Description
About this item 📷𝟐𝐊 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐕𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨 & 𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲:View every event in 2K super clear image quality so you see exactly what is happening inside your home. Upgraded 3 million pixels, up to 2304 x 1296 resolution, for clarity in every angle. 📷𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐀𝐈 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:YI cloud storage comes with the latest in Smart AI capabilities which can distinguish Person, Vehicle, or Animal accurately and reduce false alarms significantly (Subscription Needed) 📷𝐄𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: Equips with 940-nm infrared lights, a high-sensitivity image sensor and F1.4 large aperture lens, YI 2K home camera captures detailed images even in low-light conditions. 📷𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐃 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞:Store your data and recordings locally with an extra 𝐒𝐃 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐝 (𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐝) or in the cloud. YI Cloud offers loop-recording with no storage limit, so even if your camera is stolen or damaged, your footage will still be secure and accessible on the cloud. 📷𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭:Use your voice command to turn on YI camera for home security or view your camera live stream on Echo Show or any screen-based Alexa device or Google Chrome Cast.
D. Ervin –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Definitely worth the money, can’t find anything in this price category that compares.
I’ve compared this with a couple other models, Kodak CFH-V10-HD & Foscam R2 1080P, in the same range. This was the cheapest allowing 1080P and Pan/Tilt/Zoom from remote. I kept this one for a large basement, since it does the PAN/TILT. For all my other cameras I went with the YI Home 720P cameras, which YI support told me will be cloud enabled soon. The reason I don’t give this the 5th star is due to the tested and confirmed inability to use >32GB memory cards, even if they are formatted FAT32 I could not make my 64GB SDXC work, just doesn’t recognize the card. Also the 1080P is not that much better than the 720P I get from the YI Home. So if it wasn’t for the PAN/TILT feature I would have returned this for the 720P YI Home. (I did not test the 720P Dome camera.)My friend at work went all out with the Nest cameras, and we compared them to this. Picture quality on an iPhone 6 is indistinguishable, but this camera has PAN/TILT/ZOOM and cost less than half what he paid. He does have activity zones, which I find amazing are not on this camera since the YI Homes at $30 have this feature.Pros:- Inexpensive- PAN/TILT- Easy to set up and use- Great video in daytime and nighttime (beat both the Kodak and Foscam hands down in both day and night image quality)- Microphone and speaker, intercom usage- App works from anywhereCons:- limited to 32GB SDHC class10 U1 card- Zoom is digital (but want do you want for less than $100)- Missing activity zones- 112′ viewing field is just good, (130′ would be better but again, less than $100)I would recommend and have recommended this product.
20 people found this helpful
Million Dollar Legs –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stop looking, this it the one!
High quality, solid camera! I tried another 1080p camera (Zmodo Pivot) which was 25 bucks more but could not get it to monitor 1080p video on my phone without constant buffering issues. Plus the app had very little setting adjustments for the camera and it did not have micro SD card capability. The YI Dome camera leaves the Zmodo in the dust. Almost real time monitoring in 1080p, including adjusting the vertical and horizontal camera movements. The settings are very customize-able, including the ability to only record motion events on to the SD card. A 32 gig SD card can hold 3 days of video, so there can potentially be many more days of recording depending on the activity in front of the camera.The motion detection is very good and can be adjusted to low, medium or high depending on the activity within range. The best part is that after motion is detected, the camera will send an alert through the app where you can watch a 6 second video of the action. Its not a clip of the mid-action that sometimes occurs with trail cameras due to the lag in between the camera switching on after the motion is detected, but a clean clip of the action from about a second before through the event… how it does this, I have no idea. All of this can be set to specific times so that you are not constantly getting alerts.As far as the cloud goes, I don’t think upgrading the storage is necessary for my needs. The 6 second alerts are saved for a week for free and can be easily downloaded, shared to google drive or whatever as well as any video on the SD card (which plays back seamlessly on the app). For a hundred bucks a year, you can save all of the motion saved on your SD card for 15 days, a little more money and you can save more (including all of the raw video even with no activity detected).Overall, for 75 bucks, you cannot beat the quality of this camera and the app… highly recommended!
3 people found this helpful
Michael –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Crazy setup but works like a charm
The setup routine for the cameras is like a bad joke, and I was at the point of putting the camera back in the box and shipping it back as defective. Two issues:1. You have to find the “sweet spot” for the proper distance for the camera to scan the QR code on your phone when setting up each camera in the YI Home app. Until you do, you’ll want to throw the camera across the room but don’t do that as it will most likely a) break and b) void your warranty (J/K). For me I found placing the phone directly in front of the camera and moving it away allowed it to “see” the code and register the camera within a 7 inch distance.2. Your home WiFi password cannot exceed 20 characters. In 2018, this makes NO SENSE. The longer the password, the more difficult it is to crack. I had to enable the guest portion of our WiFi network so as not to compromise the rest of our network (although that makes the guest more vulnerable now and useless to “real” guests that we may want to use it). I have emailed YI to update their application to allow the 64 character max.Once you get past # 1 and # 2, the cameras work great and for the price you cannot beat them. I have not setup any motion detection yet but will play around with it in the near future. Most likely will pick up additional cameras as well.
GGGGGG –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Affordable Baby Monitor Cam.
Yi dome x is a solid camera for the price point. I love that it has 360° rotating capabilitie, as well as the tilting up and down. Way points are cool feature as well. Wish it had a boundary mode where you can select when someone walks into the zone, it should record/notify.The notifications are really buggy as you’ll get them from time to time when the motion is detected like it’s supposed to. Although, sometimes 20 of them will pop up, all at once. Not sure what the issue is. I’m on Android P (9.0) and disabled battery optimization but that didn’t help. I also hate how it doesn’t know the difference between human/object movement vs light. For example a light turns on it notifies you about it.I am going to primarily use this for monitoring our baby when it’s ready for the crib. I have it mounted Birdseye view above the crib. The mount it comes with is lacking but I was able to mount it with a command hook and loop damage free medium strip. Holds 8lbs, so I am not worried about the weight of it falling off. Covered the cord with a white cord mate wire cover. Looks pretty damn good.Picture quality is top notch. On par with my ring cameras. Software is a bit buggy and lacking. Has some odd-ball offers for services.Over-all I’m pleased with the unit and looking forward to reporting back how well it works as a baby monitor cam. I’ll update once it’s in full use.
One person found this helpful
Christine Elise Sheffield –
3.0 out of 5 stars
Work when they want to
I have a lot of issues with these cameras. I have to reset them a lot cause they just stop working. And half the time the button in the app to move and control them doesn’t work either. Very disappointing.
Chris C. –
3.0 out of 5 stars
Camera picture is good at 1080p
Got this yesterday and dove in. For background: I have had a lot of cameras by different vendors – I know how to make them work remotely, store via NAS and FTP, and sometimes even control and config them in a way outside of design. NOT a new by so to speak.Pros:1. Camera picture is good at 1080p, viewing angle is good and camera movement/rotation is good.2. Price is good (but priced so to get you to do cloud storage).3. Both the PC app and the mobile app are good, though have glaring weaknesses mentioned below.4. Night vision is very good and LOVE the invisible (940nm) IR lights. Probably the best feature of this camera.Cons:1. Mobile app allows for recording of live stream to phone storage – PC app DOES NOT to local drive.2. Inserted SD card recording works well, records in MP4 format and looks good. BUT, all recording is done in 60 second video files. So if you wanted a 20 video clip you would have to use 3rd party software to merge 20 recorded files in to one.3. While the built in microphone does well picking up voices, the audio noise during quite time is positively horrible – so much static it is umbearable.4. ZERO storage options available to local hard drives, network shares, FTP or NAS. Again, designed to get you to pay for cloud storage (just like a Nest cam).5. CANNOT use a web browser or 3rd party app to view live video. No excuse for this – just plain dumb. Even the worse cameras all web viewing! This is the only camera I have ever bought with web viewing.6. You MUST create an account on their website to even get this camera connected to wifi. Again, absurd.If it supported a good web interface, good storage recording options and DID NOT require me creating an account on some website likely in China, it would warrant 5 stars.Hope this review helps. If you are in to paying for cloud storage, this a good buy. If you care about the items I mentioned it is missing, this is not the camera for you. Good luck!
One person found this helpful
Sofia Maqsood –
3.0 out of 5 stars
For the price, this is good camera for home users
easy setup. WiFi only. scan QR code on booklet that takes you to the google play app install page (for android phones). install App, add wifi information like password and SSID. app will generate QR code that camera can read (place code in front of teh camera). this process transfer wifi information to the camera and camera connects to the wifi. thsi is the only camera i have seen that talks during the setup process. very easy setup. my 7 year old son actually did the setup. i’m a technical person and when it comes to security cameras for office or home i would like to have control over the videos. this camera only works with Yi application (no browser viewing). also this camera sends video out to Yi server over the internet through which you can view it on your app. this create a security concerns for me. i like to connect the camera on my PC or camera app through IP and open ports on my router to view video when i’m outside to make sure my viewing app connects to the camera directly, not through some 3rd party server/service. this is not possible with this camera.I also found slow response when HD video quality is selected. my movements were 2 sec delayed on live view. as soon as i select Auto quality, delay is gone and my movements were realtime.i also believe there is no option to send alert email. i thinlk only alerts are app alerts. you can get email alerts even if you don’t have your Yi app configured device with you. if i have Yi app installed on my phone and i’m on my PC. i’ll miss all alerts because they are going to my phone.For the price, this is good camera for home users. Motion tracking is also a good feature where camera follows you while you’re walking in front of it. My other PTZ cameras don’t have motion tracking but they allow direct IP connection and save snapshoots and video on motion detection to my 2TB network storage. i have separate folder for each camera and last 3 months of snapshoots and videos (on motion) stored.
3 people found this helpful
Doodles21 –
5.0 out of 5 stars
So far so good!
It’s been just 3 days but here are my impressions so far!This is one great little camera.It came with instructions but the app has a instructional video, and I didn’t even need the the little booklet.This was the easiest set up I have ever seen.Plug it in, wait for cameras response (yes! IT TALKS), connect to your wifi,Scan the camera with your phone and BOOM! You are all set.It literally took me less than 5 minutes to get it out of the box, and completely set up.The image is crystal clear, and the app settings are great! You can customize it completely to your liking, even the cameras sensitivity to movements and sounds.You can even customize how many alerts you would like to receive.With the movement sensitivity high, the camera picks up EVERYTHING!!!!Last night for example it sent me an alert of movimente in the living room at 1am. (You do have the option to turn off alerts if you want) it scared the beegeezus out of me. I watched the little clip it records with the alerts and it was just a tiny piece of paper that flew off the shelf because the fan was on!!! LolIt even recognizes when lights go on or off and if you have motion sensitivity set to high you will get an alert about that as well.It seems nothing escapes this little camera! LolAlso you can use the micro SD card for playbacks (you insert it in the camera, but if you don’t, the app records the movement clips and saves it on the alert folder.The night vision is great as well and the microphone works great!I am, so far, very impressed with this camera! Such a great deal for the price.True that I have been using it for just 3 days, so I will update more later as I get more use out of it.
2 people found this helpful
Jazzer4 –
1.0 out of 5 stars
Horrible instructions. Hard to find the YI app. Need utube video in English
Should have gotten another Nest!This 1080P Dome Camera is so darn confusing.I’ll admit I’m 70 and not up on all this kind of stuff, but I bought a nest camera, hooked it up and can see my back yard on my iPad and get a notification when there was activity.This 1080 P is hard!First I couldn’t find a utube video that was in English (I don’t speake Chinese ).I did find some set-up videos but they were instructing just by showing, no words. I suppose the videos were made by people that do not speak English so they just played very loud obnoxious music while they unpacked it and set it up. Honestly I didn’t get very far into the set up video because of the horrible music and not being able to keep up with the guy doing it.Instructions that came with it are very poor if you don’t understand this kind of stuff.I had trouble finding the app at the App store and don’t know anything about Google Play to download an App.I finally figured out how to scan the QR code but that took quite a while as I’ve never needed to do that so didn’t know how. Connecting it to Wi-Fi was super easy I must say.Ok great now I finally have a picture….but it’s upside down. (This is two hours into it).Going to bed, giving up for tonight. Will tackle again tomorrow. But I did leave the camera on and was able to see raccoons, opossums and cats visiting all night long in very short (maybe 10 seconds) UPSIDE DOWN clips. It was fun to watch even upside down.Next day I get into all the settings and they are pretty straightforward.But, now darn thing won’t even show 10 second upside down clip, keeps telling me I need an SD card.Get on Amazon and buy 64G Micro SD card for 24 bucks, and a cord recommended to extend the very short pretty useless one that comes with it as if you don’t have an electrical outlet within arms reach your sunk. The longer cord, thank goodness was sent by Amazon in my email as a recommended item, if I had not gotten that I would not have known such a thing existed.Now I’m up to $92 and The Nest Camera is $99.00I don’t want cloud storage as I just want to see what animals come at night, I’m not using this camera for protection.The 10 second clip and upside down picture (although I would prefer it was right side up) was fine for me, but I’m no longer getting that just words saying no SD card.I just want to sit in bed at night and watch the animals come and go on my ipad.Should have gotten another Nest camers as it’s much easier to set upUPDATEVery happy YI has continued me by e-mail I suppose through Amazon and says it will help me figure out the problems I’m having.Most of my problems are age related I’m sure, just not good with this new fangled stuff.I’ll contact them and up-date againUP-DATE Oct 20Guess the company doesn’t want any bad reviews.My review from a week ago is not on here.Also my up-date walking back a bit because they responded and offered to help is not on here from 4 days ago.Maybe that’s because no one has contacted me in anyway.I doubt this last up-date today will be posted either.Don’t believe REVIEWS you read on this product as they only post what they want you to see.I’ll never review a product for Amazon again!
2 people found this helpful
Lfur –
2.0 out of 5 stars
Constantly inundated to upsell cloud service
The camera quality is fine, but I am constantly overwhelmed with sales pitches to upgrade to their Kami cloud service. I only want to use the internal memory card. There is no way to shut off the constant barrage of upsell ads. I am going to dump these and get something else it’s that bad.
MT CustomerMT Customer –
5.0 out of 5 stars
No unnecessary subscription costs. Best camera
I really love these cameras. Easy to setup, great app user interface. The quality of picture is great and the audio transfer is seamless too. Highly recommend value for money product. The best part is you don’t have to pay for any recurring subscription cost for the camera to work.
Lissy Verástegui –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Esta bueno
Funciona bien
Ryan TerryRyan Terry –
2.0 out of 5 stars
Untrustworthy
The media could not be loaded.
I purchased this in order to keep an eye on a new puppy, to see how he handles the workday hours home alone in a play pen (being let out at lunchtime, of course), and for that purpose it works well enough, on paper. I did have a bit of trouble finding the correct spot to place it, due to its very limited ability to tilt down, but ideally I think it should be mounted on the wall or ceiling and plan to do so — if I decide to keep it.To start, both this unit and the other two 720p YI Dome Cameras I purchased had smudges on the camera right out of the box, despite being “brand new”, which was a bit disappointing. The smudges were on the orb part, rather than the lens, so I suppose it could have been worse.The stream quality is okay but it still leaves a lot to be desired. It somehow manages to lag and stutter even while connected to a stable 120Mbps WiFi network, which is very strange. Video is captured at 15fps but played back at 30fps, so it ends up looking like an old-time slapstick comedy skit (sped-up). The “night vision” capability is very limited, but it’s certainly better than nothing. The video quality may technically be 1080p, but the quality is pretty bad, even with plenty of light (see attached photos). Overall though, considering the price, it’s a decent product.However, as most others have said, the real problem with this device experience is the mobile viewing app. By default, it installs with far more permissions than it has any reason to require (Camera, Contacts, Microphone, Phone, and Storage), with the real kicker being that it installs with the ability to modify system settings. Considering that most people purchase this device with security as a priority, the fact that it has such widespread access to your device should raise concern. Here is a detailed list of YI Home (Android) app permissions:DEVICE & APP HISTORY- retrieve running apps- android.permission.READ_LOGSIDENTITY- find accounts on the devicePHOTOS/MEDIA/FILES- android.permission.MOUNT_UNMOUNT_FILESYSTEMS- modify or delete the contents of your USB storage- read the contents of your USB storageCAMERA- take pictures and videosMICROPHONE- record audioWI-FI CONNECTION INFORMATION- view Wi-Fi connectionsDEVICE ID & CALL INFORMATION- read phone status and identityOTHER- disable your screen lock- prevent phone from sleeping- connect and disconnect from Wi-Fi- android.permission.FLASHLIGHT- control vibration- view network connections- have full network access- modify system settings- change network connectivity- – – – – – – – – – – – – – -As an Android Developer myself, I have to say that several of those permissions make no sense at all, as to why they would be required, and many of them indicate that the YI Home app was created by either an inexperienced or otherwise questionable developer.Example 1: There are no features within the app that could possibly have any use for the “retrieve running apps” permission (which is pretty self-explanatory as to what it allows). The kind of apps that would request this permission legitimately would be task killers, battery monitors, etc; apps that need to know what else is running in order to function properly.Example 2: Far more disturbing is the permission to “disable your screen lock”. Again, there isn’t a single feature or function within the YI Home app that would require this for any reason at all, and having to allow your screen lock to be disabled by anything other than your pattern/pin/fingerprint (e.g. anything other than you yourself) is very concerning.Example 3: The permission to “android.permission.READ_LOGS” allows the app to read low-level system logs, most likely in order to track runtime errors. However, any respectable app developer would use their own log buffer to track these, whereas this permission grants them access to sensitive information about your system that can be (and likely is) used to mine your data. And I don’t believe for a moment that this was some kind of oversight or result of inexperience developing apps.But in the immortal words of that guy from Reading Rainbow: “You don’t have to take my word for it!” You can see how unnecessary all of these permissions are yourself. Once you have the app installed, go into Settings > Apps and select Yi Home. Then tap Permissions, and toggle off Camera, Contacts, and Phone—note that if you toggle Storage you’ll lose access to the video thumbnail showing on the main cameras page, along with the ability to save photos/videos from the camera stream, and if you toggle Microphone you’ll lose the ability to use two-way audio. Once that’s done, tap the back button, scroll down to “Modify system settings”, and toggle that off. After doing all of this, go back to using the app as usual. You might have to log in again, but otherwise you won’t notice any kind of reduced or impaired functionality of the app. Why? Because the YI Home app doesn’t need access to Camera, Contacts, and Phone, nor does it need the ability to modify system settings. Regardless of why it requires these permissions by default, the simple fact that it does puts you at risk.In the end, I’m going to do some research to find an alternative—one that, unlike this one, isn’t tethered to an app that I am absolutely certain I can’t trust. Because if I can’t trust their app, why would I trust their camera to see the inside of my home at all times?
607 people found this helpful
Alexis –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Camera is amazing with good clarity during day and night time.
I really like how this camera has such a wide frame and still functions during night time. The camera has great video quality during day and night, it’s not blurry like other cameras that I’ve seen. The installation of the camera as well as adjusting the camera to have a good view was really easy.
A J Strachan –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Easy set up
Great for home surveillance.
akiva –
5.0 out of 5 stars
I already have a few of these and they are great
I have several of these in my officesAnd it’s really convenient to monitor the employees livewho enters and exitsAnd the operation is really convenientIt’s not complicated to install at all, just plug it inand takes high quality photos
KBird –
5.0 out of 5 stars
FAB LITTLE HOME OR ANYWHERE TYPE CAM-NANNY-PET-HOME SECURITY w CLOUD plan avail!
I LOVE THIS YI HOME CAM!!!I was a bit trepidatious to choose a camera for my apt security, but i was suddenly back in a sublease with a non locking bedroom and bathroom and housemates whom often are forgetful with the lock, so i was not wasting time and bought this to put up, worrying i might find it incompatible or not simple and fail to finish…NO PROBLEM!!! I set it up and connected with the app i put on my iphone 8plus, and it worked seamlessly aside from a sort of loose plug in the port…i put a small piece of electrical tape under and around it to put some light tension on it and it seems to hold…Otherwise the picture is clear, it is simple to access and view with the app and I LOVE That you can control the cam movement remotely from a control on the app so you are moving it on command with the phone, so no worries if it isn’t positioned in the ideal spot for any reason, you likely can adjust it a lot to adapt and to follow a pet more in a space too for example…I am fairly sure you can back up your cam stream another way, but i went with the $60 for the year cloud plan, i felt it was a small cost for a year of use and peace of mind, and I felt the company was used by more people with many device options that can mostly be chained and connected together or in diff ways that seemed great too..I will likely add another one or two for other areas when i move again depending or use them in my vehicles even when i use my rv it would be great extra peace of mind when going out of it…If someone grabs the cam or diables it the cloud has ya covered! Comes with mounting hardware to put on ceiling but i just placed it on the circular part as a base as it can be used too, and it makes an easy job of rotating…use the motion detection if you can stand hearing it when you are in room …I found it drove me a tad insane fast so i turned it off and can always enable it when im gone or if i have a dogsitting client or something i would be happy to have the feature on…seemed sensitive and accurate to most movements, read the specs and see if it suits your needs, def for the cost a great option for many situations…i am all about mine now!!! A new fave gadget that feels like it mostly runs itself, i just keep the app updated and check the pic on the app to make sure it isn’t disconnected without me knowing for any real time, but it has been fine most of the time except the loose cord…may ask company if i can use another before trying anything and messing up the cam if i use another cord!
Zalman Ives –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great product
Easy to use and affordable. Love these cameras. They’re working great for me.
RoselinRoselin –
5.0 out of 5 stars
excellent vision
I love the excellent vision of the product, I bought it for my pets and I love it. The activation was quick.
Exceeded my expectations amazing product over all –
5.0 out of 5 stars
I recommend it for the price is great
No dislike
Tobe –
5.0 out of 5 stars
I found the hands free very useful given my situation 3
I have YI camera and they have performed excellently well. Before acquiring YI cameras I used Nest cam ( I have 2 Dropcams and 2 Nestcams). I have retired 3 of them and just used one sparingly. Here are the differences I found from actually using both:1. YI cam use SD card but Nest doesn’t2. YI has 2 call modes: Hands free and Intercom; Nestcam just has one call mode: Intercom. I found the hands free very useful given my situation3. With YI I can snap or take a video of events as they unfold and send via any social media app. Infact I can download from my SD card and send via any social media app. I can’t do this with my Nestcam.4. The image on my YI are brighter and clearer than Nestcam. Even in the dark, YI produces better and clearer picture than Nestcam. I had to replace my Nestcam in my garage with YI because it was difficult to see my garage clearly in the dark.5. YI activity detection is far superior to Nestcam. And I find the auto motion tracking a great feature.These and many more are the reasons I hardly use my Nestcam. There are some cons in YI though. One is the cracking sound it makes when you rotate the device from your phone. This is not a show-stopper for me. Nestcam has wider angle coverage than YI. Nestcam has email alert and you can view your cam on the web but YI doesn’t have email alert nor web access. YI camera is cheap but full of features that outclassed the more expensive Nestcam. Even the motion tracking feature in the new Nest IQ has been on YI all along.I would like to see the following in YI:1. Dynamic status (rather than static) in the camera dashboard. If you have 2 or more Nestcam, the dashboard showing all the cameras is dynamic without sound. So you see what is going on at the same time. For YI, the dashboard is static showing only the last picture before it was closed. I hope this can be improved.2. The YI app on Alexa Echo isn’t working. Nestcam works perfectly.3. Wondering if YI can have a web interface just like Nestcam.So far so good. I love this device and have just ordered my 7th YI dome to replace the last Nestcam to be retired.My review is from 4-5 years of using both Dropcam, Nestcam and YI. This was written on the purchase of my 7th YI Dome 1080p camera.
2 people found this helpful
Craig Bryant –
3.0 out of 5 stars
Inconsistent…
I am not sure where to start with this… I purchased 3 cameras, 1 white 720P, one white 1080P and 1 black 1080P. All initialized fine and were online in minutes. Then I was prompted to update the firmware and that too was painless. Once all was said and done, the cameras were put in the final positions in my home.Camera 1 (720p) has been online, works and had continued to work as expected over the entire time.Camera 2 (1080p White) had issues that YI was unable to assist with and they eventually told me to just send it back through Amazon as it was under 30 days. The issues started with the firmware update so; I assumed the next update may correct it as well. The problem, the camera keeps acting like it was just turned on and going through a POST cycle. It spins around like it is initializing and then tracks some imaginary item until it turns around backwards and is staring at the wall. It ends up too far away from the world for it to pick up something else and track back into the room. I reset the unit, moved it, added and removed bookmarks, changed sensitivity settings and still nothing. The camera is not losing power and is not dropping from the network either. In order to use it, I just spun it around three quarters of the way to the right so that it could not turn backwards when it turned completely to the left, as it always does. Interestingly enough, the firmware was just updated again and my hope to get the camera to no longer be “anti-Social” did not pan out…Camera 3 (1080p Black) was working without issue, other than it is noticeably louder when it rotates to track something. The most recent firmware update seems to have affected this one as well as the camera now stutters. It goes back and forth like if it is shaking its head “no” and that never happened before. It only goes back and forth a small distance so, the field of view doesn’t change and the camera is still usable.I am using the cameras to monitor my disabled mother’s activity, from my place of business. For this purpose, the issues are annoying but, not a show stopper. When I first contacted YI for support, I received a prompt response and it was a pleasant surprise. Once they looked up my order and told me to just send the cameras back, my feelings about the company changed. Their firmware is wonky and this can still be addressed. I truly like the cameras and will keep them based on my needs. If I was using these solely for security reasons, they would have already been sent back.NOTE: The firmware updates seem to happen often and I appreciate that as a customer as they are trying to make the product better. They just need to deliver an update that is rock stable and then leave it alone.
2 people found this helpful
Thoughtful person –
3.0 out of 5 stars
works ok. need yi home app (not yi iot app). need sd card for recording
Pro: easy to connect once you download yi home app. put on same 2.4GHz wifi. Once it is paired, you can hook up app to 5GHz wifi and still look at it – you can access it from any wifi anywhere, actually. Camera itself works on 2.4GHz wifi only. Pretty good pictures. Don’t need cloud service for either live or recording.Con: not too good at motion detection. Mine pretty much does continuous recording even when set for just medium sensitivity, record on motion detection only. Does NOT work with yiiot app – i was fooled. I did set it up (paired it) using the yiiot app but it won’t save the camera name so you can’t access it – I think they purposely did that so you would have to use their other app (yi home app). It showed up without any help on the yi home app (guess it was paired correctly).Other: Apparently, the cloud service is good for both. Also, the user account (set up with your email – its mandatory but is free) is the same for both apps. I have both cameras and now have to run 2 apps to see them *sigh*. Mine has a habit of going into night mode (black and white, no color) even in ok light. That is pretty sad. My old camera didn’t do that. They do have a setting where you can turn off the night mode but I also want it to work in the dark…*oh well*, guess I’ll have to get used to no colors unless the sun is shining in the room. Power cord is 6 feet long, included with separate 5V 1Amp power plug. Microphone works well both ways. App has a setting for only 1 talk at a time OR both can talk at once. For the price, pretty good.
Jessica FordJessica Ford –
4.0 out of 5 stars
HORRIBLE night vision, alerts and problems with “color”(camera shows “black and white”)
I just returned a YI security home camera with baby monitor because the night vision was horrible as well as the alerts and color kept fading to black and white. I ordered this one, hoping that it would be better(“updated camera”) Lo and behold! SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS CAMERA!! Forget about “customer support!” Practically non-existent. You have to send an “e-mail” and try to explain your problem. I have done this in the past(I have other YI cameras)and received “answers” totally unrelated to my “problem.” Why bother? Usually I “fiddle around” with cameras and try to resolve problems on my own. YI definitely needs to improve on customer service. Guess I will have to “mask up😷”, brave the cold weather, try to avoid “crowds”, and return this camera(I just returned the other camera 2 days ago.) My search goes on…UPDATE: I sent e-Mail to YI Customer Support and received a prompt reply! Several suggestions were made in an effort to resolve the issues I have been experiencing with this camera. None of these suggestions proved to be effective and I informed Customer Support. I was informed that a new camera would be sent (no expense to me😁!) The new camera arrived within a few days. I am upgrading my overall rating of this camera (and YI Customer Service.) I am impressed by this company’s willingness to maintain customer satisfaction. The prompt response and consideration extended to me during my interactions with YI Customer Support is greatly appreciated!
4 people found this helpful
leonel –
2.0 out of 5 stars
NO ES 2K. calidad de imagen regular
La calidad de grabacion no creo que sea 2k. Ademas en la opcion de calidad solo sale sd y hd, algo extraño. Se ve mas como una grabacion de 720 reescalada a 2k. Los frames tambien parecen pocos, se ve mucha imagen fantasma. Las altas luces se vuelven blancas, y pues no puedes modificar la configuracion de contraste y color de la imagen. Le instale un microsd, pero no pude descargar grabaciones desde la app.El sonido que transmite cuando mandas mensajes de voz es muy bajito, tal vez sirva para un cuarto pequeño.La vision nocturna es buena.
J.A –
5.0 out of 5 stars
[problems self-solved] [UPDATED], SD card saves the photos but videos go to my iPhone storage instead of to sd card
[UPDATE 3] only alerts are saved on SD card. Recorded videos that show up on your iPhone storage are still taking up space on your iPhone, even when you ‘select’ it and ‘add to’ the yi[bunch of #s] album. Still give it a 5/5. Slight preference.[UPDATE 2] I noticed that when I selected the videos that showed up in my iPhone storage, I had the option to move it to an album called “yi [bunch of #s] ; this essentially allowed me to move the video to the SD card in my yi camera. I have the option to then delete it from my iphone’s Main storage , since it now shows up under ‘album -> videos’ in my yi profile. 5/5 stars but poor documentation & little to no explanation .[UPDATE 1], SD card saves the photos, but videos go to my iPhone’s storage instead of to the SD card ( it still shows : “recording failed, try again” but all the recordings that ‘failed were in my iphones ‘album’ under video… if I can make the sad card the destination for videos that would turn this to a 5/5 instantly!When i click the button to take a snapshot it says “snapshot failed “, when I click to record a video then later click the stop button it says “ recording failed, try again”; my album is empty and nothing saves to my sdcard apparently. These guys are desperate to sell their annual cloud service ($69) on top of the price of the yi dome camera 1080p HD; well guess what; not only will you not get that cloud subscription, you will be getting $0 after I return this camera for a refund…it’s sad because the video quality, and ir night vision was excellent but what’s the point if you cannot record and save locally to the sd card? I reformatted it; and also the app says the sd card’s condition is ‘good’ ( it’s a class 10 32gb sdhc sd card) ; so much potential…all the bells and whistles but can’t perform a basic task that even cheap camera phones and old vhs cameras 🎥 can: “ hit the record button, have your footage saved to its storage. THE BARE MINIMUM/ basics. SUCH A FAIL, Due to GREED and a terrible business plan that pushes away potential customers. 1/5; would rate a 0/5 if possible or a negative integers.
One person found this helpful
Claughs –
4.0 out of 5 stars
We love this camera
We love this camera. The picture quality is great. There’s a ton of settings you can switch around in order to get your alerts comfortable for what you are looking.Our dog broke her leg and so we bought this to keep an eye on her while we are at work. It has served our purpose well. And we are definitely considering setting up more in leui of our regular alarm system and maybe save some money in the future.The app is easy to use, but one thing we noticed and wished it wouldn’t be set up that way, is that your camera and the app and thus the settings for them are the same across all platforms. Meaning my husband and I both have the app and he didn’t want to receive quite so many alerts, whereas my job allows for me to be able to manage that. He changed the settings on his phone, which then changed my settings. It should be per phone, at least that’s how I would think it would be. But minor issue until we found the happy medium.The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is that we had to move our wireless router closer. It was roughly 30-ft from the camera it the signal was not strong enough to keep the camera connected consistently. With that, this sort of camera needs to be able to connect to the wifi in a regular home for it to be useful. Our home is not big by any means and yet we still had to do some wiring to get the router closer in order to be able to get a stronger signal. We were considering trying a wifi extender and will probably need one if we put a camera upstairs. Other than that, we love it!
One person found this helpful
Abraham DiazAbraham Diaz –
3.0 out of 5 stars
OK for small rooms
Setup was ok, the camera comes with very little instructions on how to create an account and add the camera to your network. The best thing to do is download the app, and sign up through it. Onces the email is verified, adding the camera is very easy. I’d be happy with a small note that stated to download the app first and foremost.Overall the camera has some neat features for the price. I place the camera on my fireplace as it is centered in the room. The room being monitored is about 16’x35′. The image is OK (not great) up to 10′ or so. After that the image is pretty fuzzy. You can more or less make out what’s there, but facial recognition is not really there. Note that I have the setting at the highest resolution possible.I dislike that the phone app has the majority of the setting configuration options. I would think that the PC application would be more robust than the phone up, but unfortunately that is not the case. The description states that it has zoom, but its not a real zoom. Meaning you can not actually zoom into the image that is being recorded. Rather you can into an image that has already been recorded, so the quality is what it is.The quality of the image is also affected greatly by lighting. It may be the case with other cameras as well, I just found that any lighting in the room that is in front of the camera greatly affects the image quality UNLESS you have a stronger light next to or behind the camera. The mechanism is also pretty noisy when the camera is moving. It sounds like something is grinding. In a quiet room the sound is noticeable, however I couldn’t really hear it when life was happening in the room (i.e. the television being on, or kids running around).I’ve attached an image, as you can see the top of the image is VERY blurry. Some of the number on the lock are not distinguishable, and that is only about 12 feet away.The dome 1080p camera is priced identically as the regular stationary 1080p camera, so for the price I suppose the dome would be the better purchase. This camera is perfect for surveillance in a small room (10×10 ish). If more detail is desired in a bigger room, multiple cameras would have to be used. I’m waiting to hear back from YI to make sure that the lack of image quality is not a user error and that there is nothing else I can do to improve it.
One person found this helpful
TrUsTiNnOoNe! –
4.0 out of 5 stars
I do like the features
I ordered 2, one worked and the other didn’t. I do like the features, but after spending a few hours setting up the cameras it wasn’t worth my time. No live phone number for tech support, no online chat. You can only send an email, waited 3 days for a reply. The reply I got was generic and didn’t help solve the issue of the camera not pairing up. After reading 60 pages of review comments on Amazon, I found the problem was my WPA was too strong and security on my router was too advanced for this camera. You have to assign weaker security to get these cameras to pair with the phone and router. I would buy them again, I got 1 working camera out of 2. Sent the other one back, after 8 hours and 4 days of trying to get the other one to pair is not worth my time. I did keep the working one, loved the phone app and online offsite log in. The video is nice in 1080P, and the audio is clear. I would have given them 5 stars if this system was truly plug and play, but it isn’t. Nobody should have to read 60 pages of comments to get their camera to pair and sync. The tech support reply I got was generic, their support on their webpage forums didn’t address the issues. Thank You Amazon users who went through this process and posting their work around. Also why supply a white usb cable and adapter when the camera is black? It should be all black, I have used the working camera from 5 straight days and no other issues encountered.
One person found this helpful
E Whitt –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty Perfect Camera
I’ve always wanted a camera to keep an eye on our pets while we’re away, but my wife never found them necessary. When we started putting a pool in our backyard and she wanted to keep an eye on construction, she agreed to let me install one of these cameras. The install is super easy, all functions work as described and we’ve absolutely loved showing it off to friends (either to show progress on the pool or to show the second camera we have installed in the living room to watch the pets) remotely via the app. I liked how the first one worked so much that I bought a second one just a few days later. We’ve had them for 6 months and they work great; even the outdoor camera that works under a patio cover, away from rain but still in the heat and cold of central Texas (It’s been over 100 degrees and down to 25 on our patio so far.We’ve used the audio function once to call to our dogs while we were away, but they got very confused and started running around the house looking for us, so we don’t use that feature anymore!! We were able to use the audio feature while we had my sister’s dog to see if he was crying excessively while we were gone…he was.Now that the pool construction is finished, I love the peace of mind of being able to check the pool cam to ensure that there are no kids or pets swimming when they shouldn’t be. The only downside to a pool is the risk of accidents. The peace of mind this gives me alone is worth the price of the camera!!For the price, you simply can’t beat what you get with these cameras. Hopefully we won’t ever have to know how they’ll work in the event of a break-in. But if we do, it helps to know the cameras should pick up the action as we place them toward the front door and the back. If a break-in were to occur away from these areas, the camera should still pick up the intruder due to its wide angle.Very Happy with this purchase!!
One person found this helpful
Law –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not perfect but worth every penny.
Here’s some brief context. My wife and I bought a new home that is somewhat isolated from civilization. We also both work jobs that put us at a higher risk of criminal contact. Because of this, we installed a security system. Part of that system includes motion sensors in certain parts of the home that we believe leave us vulnerable to break-in. Recently, one of those detectors went off in the middle of the night but ended up being a false alarm. That incident made me realize how blind I am going into certain areas of our home (such as the finished basement).Enter YI 1080p Dome Camera. We decided to put this down in that basement area for two reasons. One reason is so that if a motion sensor goes off, we can quickly judge the likelihood of false alarm. The second reason is so when ensuring our home is secure, I don’t have to walk down into an area with no visual cues. I’m not trying to sound paranoid, it’s simply good forethought.This camera installed in minutes. I was actually surprised how easily it connected. The image quality, directional controls and features are truly incredible at its price point. The remote management is also great. There was an immediate firmware update to download which also went smoothly. I think the firmware update may have resolved some of the over-tracking issues people mentioned in other reviews. I have no had that issue so that is just my opinion.Feature wise, here are things I appreciated. 1) Motion Detection: you can set this camera to act as a motion sensor, and most importantly, you can also set it to send alerts to mobile devices when motion is detected. Detection also automatically takes a picture and begins recording and tracking the target. I let my 70lb German Shepherd go down stairs to test it out and it works really well. Please don’t think this is going to be some movie-quality motion tracker; however, for $60, it truly does its job brilliantly. 2) Scheduling: You can set the motion detection to only activate during certain time periods. This effectively makes it a set it and forget it device and also works well in tandem with preexisting security system schedules. 3) Cloud storage: I didn’t intend to use the cloud feature but since it comes with a month of free recording, I went ahead and signed up. I was surprised that the pricing scheme is very reasonable. I think 7 days of looped recording was only ~$6/m and of course they offered discounts for paying in advance and so forth. That’s pretty reasonable and you don’t have to worry about somebody taking the MicroSD card from the device.A few features I believe should be added or enhanced: 1) Scheduling: this feature is limited to three time periods right now. I wish it was more fully featured allowing you to set day-by-day schedules. 2) User Management: Right now, you can configure a pin code to access camera feeds. I wish they’d allow you to set up multiple users per account or camera so I can issue both permanent and temporary guest codes. I don’t want to set my pin code and give that out to people for obvious reasons. 3) Offline detection: I wish the app would send a push notification to your device if it detects the device offline. This would let me know if my wireless is out, power is out or if tampering has occurred. 4) Access notifications: it would provide additional peace of mind if the device would send notifications to owner accounts whenever somebody logged into the feed. I’m not just worried about big brother but also somebody who somehow figures out how to access your YI account. Something along the lines of “This MAC/IP Address is viewing your Downstairs Camera as of DateHere.”Again, for the price, this item is worth well beyond its value. The suggestions above would simply set it well above the competition and make it a more complete supplement to your security. I will be purchasing at least two more of these. If their continue to hold up, I’ll scout out YI’s other items. They have surprised me with their great quality.
11 people found this helpful
KittenLitter –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Incredibly Useful, Thoughtfully Designed
These are nicer and even more useful than I expected. The listing is accurate, and I find no discrepancies or misrepresentations. If anything, they’re better than stated – always a pleasant thing. Non-tech niceties include attractive and well-conceived packaging and branding. Esthetically, the sleekness and materials of the cameras are superb, and their discreetness and small footprint are most welcome. They can be positioned accurately with comprehensive tilting and rotating abilities, and they have a non-slip, non-scratch bottom for stability and to protect your furniture. The set-up guide is clear, with the app doing most of the set-up once you download that. Yi talks you through the process and tells you exactly what to do. This really works right out of the box; I was viewing my live feed within five minutes! Make sure you have your WiFi password handy for set-up (you only have to enter it once when activating the first camera). I have the cameras on two different sides of the house, and it’s terrific to see two completely different views at once. Not only do I see what’s happening on the ground and on the block (these get good distance views), I can check the weather too. This is one of those new favorite things you didn’t know how much you’d enjoy. The Yi Pro 2K cameras in this set get all the stars.
One person found this helpful
Elizabeth Christian –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Works great
I love almost everything about this camera. The night vision is clear, motion tracking works most of the time unless you’re walking fast, then it just gives up like a cop in a Ford that just had a Lambo speed past. The picture quality is great & is only hindered by our slow & spotty country Internet. I bought this camera specifically for the time lapse feature which I think is cute as heck. I just wish it could do motion tracking at the same time, but you have to turn that feature off in order to do time lapse, which you also have to manually tell it to do unlike a more expensive competing camera that does it automatically every day. It also only does a 6 hour -> 30 second maximum time lapse unlike the other brand which does double. I did have an issue with downloading videos from the cloud. You can only download them in 10 minute or less segments & I kept getting the same video over & over & over again from 4 days earlier. The software is buggy. I wrote tech support but never heard back from anyone *update: I just got a reply from tech support. They didn’t help with my Groundhog Day issue when downloading clips to my phone, but told me how to use the desktop software (which I already knew how to use). The software must have updated, because all of a sudden buttons on the desktop software works! Not all of them & not all the time, but most of them & most of the time. I was able to see my cloud videos, download to my PC, & even go fullscreen finally! The fullscreen option took about half a dozen clicks before it finally worked each time & the same with closing the software, but we’re making progress! I’m so glad I can do this on my PC finally because I’m old & my phone screen is a pain in the butt to see. 🙂 . Back to the downloading videos to the phone; I found a way around it, but it took a while. For anyone wanting to know why their videos are stuck in Groundhog day even though you’ve deleted all the downloaded videos & started over, it’s because you have to delete each video while you’re in the screen to be watching it, NOT in the screen that lists all the downloaded videos. It’s the only way. Once you delete it from there, it will still be saved on your phone but within the software itself it will be gone & the next video you download will actually be the one you were intending to get. Also, the desktop software for the PC lets you view the live footage, but that’s it. None of the other buttons work except for the one to purchase cloud storage. The X to close the program doesn’t even work … you have to right click on your bottom bar & close it from there. Again, great camera, REALLY buggy software. Finally, it does connect quickly & easily to your Amazon echo devices & you can view the live camera from there too with just a simple command. If they ever get their software debugged & working better, I would really like to buy another one that’s capable of being mounted outside (this one isn’t waterproof). I gave it 4 stars … it lost 1 star for software that doesn’t really work well yet (phone app & pc). If it weren’t for the software that you kinda NEED to use the camera, the hardware alone would get 5 stars for being super fast & easy to set up right out of the box, great features, & picture quality.
5 people found this helpful
S. Sen –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Yi has a winner…
This is a little camera that sort of forced me to write a review. I already got a 2nd one. It’s not quite a PTZ camera as it only has digital zoom but that’s okay as it doesn’t pixelate much. Here are the pros and cons that I noticed in last few weeks.TL/DR: You can’t get better picture quality even at twice the price and those options are unlikely to have many of Yi’s functionality (Pan and Tilt, for example). I highly recommend these if free cloud storage is not a mandatory requirement.Pros:1. Picture quality in HD is very good. Even SD looks decent on 4.7″ iPhone. There is 4X digital zoom but as expected, the quality degrades but can be handy at times.2. Pan and Tilt control works quite well. Note, how far it can go towards bottom is limited. If you place it on a table near the edge, it’ll not be able to point directly below it. I have mounted it on the wall as I have limited need to capture the ceiling so it works for me.3. Motion detection – it’s software based and quite reliable. I have not been able to fool it by running fast. The video is blurry (it’s 15fps) for fast moving objects and expected. Even switching on the lights in the adjacent rooms show up in the alerts. Alerts can be scheduled per camera for different times on weekdays and weekends.4. The mic is quite good at picking up distant sound. The speaker is tinny but loud enough to have a short conversation with kids and to calm the dog5. Not battery powered – once installed, there is no need to remove it to charge6. Decent night vision – the central area of the screen is well-lit. Surrounding is also visible, just not as bright7. Micro-USB based connector – can be easily taken to a different place and powered with any USB source. I might get another one for my office and power it off of my computer’s USB port8. MicroSD based storage – I don’t use this feature as I have mounted the cameras on the wall at a height and removing the sd cards is not easy but it can be useful in case of network problems to view the recording later9. Stable software – The iPhone app has yet to crash on me. The same experience is my wife’s on her Note 4.10. Automatic Pan / Tilt option – it can automatically switch to different views continuously, to monitor a much larger area. There is a slight noise when it moves around. It can potentially reduce the number of cameras one needs to monitor a large area.Cons (most are nitpicky so I didn’t want to deduct any star) -1. The cable is too short unless you set it on a table/counter with a wall socket nearby. I had to order a 15ft cable for one of the rooms2. As mentioned before, it doesn’t pan too far to bottom. If mounted on a table / kitchen counter, the blind spot down is larger than I expected3. Night vision IR LEDs are not powerful enough to light up a large room entirely. I am talking about corners that are 20 ft away so not a big deal for me4. I had to restart the router for a different reason and the cameras didn’t connect automatically later when the router came online. I had to recycle the power for both the cameras – I hope it’s something they can fix with a firmware upgrade. Since a power recycle fixed it, I believe after a power outage it’ll start working without any manual intervention.5. No free cloud plan for a day or two like some of the competitorsOverall, I am very happy with the purchase. I was planning to get Netgear Arlo Q for their free 7-day storage but decided to give these a try at half the cost and pan/tilt option as my previous experience with Yi (have their action camera) has been good. If free cloud storage is not a must, I’d highly recommend these tiny inexpensive cameras loaded with features.Now if I could get Alexa to show the alert videos from previous night on my TV it would be perfect 🙂
4 people found this helpful
dagster –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Once Set Up Works Like A Dream
Bought two of these cameras, one to keep an eye on my back deck and patio door and the other to keep an eye on my basement. Although it only supports the 2.4 GHz WiFi band (keep this in mind during setup — if you set up using a 5GHz connection on your smartphone, it will fail. You need to connect your phone specifically to the 2.4GHz band on your router), the video feed is high quality at about 25KB/sec with about a three second delay. You can zoom up to 8x (digital, not optical) to magnify certain spots.The live feed allows you to have controlled one-way or two-way conversations through the speaker/microphone. You can wither subscribe to the YI Technologies cloud storage service or you can record and access video/photo feeds from an optional 64GB micro-SD card you insert into the back of the unit.I was fortunate to read some earlier reviews! NOTE: this unit will not work right out of the box — unless YI Technologies has updated the firmware on their factory units. Instead, you will need to download the latest firmware from the YI Technologies site to a micro-SD card (usually inserted into an SD card adapter) on your computer, rename the download file per the site’s instructions, then pull and insert the micro-SD card into the back of the unit to upgrade the firmware. Once the latest firmware has been installed, the rest of the setup is pretty much plug and play. The firmware process added about 30-45 minutes to the process that otherwise would have taken about five minutes.In conclusion: great product, very reasonable price. Invest in a 64GB micro-SD card for each unit. Download and install the latest firmware from the YI site, following their instructions. Make sure you set up the unit with your smartphone connected to the 2.4GHz bandwidth if you have a dual bandwidth router (2.4 and 5GHz). Once set up, your router will automatically take care of the 2.4GHz/5GHz translations so you don’t need to switch your smartphone every time; this is just a setup requirement that is typical for most/all of these types of devices (including video doorbells) since 2.4GHz maintains a stronger signal over a longer distance from the router than does the 5GHz bandwidth (as of this writing).The unit can be set on a table or you can use the separate mounting plate to attach the unit to a wall or ceiling. You’ll just need to have access to a power source. So, if you have a drop ceiling, you can attach the mounting plate, purchase a long USB-to-micro-USB cable to run to your power source (the unit comes with a 110-volt to USB power adapter) and you can get a full field of vision of your surveillance area.The smartphone app is excellent and pretty intuitive to use. With it you can add cameras to your suite, switch to different cameras for live view, set up detection rules for each camera, and access any feed history based on the notification rules you set up, including motion detection. If you use a memory card, the history record will overwrite the oldest entries once the card is full.
190 people found this helpful
Daniel T.Daniel T. –
1.0 out of 5 stars
Second Yi Camera Failed in 2 Years
4/11/19 update: original camera below ended up no longer connecting to router (even after reset). the other Yi I had worked fine (and it was further away from router) so it was this camera in particular that had the issue. purchased another one in Feb while it was on sale and I was getting an outdoor Yi camera anyways. Yet again, after 2 months of working fine, this new also now only shows a yellow light and no longer connects to network. This makes 2 Yi cameras that have failed on me in 2 years. I love the product when it worked and bc it was cheap. Will now slow begin changing over to a different vendor since these are going out one by one….Original Posting: Worked like a charm for less than one month until I now see color palate and pixel abnormalities in video constantly (see image). There were no recent firmware updates, and I’ve tried resetting camera, reinstalling app, and even re-positioning camera to different lighting environments to no avail. Will be returning this device and ordering from a different manufacturer.8/7/18 update: replacement camera sent by YI last year to replace the previous defective one (see notes below regarding previous issues) has failed as well. The current issue mirrors the previous (occurred just after the new firmware upgrade, same as before). See second screenshot of current problem. Bottom line: good camera while it works, but you will be getting what you pay for- an overall poor product that lasts approx one year, if that….11/2/17 update: While I’m grateful YI allowed me to return the original camera reviewed above for a replacement, the new one is now malfunctioning as well unfortunately after a couple months. This is the first week I’ve gone out of town since receiving the replacement, so I’ve been checking it regularly the past few days. This time, the microphone has stopped working altogether, and the horizontal panning keeps moving itself off axis of my bookmarked spots as it’s set on Auto-Cruise (something this new replacement has done a few times before but randomly resolved on its own). However, now everytime I check it, it’s pointed at the ceiling. I walked a family member through how to reset it while I was on the phone with them, and after I could reconnect to the camera, toggle the settings, the problems were still there. Was very pleased with the quality while it worked, but clearly this model has some serious issues as this is the second one I’ve had go out on me…
111 people found this helpful
JeffJeff –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing camera quality
Camera 5/5 stars- Camera quality is very good. It is easy to plug and start ussingStorage 2/5 stars- This did not come with free sd card. You have to purchase it separately or subscribe to kami via the app.App 2/5 stars- App is easy to setup and use but have several ads in them. It also sends notifications to subscribe to the monthly/annual cloud storage occasionally.Overall, I like the build quality of the cameras – yes they come in 2. If for personal use, you can also rely on the sd cards.For business purposes, I think 100/year on the cloud storage is not bad. Watch out for promotions too as they sometimes offer 30% off.
2 people found this helpful
Paul G –
3.0 out of 5 stars
So far so good. I purchased the 1080p version after some other …
*Update 5/12/17*So I’ve had this for a couple months now.I’d still rate the camera itself as a solid 4 start, bordering 5. Thing works great, has a good image and catches all sorts of movement/changes in shadow.The software on the other hand is far too unreliable for you to consider this a security camera. It’s good for keeping a tab on things in a pinch but I find the phone app constantly boots me and is sometimes excruciatingly slow to send me notifications(if at all). Often I’ll get a notification but then have to sign in to view it. Sometimes I can view the playback but then need to log out and log back in to see the camera itself. Sometimes I have to go through all the setup screens again just to access the main app. Bottom line is that it’s annoying and hinders me from getting to the videos quickly to determine if anything I should know about is going on.So far so good. I purchased the 1080p version after some other reviews said the quality was better. The picture is certainly clear to me and overall I’m satisfied for the price.The packaging came in a bit worn but the edge seals were still in tact so I assume this was a new unit that was just scuffed up a bit. Would’ve stunk as a gift since the clear plastic viewing area was scuffed up but I didn’t mind.The camera itself was very easy to setup, taking less than 10 minutes not including the update once it’s connected. It’s easy to use and for the most part the app is intuitive for basic use.So near as I can tell you don’t get free storage for the camera. You’ll either want to pay the subscription to use the cloud or buy an SD card which will give you some time to access and save any actions before they become deleted. The camera saves on loop mode though so if there’s something you want saved you’ll want to do it right away to ensure it doesn’t get saved over the next day. The 6-second clips will be saved but if you want longer footage for any reason you’ll have to save that yourself after viewing it. Basically you’ll get an alert that has a 6 second clip. You can view that clip as it saves in the alert section of the app. But if you want to see 30 seconds later or before you’ll either need to have the cloud storage service or an SD card. You can then also scroll through the hours to see past activity.On thing I’ve noticed is that the alerts are a little slow for me. I’ll walk into my place and get an alert upwards of 5 minutes later. It’ll have the proper timing on the video (for instance I entered at 6:45pm and it’ll show me coming through the door, but I get the notification on my phone at 6:49pm) but from a security standpoint this was a bit disappointing: a lot can happen in 3-4 minutes when someone is breaking into things.The motion tracking and night vision are solid. I had a thunderstorm the other night and the flashes were triggering the camera to record and track to the window. My place is small enough that the wide view covers both entrances so that’s all I use.One thing I don’t like is that I can’t turn the camera off when I’m home. This is more an annoyance than anything as I’ll receive notifications when I walk into the room or wake up in the morning. It just leads to excess notifications.
6 people found this helpful
Freidy –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great price for an amazing product!
I am very shocked of how good this is. I didn’t think it can be good for this price, but it’s the best choice I have made.Not always paying more you get a better a product.I would definitely recommend it!I use it for my kids room and I can see so clear even though it’s dark.
Malvin LimMalvin Lim –
5.0 out of 5 stars
YI Pro 2K Indoor Security Cameras: A Pet Owner’s Peace of Mind
The YI Pro 2K Indoor Security Cameras have exceeded my expectations. The 2K resolution ensures a clear and detailed view of my home, especially when checking on my pet. The night vision capability is impressive, providing visibility even in low-light conditions. Seamless integration with Alexa and Google Assistant enhances accessibility, allowing for easy monitoring through voice commands. The built-in siren adds a layer of security, and with 24/7 SD card storage, I never miss a moment. In summary, these cameras offer a comprehensive and user-friendly solution for pet owners and anyone prioritizing home security.
One person found this helpful
John Martin –
1.0 out of 5 stars
AVOID purchasing if you struggle with technology that doesnt come with instructions and a company that can shut it down at will
Just got it. It arrived in a box about twice the the size of the container without packing material – loose. Did not appear damaged however. However after 2 hours of trying to get it to hook up I have been unable. It has been “waiting to connect” for about an hour now and the instructions do not tell me how to help it connect. Hell, I dont even know if its waiting to connect to my phone or my router! I have downloaded the app and its too vague to understand. I have created the account, but now it asks for my email and its password, which I will not give it my email password. I am likely misreading these kindergarten instructions or there are other instructions which were not included.Here are the actual 4 steps in the booklet that came with it:1. Camera kit which describes the parts supplied.2. Getting to know the camera – explains the buttons and slots on the camera itself3. How to use the camera – just how to plug it in and turn it on and b) downloading the app which was simple enough.4. Mounting instructions.THATS IT. All I got when i downloaded the app was a request for a password and username and request for SD card read and write permission.This company has to understand that us “older” people (Im 60) that arent as tech savvy as a 4 year old but I need more than this to get things to work.DO NOT BUY THIS if you expect instructions as to how to make it work. I will try again tomorrow when my blood pressure drops, but it will be sent back within 2 hours if I cannot get it connected, or possibly hit with a hammer for a you tube video that will likely get a lot of views, as their you tube video instructions were as valuable (or as worthless in this case) as the instructions that came with the device and people will search them all looking for help.Ok – Update revision – actually got camera to work for a few days (had to set it down for 2 days because of frustration). Then power went out and screwed up my router. Struggled once again to get this camera working as passwords got messed up (happened with other devices too – its an ATT router which sucks, btw). Anyway, now the picture is restored, but its upside down. Cannot get it re-inverted after two hours of online looking for help and hitting every damn button there is. As I said earlier, this is not an easy set up and support is absolutely worthless. Ok, I have finally got it to work as I was told it would. Still, this product has a learning curve that is unnecessary. Instructions could be much better written as its obvious the developers did not have anyone outside of their company try to set this up on their own. That said the picture is pretty good and I am lucky I did not pop a blood vessel with the frustration levels I reached. I raised my review to two stars because of the functionality of the device.Update for this software – June 16, 2018 – just got a notice on the software (camera was not being used) that said I had to read terms of service and agree or the camera would be unusable – thats actually amusing to me since its a piece of crap to being with. Anyway, the fact that a camera may have not been working weeks or months ago and someone might have been relying on it is scary. Amazon should remove this product from its store…lowered the rating to a single star now – but I will reiterate – look elsewhere for a product for this purpose.
2 people found this helpful
Ellis UnderwoodEllis Underwood –
4.0 out of 5 stars
which is a GOOD thing, lol
JUST delivered to me and so far is completely what it claims to be. You can choose between AUTO, SD or HD. It turns 360 degrees but I thought it only went around 345 degrees, which is a GOOD thing, lol. The downsides (which it NEVER claimed to have these features) are I can’t zoom and I believe it must be plugged in to work, I was hoping you could charge it and it would have a battery life of like 12-24 hours. BUT like I said it never claimed to zoom or be wireless. It has a 2-3 sec delay so when rotating I click a couple times then wait to see how far it rotated. Haven’t had a chance to test night vision yet but I will hopefully check it out tonight and post an update tomorrow.UPDATE: Figured out how to zoom, you need a touchscreen and it’s just like zooming in and out on your phone’s camera using your two fingers. If your PC is not a touch screen (like mine is not) then you won’t be able to zoom. BUT I use my smartphone and I have more options and settings available on the phone than I do on the PC app. I will be investing in an Android tablet so I can view it on there because it is not supported on Amazon Fire tabs.UPDATE: So I left the camera on and checked out the night vision. Best thing I can say is it was awesome and I took screenshots to compare day and night vision.
4 people found this helpful
Samantha –
4.0 out of 5 stars
3) I do not like that when an “alert” goes off
I am a first time user of any surveillance product….I researched as many reviews as I could being new to this process. My only 3 downfalls for this product are: 1) for the first 2-3 days…I was not able to view the “entire clip” until the 3rd day even with my cloud membership (which I had joined immediately). 2) When i had my “customized” timing of high alert alarms….if your camera is not set up to a particular person’s height (meaning averaged sized people unlike myself)…. when they trigger the high alert motion detected alarm (which works very well for me)…..you will miss their entire face/profile etc (meaning…as for as someone as short as myself…..if your camera is not set to view taller person (s)….then all you will see is legs and abdomen….therefore…if you are short…set the camera elevated b/c it will not move up/down to the person(s)” height (motion detection occurs from left to right….not up and down). 3) I do not like that when an “alert” goes off…..i have to wait until the next day to view the entire clip….again I am very new to this process let alone this product so it may offer a way to alter these settings that I am not familiar with at this point. However, for the sole purposes of monitoring my place from a distance while I’m gone….It is extremely user friendly! P. S. once you try to establish contact from the camera to your internet….you have 30 minutes…know this so you won’t be interrupted for the starting process 🙂
JustinP –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good camera in comparison to many others
Since the YI Cameras are cheap and well reviewed, I bought the YI Dome 1080p & YI 1080p Home Camera test out. Overall, I am very impressed. My basis of comparison are my mix of cameras from Foscam, D-Link & Samsung.SETUP:I have nearly every type of Foscam made & I am tired of the spotty connections/disconnections when trying to view the cameras remotely. The Foscam setup is not difficult if you know how to setup port forwarding, etc… but it’s just a hassle. The YI camera was extremely simple to setup. You just hold your phone in front of the camera. That’s it, no port forwarding or anything.IMAGE QUALITY:Very good. Similar to my 1080p Samsung.SOUND:Far superior to Foscams. In situations where I can’t understand the audio from my Foscam, I can hear the audio from YI without a problem. Yi also has a “Hand-free” setting where you can talk & listen at the same time.- Also, Foscam Cloud doesn’t record audio, but YI Cloud does.ADD’L:- I got the “YI 1080p Home” & not the “YI 1080p Home 2” because, the non-2 version’s camera pops out and fits into the Nest/Dropcam cases I bought. (I needed a piece of tape to hold the YI in one of the cases.)- The YI app & desktop application are very simple. I haven’t seen any ability to view the camera via web browser.- I haven’t tried to connect the YI cameras to Blue Iris yet.- I haven’t seen an option to imprint the timestamp in the videos.- I would like to see an outdoor YI & YI with optical zoom.- D-links are just terrible cameras & all 4 of my D-links are offline more than online.- I have 1 Samsung, which is a good all-around camera, but they are expensive & I don’t yet see an important functional difference between the Samsung & YI cams.
9 people found this helpful
Mike B –
5.0 out of 5 stars
It does the job.
I put this in the ceiling of my long enclosed front porch. This allows sweeps of video of all of my front property, driveway, and adjacent properties, this would have required several exterior cameras and mainly a large cost. I did go online and order a 25 foot power chord so I could very easily run power to an outlet near the floor at the end of the porch. I ordered 3 more and will use them for my garage, enclosed rear porch and basement. Anywhere that I need to see when I am not home. I did not want my interior space covered by cameras. But as long as I cover the basic entry points I will be alerted if someone approaches the property. I also ordered SD cards to allow me to review past notifications I might have missed. My security system will handle the rest of the work. I can now see the delivery man and mail man delivering packages and mail. I can fully monitor all activities from my desk at work. I find these devices to be very cost effective for what they can do. I can also use the device as a 2 way intercom and talk to family or visitors all through its built in mic and speaker. Very useful. My only complaint about night vision is with low E window glass it tends to turn windows into a mirror and it reflects the interior instead of showing what is going on outside the window, but day time monitoring is perfect the HD 1080p is clear and has great resolution. Lastly I use the bookmark monitoring feature. This feature allows you to take snap shots of areas along its monitoring route and then you can set the camera to go to those specific places and not just random rotation. That helps monitor very specific places and keeps the camera on track to what YOU want to see.
Bogdan M. Epure –
5.0 out of 5 stars
I consider this YI Dome camera one of the best security cameras as of today
(I have no experience with security cameras)That being said, I consider this YI Dome camera one of the best security cameras as of today. It packs a lot of features and for what it offers, it is very reasonably priced. It works by connecting it to a wi-fi router and by pairing it thru a QR code with your smartphone. You can even share the acces to your camera with family and friends you trust. You can set in the YI app how much acces they can get to it (live transmission, receive movement notifications & acces to saved videos)It will transmit live to your smartphone (and to the other smartphones you set it to) any movement, any sound, in HD quality.This camera is designed to work in tandem with your smartphone. It has a free Android app that you can download from Google appstore. Pair it up with your phone and you will have these benefits:-live transmission on your smartphone anywhere on this planet (as long as the YI camera and your phone have working internet connection)-you can control the camera from your smartphone. You can move it 360 degrees just thru the controls on the Yi app on your smartphone. You can watch live, listen live. You can even have a 2 way talk with the person(s) near the camera because the camera has 2 small but loud enough speakers and 2 microphones.-the videos recorded by the camera are stored on microSD that’s incorporated into it or on YI cloud service. (it supports a maximum of 32GB microSD card) The camera only saves videos when it detects movement. And when that happens you can be notified on the phone if you set is so.-you can even format the microSD card thru the options of your Yi app on your smartphoneI don’t know what else to say about it. It is a really nice product and it serves my purpose.
One person found this helpful
MTNGAL71 –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Would rate this a 10 if I could
I’ve had the camera for a month or so now and we love it. We had the Foscam before and although the picture and video was great, it was constantly going down and I was needing to call the 800 number to fix it. Setup of the Foscam cameras in a nightmare, the only thing the saved it, was the awesome customer service..but sadly the last time they went down and I called, customer service was longer available. So, we started our new search for similar cameras.This camera is so easy to setup! I mean it seriously could be done by a child. Love that!!! It works flawlessly at home and away without all the crazy port configuring etc. It sets everything up for you.The app works great and does everything needed!!Motion Detection is excellent and can be set for specific times or left on for 24/7. When the cameras detect movement it sends a push alert to my phone and records X amount of the movement for me to see once I go into the app. and look under alerts.Video Quality is good. Sometimes a little blurry but not enough to not recommend this camera.Sound is crisp and clear. You can turn off/on the sound in the app. Love it has the feature where you can speak back and fourth with someone if needed, that has come in handy a few times when I needed to get ahold of hubby and his phone wasn’t by him but the camera was and I could tell him to check his phone and he could respond back .I bought the 32 GB micro card and installed in cameras, no problems at all.I would HIGHLY recommend this camera, works great without fail. I’m surprised the price honestly isn’t mush higher on this little gem!
3 people found this helpful
P_J_P –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Quite a Feature Packed Item With Great Video (UPDATE)
There are already hundreds of reviews….this is more of a vote:I vote YES on this camera. I give it 4.5 Stars.Impressive video, impressive features in the app. I have tried many, but not all of the features. I was satisfied with the results. While the software isn’t 100% perfect, I have yet to see a camera app that is.And to answer a question I have often seen: Yes, you can view this on your PC with a simple download from YI.I’m a former computer tech and struggling gadget junkie. I didn’t need this camera, but I wanted to see what they can do. I am often asked for my opinions on equipment. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this product in most circumstances.Between the equipment and app features, you get quite a bang for your buck…and very nice video to boot.=====UPDATE: I don’t use this camera often as I don’t currently need it. After weeks of having it unplugged, I turned it on. The camera was basically frozen. It would not connect to WiFi not allow a reset. I did my own troubleshooting, then contacted YI via email. I did troubleshooting with them, to no avail.They are currently exchanging the camera at no cost to me. That’s good customer service.As to the issue with the camera…I just don’t know, but I would still recommend it. Should it happen again, well then I would really question the overall quality.
18 people found this helpful
Rev –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Don’t waste your money on a more expensive camera! This is all you need!
For the money, you really can’t go wrong. Stop freaking out over all of the app permissions. Just about every app requires the same permissions. The picture quality is really good, especially for the price. I really like being able to bookmark preset locations instead of having to wait for it to move around. The motion sensor works pretty good most of the time and it moves to track the motion. You have full control over the camera from the app. You can move it whichever direction you choose and even zoom in on something that catches your eye. I would love it if they added a quick motion alert button to the app so you could quickly turn off and back on motion alerts. Since mine is setup in my house, it would be nice to be able to tap one button to stop the notifications of every movement, and then tap it again when I left the area to turn them back on. The sound quality is pretty good as well. I like the two way talk feature so if I’m not home when my kid gets home, not only do I know that they made it home, since they tend to forget to call, but I can check in with them and see how their day went. My wife works nights, and checks in on her break to see and speak to our young daughter to tell her goodnight. I know others have mentioned that the outdoor case for the NEST cam works great, but, I’m waiting for a verification it can handle the cold, and then I’m adding another one. Here in Ohio, we get all the seasons in a week sometimes, so it would have to be durable. Overall, very satisfied with how it works, and the i.p. cams are much easier to hack into and get spied on than this is.
5 people found this helpful
Big-Z –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful, Wonderful, Wonderful
I am so pleased with Yi cameras. This is my second and they both work wonderfully.I wrote a positive review on the first one and the same goes for this one… fantastic.The android app works great as does the windows program.I now have a huge picture window, two in fact, outside to see my driveway and street, watch the weather, see deliveries, etc. from anywhere I am with my phone, tablet, or laptop.I will say it again: I do not know how I lived without these. I have one outside under an eve where even 5 degrees did not hurt it last week, and one inside. I have 32 gb cards in both.One recorded damage from a snowblower on the road to my carport… I have the footage for insurance!They work great in total darkness without the infrared lights on. On a clear night, it looks like daytime outside.This company is a a standard for easy tech setup. It could not be any easier. I applaud them for taking the nightmare out of wifi setup. It is a breeze with a pleasant voice guiding from the cameras.I have never been more pleased with any purchases from amazon as I am with these two cameras.By the way, I paid full price for both and have no affiliation whatever with Yi or amazon.UPDATE: I have now added the 720p dome camera as well. It is just as wonderful and amazing as the other YI cameras I have bought. I have this one aimed into my bird cage so I can watch them when not in that room.
6 people found this helpful
EgleddysEgleddys –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good product!
Well worth the purchase!I bought this camera after having a bling and the video quality is exactly the same.It’s super easy to install, you just need to download the app, scan QR code and you’re done.The only thing is that you have to buy to be able to store
Jin Feng –
5.0 out of 5 stars
A feature-rich reliable security/surveillance camera with unbeatable price.
While I’m going to mostly point out some flaws or rough edges of the product so potential buyers can evaluate their needs, make no mistake, we absolutely love the camera and we purchased 3 of them and subscribed to its cloud storage service. It has exceed our expectation in every way.1) Motion Detection MechanismIt’s not very clear in instructions/manual or on yi website, that the motion detection in this camera (as well as the 720p dome camera) is picture based, not PIR infrared based. Now to us that’s exactly what we wanted since we want to position one of the cameras behind a window monitoring our front porch and drive way. PIR infrared based motion detection would be rendered completely useless behind any glass. However, when you use a picture based motion detection system behind a glass, a couple of things you need to be aware: a) there will be false-positives, no matter how much you tune (in fact, not much you can tune in this camera): lighting changes seem to trigger false positives most frequently, so be aware; b) remember to turn off night vision IR in the Camera Settings or your night images would be completely washed out by IR reflection from the glass.2) Smart DetectionIt’s a bit confusing to name the setting “Smart Detection”. At first, I thought if I turn on Smart Detection then I would get motion activated recording plus alerts (push notifications) and if I turn off Smart Detection, then no alerts, no push notifications, no recording. Well, it turns out after talking with Yi support, this is not true. “Smart Detection” is really for alert/notification but not for recording. On means you’ll see Alert entries in the UI as well as getting push notifications on your smart phone and Off means you won’t see alerts, no phone notifications, but a big catchya: if you have sd card inserted, or cloud storage subscription, motion activated recording still takes place and videos are uploaded into sd card or cloud. I seriously recommend Yi to rename the setting to “Alert/Notification” to avoid confusion – that motioned activated recording takes place no matter what the setting is as long as either a local sd card is present or you’re subscribed to cloud service.3) Double tapWhen you’re watching the live camera feed, if you double tap anywhere in the picture, it will pan/tilt track to center the location where you double tapped. I wish this behavior can be turned off. One of our cameras monitors our baby bedroom, and sometimes we need to pinch zoom and move the picture around a little bit, but we definitely don’t want to cause the camera head to turn which generates a very audible motor noise at night. It scared our baby several times, because we accidentally double tapped instead of trying to simply move the picture around.4) BookmarkBookmark is nice, I wish I can give it a name/description, because several bookmarks without text description would look very similar in their thumbnails. It’s hard to tell which bookmark is what I want.5) Watch navigationIn the Watch section UI, it will automatically jumps to the beginning of the latest motion activated recorded clip. Nice. But to navigate to the previous clips, you need to drop the timeline on and on until you see the blue markings indicating recorded clips. I wish there could be a |<< button, so it will jump to the beginning of the previous clip.Most of the above are nitpicks for a fine product at an unbeatable price. Very happy customer indeed! 9 people found this helpful
M –
5.0 out of 5 stars
A pair of Tobo cameras
I loved using these cameras
Toobusy –
3.0 out of 5 stars
They now spam us with ads on their phone app!
I have 4 Yi cameras. I purchased them over a few months period of time. I have had the phone app the entire time. Suddenly, a few weeks ago, they started to put up and ad when I check my camera about “back to school” (like people buy security cameras for back to school?). You have to wait for it to clear or hit “skip”. I was not happy and send them feedback on it. They said they were aware of the issue and would be fixing it shortly. A few days later, the ads stopped. Faith restored.Yesterday, the ad has returned! UGH! I don’t want to see an ad when I’m checking my alerts! I want to get to my camera as soon as possible. I hate dealing with ads when I PAID for the cameras. Paying for something usually keeps ads away. I really don’t believe a security camera app is an appropriate place for ads anyway. Not happy about this.Also, the recording sound on this camera is so loud, I can’t hear the neighbors next door talking in their driveway in normal voices. I can’t make out what they say (good thing) but I can hear them as if they were under the camera. Then when there is no sound to pick up, it emits this knocking sound constantly. Sometime suggested it was hearing it’s own wifi or electric connection? Whatever it is, it’s very annoying.Also, not thrilled about the lag time. If it picks up movement, then it stops recording for a long period of time to make the 6 sec video sample for the alert. I have missed people coming to the house a few times from this. I have a recording of a delivery person coming up the driveway..then never leaving because it stops recording for too long. I see him on the alert and on the regular recording but then he’s just gone. This happens often. Wind rustling the trees will make a moving shadow on our driveway and the camera stops to record an alert but then it stays quiet for so longer after that, that I miss the person who came up to our house and took our newspaper. On the regular recording, the newspaper is there and then it’s not once it resumes recording. The shadow it recorded is great (I guess) of the trees but it missed activity I wanted to see. Another brand of camera didn’t have that long of a lag time after recording snips (alerts) and I never missed a thing. Their website says:”There is a time-out feature in the alert. A new alert is generated and sent to your mobile device after it has been motionless for several minutes” bit a LOT can happen in those several minutes it is motionless. We’ve missed quite a few things.Other than these two issues, we like the clarity of the camera and the app alerts are very helpful. We have one pointing outside to view comings and goings and a couple more inside. We also purchased one for a friend and recommended Yi brand to others.Would rate higher with NO app ads, better sound issues, less lag time (also known as “time out”) after doing an alert snippet so we don’t miss activity. Several minutes of motionless camera is enough time for someone to break in and not be caught on the camera. 30 secs would be a better time out.
9 people found this helpful
MakingStuff –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Easy to use and never failed us.
We used these for a haunted house to see where the customers were. They worked great!
One person found this helpful
P. Christensen –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice picture…has a few niggles though
Very nice picture quality, but it has a few issues:1 – wifi strength is marginal. I have mine mounted right outside my window to act as a security camera. My router is literally only 10 feet away and the signal is a bit weak getting through a single exterior wall and my video frame rate is extremely laggy as a result.2 – you absolutely have to have a smartphone to set this up and use it. There is a “home app” for the PC and it sort of lets you get past the initial setup and connect to your router, but you can’t access camera settings with it, only look at live video and pan/tilt, snap pics etc. The detailed camera settings are all not available except through phone app.2a – network settings are a bit obscure. The device appears on my netgear router as a ghost device with no name, and just a mac address. It does not respond to PING’s and there is no web interface. kind of odd. Perhaps they only implement the protocols they need to k.i.s.s. and cheap. I don’t know, but I would expect a bit more depth and options other than the strange “hold up the QR code to connect” that it uses for initial setup.3 – it would be nice to be able to program the motion detection for a region of interest, or somehow to block out areas where tree movement or pets will cause false alerts. Can’t do that.4 – They want you to use their cloud…understandable…but I don’t want a monthly subscription service..ever…no way…not going to happen. They push it at you, and again, I can understand why, it’s a great way to add profit and reduce direct costs, so just be aware, they are pushing it at you.5 – Security feels quite questionable. I don’t see any promise your video/pics/data/camera is safe and secure. I can put a PIN on the camera and that’s good, but other than that, I haven’t noticed any real mention of how they are protecting my privacy and considering that this is an online camera putting out a continuous live feed I’d like to see some sort of commitment or at least a bit of a show of one. I’m not sure when I view video if the data is just sent directly from the camera to my phone/pc or if it’s routed through the YI central server and then to my device. Some explanation would be nice.6 – the image quality is quite good. Even in night/IR mode. It’s amazing how good it is considering the price point.
One person found this helpful
Skully –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Budget wifi cam that fits the bill
This is our second Yi branded wifi cam (the other being a single position 1080p model).PROS:-For around $40, this gives you 1080p res, decent night vision (can be turned off in settings), 360 degrees of rotation, and some level of up-tilt (not sure the exact angle…description may have that info).-The camera is easy to set up (multiband router? just make sure you’re on the 2g when setting this up) and seems to work flawlessly on a consistent basis.-Additional features include the ability to auto-sweep an area and set motion detection parameters (when alerts should be sent, how sensitive detection is, how frequently alerts should be sent, etc.)CONS:-when switching over to night mode (i think just when infrared LEDs are turned on) there is an audible *click*. It’s not super loud, but is noticeable. So if you are using this as a nanny cam or situations where you want to keep the camera stealth, the click may draw attention.-while the camera can tilt UP, unfortunately it can’t tilt DOWN. I wanted to be able to mount this camera on a high shelf in the living room to keep watch of the front door, but the angle isn’t ideal. Wish i could tilt it down a bit.-Our other Yi camera allows us to set a ‘hot spot’ area where it will look for motion. this is great, as we have cats that often trigger the camera. If we were able to draw a box around the front door like we can with the other camera, they wouldnt trigger an alert every time they walk by.Overall i think this is a solid purchase. It works over data connection, so checking in when im at work is easy through the app. They offer cloud storage but we dont find that necessary, so for now we just have it loaded with a 32gb microSD. Alerts are accompanied by a 6sec clip that you can download to your phone to keep if need be.There are some reviews that mention less-than-ideal privacy from this company. If this is a red flag for you, look into it a bit deeper. With the number of echos, cameras, and smart devices in our home, we have surrendered to the almighty big brother, so security wasn’t much of a concern for us.
One person found this helpful
Sammy –
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not too bad
Not too bad
Jim –
4.0 out of 5 stars
I wanted to give this a 3.5 rating, because I would buy it again.
I wanted to give this a 3.5 rating but, of course, I can’t. I struggled to decide whether to go 3 or 4, ultimately deciding on 4, because I would buy it again.Installation: It was pretty easy to install. It did require me to install the app in order to connect the camera to my network. It also required my phone to be on the same network where I was installing the camera. I prefer to keep my phones and computers on a separate network from my cameras and smart home devices.Support: This device is not even listed in their web support page. I wanted to switch the device to another wifi access point. However, there is no help available for that.Video quality: I thought the quality was good. It produced a good image in the standard daytime mode, the low light mode and in the infrared mode.Android Application: The android app is fine and seems to work as it should. It could be a little intuitive. It was a bit confusing.Windows Application: The Windows application is awful. It rarely does was it is supposed to. It does not use standard windows GUI icons and most of them don’t work, anyway. About ¾ of the time that I have used it, I can’t get to go full screen- which, on my laptop, makes it about the same size and lower resolution as my phone (not helpful). Next point, the resolution on the windows interface sucks and when I’ve downloaded video, it can’t be opened with Windows media player, VLC, Video Pad, or any standard Windows video player. I have been able to download on the Android app and then covert the video and then upload to Google Drive and then download to my laptop – but, that’s a pain in the butt just to get a video. Every time I have used the Windows App, I have had to force close it using task manager. Bottom line: It’s total junk software.Subscription: I like that it doesn’t require a subscription to the camera online. you can just view a live stream or view the past video from an sd card. However, it does not support RSTP (local streaming).
2 people found this helpful
Desert LionessDesert Lioness –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Purchase – A Couple Complaints
I purchased two of these YI Dome Cameras to watch my place and my cats while I’m at work or out of town. They were easy to setup with my smart phone. The original power cord they provide is short. If you want to mount these to your ceiling you need to buy a longer usb power cable. Consider where you’re plugging it in and where you want to mount it. It also does not come with a micro SD memory card. You will need one for each camera if you want it to save clips and have saved alerts from each.The cameras come with minimal directions, but there is plenty of information on their app/online to help you if you get stuck. All you do is plug it in, scan from the app on your phone to connect it to your wifi and you’re hooked up. There are settings within the app you can update (alerts, recording, etc). You do the same steps adding additional cameras. I find the app mildly difficult to navigate – sometimes it takes me a few rounds to get to what I’m looking for.The ad on the app isn’t bad, it’s a full size page that comes up when you open the app that you just press ‘skip’ to get to your cameras. It happens like once a day. I almost didn’t buy them because of the complaints about the ads, but I don’t find it hard to press ‘skip’ once a day. It might happen every time you completely close the app.The only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars is, besides the short original power cord, the picture still seems pixelated to me even though I purchased 1080p. It looks ok zoomed out, but as I zoom in on what’s happening on the camera from the app things do get distorted. I know that happens with fixed lenses (you’re zooming in on the image, the camera isn’t actually zooming in), but it seems a bit low-qual for my tastes. Also my place tends to be dark, which doesn’t help. Good lighting and close to the camera things looks great! Night vision is handy, but can also pixilate. So, in short, I can definitely see what’s going on, it just not fine quality imagery. Good natural light is best. So not terrible but not completely satisfying in my situation.The two way audio works well. I have no qualms with it.I can move the cameras remotely back and forth and up and down to check out an entire room. Also easy-to-use.They look nice, just as pictured.Altogether a worthy purchase for what I’m using it for.
100 people found this helpful