frontpageRed_Liz | Staff posted Jul 01, 2024 02:10 PM
Item 1 of 7
Item 1 of 7
frontpageRed_Liz | Staff posted Jul 01, 2024 02:10 PM
TP-Link Tapo Security Cameras: 4-Pack 2K Cameras $62, FHD Indoor Camera
& More$15
$25
40% offAmazon
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Ok, on to my Tapo observations. This weekend I installed the C425 Solar Kit (Mag cam and solar panel) at my mother's house.
I also installed the basic C100 1080p indoor camera in her garage so she can make sure it's empty before she goes out there to do laundry. 1080p resolution is more than adequate for that. I didn't even bother installing a memory card in that one since she's really only using it for live view. Being elderly and living alone, it really gives her piece of mind and a sense of safety to be able to look out there before entering the garage.
Couple observations RE: the solar kit. The C425 Mag cam has a micro USB power jack. Since this is a somewhat newer product I would have expected USB-C. The older C100 camera has the ability to do 24/7 with a memory card installed. The newer, more expensive C425 Mag cam does not support 24/7 recording. "The battery would only last a few days then." you say. But even with the solar panel plugged in, or with the camera connected to the power supply it still cannot do 24/7 recording. That's a bit of a fail IMO. I'm the freakin' consumer. Let ME decide how often I'm willing to charge the battery and enable that feature which is standard on most of their wired cameras. Even the cheap little C100.
RE: The solar panel. The cable is hard wired into the back of the panel. Not ideal. Yes, I realize there's weatherproofing to consider, but there ARE options for weatherproof USB connectors out there. Also... they rave about the solar panel having a generous 4 meter cable. In reality, many installations will require a cable extension to place the solar panel in an ideal location while maintaining a tidy and secure wire install. Finding a micro USB extension cable wasn't impossible, but it did take a bit of searching through several offerings on Amz to find one that wasn't ridiculously long, or just a wee bit too short.
Still, compared to Wyze (or heaven forbid Ring) I believe Tapo delivers a better product experience, more intuitive app, friendlier installation and a more robust feeling product for about half the price, and without a subscription fee. Really, just about the only thing you don't get without a Tapo Care subscription is rich notifications and cloud storage. If you install a memory card in the camera (or hub for those cams that require one) you don't need the cloud storage. Rich notifications are nice, but the notifications you get are adequate. If you really feel like you're missing out, Tapo Care is three bucks a month.
I drank the Wyze Kool-Aid back in the very beginning with the Wyze Cam v1 and there were no subscriptions. Since then I've added some newer cameras, v2, pan, outdoor, etc. But as the company has grown the subscription prices have increased and the cloud response time has decreased horribly.
Basically what I'm after is saying I'm jumping ship from Wyze and dipping my toe in the TP-Link/Kasa/Tapo pool.
https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Ta...B0BTTZQC79
if you are used to older security cameras that were more advanced, keep in mind Tapo cameras are so dumb they don't even have their own onboard webserver so they cannot do something as simple as showing you a single still image in the web browser
but a lot of people have been asking them for that so "maybe" someday
now we need a deal on a pack of high speed microsd cards
like this but actual quality and support video speeds
(don't buy these, just an example) https://www.amazon.com/Patriot-Mi...B08L4Y37PC
I had to go the other direction. Couldn't add Tapo cameras into Kasa app, but could add all my Kasa smart lights into the Tapo app. So now I can use the Tapo app for all and don't need the Kasa app anymore
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Apparently you can't view the microsd card recording when you are not on the wifi. This is a HUGE deal if there is an issue while away and you can't view the data, especially if you are trying to avoid their subscription. Someone, please tell me I am wrong!
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¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Apparently you can't view the microsd card recording when you are not on the wifi. This is a HUGE deal if there is an issue while away and you can't view the data, especially if you are trying to avoid their subscription. Someone, please tell me I am wrong!
So my question is, does the C100 and the Tapo app playback local recordings better than this? Does the app have a nice list of recordings and can the recording be played back reliably?
But I was mostly referring to checking feeds from your mobile device via cellular connection. If you're not on a truly unlimited data plan a 2k feed will pretty handily devour whatever bandwidth allotment you have. Not to mention the streaming response can be spotty if you're in a 4G or heaven forbid LTE cell hole.
So far my experience with Tapo cams has been very good. My experience with Wyze cams has been very bad. It's looking like I'll be leaving Wyze behind, but I'll decide after testing the two 2K cams and 1080p solar cam I have on the way. Figure I'll fuss about with those for a couple months. If things keep going as they have so far, I'll definitely start replacing Wyze cams.
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