Why We Don’t Recommend Ring Cameras
Why We Don’t Recommend Ring Cameras
They’re affordable and ubiquitous, but homeowners shouldn’t be able to act as vigilantes.
They’re affordable and ubiquitous, but homeowners shouldn’t be able to act as vigilantes.
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So what is a good camera system to own? I currently have ADT and I'm really not happy with it. It's expensive and the cameras only record 30 second clips. It can detect motion, it records 30 seconds and that's it, regardless of how long the motion event actually takes.
Example: someone drops off a package and they hang out on my porch - I have no idea what happens after the 30 second mark! It's insane. No way to change this either. The only option is for how long to wait between 30 second clips, and the lowest option is 2 minutes.
As a live DIY system we use Jami (free), laptops, and webcams to monitor our property. We haven't tried recording for extended periods but with enough disk space extended recording could be accomplished.
Reolink or Amcrest or any other Ethernet hardwired ones with NVR that you can host in your house. No WiFi and no third-party/cloud storage ones like Ring or Nest.
Amcrest is what I inherited when I purchases my house. Just know they really don't support their older stuff at all. My NVR is inaccessible from any modern web browser, and Amcrest has no plans to update the firmware (latest version from 2018) AND ignored my questions in email when I wanted to verify the latest firmware for my model number since it didn't appear on their site at all.
That said, the cameras are great and the system works well, its just not as simple compared to newer solutions.
Yeah, Amcrest NVR software sucks. Reliable cameras though.
I had looked into Reolink a while back and that seemed like a great option to me. Upfront cost and setup seems like the biggest hurdles, but probably worth it in the long run. Thanks for the recommendation!
ADT sucks for a ton of reasons. Fuck them.
I have Kuna cameras (previous owners installed them) and I hate them. They require a subscription to use security cameras in the way you'd normally use them. For no subscription, any recording only stays for 2 hours then gets deleted. What is the point of cameras if my recording is gone by the time I realize I have that notification? I refuse to pay a subscription to cameras I allegedly bought with the home.
I have blink cameras on solar panels that work pretty well as a mostly "no wires" solution. The motion detection can be a bit slow, but they do everything I need.
ADT is the worst. I have a Ring camera, I know, I know. It as before I knew of all this. But it works and keeps my house safer.