Nest Outdoor Security Camera

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Nest Outdoor Security Camera

While I've tested out various indoor WiFi-based security cameras over the past decade on Phoronix, outdoor WiFi cameras have been a different story. Either through my contacts from Phoronix or through my own personal searching, I've never found an outdoor WiFi security camera that I've liked either due to poor build quality, poor video quality / viewing angles, or other issues but most of the time has revolved around not being well-engineered. That has changed with the Nest Cam Outdoor that was announced earlier this year by the Google/Alphabet-owned company while this week it's finally begun shipping to consumers. I certainly like the Nest Cam Outdoor from a hardware perspective, but the software could still use some improvements.

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=23540

[peppercats]

I suppose this is your way of telling readers you don't want them loitering outside your house at 3AM?

[starshipeleven]

I suppose this is your way of telling readers you don't want them loitering outside your house at 3AM?

Nah, that's a fancy way to show off his zucchini (or cucumbers, or whatever vegetables are those).

If he wanted to tell someone to stay off his property he would be benchmarking a shotgun, and blowing some watermelons with it.

[peppercats]

Nah, that's a fancy way to show off his zucchini (or cucumbers, or whatever vegetables are those).

If he wanted to tell someone to stay off his property he would be benchmarking a shotgun, and blowing some watermelons with it.

I want to see some phoronix shotgun benchmarks.

[darkfires]

Really nothing special at all, and I don't like the power setup for it. The only thing that's nice is the optical zoom for the price range.

I use Ubiquiti UniFi Video outdoors, runs over PoE, plug them directly into my PoE switch. NVR software can run on Windows or Linux, can record to SD card on camera or over the network, or just view directly from the camera over RTSP. I've tried many different systems, unifi is by far the best. 1080p outdoor/infrared is $149, you can also get a IR booster attachment as well.

https://www.ubnt.com/products/#surveillance

[NotMine999]

I want to see some phoronix shotgun benchmarks.

I think your post is missing a "sarcasm" tag.

The Nest outdoor camera ia rated to IP65 according to it's product entry on Newegg. So it will not allow dust to enter the enclosure and it's resistant to low pressure water jets from any direction.

[NotMine999]

Interesting review.

I would not buy this device for the following reasons:
(1) Nest is a Google product and I do not trust my privacy to Google. When Google provides anything "for free" (or even a low low price?), YOUR INFORMATION IS THE PRODUCT on which Google makes money. Enough said.

(2) Cloud-based storage is an invitation to hackers. How secure is that storage when you REALLY NEED to retrieve important video footage?

(3) Requiring the use of Nest apps and Adobe Flash. Need I say more.

(4) Accessible via Wi-Fi only apparently. How secure is that? Need I say more.

(5) I prefer an IP66 or better rating on an outdoor camera.

Many IP66 cameras are quite common at $99 US (on sale at Newegg) so an IP65 camera at this price ($199 US at Newegg) it a "non-starter" for me even though Nest offers a "comprehensive product" (device, apps, storage). Those same IP66 cameras are likely to have built-in "servers" to view the video directly from the camera or to upload it somewhere. Even POE is an affordable option on some IP66-rated cameras. I have 2 IP66-rated cameras that have POE & built-in "server" support and together they cost me (on sale at Newegg) what a single Nest outdoor camera sells for at Newegg today; storage I already got...lots of it.

Granted, running a few hundred feet of CAT-whatever inside conduit across the yard for an installation like Michael's would be a MAJOR HASSLE, not to mention a potential security exposure to the "house network", but some advanced planning (conduit might be useful for other types of outside low-voltage wiring) and careful security measures should remediate most if not all concerns.

[dajomu]

Interesting review.

I would not buy this device for the following reasons:
(1) Nest is a Google product and I do not trust my privacy to Google. When Google provides anything "for free" (or even a low low price?), YOUR INFORMATION IS THE PRODUCT on which Google makes money. Enough said.

(2) Cloud-based storage is an invitation to hackers. How secure is that storage when you REALLY NEED to retrieve important video footage?

(3) Requiring the use of Nest apps and Adobe Flash. Need I say more.

(4) Accessible via Wi-Fi only apparently. How secure is that? Need I say more.

(5) I prefer an IP66 or better rating on an outdoor camera.

Many IP66 cameras are quite common at $99 US (on sale at Newegg) so an IP65 camera at this price ($199 US at Newegg) it a "non-starter" for me even though Nest offers a "comprehensive product" (device, apps, storage). Those same IP66 cameras are likely to have built-in "servers" to view the video directly from the camera or to upload it somewhere. Even POE is an affordable option on some IP66-rated cameras. I have 2 IP66-rated cameras that have POE & built-in "server" support and together they cost me (on sale at Newegg) what a single Nest outdoor camera sells for at Newegg today; storage I already got...lots of it.

Granted, running a few hundred feet of CAT-whatever inside conduit across the yard for an installation like Michael's would be a MAJOR HASSLE, not to mention a potential security exposure to the "house network", but some advanced planning (conduit might be useful for other types of outside low-voltage wiring) and careful security measures should remediate most if not all concerns.

Could you give an example of the type of camera you are using?

[killyou]

Hey Michael, what's behind the fence that the camera is mounted to? If that's a road then I would suggest getting another camera looking at the road lol. I had a similar setup and somebody just climbed the fence and ripped the camera out during the night and that was an industrial model.

[Michael]

Hey Michael, what's behind the fence that the camera is mounted to? If that's a road then I would suggest getting another camera looking at the road lol. I had a similar setup and somebody just climbed the fence and ripped the camera out during the night and that was an industrial model.

It is a house behind there.