SD card inserted into encoder box, not camera.~25' thick ethernet cable hardwired to the camera and needs to connect to the encoder box.
We take a look at the physical construction of the SNH-E6440BN in this brief video. These consumers may also find the lack of video export confusing, since the SD card must be physical removed and viewed with a computer. However, installation may be difficult for all but DIY-savvy consumers, due to the thick cable connecting camera and base units, which must be installed intact, requiring users to make a wall penetration large enough to fit the cable's modular plug through.
The SNH-E6550BN offers small size, good image quality in full and low light, easy setup, and free cloud access with local SD recording, making it attractive in outdoor applications where Dropcam has no option, without add-on housings, none of which are authorized or recommended (and void warranty coverage).
Pricing: The Samsung SNH-E6440BN sells for ~ $230 USD online, ~$30 more than the indoor only, 720p Dropcam Pro and Samsung's own indoor model. This may make it attractive to especially aesthetic-conscious end users.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Īesthetics: The camera unit itself is compact, due to its separate base unit, smaller than typical compact bullet cameras. Further, its 25' length allows the base to be mounted for better wireless performance or nearer wall outlets, but the cable is not field serviceable, so consumers must find space to hide any slack.
Installation issues: The cable connecting the camera and base unit must be run through exterior walls or windowsills to install, as it is too thick to run through closed windows or doors, which a flat cable may allow. Live view latency is low, less than a second, though initial connection setup (before the camera begins streaming) took 5+ seconds in our tests. Usability: Samsung has not remedied usability issues found in their indoor SmartCam, including lack of user feedback during search/playback, and requiring users to manually eject the SD card to export files. Image quality: Samsung's outdoor SmartCam provided solid image quality and IR illumination performance, making it a strong competitor to Dropcam, especially due to their lack of outdoor options. Cameras are automatically detected using both methods, with no issues in detection or addition during our testing. Setup: Initial setup is straightforward, and allows users the option of adding cameras either via the cloud interface or through a smartphone, either wired or wirelessly.
Seeing this gap, Samsung is aiming to win some of these users over with a new outdoor model of their 1080p SmartCam. There are better smart cameras out there, but Samsung's SmartCam works with SmartThings and does the job the just fine amongst the others.The #1 missing feature for Google / Nest / Dropcam has been no outdoor model, inspiring a slew of DIY and unauthorized commercial add-on housings. The one that is guaranteed to do the deal is Samsung's very own SmartCam HD Pro that offers full 1080p streaming, 128-degree viewing and can instantly switch on when it detects motion sensor. Best security camera for Smart Things: Samsung SmartCam HD Pro
Past Philips Hue has long been the market head in the creative bulb space, our favorite has always been the LiFX series of bright bulbs they're easy to set up and, considering how temperamental smart home tech can be, pretty reliable, too.ģ. Best smart light bulb for Smart Things: LiFX Color 1200 But what seals the deal for the Home as a Smart Things component is its ability not only to allow you to link into Google's family of smart home products, too.Ģ. It's a tough match between the Google Home and Amazon Echo when it comes to the best overall intelligent speaker. Best smart assistant for Smart Things: Google Home There's also the upcoming Smart Home Connect, a Wi-Fi mesh router that has 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac wave 2 Wi-Fi built-in and speeds of up to 866Mbps 5GHz, 400Mbps 2.4GHz and a range of 1,500 sq ft.ġ.