Anker Adds HomeKit Secure Video Support to EufyCam Security Camera [Updated]

[Sym0]

I'm just getting up and online....give me a few minutes to further comment.


I'll have to look it up further but if you have 200GB and 1 camera you get 10 days...do you get 5 days with 2 cameras or anything more than 1 camera and you need 2TB option in iCloud?

I have a 4 Cam system I installed 6 months ago, the standard 16GB SD card inside stores about 8000 recordings for about 110days. I have yet to charge any of the cameras, but the most triggered camera is showing 75% charge after all this time...
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this feature should bring different features, not just icloud.
this camera proud to be using its own memory card.
homekit doesn't mean icloud.
anybody want to tell about it?

It comes with free 7-day cloud anyway, the rest is on board to SD, as above you get 3 months recording on that, so put in a 128GB card and you would never have to worry abotu cloud unless you want off-site storage.

 

[Stephen.R]

standard 16GB SD card inside stores about 8000 recordings for about 110days

what resolution/quality are those recordings? I’ve got 4 1080p cameras recording motion and after ~3 months of 3 and a month or so of the fourth being installed I’ve got 700+GB of recordings.

 

[chrisdazzo]

I got in early on the EufyCam 2 hype train (see Anker forums) and bought 3 cams + the Homebase for $350 from Best Buy during initial promos. They've been pretty great so far, superb battery life and human/motion detection, though I would love to see HomeKit support for the doorbell (also great, 2K resolution). Looking forward to when Secure Video support is released, seems the 2.5.9 update was pushed prematurely/doesn't even include it.

I've set the cameras to "Optimal Battery Life" (20 second clips) and with 1900+ motion events recorded, only 1.38GB has been used. I believe the EufyCams top out at ~12-24 FPS (1080p MP4, H.264 codec, 45KB/s avg. though streaming is much higher) Doorbell has used about 2.1GB of clip storage with probably 5-10 events daily since January (2K recording and streaming, hard-wired).

 

[Stephen.R]

I believe the EufyCams top out at ~12-24 FPS (1080p MP4, H.264 codec, 45KB/s avg.

That bitrate is definitely the difference there. I didn't specifically set the current rate in the cameras (it is configurable though), but after a little test (re-encoding a previous recording at a significantly lower bitrate via Handbrake) it seems like there's very little if any quality loss like this.

This will come in handy.. wifey is itching for more cameras, seems we'll be at 8-12 by the end of the year. Maybe she saw that movie Slither and got some ideas

 

[trainwrecka]

I only use security cameras that I can store video/images on SD cards or my own equipment. I'm not going to pay for cloud services that may or may not be here tomorrow, and that are not likely as secure as my own. I use Amcrest cameras and I can by 2 or 3 of them for what one of these limited cameras cost. And I can keep them outside in the sunshine, cold, heat, all kinds of weather, and never have to mess with them. No brainer to me, these are a pass...

These cameras have all of what you mention in addition to zero wiring required due to the 365 day battery. That said, one thing it doesn't have is the ability to be future-proof due to software on both my phone and the website. How do you get around that with Amcrest cameras? Are the videos not tied to some sort of app interface? Thanks!

 

[Stephen.R]

These cameras have all of what you mention

The cameras referenced literally do not have "all what you mention" because they can't be placed in full sun.

How do you get around that with Amcrest cameras? Are the videos not tied to some sort of app interface? Thanks!

I don't know about Amcrest (But I'd assume they probably do, because even my $20 Chinese cameras do) but most "IP Cameras" support some combination of RTSP and/or ONVIF, which can then be captured over the network by software on any number of device types - either 'appliances' (about the size of a VCR usually) or Mac/PC software, from which point you can do what you want with it.

 

[anyorsomething]

That bitrate is definitely the difference there. I didn't specifically set the current rate in the cameras (it is configurable though), but after a little test (re-encoding a previous recording at a significantly lower bitrate via Handbrake) it seems like there's very little if any quality loss like this.

This will come in handy.. wifey is itching for more cameras, seems we'll be at 8-12 by the end of the year. Maybe she saw that movie Slither and got some ideas

You can configure the bit rate?? I’ve been testing out the 2C and it's so grainy and pixelated even during the day compared to my ReoLink Ecos. Yes I see it’s 1080p but with bit rates below 100kbps the quality is trash, especially at night. When I walk around outside I tend to be a giant ball of blurr with black and white night mode or built in light. They have so much to offer but video quality is a deal breaker if I can’t identify a face or license plate. Plus waiting for Homekit secure video seems to be a never ending thing. Apparently it’s partially released? I check daily but I’m still running 2.0.7.8H. Let me know what Ya think and how I can change the but rate. Thanks in advanced!

 

[Stephen.R]

You can configure the bit rate?? I’ve been testing out the 2C and it's so grainy and pixelated even during the day compared to my ReoLink Ecos. Yes I see it’s 1080p but with bit rates below 100kbps the quality is trash, especially at night. When I walk around outside I tend to be a giant ball of blurr with black and white night mode or built in light. They have so much to offer but video quality is a deal breaker if I can’t identify a face or license plate. Plus waiting for Homekit secure video seems to be a never ending thing. Apparently it’s partially released? I check daily but I’m still running 2.0.7.8H. Let me know what Ya think and how I can change the but rate. Thanks in advanced!

Well yes I can configure the bit rate but also note that the cameras I have are specifically not the ones discussed in the original article, nor are they any other HomeKit compatible brand.

They’re ~$25 IP cameras from China with just-barely-working ONVIF support. I wouldn’t recommend them unless you like to tinker.