Ubiquiti FrontRow Camera Tested

By: Rob Kilpatrick, Published on Aug 24, 2017

Ubiquiti is famous for low-cost wireless network equipment, a common choice for wireless video surveillance applications. The company has expanded into more computer networking products, video surveillance ones and now to 'FrontRow' which they declare to be 'reinventing the camera'.

We bought a FrontRow camera (shown below) and tested it:

******** ** ****** *** low-cost ******** ******* *********, a****** ****** *** ******** video ************ ************. *** ******* *** expanded **** **** ******** networking ********, ***** ************ ones *** *** ** '********' ***** **** ******* to ** '*********** *** camera'.

** ****** * ******** camera (***** *****) *** tested **:

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

Key ********

**** *** *** *** findings **** **** ****:

  • **** ***** *************:** *** *****, *** Frontrow's ***** ************* *** insufficient ** ******* ****** video **** **** ******* at * ****** ****, regardless ** ******* ** clip ****. ******** ************ recommends ******* *** ****** during ********.
  • ** ********* ******* ****:******** ******** * **** connection ** ****** ** the ********. ********* ** a ***** ** ******** via *********, *** ****** streaming ******** * ******* or ***** ****.
  • **** *** / ****** light *********** ******* **** *** ***** performance:** ******** ***** **** even **** *** ******, video ** ****, **** images ****** ********** **** when ****** ** ~* lux.
  • ** ***/**** *********:******** ******* **** ** select ****** ***** ********* (Twitter/Periscope, ********, *** *******) and ****** ** **** for ****** ********* (*.*. to ***** - ** ONVIF ** **** *********).

*******

*** ******** ***** *** $399 ******, ****** **** the***************. **** ******* ** similar ** *** ***** Hero5 ***** ***** ****** some ** *** **** features (**, ***** *************, etc.) *** **** **** streams *** *** ********* mobile ***.

Questionable *******

***** ********* ******** *********** are ****** ****'* *****, as * ***** ******, it ** * **** choice, ********** ***** *** image ************* ****** *** cameras ******** *** '****' in ***********.

Frontrow ********

******** ** **** ******, about *" ** ********, with ******* ***** *** back, ** *** *** respectively. ****** *** ***** back ** *** ******** is * ***********, **** to ***** ********* ** streaming, ********* ****** ***** services, *** ******* *****. It ******** **** *** buttons, *** *** "*****" (used ** **** * picture ** ***** ********* video) *** * ***** button ****** **** ** turn ** ** *** off.

** ******** *** **** of ******* *** ******, a ******* *** * pocket ****/*****. ******* ******** much ********* **** *** operator *** ** ****** (see ***** ************* *****). The **** *** ** used ** * ***** by ******* *** ****** upside ****, **** ******** automatically ******** ********** ***** while ****** ****.

Streaming ** ****** ***** ****

******** ** ******* ** streaming ** ********, *******/*********, and ******* ****. ** RTSP *********, *****, ** other *********** ** ***** is *********. ******* *** started ****** ** ********* the ******* **** *** pushing *****.

**** **** ********* ******** wifi. ** **** ******, users **** **** ** active **** ******* ** order ** ****** ** these ********. ** ********* from ******** ** ***** to ******** ** ********.

Streaming **. ********* ***********

***** ****** ****** *** 4MP ********** (*********), *** still ****** *** **.

** *** *****, ********* video ******* *** ~* Mb/s, ********** ** ****** level. ***** ****** *** high ******/******* ***** **** averaged (~* **/*), ***** resulted ** ***** **********/******** up ** *****.

*******, **** ********* ***** to *** ******** ******, bitrate ****** *************, ********* ~20 **/*, **** * bigger ******** ** *******, from ~** **/* ** 23-24. ********** *** *** present ** ***** ******.

Poor ***** *************

********'* ***** ** ***** stabilization *** ****, ****** to ********* **** **** walking ** * ****** pace ** ** **** floor.

*** ******** ****** **** is ******** **** ****** but ***** ********* ** watch ** ******* ****.

** ********** *** **** shaky *****,******** ********** ******* *** camera ** ***** ***** moving, *** **** ********* presents ************ *** ***** expecting ** *** *** camera ***** *******, *******, or ********** ***** **********.

Image *******

******** *** ** ********* wide ***.*° ***** ** view, ***** *****. ******* of ****, *** ** even ******** ********* ***** quickly, ********* **** ~** PPF ** ~**' ********, shown *****.

********'* ***** ******* *** best ** **** *** interior ******, *** *** camera's ******* ***** *** poor, ******* ************ ** the **** ***** ****** and ******** ***** ******* in ***** ******** ******* in *** ***. ************, low ***** *********** *** poor, **** ******** ******* obscured ** **** * lux *** **** *** highly ********** ***** *******.

Comments (13)

John Honovich

IPVM | 08/24/17 03:55pm

****: ** *** **** ** * ***** ****, ***** *** atypical * **** **** *** *** ******** *** *** ** our **** ******'* ******** ** ****** **** ***.

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

** *** ********** **** * ****** ** ******** ***** ******* from * ********* ** ***, ** **** ***, *** **** Lorex **** **** ***, ******** ********, ***., ***.

Thumbnail newheadshot

Sean Nelson

Nelly Security | In reply to John Honovich | 08/24/17 04:23pm

* **** ******** ***** **** ****. ***** *** ** *********** read.

* **** **** *** ******* ** **** ******. **** ** cool. ***** ***** *** ************* ******, ***'* ****** ****'* *** that ***** **** ** ****** *********.

Thumbnail tompic

Tom Sharples

In reply to Sean Nelson | 08/24/17 04:45pm

******** ***** **** ****** "***** **** **" ****** ********* ***** products. ** *** *** **** ****! ****'* *** * ***** deploy *** ** ***** ***** ***** ** ***** * **** has ****** *** *** **** ** *** ****** ***.

Undisclosed #3

In reply to Tom Sharples | 08/24/17 05:08pm

** *** *** **** ****! ****'* *** * ***** ****** any ** ***** ***** ***** ** ***** * **** *** passed *** *** **** ** *** ****** ***.

**** ****-****** *** ***! ;)

Undisclosed Integrator #1

08/24/17 04:10pm

******** ***** ****** ******* *** **** * **** ******* ** Doom...

Undisclosed End User #2

08/24/17 04:13pm

**** ***** **** ** ********, ****** ** **** ** ******** $400 ****.

Thumbnail brk1

Brian Karas

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed End User #2 | 08/24/17 07:58pm

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

Thumbnail usa shield

Luis Carmona

IPVMU Certified | In reply to Brian Karas | 08/24/17 09:07pm

****** **** *** ******* ******** ** *** ****** ****** *** wall **** *** ****** **** **** *** ****.

Undisclosed #3

08/24/17 04:35pm

*** *** ******'* ******* ***** *** ****, ******* ************ ** the **** ***** ****** *** ******** ***** ******* ** ***** sunlight ******* ** *** ***.

*** ******** ****** ********** ***** *** **** **** **** ****-******** IPVM '***** *******' *****. **** ***** ****** *** *** *** ISO ***** ****** :)

John Robinson

08/25/17 04:32am

*'* *** ****, *** * ******* * ******* ** **** from **** ********* ****. *** ** ********* * **** *** in ** ***** ***** **** ** ****.

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to John Robinson | 08/25/17 12:01pm

***********!

**** ** ** ~***% ***** ****:

Undisclosed #3

08/27/17 11:37am

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

*******:**** ****** ********. *** ******** ****** **: *******

Thumbnail 20180219 112642

Rob Kilpatrick

IPVM | IPVMU Certified | 10/06/17 09:26pm

****** -

**** ******** **.*.*** *** ********** *** *** ***** ** *** front ***. *** *** *** **** * ******** ** ********* to *** ****, ***** **** *** *** **** *** **** translated *** *** ******** **** ****** ** **** ** **** desired ********.

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

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