360° Motion Detection Camera Tested (Zmodo Pivot)

Author: John Scanlan, Published on May 18, 2016

The Zmodo Pivot trumpets "motion detection in 360 degrees", claiming to detect and capture intruders behind itself, a truly rare camera claim.

Plus, they include other features atypical in home/DIY cameras like:

  • Wireless sensor integration
  • Bluetooth music playback
  • Temperature/humidity sensing
  • Compatibility with other Zmodo models like their smart doorbell and light
We bought and tested the Pivot to see how well all of these features performed and if this 360° motion claim was all hype or not.

******** ***** ******** "****** ********* ** *** *******", ******** ** ****** *** capture ********* ****** ******, * ***** **** ****** *****.

****, **** ******* ***** ******** ******** ** ****/*** ******* ****:

  • ******** ****** ***********
  • ********* ***** ********
  • ***********/******** *******
  • ************* **** ***** ***** ****** **** ********** ****************
** ****** *** ****** *** ***** ** *** *** **** all ** ***** ******** ********* *** ** **** ***° ****** claim *** *** **** ** ***.

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

*******

*** ***** *****'* *** ******* *****, ***° ****** *********, ****** did *** **** ** *** *****, ******* ** ******* ****:

  • ****** ********* ** **********, ******* ******** ~**% ** ****** ****** testing.
  • **** ********* *** ****, ** *** ************* *******, ********* ***** ~45 ******* ** *** ******* ***** *******.
  • ***** ********* ** ***** ** *** **********, *** ****** **** not ************* **** ** *** ****** ***** ****** *** *********, instead ********** * ***° **** *** ********* * ~** ****** clip.
  • *******, ****** ********* *** ************, ** **** ***** **+ *******, in ****** ******* *** ***** **** * *** *******. ** settings ******* ******** **** *****.

*****'* ******** *********** ******** ******** ****** *** ********** ******** ** our *****, ********* ***** ** ***** / ******* ******* ** closing, *** *** ******'* *** ***** *** *** **** ** move ** *** ******* ******** ** **** ** ******* ******** properly, **** **** * ******* ****** ** ****** ******* *****. 

*******, ** *********** ******* ********* ****** ** *** *****, **** the ******'* *** ******** ******** ************ ** *** ****** ********* several *****.

*******

*** ***** *** ** *********** *** ~$*** ***. ******* ******* *** ********* *** ~$** ****.

**** ** ******* ***** **** **** ******** ******, **** ** the**** *** (~$***), ** **** ** ***** *********** **** *** ******** **** as****** (~$***)******** (~$***). 

Tech *******

*****'* ********* ******* *** ****, **** **** ********* **** ***** (>20 *******) *** ~** ******* ** *** ** ****** **** operator. **** ** *** ***** *******, ******* **** *****, ********* many ****** ** ********* ** ******** **** **** ***********, *** chat ********* ******* ************ ***** ********* * ****** ********, ******* waiting *** *** ****** **.

Physical ************

*** ***** ** ***********, ******* ** **** ** ****** ** Piper, and is ********* ** *****, ****, *** ******.  ** *** ***** below ** ******* * ******** ******** ** *** *****.


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

*****'* ****** ********* *********** *** **** ** * ****** ** ways:

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

** *** ***** *****'* ****** ********* ****** ** ****** ~**% of *** ****. **** ** ******* ****** **** *** ****** ** all *****, ** **** ****** (*-*') ** **** ** ****** distance (~**-**'), ******* ** ******. *** ***** *** **** *** offer *********** ******** ** ***** *********** ** ******* *********.

** ***** ***** ***** ***** ****** *********** *** **** ******* no ********** *** ********* ***********.

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

****** *******, **** ****** ********* *** *******, ** *** ***** *******, as **** ** ** ******* ** * ****** ***** *** object *** ** *** *****.

*** *******, ** **** **** *** ******* *** ******* ******* and ****** *** **** **** *** ****** ***** ** ******* him (**** ******* *** *******):

***° ******* ********

******* ** *** *********** ****** ** ********* ** **** ** the ******'* **** *** *****, *****'* ***° **** ********* *** essentially ******* ** *** *****. ******** ***** *** ******* **** *** area (**** *****) ** ***** **** *** ****** ** ** was ******, ********* ** ******* ******. ***** ** **** * clip ** * ******* ******* **** * ***** ** *** blurred ******* ******** ** *** ****.

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

** *** *****, ****** ********** **** ** ************ *******, **** some **** ** *******, *** ****** ******* *** ***** **** a *** *******. *** *******, ** **** ******** *** ****** ********* motion *** **** ** *****, *** *** *** **** *** recorded *** **** *** *******, ******* **** *** **** **** of * *******:

Smart **** ********

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

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

***** ********** ******** ****/****** ********, ********* *** ******* ** ***** when *** ****** ** ******/******. **********, ***** *** *** * preset ** *** ******* ********, ***** *** ****** **** *** to **** ** ** *********. ** *** *****, ******* ****** *** alerted ******* ******.

*******, *** ** *** ******'* **** *** *****, ******* **** impractical ** *** ** *** *****, ** ******** *** **** the **** ****** *** ****** ******** ******* ** *** ******* location. ** *** **** *****, *** ****** ******** ***** ** the **** **** *******, *** ** ** ******, *** ******* walks ** * ****** **** ****** *** *****. **** *** camera ****** **'* **** *** **** *** ******* ******** *** door ******* ** ******** *** *****/**** **** *** ** ***** missed *** ** *** **** *** *****.


**** **** ***** ****** ***** *********** *** *********, **** ** ************ lights, *** ******* ********, *** ***** *********, *** ***** *** not *** ********. **** ** ***** * ***** ******** (******* to ****) *** ***** ****/****** ***** (****** *****) ***** *** the **** ****** ***.

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

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

  • ***********/******** *******:***** ******** *** **** *********** *** ********, *** **** *** alert ***** ** ***** **********.
  • ********* *******:*** ******* ** *** ****** ** *** **** *** ** used ** **** ***** *** *********. *******, ** ***** *** sound ******* ** ** ****** *** ********* *** ****** ****** than ** ****** * *******.

Day/Night ***** *******

*****'* ***** ******* *** ****** ** **** **** ***** *** low ***** (~*.****). ** ************ *** ******** ****** ** ***** * mid-size **** (**'***'). ** *** ******* *****, *** ******* ** ~**' from *** ****** (~** ***).

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