Samsung WiFi Camera – SmartCam HD Plus

Samsung WiFi Camera - SmartCam HD Plus
Out of 10
191 users: 2.9 / 5
5 star
28%
4 star
17%
3 star
8%
2 star
9%
1 star
69%

Costco Price: $99.99 after $40 instant rebate

THE GOOD

  • Compact design
  • Sharp HD video
  • Very short audio lag time
  • Local storage up to 128GB
  • No service subscription

THE BAD

  • Tricky setup with unintuitive software
  • Occassionally lost connection
  • Cannot connect with other SmartThings yet
SPEC
Resolution1920x1080
Max Frame Rate1080p@30fps
Digital Zoom4X
Night VisionIR-LED, 36ft.
Low Light Performance0.3Lux(Color), 0Lux(Black/White)
Local StoragemicroSDHC up to 128GB
Network StorageSupport NAS thru NET-i ware
Audio2-Way audio, built in mic &speaker
DetectionMotion & Sound
AlertPrompt email with picture
Dimension2.4in. D x 3.6in. W x 1.6in. H

The Samsung SmartCam HD Plus came from its ancestors, named SmartCam HD and SmartCam HD Pro. It has a much slimmer profile which resembles the Nest cam (aka, Dropcam) design. Samsung also made slight feature enhancement on this model including wider angular field of view, longer night vision distance, larger storage capacity and better video quality.

samsung-smartcam-hd-pro-SNH-E6414BN-frontSmartCam HD Plussamsung-smartcam-hd-pro-SNH-6410BNSmartCam HD Prosamsung-smartcam-hd-SNH-E6411BNSmartCam HD
ModelSNH-V6414BNSNH-P6410BNSNH-E6411BN/E6413BN
Storage<= 128GB<= 64GB<= 32GB
Angular Field of View130°128°128°
Night Vision32 ft.32 ft.16 ft.
Weight4.8 oz10.3 oz4.1 oz
Price

Design

The biggest design change is the new slim profile. It makes a lot of sense than the HD Pro. But the SmartCam is more in need of an overhaul re-design on its outdated smartphone App. The already confusing navigation gets even more complicated.

Features

The camera produces crisp video all around in highest resolution mode. In poorly lit areas, the IR LED is operated automatically to brighten dark images. If you plan to place it behind the window to monitor outside at night, remember to disable the night vision. Like most other camera, the IR illuminators will bounce off the windows and blur the image. With Google Picasa account, it sends prompt alert with event pictures when motion or sound is detected. By defining the monitor zones and adjusting the sensitivity,  Unlike SmarCam HD Pro, this model can not interact with other SmartThings. The removable microSD make it easy to watch the clips on your big screen, but it also impose the security breach. Samsung’s free desktop software NET-i ware allows you to connect the SmartCam with a NAS to store your precious clips. But you need to make sure the program is running all the time. In monitoring mode, you can choose to save the footage directly to your phone, but not for the motion or sound detection. One thing worth note to those who plan to add the camera into their smart home network, the SmartCam is not supported by SmartThings hub yet, which means it can not trigger your light or other SmartThings when it detected motion or sound.

Usability

Most complaints about the SamrtCam HD Plus were against the clunky phone App. Initial connection setup is easy. But the rich feature configuration is hard to manage. External storage access requires connection to desktop software. This would block the feature to most of the users. Prompt email alert assure you to be aware of any events. Like most of other DIY surveillance camera, it’s hard to filter unwanted events. Eventually you’ll get annoyed by the frequent notifications.

Expert Reviews

MOST POSITIVE

TechHive
Full review by Michael Ansaldo [4/5]

The SmartCam HD Plus includes many of the same features of our favorite cameras such as Nest Cam and Simplicam, but without the added expense of a cloud subscription. That makes it particularly attractive if you’re on a budget or otherwise want to keep cost of ownership low.

MOST NEGATIVE

PCMag
Full review by John R. Delaney [3/5]

The Samsung SmartCam HD Plus is a compact Wi-Fi surveillance camera that delivers sharp HD video regardless of lighting conditions, but it doesn't integrate with other home automation devices and can be tricky to set up.

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