Impressive outdoor security with plenty of features
Security cameras have become so familiar in our surroundings that we barely notice them these days. You could argue that we’ve become a surveillance society, where our every move is being watched with close scrutiny. On the other hand, maybe we’d just rather be safe.
A mounted camera, though, isn’t just to keep an eye on your valuables. There are many other uses, such as viewing the behaviour of wildlife, or keeping an eye on someone who’s elderly and infirm. Regardless of the situation, finding the right camera with the features needed to make it useful can be something of a bind.
HomeMonitor may have the solution though in the form of its HD Pro Y-Cam. This is one of three camera models available and the most feature-laden of the three, from HomeMonitor with an impressive list of specifications. The HD Pro is a weatherproof encased camera that is designed to be mounted on an external wall. It records in 720p, has a FarFocus Lens technology for superior outdoors clarity, infrared night vision effective up to 15 metres away, a microphone, wi-fi, Ethernet and a free account to the HomeMonitor Cloud where you can store unlimited clips for the last seven days.
In the box you get the camera itself, already fitted with the weatherproof shell and lens protector, a wall mount with cable management, a one metre Ethernet cable, three metre power cable, a pair of screws to mount the camera, various tools for all wall mounting, a wi-fi antennae and a well laid out quick start guide.
Fitting the camera is easy enough if it’s near an already established network port, but wi-fi is simpler – though the signal can get a little weak if the camera is mounted outside a thick wall. Once fitted, simply create an account with HomeMonitor and you’ll be presented with a dashboard view of any connected cameras, along with buttons for controlling the motion detection, power, alter settings and motion alarm settings.
You can view the footage and control the finer aspects of the camera via any browser, but there’s also a dedicated Android and iOS app, available through the relevant app stores and a Roku app.
The free HomeMonitor Cloud option is pretty good. With it there’s aforementioned seven day saves, plus unlimited live views, unlimited downloads and unlimited alerts. If you require more than seven days’ worth of saved footage, then for £30 per annum you can upgrade the cloud package to 30-days of saved recordings.
The HomeMonitor HD Pro is a really good setup. It may seem a little extreme for the average home owner, but that all depends on how you intend to use it and where you live. It’s also a little pricey at £200, but considering what you get in the package and what it’s potentially protecting, then it could well be a worthwhile investment.
We were impressed by the quality of the recording, the night vision and the cloud storage, as well as wi-fi connectivity and everything else. If it’s something a little less intrusive you need, then we’d recommend you view the other indoor camera models available from HomeMonitor. David Hayward
A great outdoor security and network camera.