iControl Piper NV Camera Test

Author: Derek Ward, Published on Jun 24, 2015

iControl has raised over $100 million in VC funding to transform the home security market. 

Last year, they acquired Piper, a camera / home automation startup.

iControl now faces off against two other super well-funded Silicon Valley competitors - Google/Nest/Dropcam and $40 million funded Canary.

The iControl Piper NV includes uncommon features like a Z-Wave integration, environmental monitoring, and built in siren, all features Dropcam does not offer.

We purchased a Piper NV to see how these features worked and how it compared to Dropcam and Canary in these key areas:

  • How easy is Piper to set up and use for inexperienced users?
  • How does video quality compare to Dropcam, both day and night?
  • How easy is Piper's mobile app to use for playback and live video?
  • How well do Piper's added bells and whistles work?

Inside, we answer these questions and more.

******** *** ****** **** $*** ******* ** ** ******* ** transform *** **** ******** ******. 

**** ****, ************ *****, * ****** / **** ********** *******.

******** *** ***** *** ******* *** ***** ***** ****-****** ******* Valley *********** - ******/****/******* ***$** ******* ****** ******.

*** ******** ***** ** ******** ******** ******** **** * *-**** integration, ************* **********, *** ***** ** *****, *** ******** ******* does *** *****.

** ********* ****** ** ** *** *** ***** ******** ****** *** *** ** ******** to ******* ********* ** ***** *** *****:

  • *** **** ** ***** ** *** ** *** *** *** inexperienced *****?
  • *** **** ***** ******* ******* ** *******, **** *** *** night?
  • *** **** ** *****'* ****** *** ** *** *** ******** and **** *****?
  • *** **** ** *****'* ***** ***** *** ******** ****?

******, ** ****** ***** ********* *** ****.

[***************]

Key ********

***** *** ******* *** ************* ******* ****** ****** *******:

***********

  • ** ******: *** **** ** *** **** ** ****** ***** ***** *********** must ****** ******* ******** ****** ** *** ******** ** ***** to ****** ***** ***** ***** **** **** **** **** ***** ******.
  • ** ******: *** **** ** *** **** ** **** ****** ** **** screenshot ********* ***** ******* ***** *********. **** ******* ** ******** in *******, *******'* ********, ******, *** **** ***** ******** ******.
  • ****** ******* *****:** $*** ***, ***** ** ** ****** **** **** **% higher **** **** ******** *******, ********* ****** ****** ~$*** (****** these ** *** ******* *-**** ** **** ************* ********). *******, note **** *****'* **** ***** ******* ******* **** ****** ****.
  • **** ***** *******: ***** **'* ***** ******* ** **** ******** ** ******* *** Canary, *** ** ****** ***** **** *** ***° **** *** weak ** ************, ******* *** ****** *.* ** **********.

**********

***** *** ***** *** ********** ***** ** *** ***********:

  • **** *****: *****'* ***** ******* ** **** (*** "**** ****** *****"), ****** most ***** *********** . **** ******* ** * ******* ** about $*** *** **** **** ******* ** ******, ***** ***** start ** ~$**/***** *** ******.
  • *-**** ************:*****'* *-**** ******** *** ***** ** ***, ** ***, ******** camera ***********. ****** ******* ****** ** ******** *** ********, **** may ** **** *** ***** **** ********** *********, ***** *********** do *** *****.
  • **** ******:***** ****** ************* ********** *********** *** ***** ** **** ******** cameras (***** **** ******). 

***************

*****'* ****** ** ******* ** **** ***** ******* *** ** illumination, ** **** ** ******* ********* (******* ****** *** ******), coupled **** * ***** *** ****** **** *** **** ******** of *********** *******. ***** ****** ******* *** **** ** ***** remote ********** ***** ** ****** ****** ** ******* *** ** Canary (***** ****** **** ** *** **** ************* ********** ********* and ***** ** ***** ** *****).

*****'* *-**** ************ **** *** **** ****** *** ***** ******* ***** home ********** ********* (********** *****/*******, ******* ****** **/***). ***** ******* these ******** ***** **** ***** ***** *** **** ***** ******* *** **** useful **** ********** ******* ******** ****** (*******, ******, ***.) ** addition ** * ********** **** ********** ******** (*.*., ***********, ****, Wink). *******, ***** ******* ******** **** ********** ********* **** ** complex ***** *** ********* ** **** ****** ************ (***********, ****, etc.) **** **** ***** *******.

*******

******** ******* *** $*** *** ****** ** ******* ****** *********. **** ** $79 **** **** *** $********** ************ ********, *** ~$** **** **********.

***** **** *** * ******* $*** ***** (***** *******) **** *** ********** **. *** *** ** ********** **.

********** *-**** ************** ***** **** *** $**.** *** ******** *** *******, $**.** for ****/****** ******* *** $**.** *** ***** ********* ****. 

**** ***** *******

*****'* ***** ******* ** ****, ******** "** ** **** ******** of ******** ******" ********* ** ***** *******. ******* ******* $*.**/***** (7 ****) *** ** *** **** *******, ***** ****** ****** only ** ***** ** ***** *** **** ($*.**/** *** * days *******).

Physical ********

** **** * **** ** *** ******** ************ ** *** Piper ** ******* ** **** *****:

** ***** ** ****, ***** ** **** ****** ** **** than ******* *** *** ******* *** **** **** ** ******. Below ** * ****-**-**** ***** ** *** * *******:

Setup *******

******* ***** *** ***** ** ******, **** *** ****** *** walking ***** ******* ******** ** ******* *** ****** * ******. *** camera ** ***** *** **-** *** ***** * ~* ****** setup *******, *** ****** ****** *** ******** ****** ********* ** *** mobile **** *********.

App ********

** *** ***** ***** ** ****** *** ***** ****** *** and **** ** *** *********. 

*** ***'* ****** ** "****" ******** ** ***** ******** ****** like ******* ** ******, **** ******** *******, ****, *** ********. It *** ** ********* ** **** ******** ******** ** ****. For *******, *-**** ******* *** ***** *** * **** ** the ******** ******, *** ***** **** ** ** *** "********" tab ** *** * ******** *** ******/********, *** ** *** "rules" *** ** ********* *** ****** **** ** *****. ************* these ******** **** ***** ***** ***** ****** **** *********.

**** ******

***** ******** * "**** ******" ******, ******* ************* **** *** common ** ******** *******. ***** ***** *** **** ****** *** outside ***********/********, *** ***** ******, ***** ******, *** ****** ******, in * ***** ** *** **** ** *****. 

***** *** *****

***** *** *** ** ***** *** **** ** **** ***** (***** cannot ** *******): "****", "****", "********" *** "***" (************ ****). Rules *** ** ********* ***** ** ***, ***** *********, ***********, or *-**** ******* *****, *** ******* *********, *** *****-** *****, Z-Wave ********, *** ************* ** *** **** ***/** ***** "******* Circle."

******* ****** ************* *** *******, *******, ********* **** **** (** phone ****), ** ***** ** *********. **** ***** ***** *** content ** * ****** ************. ***** ****** *** ****** * text-to-speech ******* ** **** ************.

**** **** ******* ****** ******** ** *** **** ****** ** the ****'* *****, ******. **** ***** *** **** **** * single *******, ***** **** ** ****** ***** *****.

*** *** ***** ********* *** ***** ** **** *****:

Search *** ********

***** *** ********* **** * **** ** ****** ** *** Piper ***, **** ** *** ** ********* *** ******** ***** of ****** ** ******** *****. ******** ** * **** ***** a ******** ********** ****** *** ***** ****** ***** *** ** scrolled *******, *** *** ******** ** *** ******* ** **** of *** ** **** ****, ** ********* *** ***** ******** more **** * *** ***** *** ** *********.

************, ***** ** ** *** ** ****** * **** ** even **** * **********, ****** ******* ***** **** *********** ********* in **** ** * *****.

Z-Wave ***********

***** ******** *** ******* ** ****-**** ***********, * ******* ***** ** *** ***********. **** ** ******* to ******** ********, ********/*******, *** ***** *********, **** ** ******* to *** ***********, ****, ** ***** *********** ****** ** **** blown **** ********** *******.

*-**** ******* ***** ******, **** ***** ******* ***** ** * discovery ****, **** ******* *** ********** ****** ** *** ******. We *** ** ****** ********** ******** ** ******** ** *** tests.

Image *******

***** ** ** *.***, ***** ** ****** **** **** ** the ********-***** ******* ** *** ******. *******, *** ** *** 180° ***, ***** ** ******, **** ******* ** *** *****, seen *****.

*****'* ***** ** **** ****** **** **** *********** ******* ** default. ***** *** ****** ********** ** ***** * **** **** control, *** **** ******* ** ****** **** ********** **** *******, and **** ******* ** *** *****, ******* ***** ** ******** it ******** ***** ** ******.

**** ***** ***** *** ********** ** ********** ** **** *****. Note **** **** ******* **** *** ******** ** ***** **** with ** **.

************, *** ***° *** ******* ******* *** ** ******* ** the ***° *** ** ****** *** ***° *** ** ******* Pro.

**** *****

** **** ***** (~*** ***) *** ***** ******** ***** ******* than *** ****** *** ******* *** ** **'* *** *** for * ***° ***. *** *******'* ******** *** **** ******** ** the ****** *** ******* ***, *** ***** */* ** *** **** ***** ******** **** legible (*****/*****).

** ********* *****, ******* ** *** ***** ** *** *** is * *******, *** **** ** ******* *** ** ***** for *******, **** ********* **** "***** ******* ***** ******" *** there ** ** *** ** ****** *** *****.

****

** *** ****, *** ***** **'* ********** ** ** **** around *** ***** ** *** ***° ***. *******, ******* *** objects **** *** ****** ** *** *** *** *********** ****, albeit ******** ***** ** ***********.

** *** *** ****** *** ******* ** *** ******* *** test ***** *****, **** ** ****** ********* ****** ****** ** *** *******, *** only **** ******* ******* ** *** ***** **** ** *** chart.

*****'* ** ************ *** * ******* *** ****, **** *** illumination ** *** *****, **** **** ** *** ******* ***** ****** *** room:

Comments (5)

Undisclosed #1

07/02/15 04:37pm

***** ** ** *.***...

** * ******* ** ****** **** **** ****** ******* ** the ***** ** *.***?

Derek Ward

In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 07/03/15 01:00am

*,

* ***** **** *******, *** **** ***** **** *** "********** used *** **** **** ** *** **** ********** ********* ** the *****". ** ***, *** *** ******* ** ******** **** the ****** ******* ** *** ***** ** *.*** **********.

Undisclosed #1

In reply to Derek Ward | 07/06/15 06:20am

** ***, *** *** ******* ** ******** **** *** ****** streams ** *** ***** ** *.*** **********.

* **** * *** *******, *** ** **** **** *'* not **** * **. **'* ********* ** ** ***** ** the *** **** *****'* **** ****** **** *****, ****** **** the ******, ** *****, ** *.***:

** *** ***** ****, *******-************* *** ******* *** ****** **** ** ******* **** *****, even ***** ****** **** *** ****** ** *.* **.

****, **** *** *** **** ******* ******** ***, ** ****'* clear ** **** **** ********** ****** "*.* ** *********".

*******, **** **** *** ******** ********** ** *** ******/***** *** used ** *** ******? **** ****** ********* *** *** *** to *** ****, ***** ***** ** ** *********** ** ***** supported?

******* ********: **** *** ***** ** **** ** ** ********* to *** ******** **** *** **** ****?

**** **** ** ** ****** * *** **** ***** ***** eptz ************, *** ***** ***** ** **** **** *** ********* at ***** *** ***** **** **** ******* ** *** **** sensor **********. **** ******* *** *** ******* *** ****.

******!

Derek Ward

In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 07/06/15 02:31pm

*,

** **** *********** *** ****** ********** *** *** ******* *** smartphones **** ** ****** *** ******, ***** ***** ** ** export ****** (** *** ****). ********** *** ***** *** *****, and *** ****** ***** ** ** ********* ** *** ******** for **** ****.

Undisclosed #1

In reply to Derek Ward | 07/06/15 06:18pm

** ***** ** *********** *** ***** ** *.* ** ***down at 2.1 MP.

***** **. **** *** ***** **** * ********* *** **** detail ***** *** ****...

***********.

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