Product Review:The Netatmo Smart Outdoor Security Camera - Quality & Assurance
- Paul McRae
- Jun 13, 2023
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 1, 2023
Netatmo Smart Outdoor Security Camera - No fees, very smart
By Paul McRae
Continuing with the home security theme, the Netatmo Smart Outdoor Security Camera is up against some strong competition with the likes of Google Nest, Ring, Arlo, Eufy and Eve. So what sets the French company's offering apart from the rest?
First Impressions
Netatmo are a French company specialising in the production of smart home devices. Founded in 2011 (and since bought over in 2018 by compatriot outfit Legrand), it has produced and launched a variety of products including indoor security cameras, smoke detectors, thermostats and even weather stations.
Having purchased and tested another of their products (The Netatmo Indoor Security Camera) I can attest that, out of the box, their products are weighty, solid units oozing with class. The use of high quality materials and the precise finishing ensures that these products look as good as they perform. For a security device that is going to be mounted on the outside of your property in view of the neighbours and be regularly slapped in the face with wind, rain and snow on a regular basis, this is no bad thing.
Inside the box, the camera comes accompanied with a Mounting kit (including a wall bracket), screws for a junction box. 2 wall screws, an Allen key (to loosen its axis for pan and tilt adjustment at setup), a wall mount and a MicroSD card for storage.
Installation may be possible if you are confident and competent with a drill and proficient at connecting electrical items to mains power. However, as always with electrics and high value products, professional installation by a qualified electrician is always recommended, especially as the mains cable will need to be run to the location of the camera and sealed to weather proof it from the elements. The height and angle that the camera is installed is extremely important so that it captures as much of the area that you want to secure as possible. This obviously depends on the type pf property and land area that you have but I personally positioned it high up in the corner of my external wall, just under the gutter, to capture all of my driveway area plus the front door and all of the front facing windows. The provided Allen key allows you to make slight adjustments to ensure that you get the position just right. As ever, installation costs can vary depending on your property type so again, be sure to get a few quotes
Once powered up, the camera connects via Wi-Fi, not an ethernet cable and, like many wirelessly connected smart devices, should be connected to your router via the 2.4Ghz frequency at point of set up. Setup is straightforward. Download the Netatmo "Security" app and scan the QR code on the side of the box and then step through the prompts on your phone. Be sure to have your router (or at least a signal extender) near the device at setup to ensure the camera can be detected upon 1st connection. Tip - As it's an external device, having a window open during set up often helps.
The Test
So what makes a good outdoor security camera and how does it perform?
Once installed and connected to your home wi-fi, the camera can be configured with various parameters and preferences via the Netatmo Security App. As soon as a visitor enters the Activity Zones you have specified (usually at the start of your garden path or driveway), you will receive a notification via the app which you can click on to view the live camera feed. The camera will also start to record the visitor and store the footage on to the supplied local SD card. Once recorded, the footage can then be viewed via tiles from within in the Security app. If you have multiple Netatmo products, such as the Indoor Security Camera, you can view each of the products footage alongside each other from within the app. This also works from within the Apple HomeKit app.
HomeKit Integration is substantial in terms of functionality and you can create automations, for example setting the floodlight to turn on when the last person leaves the house or the 1st person arrives home. The camera also has facial recognition software which learns peoples features over time and can alert you to who is arriving or leaving by naming them in the notifications.
The 1080p resolution that the camera offers provides a clear image and is impressive in low light conditions. If an animal comes in to focus during the night, the floodlight is enabled and you'd be forgiven for thinking that the image was captured during the day rather than at night.
One of the big selling points of this camera is that you do not require to purchase a subscription to receive the services or to store the images, for example on a service in the cloud. Data is captured locally on the supplied SD Card. This does fill up over time however even with a lot if use - ie. a lot of images being captured due to a busy activity zone - there is enough storage available before space is filled. Once full you can simply delete the footage from weeks or months ago.
The camera can identify people, animals and cars and you can stipulate whether you want the camera to detect all of these motions when they enter the configured parameters of your property and whether you want to be notified about them and at what time. For example you can choose to only receive notifications when you are out of the house, for example when you are at work between set times, such as a common time of 07:00 - 17:00.
As well as being a camera which alerts and records activity, the camera is fitted with a super-bright floodlight, activated by Passive Infra Red (PIR) technology. You can decide when you want the floodlight to be activated (hours of darkness for example) and how bright you want the floodlight to be, to save power.
The camera also has a built-in microphone which means you can hear what is being said and the audio is loud and clear.
Again, for those that value the benefits of Smart Home Integration, connecting their Smart Home devices to their chosen EcoSystem is a factor. The Netatmo is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It is also compatible with Apple HomeKit straight out of the box and is one of only a few in this category to have this feature. If you are an Iphone user then you can integrate the camera with your Home app for HomeKit integration. From here, numerous configuration options are available including automation. It is also compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Home.
I have been using the Netatmo for a while now and I have been very impressed. The picture is clear and bright with a good wide horizontal display, the audio is clear and loud via the in-built microphone, notifications are almost instantaneous when anyone, or anything, enters the Alert Zones and the out-of-the box Apple HomeKit integration is a real bonus and offers several automation options. Lastly, the zero-subscription model is a real boon in this class.
It's a high quality product and I highly recommend it.
Pros and Cons
Pros:-
+ Excellent. clear, wide horizontal image
+ Clear audio
+ Easy to use, customisable app
+ Out of the box Apple HomeKit integration
+ No subscription required
Cons:-
- None
The Final Score
9/10 - This is a top quality product from Netatmo with Apple HomeKit integration and the zero subscription model is a rarity in this class.
Competing Products:-
Ring Outdoor Camera - Purchase Here
Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Plus by Amazon - Purchase Here
Google GPLE9 Nest Cam with FloodlightBlink Video Doorbell - Purchase Here
About Me
A 25-year industry veteran, I am IT Consultant with a history in Engineering and a love for technology and gadgets. I have purchased and tested too many products over the years that it would be a waste if I didn't write about them. I hope you enjoy.
Comments