Stuff UK — June 2017

BEST

FOR

OUTDOOR

SURVIVAL

E

FOR

G

S

OUOO

CAS

BEST

FOR

FLASHING

THIEVES

OUTDOOR

CAMERAS

GROUP TEST SECURITY CAMERAS

£179 / stuff.tv/NestCamOut

NEST CAM OUTDOOR

£250 / stuff.tv/NetatmoPresence

NETATMO PRESENCE

What’s the story?

This is Netatmo’s all-seeing

outdoor cam – it’ll detect

people, cars and even animals

and report back its findings

to your iOS or Android device

through the Netatmo Security

app with footage.

It replaces an existing

outdoor light – and works

as one in addition to being a

camera. You just need to switch

the wires over, making sure

the Presence is in Wi-Fi range.

If you don’t already have a

outdoor light you’ll need a

mains cable running outside,

for which you’ll definitely require

a qualified electrician.

Is it any good?

After the potentially tricky

setup process, the Presence

is a superlative spy. Its auto-

detection features work, for

the most part, brilliantly, picking

up any motion and telling us

via notification if a person or

animal was seen. We say ‘for

the most part’ because it once

mistook a pigeon for a car. Only

once, but still...

Using the app, you can create

alert zones if you don’t want

every part of your garden

under constant surveillance,

which is a nice touch. You can

also scroll through everything

the camera has detected,

viewing that footage at your

will. And you can see a live

view, natch.

STUFF SAYS ++++,

Impressive auto-detection

features in a well-built desi

n

What’s the story?

This is a beefier Nest Cam that

won’t fry itself if you leave it

out in the rain. With reinforced

and weather-sealed cables, a

comprehensive mounting kit

and easy-to-adjust magnetic

pivot, it should be able to keep

an eagle eye on your garden

or garage without too much

installation hassle.

Otherwise, it works almost

identically to the standard Nest

Cam: you set it up through your

phone, hook it up to your Wi-Fi,

and get alerts beamed right to

your pocket whenever it spots

something suspicious.

Is it any good?

There’s no faulting the picture

quality, which is crisp and

detailed at night as well as

during the day. The 1080p

picture is sharp enough to

recognise faces without having

to zoom and enhance.

The lengthy insulated cable

should let you hook up the

camera outside without having

to buy extension cables, but it

is a bit on the thick side – you’ll

need to do some drilling unless

you’re lucky enough to have an

outside mains socket.

Like the indoor Nest Cam,

you’re only getting half the

features unless you subscribe

to the Nest Aware monthly

plan. And if you’ve got multiple

cameras installed, this can get

seriously expensive.

STUFF SAYS ++++,

Nicely weatherproof, but pricey

if you want the best features

Q THE APP

If you’ve got Nest Protect smoke alarms or

a Nest  ermostat installed, you’ll see them

alongside your camera feeds. Tap ‘Away’ and

it’ll activate the cameras and turn down your

heating while you’re out of the house.

Q THE APP

 e most unique element of the Netatmo

Presence’s app is the smart fl oodlight. You

can switch the lights on manually from your

smartphone, which is useful for spooking

the neighbours’ cat every night.