Video monitoring cameras for personal use have seen a surge in popularity in recent years. The technology has gotten more affordable and easier to implement, and people are taking advantage of this to keep an eye on their homes. While they may primarily be used for home security, there are plenty of other practical uses for these devices, such as baby monitors, wildlife spotters, remote peepholes for your front door, and so on.

Dropcam launched in 2009 with the focus of offering a high quality video monitoring camera that can be implemented by anyone, including those that might have been scared off by the typical IP camera. You don't need to read lengthy manuals, understand things like port forwarding and other router settings, and you don't have to have any disk space on your network for storage.



This review is going to take a look at the Dropcam HD Wi-Fi wireless video monitoring camera, which can be seen in the promotional image above. It is a sleek and simple looking device, which at just four and a half inches tall can be placed just about anywhere that you would like to keep your eye on. Dropcam presently has two products in their portfolio, the Dropcam HD which we will be covering, and the Dropcam Pro, which offers even more refined features in terms of field of view, zoom, low-light capabilities, and audio quality.

Before taking a look at the camera provided for review, let's take a look at the official features and specifications, as provided by Dropcam.

Features:

» Mobile & Web Apps: Watch remotely from your devices.
» Intelligent Alerts: Receive notifications for motion and sound.
» Night Vision: Keep an eye on things, even in the dark.
» Two-Way Talk: Talk directly to people and pets.
» Scheduling: Set alerts based on time of day or your location.
» Live Secure Streaming: Stream safely with bank-level encryption.
» Automatic Updates: Get new features with camera and app updates.
» Optional Sharing: Share your stream with friends or make it public.

Specifications:

» Product Dimensions:4.5" x 3.15" x 3.15"
» Weight: 5.5oz (156g)
» Power:
   » Input: 50/60Hz 0.5A
   » Output: 5V-2A
» Camera: Color with digital zoom
» Video: H.264 encoding, up to 720HD (1280 × 720) at 30 frames/sec
» Field of View: 107° (diagonal)
» Audio: Speaker and microphone
» Night Vision: High-power IR LEDs
» Warranty: One-year parts
» Operating Temperature: 0 - 35°C, designed for indoor use

Requirements:

» Computer (for setup)
» High Speed Internet: DSL, Cable, FiOS
» Web Browser: Internet Explorer 7+, Firefox 3+, Safari 3+, Chrome
» Optional Devices: iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and/or Android Device
» Wi-Fi: 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz
» Supported wireless security:
   » WEP (40-bit, 128-bit)
   » WPA (TKIP, AES)
   » WPA2 (TKIP, AES)

In the Box:

» HD Camera
» Aluminum stand
» Wall mounting hardware
» 10-foot USB cable
» USB power adapter
» Quick start guide