I got two and managed to get both running despite setup frustrations. They are very small and packed with features not expected in a 30-40$ unit. They can connect to comcast router and run outside brick wall or aluminum siding walls without wifi extenders. They do require the USB 5V (charger) power connectors to be plugged into outlets. Cameras have a 6″ USBC end that fits into (included) standard USB cable (6ft) and that fits into the power brick. I needed to buy several USB extension cables to reach my outlets, and that ended up working OK. ONE of the included power bricks was DEAD ON ARRIVAL, minus one star here, and I ended up using one of my USB chargers vs sending the whole thing back (cost maybe $5). Mounting is not especially easy since you should have an extra-long Philips-type screwdriver to install the included screws into a place high up. You might want o power them up so see where the default pointing direction ends up prior to mounting. The PZT initialized on startup left, right, up, down and ends up at some default angles. It seems you can change that view later on in software (if enable autotracking function), otherwise, if you use the PZT controls to move the view, it will eventually go back to that default home position (a few minutes later).
Setup of “tris home” cell phone app is frustrating. You select the product from pictures (typically), setup your wifi network and input your wifi password, it then creates a URL image on your phone that you show to the (powered on) camera. Camera tells you it connected if successful. I do that part inside house prior to mounting. You need to name the device on 1st go, setup a device passcode, etc. Tris -home on 1st go requires you put in your cell number (for push notifications, etc), and creates a push code that you need to verify the phone is correctly linked. There is a frustration– the code has a 10second timer going and you need to type it in 2x, then FIND the silly “OK” button that is NOT visible on the view you have. Look for the small downward caret at the lower right of that screen to access the “ok” button. <10sec timed me out 5x before I got over this hoop!!
The software is basically good enough, but many things are press-n-guess since there is zero documentation of what does what and what you can do. In the camera hamburger menu, there is ‘recording’ section with a “record button” toggle. It is a ‘record 24/7’ button! There is another record icon on each camera main menu that you can likewise toggle ‘for as long as needed’, to similar goal. If you set the record-ON in the main camera menu, then the icon in the event viewer is meaningless. With it off, it will only record detected events. If 24/7 mode, the playback shows a timeline of blue time for regular events and red color for detected events spaced in. fairly easy to review those and to download if needed. I use only local recording to microSD card vs cloud options. The local storage can be set to overwrite itself if it filled up. In 24/7 mode I used 75% of 128GB card in about a week.
Human detection is good and it can track. You can set the default view for detections with PZT and “set tracking daemon” to that– that’s how to get it always point to a view you want to start at vs the default ‘home’ it seeks. You can also store assorted view angles for quick look abouts.
The white flood lights do come on at night if it detects persons. Not super bright, but they will track the person, so they know they have been seen. Fancy motion sensor function light….
On you phone you need to allow the app to receive pushes. A truncated message on my android keeps telling me to do something to background pushes, but can’t find what that might be. I asked SERVICE, they did respond 24h but seemed confused by each question I had (or English?), nonetheless, they wrote “Open your phone—click settings—find” Tris home”—–Click” Notifications”—-Open the “Allow notifications”, ” Sounds”, “Badges”. Then Open “Tris Home” App and login —Add device—Click”三” in the upper right corner—Click “Settings”—Click” Smart Alarm”—-Open “on”, “Human detection”, “Alaram Push”, and ” Show trace(Human detection)”—click “Alarm mode”, open the “capture Image”, “Record video” and “Warning light”. (Note: Please don’t open the “DND”, otherwise you will not receive the message.)”
I saw tris home ‘had a firmware update’ for each of my cameras, and each upgrade ended up preventing cameras from connecting. I power cycles, did factory resets, and that generally got me back up eventually. Minus 1 star for that! Today, the firmware upgrade seemed to brick one camera- it reused to start. On start the IR LEDs flash briefly, then eventually a voice says ‘starting up’ and if wifi connected, but this time the red would flash, pause, and flash, repeat. I had to pop out the SD card to get it recover! Try that if you get into that situation.
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