Canary home security device

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › Canary home security device

pedrogarcia

245 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 66

Trusted

Topic # 181001 29-Sep-2015 08:04

Just bought one of these devices from Amazon yesterday as they are on special for $199 US and their cloud storage plans are all half price until end of the month. I set up an account and it was fine setting my location to New Zealand. Hasn't arrived yet but will post details when it does.

Any other Geekzoners have one of these and want to share their thoughts? Just so much cheaper than that Spark Morepork product which has been released.

tripp

2874 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 720

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

Reply # 1396289 29-Sep-2015 08:11

Looks interesting.

Only problem I have with it is the monthly sub.

Xile

111 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 8

Reply # 1396300 29-Sep-2015 08:43

I've had one since the beginning of the year. You don't need to be on a plan for it to work. You get a limited amount of storage free. Works better now than when I first got it as they have refined the software and user interface.

pedrogarcia

245 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 66

Trusted

Reply # 1396325 29-Sep-2015 09:02

Xile: I've had one since the beginning of the year. You don't need to be on a plan for it to work. You get a limited amount of storage free. Works better now than when I first got it as they have refined the software and user interface.

That's great to know. I also figure the free plan will be sufficient for my needs but the 2 day plan at 50% off is pretty cheap. By comparison, Spark is charging at least $29.95 a month for Morepork.

pedrogarcia

245 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 66

Trusted

Reply # 1402861 9-Oct-2015 08:58

Have been playing around with this device and while the set up is fast and flawless, the cloud servers are too distant from NZ to make live video work. You can watch recorded events, but they take 20 seconds to load and buffer frequently. The fact that you can't watch live video renders the device pretty much useless for security purposes until the company scales its cloud infrastructure to work better in this part of the world. Which I hope it will!

I'm using a wired connection to the device on a 200/20 UFB plan in Wellington, and I can otherwise stream video from the US in HD with no issues.

A shame as I was looking forward to using this device to check in on my house while at work / on vacation etc.

Contagious

1 post

Wannabe Geek

Reply # 1409159 19-Oct-2015 12:32

Hi all,
New on Geekzone here!
Regarding buying canary security camera from US, what about the custom duty etc.?
Thanks
(And what's the best way to get it?)

wasabi2k

2090 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 848

Reply # 1409202 19-Oct-2015 13:35

Contagious: Hi all,
New on Geekzone here!
Regarding buying canary security camera from US, what about the custom duty etc.?
Thanks
(And what's the best way to get it?)

It is under NZ$400 - so shouldn't get hit for duty - but check http://www.whatsmyduty.org.nz/

pedrogarcia

245 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 66

Trusted

Reply # 1409279 19-Oct-2015 14:58

I didn't pay any duty and shipping (Youshop) was around $30.

But i'd re-read my review above if I were you - I love the idea of this device but cannot watch any live video, even with a hard wired UFB connection to the camera.

Just a whole lot of this:

maxiren

1 post

Wannabe Geek

Reply # 1409300 19-Oct-2015 15:37

We also have the Canary - and while the idea of it is great - the fact that the watch live doesn't work really sucks. We haven't got Fibre in our street yet so thought perhaps it would improve once we do but from the above it doesn't seem like it will? Does anyone have any idea as to when this may or may not be remedied? Seems a real shame that they market the product on a global scale but the effectiveness of the product isn't global. I do however get notifications on my phone when there is movement etc and can check the videos then (after 20 seconds of buffing). In the beginning we received a lot of notifications from shadows etc but they seem to have stopped (as i started to 'tag' them when they would occur).

Any info on how/if/when/the watch live will work greatly appreciated!

pedrogarcia

245 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 66

Trusted

Reply # 1409316 19-Oct-2015 15:50

I messaged a guy on this forum who said live video worked for him on ADSL (not sure where he lives). I'm in Wellington on 200/20 UFB and have tried every combination of wired / wireless / 4G but I cannot resolve the issue.

I wondered if it was worth shooting an email to their support team but I cant see any improvement unless they have servers located closer to NZ. The number of users here would be so low as to make this impractical.

pedrogarcia

245 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 66

Trusted

Reply # 1409665 20-Oct-2015 09:55

One person supports this post

I just received this response from Canary regarding video in New Zealand:

Thanks for being in touch, and for the feedback! It is truly invaluable to hear things like this from our customers as we continue to grow and expand our systems; your input is critical to our success. I'd be happy to shed some light here.

The latency to our servers in the United States is the main reason why you are having a problem with watch live. We are actively working on optimizing our streaming capabilities in the near future, so that we can optimize the quality of watch live all around the world. Additionally, as we continue to expand internationally, we look forward to adding more servers in different areas around the world, so that customers abroad can have a smoother experience.

I know that these notes don't necessarily provide immediate relief for you, but I want you to know you are certainly on our radar! Stay tuned for updates, and please don't hesitate to be in touch should you have any further questions or concerns.

Best,

Zach
Canary Customer Experience

tripp

2874 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 720

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

Reply # 1409683 20-Oct-2015 10:34

pedrogarcia: I just received this response from Canary regarding video in New Zealand:

Thanks for being in touch, and for the feedback! It is truly invaluable to hear things like this from our customers as we continue to grow and expand our systems; your input is critical to our success. I'd be happy to shed some light here. The latency to our servers in the United States is the main reason why you are having a problem with watch live. We are actively working on optimizing our streaming capabilities in the near future, so that we can optimize the quality of watch live all around the world. Additionally, as we continue to expand internationally, we look forward to adding more servers in different areas around the world, so that customers abroad can have a smoother experience. I know that these notes don't necessarily provide immediate relief for you, but I want you to know you are certainly on our radar! Stay tuned for updates, and please don't hesitate to be in touch should you have any further questions or concerns. Best, Zach
Canary Customer Experience

Well no point in getting one yet then if they can't get it streaming video. Even a $60 dlink camera can stream live.

pedrogarcia

245 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 66

Trusted

Reply # 1455951 23-Dec-2015 12:35

Just got back from holiday in South America and Canary worked fine - could check my house live with no delay. So yeah we just need a server closer to NZ and this device should be great.

nakedmolerat

4389 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 821

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

Reply # 1455953 23-Dec-2015 12:42

I think morepork is a better option here.

pedrogarcia

245 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 66

Trusted

Reply # 1455957 23-Dec-2015 12:44

Yeah I know - it's just so uncool.