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Wonder what’s going on at home, or even in your backyard when you’re not there? Both the Avaak Vue Personal Video Network ($299.99, 3 stars) and Dropcam Echo ($279, 3.5 stars) use webcams to let you access a live video feed from anywhere in the world, even on your phone—but at half the size of standard-definition, the video quality isn’t great. Enter the weatherproof Logitech Alert 750e Outdoor Master System ($349.99 direct), which captures high-definition video and even offers night vision, along with support for up to six cameras. And you can view your footage via Web browser or your iPhone, Android, or BlackBerry phone from anywhere in the world. The Alert 750e works quite well and could be an effective surveillance solution for individuals or small businesses, but you do need to have a Windows PC on hand to store your recordings and if you want to view video in HD. Also, you can only remotely manage the system if you pay an additional $79.99 yearly fee.
Design and Software
Compared with the aforementioned IP webcams, the camera for the Alert 750e is very large. It’s even significantly bigger than its more-basic sibling, the $299.99 Logitech 750i, which isn’t waterproof and doesn’t offer night vision. Thanks to its waterproof housing, the Alert 750e weighs a hefty 20 ounces (the 750i is only 4.5 ounces). It’s built like a tank (1.8 by 3.5 by 6.5 inches HWD), and is shaped like a robotic eye from the Pixar character WALL-E. There’s a lens on the front and an Ethernet jack on the back, underneath a panel that requires a screwdriver to get into (a side effect of the weatherproof housing). The 750e doesn’t require a power adapter, instead pulling power from the Ethernet connector. A wall mount is included that allows the camera to be positioned in any direction.
Besides the weatherproof camera, the Alert 750e includes two powerline adapters. These adapters essentially turn every power outlet in your house into a wired Ethernet port. This is key, because the cameras transmit video over wired Ethernet cables, which are more reliable than the Wi-Fi used by competitors. Each powerline adapter plugs into wall socket, and one goes to your router, and the other to the camera.
The included software, Logitech Alert Commander, runs on Windows only—there’s no Mac support. Using the app, you can view and control up to six cameras (any combination of 750e or 750i cameras—which are sold separately on Logitech’s Web site) and choose where on your computer’s hard drive you will store your recorded video footage. The software is well designed, letting you monitor up to six different cameras without being overwhelming, and accessing recorded videos is as simple as using a timeline view.
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You can set your cameras to only record when motion is detected, and motion capture works really well. To compare, the Vue Personal Network doesn’t include motion detection, so you have to wade through hours of footage to get to the action. In Logitech Alert Commander software on your PC, you can highlight an area of the frame for the camera to monitor, so if there’s a busy street in the background, it won’t always be recording. The software can also send you an e-mail notification when motion is detected and the camera begins recording.
Video Quality and Remote Viewing
Video captured by the 750e is absolutely stunning for a security camera. It’s worlds better than the quality you get with competing webcams. Calling it high-definition is a little bit misleading, however. The video resolution is 720p, but not widescreen. It’s letterbox, with a resolution of 960 by 720 versus the traditional widescreen 1280 by 720. Also, motion isn’t nearly as smooth as typical high-def because it’s recorded at 15 frames per second versus typical 30 or 60fps you’d find on a digital camera or a camcorder. Having said that, I had absolutely no problem discerning movement in any of my recordings. Files are written as MPEG-4 and in my tests, one minute of video was roughly 10MB.
The lens captures a 130-degree angle, which creates a reasonable amount of barrel distortion but provides an extremely wide-angle view for an excellent vantage point of a large amount of space.
You can view your cameras remotely, using a Web browser or a smartphone application (Android, or BlackBerry, or iPhone), but there are a few limitations. I tested the remote viewing from a Web browser and with the Android app on a Motorola Droid. Both worked flawlessly, but are limited to standard-definition (640 by 480,15 fps) video. (You can only view recordings in high definition on the PC you’re recording to.) Also, you can only view live video from afar for free. If you want access to your recorded footage from the Web or your phone, you’ll need to pay a $79.99-per-year fee.
When not attached to a Windows PC, the Alert 750e offers uninterrupted video capture. If the network connection to the computer is severed, or your computer goes offline, the camera will continue saving video to a MicroSD card, and you can download your footage later. A 2GB card is included, and the 750e supports SD cards up to 8GB. Logitech claims that based on the motion and audio recorded for a typical home, the included 2GB card can store up to one week of footage.
If you’re looking for a way to monitor what’s happening at home when you’re not there, the weatherproof Logitech Alert 750e Master System is among the best consumer-grade solutions you’ll find. The versatile, well-designed system delivers excellent-quality video footage to PCs, Web browsers, and mobile apps through reliable, wired Ethernet.
4.0
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With its high-quality video, the waterproof Logitech Alert 750e Outdoor Master System is an excellent way to monitor your home (inside and out) and record video when you’re not there.
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Source link : https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/logitech-alert-750e-outdoor-master-system