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935 of 958 people found the following review helpful.
Outstanding features, attic installation and UPS power backup - here is how!
By Internet shopper
First of all the SETUP is very easy. The on screen prompts will take you though the steps.1. Install the software.2. Plug the master network adapter into the power outlet and plug the Ethernet cable into your router3. Plug the camera into power outlet and click yes to update firmware (adapters and camera).NOTE: Do not unplug the camera or the master adapter during the update.Wow that was easy. It took less than 15 minutes to get the system up and running.You can even use your neighbors WiFi signal (please ask first) - more below.PICTURE QUALITYThe picture quality is great (but not HD and not what you have come to expect from a digital camera) during daylight hours but not so great at capturing clear pictures of moving objects in total darkness. However in my case I have a flood light with motion detector that comes on when someone enters the area at night making the video bright and clear.MOTION DETECTIONWhat I like is that you can draw areas on the actual image from the video camera to trigger recording. In other words you can eliminate false recordings from cars going by or movement outside your property.You set up each camera individually providing ultimate flexibility in alerts, sensitivity and recording. In addition, once you have created a LogitechAlert account, you can select which cameras triggers an email alert.EMAIL ALERTSYou set the LogitechAlert account up from the Settings Menu (the gearwheel icon).From here you can enter several email addresses. I have mine set to send a text to my cell phone (as I don't have a smart phone with email and web access).Most cell phone providers offers an email address starting with your cell phone number that will be forwarded to you as a text message.Please look the email address up on your providers web page. I can not put them up due to Amazon posting regulations.You may get charged for each text by your cell phone provider so make sure to set the Alert Frequency and Motion Filter conservatively (from within the Settings Menu - Alerts-Advanced).As mentioned above, I have not received one false alarm although my system is still set using the default values.RECORDING WITH PC TURNED OFF - THIS IS A GREAT FEATURE.The camera(s) stores all motion triggered activity regardless if you have the PC on or off. To review all recorded activity, start the PC and click the "Enter Playback Mode" icon. A very intuitive calendar and timeline shows up indicating recordings. Point to a time and click on play to see the activity.UPDATE:You can review/playback history from only the dedicated PC on your network.Logitech suggests not loading the software on more than on PC on the network.If you do, you can only watch live video but review/playback will not work from the other PC's (also unexpected results may occur).NOTE: You can view the real time images from anywhere on the web with the free Logitech Web Alert Viewer. To get full control with playback via a remote PC you must purchase the Logitech Web and Mobile Commander for an annual fee* of $80 (at the time of this writing).Unless...You keep a PC turned on all the time and control it from any PC (or web enabled phone) on the web using Teamviewer or LogMeIn (both are free for private use - you can download the programs from Cnet.com). Then you can access the Logitech Alert Commander interface as you normally do from home.UPDATE 1: I am using the free version of LogMeIn and it works great. The only disadvantage is that you can not hear audio from the home computer. But you can see the live video feed and use playback along with camera adjustments etc. Actually you can operate your home computer just as if you were sitting in front of it. You can access it from work or anywhere in the world via the internet.UPDATE 2: I have now used both remote programs for over a month. Logmein appear to be unreliable with respect to video quality. TEAMVIEWER IS THE WINNER (To get perfect video quality: select "View", "Optimize Quality" from the TeamViewer screen on the remote computer). TeamViewer will also let you transfer recorded video files (or any file for that matter) when you are away from home.Cost for leaving your home computer on all the time.The cost for a 40 Watts consumer** 24 hours per day, 365 days per year = $35/year at $0.10 per kWh.However, LogMeIn allows you to use "Wake Up On LAN" so you can turn your home computer on from the remote computer (Too much to cover here).* Come on Logitech!!! Reduce it to a $50 one time fee and sell more systems to happier customers.** One UPS manufacturer estimates 40 watts power consumption from an entry level desk top with a 20 LCD monitor. Turn the monitor off and bring the cost down even more. Also set the hard drive to turn off if not in use via Windows "Power Options Interface". You may also be able to set the home computer to "Wake up on LAN".INSTALLATION OF THE CAMERA'S POWER/DATA ADAPTER IN THE ATTICFirst of all I wanted to hide the wire to the camera.Logitech's instructions show the power/data wire going from the camera to a power outlet on the side of the house.Consequently a thief can easily unplug the camera.SolutionPull an extension cord from a power outlet in the attic (or somewhere else) and connect it to the grey power supply/adapter for the camera.IT WORKS!!!NOTE: WHATEVER YOU DO WHEN PULLING WIRES MAKE SURE THEY ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH LOCAL CODES.I know Logitech Customer Service had told another reviewer "The adapters CANNOT be installed in the attic".Logitech may be concerned about high attic temperatures present in some climates.My attic does not get very hot; in addition I mounted the adapter just above the lower perimeter soffit vent where outside air constantly flows in.The power/data Ethernet cable to the exterior camera (mounted under the roof overhang) is now routed through the soffit to the camera adapter in the attic.Drill a 9/16" (14 mm) hole to allow the Ethernet plug to pass through the soffit. Mount the power adapter over the soffit vent with the power cable coming out at the top as shown in Logitech's instructions.NOTE: I used a 100 foot grounded heavy duty extension cord plugged into a grounded power outlet. I don't know if using a grounded outlet and grounded extension cord matters because none of the adapters are equipped with grounded plugs. You may not need a heavy duty cord as the camera adapter uses very little power.PREVENT BLACKOUT DURING POWER OUTAGES USING A UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply)I still want the surveillance system to work during power outages or if the power line to the house is cut.The Manual tell you it will not work if you use a surge protector or UPS.SolutionI already have the cable modem and the wireless router plugged into an APC BN600R Battery Backup (UPS), so all I had to do was to plug the black Logitech network adapter into the UPS and pull an extension cord from the UPS to the grey Logitech camera adapter. All the equipment is fed from a single UPS.IT WORKS!!!The disadvantage is that you have to pull extension cord(s) from the UPS to the camera adapters. In my case it was not a problem because the extension cord would drop down from the attic between the studs in one of the walls to where I have my router.I am sure you can use a higher capacity UPS as long as ALL your Logitech adapters are connected to it.WHATEVER YOU DO WHEN PULLING WIRES MAKE SURE THEY ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH LOCAL CODES.SOUND/AUDIOOut of the box there was no audio from the camera.SolutionTo turn the sound on:1) Un-mute from the Command screen (slider at the right hand bottom) and2) Click on Settings (gearwheel icon) and click on the camera name (your camera(s) will be listed by the name you give them during setup "Entry way", "Hall way" etc.)Then check the box Enable Audio (after accepting the legal notice).Note: If you have more than one camera, you have to Enable Audio for each one.GOOD QUALITY PRICE RATIOOverall I will rate the Logitech 750e a quality system for the money. As an alternative, you can purchase professional systems that will cost thousands of $ but is unlikely that they have the remote access this system has.Perhaps Logitech have "beefed up" the mounting hardware for the camera. My hardware is rigid and of good quality. Another reviewer had problems with the hardware.(I tightened and pre-adjusted the holder/adapter and added a drop of Locktite (blue) to the threads prior to installation. It is easier done on the ground as compared to the top of a 15 foot ladder).UPDATE: The mounting plate is covered with a rubber cover. You have to tighten the holder rod FIRMLY to the base to ensure a rigid mount (or else the camera will wiggle).Also, one of the cameras would turn freely no matter how hard the thumbscrew was tightened. It turned out that there is a phillips screw hiden inside the short rod which is being clamped by the thumbscrew assembly. The phillips screw was loose. Simply remove the thumbscrew completely to take the assembly apart. Then tighten the phillips screw and put it back together.Logitech, QA/QC you need to address this issue. This is probably why so many people are complaining about the camera mount.ALARM SYSTEM - Section added October 7, 2011Before installing the system I had tried a couple of alarm systems with wireless sensors on the windows and doors. It was a lot of work to set up and configure but I could have lived with that if it wasn't for the false alarms. THEY DROVE ME AND THE NEIGHBORS CRAZY.Now I use the Logitech camera-setup as a silent alarm system. The email/text message alert tells me if a camera detects motion and I can immediately check what is going on over the internet via my Android phone (I finally got one) or from the PC in the hotel lobby.This way you can actually watch what is going on in and around the house before calling the police.Suggestion: Add the number for the dispatcher at your local police station to your phone book. (Calling 911 from Florida will probably take too long if your house is in Maine).Here is what I have learned.A camera MAY report motion (and send an email/text message*) if the shadows from clouds etc suddenly moves across the area the camera is set to monitor. I say MAY because it very seldom happens.The solution is to exclude these window or potential "moving shadow" areas from the cameras trigger area(s).A camera WILL report motion if a large insect or flying leaf moves over the trigger area. Even a small chipmunk on the ground will trigger the camera. Consequently I do not use an outside camera to send me text messages if motion is detected.When an outdoor camera is operating in night vision mode insects are attracted to it like a regular light bulb. Fortunately it is only a special type of insect that triggers my camera. It looks like a white flying spiral worm that is one to two inches long and 0.5" in diameter (I have not observed any other type of insects trigger a camera).* Providing you have armed the system.HOW TO CONNECT WITHOUT CABLE, DSL or ADSL INTERNET SERVICE - Section added February 21, 2012We have a cabin without wired internet service and without 3G broadband signal. The good news is that my year-round neighbor has internet service and a WiFi router. The signal from the router is very weak. However I managed to get EXCELLENT signal strength using the Alfa AWUS036H 1000mW 1W 802.11b/g USB Wireless WiFi network Adapter with 5dBi Antenna and Suction cup Window Mount dock - for Wardriving & Range Extension antenna connected to the USB port on my computer.Next step was to get the signal into a router. Again, Alfa to the rescue; they make a small but very sophisticated router that connects to their antenna (or a 3G USB adapter). Alfa R36 802.11 b, g N, Repeater and Range Extender for AWUS036H can also be used as a 3G Router - Enables you to Extend to Signal that is picked up by the AWUS036H and distribute the internet to multiple Users (Desktops, Laptops, tablets, iPods or iPad...It was very simple to set up: WiFi signal from neighbor -> to Alfa Antenna -> to USB port on the R36 router -> to the black Logitech network adapter via Ethernet cable -> to PC running the Logitech software (this last step is optional).NOTE ALL COMPONENTS MUST BE POWERED DOWN AND UP AGAIN FOR THE CAMERA TO BE FOUND AND BECOME LIVE VIA THE Alert.Logitech.com website.That was easy...... and my neighbor did not have a problem sharing his WiFi signal in the spirit of neighborhood watch and safety.BONUSNow we have our own private LAN with full WiFi and internet access for all our WiFi gadgets throughout the cabin.Ever wondered how to set up a PRIVATE LAN using your neighbors WiFi signal - NOW YOU KNOW!SUMMARY- Very easy setup- Great picture quality in daylight but not in total darkness- Motion detection is very reliable- Flexible email alert settings- Workaround if you don't have a phone with email or web access- Recording with PC turned off - great feature- Workaround to avoid paying $80 per year for remote access- Attic installation of the camera's power adapter- How to connect "Battery UPS backup"- How to turn the sound feature on- Using the cameras as a Security System- Connect the system to the internet via WiFi or 3GI hope this review helps you. The system is very easy to get up and running. YOU CAN DO IT!!!
203 of 209 people found the following review helpful.
Pretty good for the most part - Updated again, see second update
By David Hilliard
I've been waiting for an inexpensive HD security system to come out. This system is pretty good and, for the most part, does what I want it to do.SETUP: Setup isn't too bad. Just remember to read the directions but there are a few gotchas such as, you can't plug the camera side or the network side plugs into a power strip because of the circuitry screws up the data making it out of the power strip. This leads to the first problem I have. You have to use a dedicated outlet for each plug. In my older house, plugs are few and far between.SOFTWARE: The software installation was quick and painless. Immediately the software updated the firmware for my camera which was nice. The software controls are OK. It's missing some key features in my opinion. There is no "record" button. So it only records if it detects motion. I want the ability to be able to record on demand.MOTION: You can select up to 6 zones that trigger recordings and alerts when there is movement. The downside is, the zones are only square. I wish you could make angles as well. The motion is too sensitive imho. I have it all the way down and it finally seems to be only pick up large movement.CAMERA: The camera is of very high quality. It is all metal and it feels solid and like it will last a long time. I was surprised on how well built it is. It also has a microphone that works really well. It picks up everything. The last thing is the night vision. It works pretty good. The image quality is pretty good. I give it an 8 out of 10 when looking at the picture in the software. To my surprise, the image when viewing the videos manually are better!REMOTE VIEWING: Viewing the image on my iphone is pretty cool. There is about a 5-10 second delay, which is to be expected. Viewing the image at [...]is decent, though you already know from the other reviews that there is no sound with remote viewing.ALERTS: The email alerts are cool but I wish they would send you a screen shot as to why there was an alert. So imagine you get an alert, you log onto [...] or view the picture on your phone and now whatever it is that triggered the alert is gone, so you have no ideas what happened. On top of that, the free viewing doesn't have any way to rewind to see what's going on, so you'll have to wait until you get home. One workaround is, if you have remote software for your PC, you can remotely connect to your PC and view the software that way, but most users will have no idea how to do this. The other alert is right on your desktop, which seems cool at first, a sound is made and then a small picture pops up. the problem is, you can't click the picture to make it bigger, it just disappears after a few seconds.OTHER: The cord that comes with the camera is not long enough. I think it's 25ft. Which is decent, but they should give you 100ft for the money that you pay. You can buy more cord but I feel you shouldn't have to with the first camera.All in all, I like this setup though it could use some improvements here and there. I plan to keep mine and add more cameras hoping they improve the software.UPDATE: After doing some research over the weekend, I realize how bad the Logitech software really is. Instead I decided to go with software called, "Blue Iris" which is worlds better than the Logitech software in every way. So much so, I paid $50 for it. After that, I realized that the appeal of the Logitech camera system starts to fade since I could literally buy any camera and use it with Blue Iris. Currently I am running Blue Iris with one Logitech 700e and my Logitech C910 HD webcam and it works flawlessly. Admittedly it's not going to be as easy for normal folk, but for a techie like me, it's more than worth the effort. Bottom line, if you decide to get the Logitech camera, don't waste your money on the "System" package and just get the camera and purchase Blue Iris instead. Or, do what I plan to do, research similar cameras and see what my options are.BTW - If you want to just connect to your camera, download VLC player and then use the "Advanced File Open" menu and type "[...]" or "[...] Cheers!11/5/2011 Update: OK, I've had the cameras for almost a year now. I've been really happy with them. For the price, you can't beat it. I raised the stars back to 3. I still ding it for a few things. I really wish it was 30fps, but I guess it would be a lot of bandwidth over the internet, so they probably made a decision to chop it 15fps to conserve bandwidth and to save a little money on the camera side. I still use Blue Iris for 99% of my recording(I record 24/7 for 7 days). I actually use the email alerts with Logitech over Blue Iris since Blue Iris has a bug where it spits garbage onto the screen and falsely sets off the motion. I mentioned in my earlier review that there are no pictures with the email alerts. I was wrong, there is! I have caught somebody casing my house(they ended up robbing my next door neighbors house), I caught an accident, and a couple of drug deals. I see which critters walk around my house at night(raccoons, cats, and skunks), and catch everything from spiders to birds to every solicitor that comes to my door. I love knowing when people are coming and going. I see when packages are delivered and all with great clarity. If Logitech could add 24/7 recording, diagonal blocks on the motion page and lower the price of the yearly subscription, I would give them a 5. Anyhoo, just thought I'd post again since I felt my 2 stars were a bit low.
162 of 168 people found the following review helpful.
Great system with very few flaws
By W. Nichols
I try to keep up writing reviews for products I buy, especially the items that I myself do a lot of research on, before buying. So I'll break this down as best I can. I live in a 2-story, 2800 square foot home. And for the longest time, I've wanted a surveillance system to make me feel safe both when I am at home and away. The Logitech camera system and software does it right, with only a few minor issues, and I stress minor.I have an Apple router but run Windows 7 on my PC; I'm also using the free application on my iPhone. I had zero problems with the software install, even when it came to Window's firewall. I'm currently running 2 indoor cameras and 1 outdoor camera...but, I actually plan on using nothing but outdoor cameras for my entire system (to include for inside surveillance). And that's about the only real issue I have with the system. The indoor camera works awesome and does what it should. It delivers good quality color video and even over the iPhone application or over the web (from Logitech's website), all of my friends all have said, "Wow, that looks awesome!" BUT, and it's a big BUT, once the sun goes down, the indoor cameras are very limited. Shy of the bad guy turning on all of the lights in my house, then committing his crime, the indoor camera is of little use during nighttime hours. And at first, I was okay with that because I'm home at night and it's actually the daytime when nobody is home. But then I bought the outdoor Logitech camera and WOW, what a difference because it holds the very same quality as the indoor camera, but also does a phenomenal job at night. So with that, I'm going to return the indoor cameras and use the outdoor cameras for outside as well as inside. But I still want to give my review on the indoor camera as I've been using it for about a month now.Pros:Color Quality. Again, great color quality. Even using the digital zoom, I was impressed at how good it looks. My wife being the glass half empty type of person commented that you can't see the face of the person all that well. But my reply was - but you can sure as heck see his race, clothing description, weight, height, hair color and most importantly you can see if he is or isn't wearing gloves...hence, you could see clearly where he may have left evidence (fingerprints, DNA, etc).Included 2GB media card. This is a great feature!! This means that if bad guy breaks in and thinks he's outsmarting you by stealing your computer (with the footage of him), you can still revert back to the camera itself to retrieve the footage saved to the media card. Another great thing about the camera media card is that your home computer does not need to be always on to be recording. For example, my computer goes into sleep mode after about an hour of inactivity. So if my computer is in hibernate mode for a full day, the cameras are still recording footage and will sync to my computer when it awakes. For it to work seamless, I just leave the Logitech software running in the task bar (background).Software. Logitech did it right with the software. It was a very easy install, features are clear and I love that you can customize each camera you have on your network. For example, out of the 3 cameras I have, I only want 1 of them to send off text message alerts. Again, it's nice that the alerts are not just a system feature, but rather an individual camera setting. You can also adjust the duration of alerts to save yourself from getting thousand texts. For me, a 5 minute window is perfect, just as long as I get the initial text, I wouldn't be concerned about getting 20 more in under a 5 minute or however long of a window you choose. I also like the way the software saves all of the recorded video. With 3 cameras going, I've been getting a lot of recorded footage. The software not only allows you to use choose a given date and time to research, but if you were to search out for that file in Windows explorer, the software does a great job by saving the footage under the name of camera (for example "Living Room"), then the month (10 for October), then the day within that month. Being a police officer, I really like that if I had to turn over crucial footage (if my home was burglarized, etc), all of the footage would have clear a folder structure and time stamp that would make sense to any other investigating officer.Alerts. This feature sealed the deal for me buying this system to begin with. You select a zone in which if motion occurs, an alert will be sent. For example, although my camera has a pretty wide shot of my living room to include front door, my only concern is if movement is picked up at the front door. Once motion is detected, a text message is sent to my phone. The alert text message is awesome; it says what camera picked up what motion and at what date and time...simple and efficient. BUT, I will mention alerts in the Cons section, so please read on.Camera size. Again, I have both the indoor and outside camera and was very impressed by how small they were. I also lucked out that I have power sources on top of my potter shelves, so I was able to plug in the cameras without any wires being run down walls, etc. And because the cameras are small, I've actually told friends that I have the cameras and it still took them a while to actually figure out where.The "wow" factor. I'll admit it, I'm that guy who loves his tech toys, who loves showing off new technology and how I make it work for my family's safety. The first day when I showed all of my police friends the system, everyone was amazed. I should get a kick back from Logitech on all of the potential customers I made for them. Being able to open the iPhone app and show my friends that I have 24/7 surveillance of my home, felt very cool. The iPhone app also works very well over 3g cell service (not just wi-fi).Cons:Price. Well I mentioned the "wow" factor when I showed off the system to my friends. Well, I got the same expression when I told them how much. For me to get 6 cameras, all of them being the outdoor cameras, is a bit pricey. But, I will say that the software being free is nice. It's also nice to know that each camera comes with that 2GB media card (another plus that make the high costs seem understandable). And although I'm not that interested in audio, again, if you're going to pay the big bucks for a camera, at least it gives you color and audio as an option.Night time quality. Again, if all you care about is crystal clear footage in the daytime, then the indoor camera is for you. But for me, I began to get frustrated that for so much money, I was only getting daytime footage. For a bit more money per camera, I feel that it was well worth it, to be able to see what's going on in my home 24/7.Logitech server. This is a tough one to explain, but I'll do my best. When you install the cameras and software, the alert system is dependent on Logitech's servers / service. In the month that I've been using the camera, I only had 1 time that their servers went down. In that time, the cameras in my home were recording as they should BUT the alert notification system will not work if Logitech's service is down or disrupted. Although it was only down for a few hours, I was still very unpleased given the fact that the alert system is what it's all about. I don't want to come home to find my house has been burglarized and didn't get a text because the servers were down. Instead, I want to get a text message telling me someone is there, that way I can call the police and increase my chances of getting the suspect while he is still in the residence. The alert service has only been disrupted once, but makes me nervous for what's to come down the road as these cameras begin to sell.Alerts. Again, read my Pros section about the alert function. Where I had a problem is how long it can take to get the alert text message. I've done some very extensive testing and it ranges between 40 seconds to 4 minutes from when my phone gets the alert text message. Now 4 minutes may not seem like a long time, but a skilled criminal can do A LOT in just a few minutes. I'm not too happy about the variations on alert times, especially since there appears to be no rhyme or reason as to why sometimes I get the notification in under a minute, but other times over 3 minutes. Clearly, it has to do with Logitech servers.Plug outlet requirements. Although I get why you have to plug in your unit to the actual wall, it doesn't mean I have to like it. It's been a little bit of a challenge with some of my cameras to find a good discreet location coupled with having an available outlet there. I'm guessing that at some point, Logitech will begin selling overpriced extension cords or power bars that allow the cameras to work even without being directly plugged into the wall. I believe a read few reviews from people that have done this though; I would live to get their reply or feedback in this review thread.Thanks for reading!
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