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Ratings
Category: Camera
Brand: Logitech
Model: 961-000337
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Logitech 961-000337 Review
Logitech 961-000337 Review by R. Carboni
THE GOOD
Simple Installation
The really impressive feature of the Alert system is that it can be up and running minutes after unpacking. The software installs quickly, the cameras simply plug in to outlets, and there is nothing to configure or customize beyond that to start viewing images from the camera. Likewise, the web browser application and mobile app are simple to install and launch. The outdoor cameras will probably require a little more mounting time, but that is to be expected with any type of security camera installation.
No Technical Knowledge Required
Unlike some of the other IP camera options available, the Alert cameras require no technical prowess with things like port forwarding, SMTP configurations, or other router security options. The cameras simply plug in, and the signal is sent ethernet-over-power to the router adapter. I tested several outlets in my home, and they all worked without problems.
Good Resolution
The video resolution at ~900x700 is very good. Stationary objects are exceptionally clear.
Support for mobile devices
A nice feature is the mobile app to view live feeds of the cameras on devices like the iPhone and Droid. It works very well with very minimal delay. I use this feature on the iPhone, and it streams perfectly on 3G.
Zoom
Although it is only digital, the zoom feature is a nice option and easy to use.
Custom motion detection
The ability to "paint" motion detection areas on the camera's view is a great feature for outdoor cameras where there may be a lot of traffic in the background, or tree movement that will set off the motion detector all the time.
THE BAD
Broken Out of the Box
Unfortunately, my outdoor camera was broken out of the box. The camera was not communicating at all with the SD card inside the camera, and therefore not recording anything to the computer hard drive either. I was disappointed that there was no alert to indicate that there was a problem with the SD card. The only indication of the problem was a red exclamation point over the SD icon on the storage section within Settings, which is not readily noticeable. Hovering the mouse over the icon displays the message "SD Card Problem", but there is no other information about the problem. I had to return the defective camera, and thanks to Amazon's quick replacement service, I had a working unit within a couple days. It seems that are a number of reported problems with SD card communication. This is clearly an area that needs improvement from both a quality testing standpoint as well as software diagnostics.
Night Vision Movement and Frame Rates
It appears that the video frame rate degrades quite a bit when IR night vision is activated. There have been comments that the frame rate is as low as 5fps. I believe that is about right. Trying to make out anything moving is very difficult unless the subject is very close. During the day, the frame rate of 15fps is generally acceptable, but still creates blur in moving subjects. These cameras would be awesome with something like 30fps at this resolution.
No Options for Alternate Streaming
Although using Logitech's website for video feeds is easy and convenient, not everyone is tech illiterate, and this product would be much more attractive if the feeds could be easily configured to stream through any server, like other products such as the Foscam IP cameras. The Logitech site was down for many hours within the first week I had the camera, and it was very frustrating not being able to remotely view the camera. Reliability is key in a security camera, and I would rather be able to configure my own access than worry about a site that has already proven to be unreliable. Since the camera is configured with a local IP address, I know it can be accessed with other software, but it should have alternative setup options available out of the box.
Commander Fees
I understand Logitech's incentive to create a revenue stream with so-called "premium" services. However, giving the consumer the simple functions to watch recorded video and control the camera settings remotely is not very premium, and once again gives this product a bad taste for the tech savvy consumer. There are many ways to remote to a home PC and control all the features with the installed Commander software, so paying $80 per year for this feature really is just for those who don't want to leave their PC on all day, but would have to leave the router on anyway for this work.
Software Glitches
Although the software is fairly simple in functionality, I was surprised how many little glitches existed. For instance, when expanding the Advanced sections of some of the Settings screens, the text is cutoff and doesn't display fully in the window, and there is no ability to scroll that area. Another problem is that if you disconnect one of the cameras from the system, you then cannot remove that camera from the list. This could be really annoying for someone who has to deal with a broken camera that cannot be recognized again. They will never be able to remove the camera from the list. There was clearly very little quality or usability testing done on much the software.
Motion Detection Spotty
The logic incorporated into the motion detection and recording seems to have some glitches. There are times when motion is detected and recording begins, but then recording stops and does not continue even though motion starts a few seconds later. It is almost as if the camera waits for a certain amount of time before starting to record again after a previous recording. This has led to major movement in the subject field not being recorded, and is definitely something in the software/firmware that needs to be fixed. There are also times where the start of the recording is delayed, and a subject moving through the motion detection area is filmed just going out of sight, even though other times the motion is detected and recorded just as the subject is entering the area. There is a sensitivity adjustment for each camera, but changing this one way or another has not improved the detection/recording spottiness.
Live Remote View Times Out
The downside of streaming the video with the remote viewers through the Logitech site is that they do not want it streaming constantly, and their software will time out after a few minutes. Although this is understandable from their perspective, it is annoying for those of us who want to monitor constantly. I like to monitor audio, and leave the browser window open in the background to do so. I would like to not have to switch to that window constantly to restart the connection.
THE MISSING
No Audio for Mobile Devices
I was disappointed to realize that the mobile app did not support audio. It seems like such a simple feature to add considering it is supported in the browser app.
No Tilt/Pan
For the price of these cameras, it would seem like mechanical tilt and pan features could be incorporated. The $80 Foscam indoor camera can tilt/pan. Without pan, it will take more cameras to cover the same area.
No Pictures with Alerts
The alert features are nice, but one or more captured images should be sent along with the alert email.
No Two-Way Audio
Again, a simple feature that less expensive cameras include.
No Multi-Camera Remote/Mobile View
The browser and mobile apps only allow viewing one camera at a time, unlike the desktop Commander software.
No Resolution or Frame Rate Adjustments
I would like to see settings for less resolution at higher frame rates like some other cameras.
SUMMARY
Overall, the Logitech Alert system is a decent enough product, and for the non-technical consumer provides a simple way to install a video security system in the home. There are better options out there, but these require a lot more knowledge about technical setup, and also may require dedicated computer hardware to support. The Alert cameras are very good quality, and the software is easy to understand and configure. What this product lacks is maturity in the software/firmware, and quality testing before leaving the factory. Hopefully, future versions will improve upon these flaws and provide a truly 5 star product - for now, I'll keep it a 3.
Logitech 961-000337 Review by Alex (Plano, TX USA)
As others have already mentioned, this is a great system for people that want to set up a good quality surveillance/monitoring system but don't necessarily have the technical skills to do so and/or don't want to run the wires all over their house for a CCTV setup. The powerline adapters make it easy to install the cameras anywhere you want as long as there is a power outlet nearby. There are some limitations there, but it should work for most common applications. In my particular case, I didn't use the powerline adapters and have my Alert cameras running from a POE (Power-over-Ethernet) switch, so the cameras are fully POE compliant. I won't go into pros of the system since they have already been covered by other reviewers earlier, but I wanted to mention a few things that are not necessarily cons of the system, but something I would have liked to have available:
- The desktop Commander software can only be used from one computer on your network; if you have more than one computer at home, you will not be able to manage or monitor your cameras from other computer(s), unless you use the web version of the Commander on that other computer(s). If you only want to monitor your camera from another computer, you can just use the free version of the Web Commander for that, but if you also want to be able to manage your cameras, you will have to pay the annual fee as if you were doing it remotely. It would be nice to be able to manage your system from any computer on your network.
- It would be nice to be able to schedule email alerts for only certain hours of the day. I only want to receive motion alerts from my cameras when I'm not at home, and I want them to stop when I get home because otherwise the system starts "spamming" you with emails from each camera every few minutes as you and your family keep moving around the house and triggering the motion detectors. It got to the point where I have to manually turn off the alerts when I get home, and remember to turn them on before I leave in the morning, which is easy to forget.
- It would also be nice to have the Commander software included with the add-on cameras, or simply make it available for download from Logitech's website. It would save people that want to run the system via POE (without using the powerline adapters) a few dollars by not having to purchase the Master System since they don't need anything that comes with it other than the software.
Maybe someone from the Logitech's team will read this review and decide to incorporate some of these requests into the future releases of the Commander software.
Logitech 961-000337 Review by B. Pelton "SoCal Bruce" (Laguna Niguel, CA)
We have always been Logitech users and strong supporters so choosing their outdoor security camera seemed to be a no-brainer. Unfortunately this was not the case. We don't know whether it is just this product group or a corporate change in direction but- This product is poorly thought out, the support is all but non-existent and overall experience is regrettable.
Others have mentioned the sad state of the bracket. I did not imagine it could be so bad. It is worse. It is weak and flimsy and, if the extension arm is put on, destined to fail.
The product description says: "Complete outdoor digital video security system, easy to install, no new wiring or networking needed". While possibly true in some cases, it certainly was not in ours.
Few of us have a free wall outlet within a few feet of our computer yet you must plug a giant power supply/HomePlug bridge into a wall outlet by your computer. It cannot plug into a surge strip or UPS and, if you place it in the upper outlet (as illustrated) it will block the lower. If you try to hang it off the lower outlet it is unsecured and is constantly trying to fall out. So much for dependability- no backup and limited stay-in. And you are out one entire outlet.
The power supply/HomePlug bridge then is supposed to plug into your router with a short, flimsy flat CAT-5 cable. If you are wireless you are out of luck. It is "wireless" meaning it uses HomePlug powerline carrier but not 802.11 Wi-Fi.
If you have anything else plugged into your router you may also be in trouble. I have a network printer, streaming DVD , satellite dish and a DSL modem which all got along fine before. When I plug in the Home-Plug device the whole network goes down. Tech Support might help me trick it into functioning but they do not call back or answer emails.
The outdoor installation is interesting, too. The HomePlug bridge/power supply plugs into a right angle adapter that cannot fit in an outdoor box with anything else. It also wants to rock out of the outlet and must be secured. You are out one entire outlet.
The two circuits for the two HomePlug adapters have to be free of other devices that might interfere. If it doesn't work the instructions say to "just" plug it in to another closer outlet. So you have the "freedom" to mount it anywhere you have a dedicated outlet that has nothing else on the circuit. You cannot, necessarily, place the camera where you wanted to place it. I had an electronic outdoor lighting timer that could not coexist with the HomePlug. You are now out one entire circuit.
The outdoor supply/bridge is on a 2 foot cord and can be placed anywhere. Anywhere, that is, within about a foot of the box in a single acceptable orientation at the same height as the box and with a drip loop below. It cannot mouth sideways right or left, above, or upside down. And then for the best part- it cannot be mounted in the sun! You just bought an "outdoor" system that cannot be mounted in the sun!
The camera once mounted on the aforementioned flimsy bracket is then wired with an equally flimsy flat CAT-5 cable. The camera and the power supply have to be opened up to receive it. Oh, by the way, the camera cannot be mounted in the sun either! Their outdoors must be different than my outdoors.
After it doesn't work you call Tech Support and hold for half an hour if you are lucky. The guy then tells you that he thinks you have a bad camera but that he has to escalate to Second Tier Support who work sometime Monday through Friday. They do not call or answer your email.
My wife and I are both technical people in the electronics industry. We are not intimidated by technical issues and know quality when we see it. We haven't seen it in this product.
More Reviews...
Logitech Alert 750e Outdoor Master Security System with Night Vision:: Description
Logitech alert 750e outdoor master system is the weatherproof, night vision video security system you can set up yourself and count on when you need it. installation is simple and takes just minutes.
Logitech Alert 750e Outdoor Master Security System with Night Vision:: Technical Details
- Windows-based PC needed for set-up and control
- HD-quality video with night vision and 130 Degrees wide-angle lens
- Motion-triggered recording and alerts
- Free, remote viewing of live video on your computer or smart phone (iPhone, Android or BlackBerry)
- Please note: Logitech Alert Digital Security Systems are not backwards compatible with Logitech WiLife Digital Security Systems
- Item Dimensions: 9 x 10 x 4 inches; 3 pounds
- Brand: Logitech
- Model: 961-000337
- Product Type: Camera
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