Home security used to be a prohibitive endeavor to undertake; both technically and financially. As technology has advanced, things have gotten less lucrative for security companies, but much easier for the end users tom implement. With the surge in availability of things such as connected devices, smart home technology, and the low cost of high quality IP cameras, someone can implement their own home security 'system' that should be very easy to setup and offer the flexibility to be modified/expanded with minimal effort.
The item up for consideration in this review takes the basics of an IP camera and adds several interesting features that transform it into a fairly comprehensive security system all on its own. The
Canary wireless all-in-one home security system combines a high definition surveillance camera (with night vision and motion detection) environmental monitoring (temperature, humidity, and air quality), alerts via your mobile phone, and an integrated alarm rated for 90+ dB.
The Canary is shown in the promotional image above. It is available in silver, black, or white - and no matter the color I feel the device should be able to blend in well in any setting. It does not have the look of a traditional IP camera, and if staged on a shelf with other knick knacks it might become all but invisible.
Before taking a look at the sample provided for review, let's take a look at some of the published features and specifications provided for the device...
Features:
» Simple Setup:
» Protecting your home and family doesn’t need to be complicated.
» Canary sets up in minutes.
» No contracts or monthly fees required.
» Siren: Sounds a 90+ dB alarm that you control from the Canary app.
» 1080p HD camera: Captures video with a 147° wide-angle lens for superior image quality.
» Motion detection: Senses movement and automatically begins recording video.
» Night vision: Detects low light situations and activates automatically.
» Microphone: Live-streams high-quality audio along with HD video.
» HomeHealth Technology™: Monitors indoor temperature, humidity, and air quality.
» Design precision: Built to be effective, beautiful, and understated.
Specifications:
» Camera Weight: 2.3 pounds
» Camera Width: 4.5 inches
» Camera(s) Included: Yes
» Field Of View: 147 degrees
» High-Definition: Yes
» Image Sensor Type: CMOS
» Indoor Or Outdoor Use: Indoor
» Maximum Operating Temperature: 120 degrees fahrenheit
» Minimum Operating Temperature: 32 degrees fahrenheit
» Mobile Operating System Compatibility: Android/Apple iOS
» Night Vision: Yes
» Night Vision Distance: 25 feet
» Number of IR LEDs: 12
» Pan-Tilt-Zoom Functionality: No
» Cable(s) Included: Yes
» Camera Iris: Auto
» Day/Night Mode: Yes
» IP Camera: WiFi
» Records Audio: Yes
» Smartphone Compatible: Yes
The features for the device state: "No contracts or monthly fees required". This is true, but without a monthly fee the device provides 12 hours of cloud recorded storage of all activity. Twelve hours isn't very much, and perhaps a long day at work or a flight overseas would be just long enough so that something which happened earlier in the day is erased before you had a chance to review it. They do offer upgraded plans which include 2-days, 7-days, and 30-days of video storage. These are all currently on sale for half price, where a 2-day plan is about $5 per month (or $24.50 annually), a 7-day plan is $10 per month (or $49.50 annually), and a 30-day plan is $30 per month (or $149.50 annually). Popular cameras like the Nest Dropcam also sell ideo storage packages based around cloud storage, and for reference their 30-day plan sells for $300! For reference we cover the
Dropcam HD almost 2-years ago, and the comparable
SpotCam HD earlier in 2015.
