DropCam Pro Review

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Performance, Bluetooth, and Verdict

Performance

Using either the app or the Web site, you can view a live feed of the Dropcam Pro and zoom into one of four screen quadrants (or the center). Here, you can set up alerts for unusual motions or sounds, set the camera to begin or end recording at a certain time or talk through the camera’s speaker.

The Dropcam Pro boasts both a microphone and speakers. Although both are perfectly functional, neither is anything to write home about, and both exhibited a few seconds’ worth of lag during our tests.

One noteworthy feature is the Dropcam Pro's night vision. We tested the device in both low-light and no-light conditions, and the results were very impressive. If the lights go off in a room, the camera automatically switches to night vision mode (you can also activate and deactivate it manually), which turns the feed black-and-white and makes it more sensitive to motion.

In both the low-light and no-light settings, the camera captured this reviewer in very clear detail walking in front of the camera and making hand motions. Although the detail was not as precise as the camera's regular color feed, the face was perfectly visible. This level of detail would certainly come in handy if you wanted to show footage to the police.

Bluetooth Potential

One interesting feature of the Dropcam Pro is that it can connect to other devices via Bluetooth. At present, this functionality only works for setup via the mobile app, but in the future, Dropcam would like to integrate the Pro with other smart objects.

In the near future, you may be able to sync the camera with lights, electronic locks, thermostats and other devices to help you monitor and control your home from afar. The Dropcam Pro could function as a hub for other objects, allowing you to not only control electronics in your home, but see them turn on and off in real time.

Verdict

While the Dropcam Pro isn’t cheap at $199 (plus more if you want cloud recording), it offers a lot of value. Not only do its features work well, it’s incredibly user-friendly, and makes home security more accessible to the less tech-savvy. Add in clear audio quality and an impressive low-light mode and you have one of the best ways to monitor your home on the go.

Marshall Honorof

Marshall Honorof is a senior editor for Tom's Guide, overseeing the site's coverage of gaming hardware and software. He comes from a science writing background, having studied paleomammalogy, biological anthropology, and the history of science and technology. After hours, you can find him practicing taekwondo or doing deep dives on classic sci-fi. 

  • razor512
    Why not bust buy a proper security camera system with local storage.

    If you only need 400p video, a 4 camera wired system with 500GB of storage will generally cost about $200

    and if you want closer to 1080p video, then $700 gets you a 4 camera 1080p system with 2+ TB

    While you get a higher upfront cost with a dedicated system, you save money in the long run as in a little over 1 year, the local 4 camera system that will do 1080p and also offer more than 30 days of recording

    and best of all, no cloud requirement.

    dropcam becomes useless if you do not pay for the service, or if they go out of business since the cameras cannot be used locally.
    Reply
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