EZVIZ app in PC Archives

EZVIZ has consistently delivered home security cameras with tried-and-true features and seamless performance. Their latest, the C3X outdoor camera, is notable for a couple of reasons: It includes color night vision, still a relative novelty for consumer cameras, and it’s the first EZVIZ camera that I’ve experienced a fairly significant issue during testing—a complete inability to access motion-triggered video stored in the cloud via the company’s subscription storage plan. That’s a disappointing flaw in this otherwise great camera.

Design

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The C3X looks similar to the model C3WN we reviewed previously, a tennis-ball sized unit with dual antennas. It can be angled on its supporting arm, which is attached to a metal mounting plate. A 15-inch tail is hardwired to the back of the mount and splits into a power jack and an ethernet connector in case you’d prefer to use a wired connection to your router rather than Wi-Fi (but there is no support for power over ethernet). The camera has a strong IP67 weatherproof rating, meaning it’s dustproof and able to withstand immersion in up to one meter of water for 30 minutes. (You can read more about IP ratings in this story.)

The camera achieves color night vision with a dual-lens setup that uses one lens to record the scene’s ambient brightness and the other to capture color information. The two images are then merged using EZVIZ’s proprietary algorithm to create a detailed image with rich, realistic color. The camera captures 1080p video and has a 106-degree field of view. In addition to viewing video on your phone, you can stream it to Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant smart displays such as the Echo Show or Google Nest Hub.

This review is part of TechHive’s coverage of the best home security cameras, where you’ll findreviews of competing products, plus a buyer’s guide to the features you should consider when shopping.

You can communicate with delivery people, guests, and anyone else within vicinity of the camera using its onboard microphone and speaker. You can also scare off more malicious visitors with the 100dB siren.

The C3X can detect motion and will record video and push an alert to your phone when it does. You can opt to have it issue an audio warning, as well. With the Intensive setting enabled, a prerecorded voice warns “secure area, please leave as soon as possible.” A Soft setting issues a gentle beep, and Custom setting allows you to record a message in your own voice.

EZVIZ offers both local and cloud storage. You’ll need to supply your own media for the first in the form of a microSD card (up to 256GB) or the EZVIZ NVR (network video recorder). For the second, you’ll need an EZVIZ CloudPlay subscription. The Standard offering costs $6 per month or $60 annually for a 7-day video history for one camera, or $11 per month or $110 annually for a 30-day history. There is also a pair of home plans for users with up to four EZVIZ cameras. The 7-day play is $9 per month/$90 per year and the $30-day plan is $16 a month/$160 per year.

Setup and performance

Setting up the C3X is very easy. I needed only to download the EZVIZ companion app and follow the on-screen prompts. The app recognized my camera as soon as I scanned its QR code, then found my Wi-Fi and had me log in. A voice prompt verified the successful connection.

Installing the camera is more complicated. Though the camera itself is weatherproof, the power cord is not, so even if you have access to an outdoor outlet, you’re probably still going to want to thread the power cord—and the ethernet cable, if you’re using it—through an opening into your home. That usually means drilling a hole through a wall. Depending on the distance from the camera to the indoor outlet, you might also need an extension for the 5-foot-ish power cord.

Once you have that sorted out, you just need to mount the camera. EZVIZ supplies the screws and anchors and a mounting template to make this easier.

When you launch the app, the home screen displays a screenshot of the C3X’s current field of view. Under this are buttons to access motion detection and notification settings and general camera settings. Above the screenshot, are buttons to activate “at home mode” and “leaving home mode,” which disable and enable alarm notifications respectively.

Tapping the screenshot opens the C3X’s live feed. Directly beneath the feed are buttons to stop the video stream, mute the speaker, change the resolution, and toggle to a split-screen view that supports up to four camera feeds. Under this are buttons to trigger the siren, activate two-way talk, and record video or take a screenshot of the feed. At the very bottom is a horizontal timeline of all the video clips stored online or to your local media.

The camera’s image quality is superb. In daytime mode, the picture is tack sharp with balanced lighting and accurate colors. Night vision, which uses a pair of infrared LEDs for illumination, is just as sharp. The colors don’t pop as they do in normal light, but they display well enough to identify easily, which can be crucial for forensic evidence. I was able to stream my feed to an Echo Show using voice commands when I didn’t have my phone handy.

When detecting motion, the camera can identify human and vehicle shapes. You can select to be notified of one or the other or both in the detection settings. These were generally accurate in my testing. By default, you will receive detection notifications around the clock. You can change this by setting a notification schedule; you just choose a block of time during which you want to receive alerts then assign it to whichever days of the week you’d like.

You can manage alerts further by simply adjust in the sensitivity of the motion sensor or by setting motion detection areas. The latter method requires you to mask in areas on a grid over the camera’s field of view, after which you will only be alerted to movement within them.

While motion detection worked flawlessly, playing back the video clips they triggered did not. I had no trouble accessing video saved locally to microSD, but I couldn’t view any of the videos saved via my trial CloudPlay subscription. Every one of dozens of videos saved to the cloud failed to load and gave me a “Video playback failed” error message. I hoped a firmware update I received during testing would fix the problem, but there was no change.

Verdict

On balance, the C3X is a good camera. It’s stocked with useful security features, almost all of which worked very well. The CloudPlay playback issue is frustrating though, especially considering the additional cost the subscription adds to the price of the camera. EZVIZ will undoubtedly remedy the issue at some point, I do suggest buying a microSD card and storing your video locally until it does.

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EZVIZ C3X outdoor camera review: Great camera, buggy cloud subscription

EZVIZ C3X outdoor camera review: Great camera, buggy cloud subscription

EZVIZ C3X outdoor camera review: Great camera, buggy cloud subscription

Properties such as holiday homes which are now left unoccupied could use a functional security system, writes Noel Campion

With us all working and staying at home right now, the last thing on our minds is home security. However, those with other properties like holiday homes, which are not occupied right now would be comforted to know everything is safe and secure. Of course, this spell of staying at home won’t last forever, although it may feel like it and now might be a good time to consider options like the Ezviz 4G Hub and Battery Camera Kit.

Unlike most camera security systems, the Ezviz 4G Hub and the camera has a unique feature that many others do not — it does not need wifi to work. This is a major advantage for those who have holiday homes that don’t have any broadband. Of course, you can also use the system with your existing broadband.

In the Ezviz 4G Hub kit you’ll find a single indoor/outdoor C3A camera along with mounting options, the 4G hub, power adapter for the hub and an ethernet cable. The 4G Hub allows for the simultaneous connection of up to six cameras, but strangely, doesn’t support other Ezviz cameras or devices.

Too often, devices for security are function over form, but the Ezviz Hub and C3A camera are both designed with style. Security cameras are more likely to be fitted into a home setting than an office and so a nice design and finish are important. The hub is an off-white colour, with a rounded cylindrical shape and has a non-moving, turbo-fan like vent on top to allow heat to escape. In the middle of the fan is a sync/siren off button for setup and turning off the siren should it go off.

Setup only takes a few minutes if you are good with technology if not, the process is still easy with only the minimal amount of steps required to get you up and running. The Ezviz apps are free for both mobile and PC, but there is a cloud-based subscription service too. If you want to use Ezviz’s Cloud Storage, you can try it on a free 30-day trial.

This will provide 24/7 recording of motion detection, but you are only backing video clips that are created each time the camera detects motion. It is important to understand, this system cannot record continuous video like a CCTV setup that is permanently wired to the camera. This isn’t a big deal for many scenarios since the camera is totally wireless with a large 5,500mAh rechargeable battery that can last for months on a single charge.

All cameras come with a free 30-day trial, but after that, Ezviz charges €4.99 per month for 7-day playback (€49.99 per annum) or €9.99 a month for 30-day playback (€99.99). All video is secure on EU based servers and encrypted with bank-level security.

Thankfully, you are not limited to just cloud-based storage since the hub has a MicroSD slot for up to 128GB cards. You don’t need a really expensive microSD card either, so even the maximum 128GB card can be purchased for as little as €20.

The camera can be mounted pretty much anywhere as long as it’s within range of the hub. The camera also includes an ultra-wide-angle, 126-degree field of view and night vision up to 25 ft (7.5m), for day and night video capture and viewing.

The C3A camera is weatherproof IP65 rated, so it can be used outside. It uses Pir for motion detection which works well, but is not as ‘smart’ as other cameras I have used that are based on software. You cannot set motion zones and it cannot distinguish between a human and a moving car for example. Again, depending on your situation and use case, Pir is good enough for most needs.

Using the Ezviz app you can view up to six cameras. You can view live video from the camera at any time, but it will not record video unless you enable motion detection. You can have motion detection on all of the time or set schedules for up to four-time segments per day.

Video quality is good and can be recorded up to full HD 1080p. Via the app, you can also use the camera as a two-way radio. For example, this means you can talk to delivery people if you have the camera at the front door.

The Hub is 4G capable and can function as a router as well. Of course, this means you’ll have to get a 4G Sim with a data plan. It also has a built-in 2,600mAh battery that will keep it going for over one hour if you get a mains power cut.

Also in the event of a power cut, you can use the hub as a hotspot to connect two other devices, such as a phone and a laptop. The hub also has a 100-decibel siren that alerts users and deters possible intruders whenever the camera motion sensor is triggered. The siren is ear-piercingly loud, but if the camera is outside and the hub is inside, it is not going to be very effective.

Overall, the Ezviz 4G Hub and Battery Camera kit is full of great features for those who need it. However, if you do not need the 4G feature or outdoor placement, there are better and cheaper alternatives including the Ezviz PT Security Camera for (£60 - €68).

Available now from amazon.co.uk £290 (€330).