Keeping you safe.
You're probably used to seeing the name Kitvision on this
site associated with awesome action cameras. Today however, we're taking a look
at a new camera from the adventure-capturing specialists... designed to stay
put! We can't recommend you strap this to yourself as you jump from a plane, but it is pretty good at keeping an eye on
your home and family. We take a look at the Kitvision Safeguard HD Home
Security Camera.
We've reviewed quite a few of these WiFi-connected cameras
over the years, and the set-up is always pretty similar. Plug in the camera, download
the app to your phone, connect to the camera , and then give it your WiFi
password. After that , it connects itself to your network, and via the crazy
playground that is the internet, you'll be able to see what it sees, 24-7.
Fortunately the Kitvision Safeguard HD falls in the same
camp, and we had our camera working within minutes. We'll get to the specs in a
moment, but one thing that we really wanted to mention was the camera's design.
It is incredibly thin; far thinner than any other Wifi security camera we've
previously looked at. Because of that lack of depth it is possible to
wall-mount the Kitvision Safeguard HD without it seeming obtrusive, as it can
be placed well back into a corner or close against a flat wall. You get a very
sturdy metal mount with the camera, which allows you to position it in pretty
much any angle, as well as stand it upright on a table surface. And yes, screws
and plugs are included. High five, Kitvision!
Right, the camera's quality. Eagle-eyed readers may have
already spotted the 'HD' in the product's name, and those with a bit of
knowledge may have realised that it doesn't stand for 'Hand-Drawn' or 'Hardly
Dusty'. Yes, the Kitvision Safeguard HD is indeed a high-def camera, capturing
visuals at 720p. And before you quaff that the figure isn't more like 1080p,
remember you'll only be watching the live stream on your phone or tablet, so
even less resolution would suffice.
The captured video is very good therefore, and we found that
over WiFi the lag between something happening in the real world, and you being
able to see it on your phone, was just a second or two. Over mobile internet
this grew to around five seconds, but still very impressive and always very clear.
The quality of the audio is also superb, and as well as featuring a microphone
the Kitvision Safeguard HD also has a speaker, allowing two-way chats via the
app. We love this feature on WiFi security cameras, if only to scare the crap
out of someone at home by connecting and shouting I'M WATCHING YOU,
Scream-style. Tee hee.
If you'd like to record what your camera is watching without
you having to watch it, you can also take advantage of the secure cloud storage
offered by the app maker, iSecurty+. We've never bothered to sign up for this,
but it is nice to know the product is supported like this, should you be
concerned and need a constant record of what is going on, both during the day
and at night-time thanks to the built-in night vision.
We really like the Kitvision Safeguard HD and can see how it
would make a good choice for someone to populate their home or business with
cameras. Small enough to be tucked away in corners near to the ceiling, but
packed with enough features and quality capabilities to make it really useful.
£99.99