Ecobee Updates HomeKit-Enabled SmartCamera With Spotify Integration and More, Lowers Price to $130

[MacRumors]

Ecobee today announced that its SmartCamera has a new price of $129.99, down from $179.99, and the camera has also been updated with some new features.

In addition to gaining compatibility with HomeKit Secure Video last month, which allows users to securely stream and store video from the SmartCamera on iCloud servers, the indoor security camera now features Spotify integration, smoother panning and zooming, and smoke alarm detection with a subscription to Ecobee's home monitoring service Haven.

- HomeKit Secure Video to safely stream and store videos taken on the ecobee SmartCamera with voice control on Apple’s secure servers. To give users additional peace of mind, the Smart Camera leverages Apple's iCloud service to securely encrypt and store video clips, where they will stay.
- SmartFocus v2 to track the motion of multiple people and pans and zooms more smoothly.
- Spotify Connect to stream anything from Spotify through SmartCamera with voice control.
- Smoke Alarm Detection (with Haven subscription) to alert users and the family when the SmartCamera with voice controls hears the smoke alarm.

The SmartCamera is available at its lower $129.99 price starting today, and users can receive the latest software updates via the Ecobee app.

Key features of the SmartCamera include 1080p image quality, a 180° field of vision, infrared night vision, voice control with Siri or Alexa, built-in speakers with two-way talk, person detection, the ability to set activity zones, and more.

Anker brand Eufy has more affordable indoor security cameras with HomeKit Secure Video, including the Indoor Cam 2K for $39.99.

Article Link: Ecobee Updates HomeKit-Enabled SmartCamera With Spotify Integration and More, Lowers Price to $130

 

[rosalindavenue]

Can anybody tell me why you would want to "stream anything from Spotify through SmartCamera with voice control?"

 

[hot-gril]

Can anybody tell me why you would want to "stream anything from Spotify through SmartCamera with voice control?"

I like my house to have Zelda OoT dungeon music or 007 GoldenEye "Facility" music to intimidate intruders.

 

[DogHouseDub]

Can anybody tell me why you would want to "stream anything from Spotify through SmartCamera with voice control?"

Hold music?

"Thank you for waiting. Your visit is very important to us. One of our residents is currently putting on pants and will be with you shortly"

 

[sw1tcher]

Can anybody tell me why you would want to "stream anything from Spotify through SmartCamera with voice control?"

To prank someone? Stream scary spooky sounds late at night to mess with a guest (AirBNB)/family member who doesn't know device can stream from Spotify.

Use as baby monitor and stream comforting soothing music (or Mozart?) if baby is having trouble falling asleep.

Fact or Fiction?: Babies Exposed to Classical Music End Up Smarter

Is the so-called "Mozart effect" a scientifically supported, developmental leg up or a media-fueled "scientific legend"?

www.scientificamerican.com

 

[justperry]

"Smoke Alarm Detection (with Haven subscription) to alert users and the family when the SmartCamera with voice controls hears the smoke alarm."

Haha, there are cheap smoke detectors which do this for free.

 

[nwcs]

Can anybody tell me why you would want to "stream anything from Spotify through SmartCamera with voice control?"

I came in this thread to make the same comment. I think this is a matter of two things: because we can and it makes the feature list look better. Actual utility and usefulness take a back seat.

 

[apparatchik]

I like my house to have Zelda OoT dungeon music or 007 GoldenEye "Facility" music to intimidate intruders.

Are these soundtracks available in Spotify? Apple Music didnt bring up relevant results for either one...

 

[McScooby]

I was going to say Spotify connected (or even Apple Music) is probably about as useful as a wifi connected toaster, although thinking about it, that'd probably be more useful! 🤣
I'm in the market for cameras and TBH apple should be ashamed with homekit so far.
All I want is a homekit secure vid camera, that doesn't suck, that doesn't need a manufacturer app to set up (part of the reason why I want to use homekit secure vid so details aren't provided to anyone other than apple) and doesn't cost £100+
My options so far are the eve cam and logitech, both are £100+ & have a few dodgy reviews, all the rest have to be connected to the manufacturer app first, including this one.
Part of me wishes Apple would make its own, the trade off being it defo would retail for £100+.

 

[hot-gril]

Are these soundtracks available in Spotify? Apple Music didnt bring up relevant results for either one...

Only not-so-great remakes are.

 

[munpip214]

It would be nice if Apple added noise detection to HomeKit this year. Then it could detect and alert for similar things they added to iOS accessibility including smoke alarms, etc.

 

[LeadingHeat]

Can anybody tell me why you would want to "stream anything from Spotify through SmartCamera with voice control?"

Seriously though. The speaker can’t be good quality. It would be like playing a song through a birthday card speaker. Or the wii remote

 

[Piggie]

$180 for a 1080p indoor camera. Bargain

 

[nutmac]

There goes my hope of redesigned thermostat. I have Ecobee 4, which is functional, but low resolution screen looks dated whenever I walk by. And touch control is not as pleasant as Nest's physical control. Not a big deal I suppose, but I would replace it if Ecobee makes a better looking model.

 

[Le Big Mac]

Still waiting for them to introduce an outdoor camera.

 

[Le Big Mac]

Can anybody tell me why you would want to "stream anything from Spotify through SmartCamera with voice control?"

This is really poorly written - my guess is that you can connect it directly with your spotify account and use the microphone to tell spotify to stream to an audio device you have. That might actually be useful - unlike playing music through a tiny (and tinny) speaker.

 

[Madmic23]

Can anybody tell me why you would want to "stream anything from Spotify through SmartCamera with voice control?"

Two words: Entrance Music!

Of course, you'd have to use a HomeKit scene to handle the smoke effects, lighting, and pyrotechnics, but I'm sure that can't be too hard.

 

[Five_Oh]

I was going to say Spotify connected (or even Apple Music) is probably about as useful as a wifi connected toaster, although thinking about it, that'd probably be more useful! 🤣
I'm in the market for cameras and TBH apple should be ashamed with homekit so far.
All I want is a homekit secure vid camera, that doesn't suck, that doesn't need a manufacturer app to set up (part of the reason why I want to use homekit secure vid so details aren't provided to anyone other than apple) and doesn't cost £100+
My options so far are the eve cam and logitech, both are £100+ & have a few dodgy reviews, all the rest have to be connected to the manufacturer app first, including this one.
Part of me wishes Apple would make its own, the trade off being it defo would retail for £100+.

Same. I finally got a Logi Circle View for external use. It's been...fine.

Pros:

• Great field of vision
• Great audio pick up
• Good video quality
• Good response time
• Seems to not miss activity and must act a bit like a DVR, as it provides a couple seconds footage before object enters field of view
• Notifications are very timely
• Ease of set up and installation

Cons:

• USB for external camera? (I put a weatherproof box on an outside outlet)
• Motion detection (It tells me there is a vehicle in my drive virtually every time a passing vehicle headlights illuminate my own car)
• Pricey

 

[sclawis300]

There goes my hope of redesigned thermostat. I have Ecobee 4, which is functional, but low resolution screen looks dated whenever I walk by. And touch control is not as pleasant as Nest's physical control. Not a big deal I suppose, but I would replace it if Ecobee makes a better looking model.

What makes you think they won’t redesign the thermostat in the future? Honestly I love the 4.

 

[Mac Prodigy]

Come down another $100 and they might have a chance.

 

[Jay42]

Can anybody tell me why you would want to "stream anything from Spotify through SmartCamera with voice control?"

Allows them to add another logo on the box.

 

[Le Big Mac]

What makes you think they won’t redesign the thermostat in the future? Honestly I love the 4.

I have a 3, which has the same basic design. Really doesn't disturb me that there's no physical control like a Nest. I don't touch it that much anyway - that's what programming and the app is for.

 

[katbel]

Same. I finally got a Logi Circle View for external use. It's been...fine.
....Cons:

• USB for external camera? (I put a weatherproof box on an outside outlet)

I have one too, I love it 80%
but would like it to be able to avoid paying for iCloud, I do not need 200 GB , I check my clips every day and delete most of all and transfer to my computer the two I kept in two months....
Another issue is that the movie saved as clips are not editable by QuickTime even if they should.
I need to transfer it to Photos , trim it there and copy it back on my desktop. Only then QT is able to edit it. Same format .mov. Don’t understand why!?

Anyway what do you mean about the USB for external camera?

 

[JMStearnsX2]

I was going to say Spotify connected (or even Apple Music) is probably about as useful as a wifi connected toaster, although thinking about it, that'd probably be more useful! 🤣
I'm in the market for cameras and TBH apple should be ashamed with homekit so far.
All I want is a homekit secure vid camera, that doesn't suck, that doesn't need a manufacturer app to set up (part of the reason why I want to use homekit secure vid so details aren't provided to anyone other than apple) and doesn't cost £100+
My options so far are the eve cam and logitech, both are £100+ & have a few dodgy reviews, all the rest have to be connected to the manufacturer app first, including this one.
Part of me wishes Apple would make its own, the trade off being it defo would retail for £100+.

I tried the Eve cam, video was very poor although it has a great mount. More camera makers should take note of that.
Currently testing the Ecobee camera, decent video quality. You can set it up using just the Home app.

 

[name99]

Can anybody tell me why you would want to "stream anything from Spotify through SmartCamera with voice control?"

IF (and this is a very big if...) the UI is designed properly, then you'd like to be able to have the design, on detection of a person, stream sounds of your choice -- perhaps a large dog growling, perhaps a gun being cocked, perhaps what sounds like a call to the police.

But for this to work the system requires an intelligent design with this use case in mind (ie you have to be able to just set everything up, not require manual intervention, and trust that it works; which means considering questions like where does the relevant audio get stored, and can you sequence or loop audio). And I haven't yet come across a camera that doesn't make a complete hash of this even though they often have the basic hardware to do it properly.