: Capture and Storage

The cameras use CV for motion detection. The Pan Cam can do the Pan Scan, which allows an owner to set four custom waypoints for it to rotate among in monitoring.

Unique among cameras I looked it, the Wyze models capture just 15 frames per second (fps) in daylight shooting and 10 fps when using night vision. That’s fairly jerky for continuous motion, but seems like a tradeoff in providing free cloud storage.

The cameras also uniquely—as far as I’ve seen—have a time-lapse option for capturing stills stitched into a movie with settings for frequency and duration.

Both cameras record video as 12-second motion-triggered clips to the cloud, retaining up to 14 days of clip storage. There is no fee for this. You can also opt to pay $1.49 per camera per month for unlimited motion-capture clips that last as long as motion is detected.

The cameras can also back up to a MicroSD card for local storage up to 32 GB in capacity. Wyze says the cameras can store in SD or HD: a minute of SD storage is 1 to 2 megabytes; a minute of HD, 4 to 7 megabytes. That’s at least 533 hours in SD and 76 hours in HD.

Wyze: System Price

The Wyze Cam V2 is $19.99 and the Cam Pan is $29.99.

Wyze: Privacy

Wyze says they use HTTPS for data in transit. They also separately encrypt the data using a unique digital certificate for each camera.

While they describe this as “end-to-end encryption,” that’s true only between the device and Wyze’s servers—the data isn’t encrypted and then stored at rest in the encrypted form. Rather, it’s decrypted at Wyze’s end and then stored at rest using encryption keys owned by Wyze. (Only Apple HomeKit Secure Video currently offers true “E2E” encryption.)

Based on Wyze’s site and customer service responses in the forum, data is not encrypted at rest.

In November 2019, Consumer Reports found significant security and privacy weaknesses in Wyze Cam V2, and reported it to the company, which says they fixed the issues.

Then in December, the company had a database breach of information for 2.4 million customers worldwide. Data disclosed were customers’ email addresses, a list of cameras in their homes, and tokens used to maintain sessions on smartphones and smart-home systems. Email addresses of those allowed to share Wyze feeds were also leaked.

Wyze: Platforms and Integrations

Wyze cameras support integration with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Wyze makes apps for Android and iOS. There’s no web-based access.

Wyze: Bottom Line

Wyze is absurdly cheap for what it offers, and it may be the right choice if you want a few cameras, no recurring costs, and the least fuss. However, the low frame rate might not be effective in practice if you’re trying to capture faces at day or night.

I would also want Wyze to report more about their data-storage methods in light of the security and privacy flaws and breach before relying on them to store my video.

Lorex: Models

It would take a book to summarize everything that Lorex sells, but they neatly break their own products into four major categories:

• Digital IP: These cameras are similar to standalone smart cameras largely covered in this book, but they connect via Power over Ethernet to a hub.

• MPX: Relying on cheaper analog cameras, these devices use a special kind of analog coaxial cable (included) to connect to a hub.

• Wire-Free: Battery powered, Wi-Fi-connected devices also hook into a central hub.

• WiFi [sic]: Powered wireless cameras that store all video to a MicroSD card, but use Wi-Fi to allow configuration and live streaming.

Cameras range from 720p to 4K, and include pan/tilt/zoom and zoom-only models. Some systems and options are designed for company security, but Lorex includes consumer features and markets them to residential users as well.

Lorex: Capture and Storage

Most of Lorex’s cameras stream video continuously to the central hub, which uses CV to determine motion. These systems can record continuously and mark motion-triggered clips or just record only motion-triggered clips. Lorex’s battery-powered units rely on local PIR to detect motion.

Lorex’s centralized systems rely on a hub that can be used as an NVR. With analog cameras, it also digitizes video before recording; digital cameras perform onboard compression before transmitting to the hub. It makes little sense to me that you’d get a system like this and not record video, but it’s an option. Some NVRs come with 1 TB or 2 TB of storage with options for more, and you can attach even larger drives.

Depending on resolution, number or cameras, and whether you’re storing clips or continuous video, you might be able to store from days to months of video. There’s no recurring cost.

Lorex: System Price

Lorex has a massive number of configuration options for its systems. To give you a sense, let’s look just at four-camera wired systems. Four is the point at which these systems make sense as opposed to standalone cameras.

Lorex’s 1080p analog bundle comes with four outdoor IP66-rated cameras (which work in -22°F/-30°C to 140°F/60°C conditions), the capability to add up to four more, and a 1 TB drive on the NVR for $269.99.

On the far end, you can get four 4K digital cameras rated at IP67 for outdoor use with multi-focal lenses for different angles of view and 4x optical zoom, the capability to add up to four more, and a 2 TB drive on the NVR for $1,099.99.

It can get ridiculous fast, as you can bump up that 4K system to 16 cameras and an NVR capable of handling 16 feeds and pay $2,999.99.

Lorex: Privacy

Lorex doesn’t want to see or handle your video, which is always stored locally. Apps can be set to work only over a local network, or you can enable remote access using internet-based coordination from Lorex.

Lorex: Platforms and Integrations

Lorex offers Android, iOS, and Apple TV apps, and can stream video via Chromecast as well. You can also use a directly connected monitor to view.

Lorex supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for certain voice commands related to viewing recorded footage and live camera feeds.

Lorex: Bottom Line

If you want a ton of cameras, continuously recorded footage, and local-only storage, Lorex is one of the few choices. Although the brand isn’t known outside of the security camera world, it’s sold widely through big-box retailers, like Target and Best Buy, and directly through its own online store.

Zosi: Models

Zosi mostly makes multi-camera systems that connect to a central NVR (Figure 42).

These models include:

• 720p, 1080p, 5 megapixel (5 MP), and 4K analog indoor/outdoor (IP67 rated) cameras that connect over coax

• 1080p digital cameras that use Power over Ethernet

• 1080p digital cameras that connect via Wi-Fi

None are battery powered. Zosi also offers several kinds of indoor and outdoor standalone cameras.

Zosi: Capture and Storage

Zosi offers both on-camera PIR and centralized NVR-based CV motion detection, depending on the model and configuration.

In some cases, the company appears to offer a hybrid without any additional explanation. Its 5 MP system—labeled “ZOSI H.265+ 5MP Super HD DVR Security System with Heat & Motion Sensing PIR Camera”—touts long-range PIR signals, but also lets you paint zones to watch for, which requires CV.

Other products more clearly rely on CV handled in the NVR.

All Zosi’s devices record either to an NVR or, for standalone cameras, to a MicroSD card. There are no recurring costs for local storage.

Zosi: System Price

Zosi makes Lorex’s low prices seem expensive by contrast. Using the same model of a four-camera wired system with an NVR with some included storage and the capacity to support up to eight cameras, a 1080p analog system with 1 TB is $169.99, a 1080p analog system also with 1 TB is $279.99, and a 4K analog system with 2 TB is $499.99.

Zosi: Privacy

Zosi systems and cameras store all data locally. Based on Zosi’s descriptions apps, if enabled, always allow remote access to a system, stored video, and live views.

Zosi: Platforms and Integrations

Zosi offers an iOS and Android app.

Zosi: Bottom Line

Zosi has similar benefits and drawbacks to Lorex, but products, documentation, and details seem distinctly at a lower tier. Written material appears to have passed in part through machine translation, and useful information is absent or confusing on the site.

While Zosi has the best deal for multi-camera systems, the lower price may not be worth the tradeoffs and ambiguity.