It’s a good list… and I’ve been looking for a system that could do these things easily and without a lot of troublesome configuration issues. Many homebrew systems are just too much trouble and often require some coding background or a bit of unusual hardware. Other systems I’ve looked at use lower quality cameras so I can expect a grainy image that matches those 7-11 videos with the blurry-faced bad guy. A few others only save the video locally with no remote access capabilities. It’s been a tough hunt for the right security system I have to say. But my search is now over.
The 750i Master Kit
Say hello to the Logitech Alert 750i Master System.
Let me just say this up front — I’ve never been disappointed by anything from Logitech. I’ve had mice, webcams, keyboards, and I’m sure other products from this company… and I cannot recall ever being dissatisfied. And the same now holds true for the 750i. Let me walk you through the setup I went through and show you just how easy Logitech has made it to get your own home surveillance/security system up and running in less than 15 minutes.
Color Coded Instructions
As a technical writer, I appreciate accuracy and clear writing. The foldout Getting Started document is something my mother could follow — no lie. Most of it is imagery, not text, and there are a total of four steps (plus some extra mounting instructions and LED explanations for those who really want to know).
Custom Storage Configuration
Step 1 — Install the software. Took about 3 minutes, including the automatic check for updates to the software that it grabbed and installed without first installing the older version. Nice. And no reboot required. Nicer. And when the software finished, it showed me how to plug in the Network Adapter (in color, too — matching the blue sticker on the Network Adapter and blue connector on the matching cable) to my wireless router. Okay, done. Then it showed me how to plug in the Camera (yellow sticker on it and a yellow sticker on the matching cable) to wall power. Okay, done, and clicked the Next button. Now the software starts looking for the camera… this looked like it was going to take some time as the progress bar slowly inched across the screen, but only 2 dots in and I got a message that Camera 1 was found. Bingo. (The system can support up to six cameras, so I imagine this would have taken a bit longer if I’d had more cameras… which I plan on adding very soon.)
Next, the software informed me the Camera and Network Adapter needed to have their firmware updated — a simple click of OK and the software did it for me and then asked me politely to unplug both devices and then plug them back in. (Just so you know, both devices plug into wall power and use your home’s electrical system to communicate — no WiFi camera here, but HomePlug technology.)
Configure Email and Text Alerts
After that, it was a simple matter of configuring a few settings in the software. I provided my email address so alerts could be sent to it when a camera detected motion in its field of vision. It took me a few minutes of exploring to find where I could configure it to send a text message to my mobile phone. I also enabled a few other settings such as defining a specific area of the camera’s field of vision to monitor for movement and increasing the default 140GB of storage it sets aside for storing video (when it runs out of space, it starts to overwrite older video) to 200GB. I’ll likely have to tweak this once I figure out how much storage is actually needed, and I have a feeling I can decrease this.
Monitoring in Progress
After tweaking the software a bit, it was time to test the system. As you can see from some of the screen captures here, the real-time video quality (viewed from my computer) is HD. The image you see on screen does lag behind whatever is in front of the camera by about 3 to 5 seconds (my best guess). And the compression applied to the recorded video does give the playback a stuttering appearance but it’s more like a fraction of a second is lost for each frame, nothing worth crying over in my opinion. But throughout the playback, the image quality is top notch.
Testing the System
After stepping in front of the camera (after turning on its monitoring feature) I started counting… I hit 15 when my phone beeped, indicating a text message had been received. Very cool. I immediately opened up Gmail and tapped the Refresh button a few times… the email alert took about 30 seconds more to arrive. (I configured email to send only a text alert, but there’s an option to send an image as an attachment — mobile phone optimized.)
Text Message Alert
Email Alert Received
I tapped on the Alert app (free download) that I’d installed on my Android phone (also available for iPhone and BlackBerry) and logged in with my username and password… and then I tapped on the Camera 1 (Home) icon. You can see a screen capture from my phone shows me sitting in front of the camera pointing at my front door. The image displayed on my mobile phone isn’t real-time, but it gives me a good quality image that updates about every 5 to 10 seconds. With support for up to six cameras, I could easily check on my home while away by switching between camera views, as well as any outdoor cameras I might choose to add.
Log In for Real-Time Phone Monitoring
And by the way — the kit comes with a 2GB SD card that fits into the camera and record up to a week’s worth of video (according to Logitech) in normal usage — a bad guy might take the computer, but if they leave the camera there may very well be some video evidence stored there. And the camera is small enough that it could easily be hidden or placed somewhere where it is difficult to spot — the software even allows you to turn on and off the LED on the front of the camera so it doesn’t give away its location.
Mobile Phone Monitoring Works!
So now that I’ve got it up and running, I’m starting to think of all kinds of uses for it:
* Nanny Cam — I don’t like the thought of spying on babysitters, but I am a parent. If the camera is in plain sight, I have no problem explaining that it’s a video surveillance system for home security — maybe it’s not a bad thing if my babysitter is aware of the camera’s existence?
* Child Monitor — given the portability of the camera (all it needs is a wall plug to send its video signal), I could easily see this being used at night to check on the status of my sleeping 1.5 year old or monitoring my two boys downstairs while I work upstairs on the computer.
* The UPS Man is Here! — I’ve actually missed a couple of deliveries in the past because I was in my basement and didn’t hear the doorbell. If I used the included suction cup to secure the camera to the front window I could have it text me every time it detects motion in our cul-de-sac. Sure, I might get some false positives from the neighbor’s dog or the mailman, but I get unlimited text messaging, so text away 750i! I can get up the stairs and to the front door in time to catch the delivery guy before he drives off.
* The Snack Thief — I know my 4 year old sneaks into the kitchen for an occasional snack, but I rarely catch him. We’ve put the snacks on a nigher shelf in the cupboard, but I suspect he climbs it like a ladder. Now to just catch him in the act. (And post the video to Facebook so family and friends can enjoy the acrobatics.)
* Neighborhood Watch Program — One of my neighbors is already sold after I showed it to him and he is buying one. We’ve both agreed to add one another to our notifications so that I’ll receive a text message if his system sends off an alert… and vice versa. That’ll be nice — my neighbor never travels so even if I get an alert while I’m out of town, he’ll get it, too… and maybe be able to take a quick look out the window or a walk around the house to see what’s up. And I’ll do the same for him while I’m home during the day.
Using Web Browser and Remote Computer
* Neighborhood Watch Program 2 — I’m purchasing an outside camera to monitor our cul-de-sac. I’ve already asked two other neighbors if they’d like to be emailed a photo when the camera detects motion (a car or person moves into view) and both have been added to my email notification list. I’ll turn this on between 10am and 4pm so it doesn’t annoy everyone with photos of their neighbors leaving for work and arriving home in the evening.
The 750i Master System comes loaded with stuff. I’m including a photo of all the things you get — various attachment methods (suction cups, stand, mounting kit), video security stickers for your windows, cable extender, and more. It’s advertised as a complete system in a box, and my setup and testing can verify that statement. I’m going to invest in some additional cameras for a few locations around the house, but just having the single camera right now makes me feel better.
I know that no alarm system or video surveillance/security system is going to keep determined bad guys away. But the 750i Master System gives me some peace of mind knowing that I can check the status of my house, receive text and email alerts (with photo) if a camera detects motion, and notify the police quickly to cut the amount of time a bad guy has to search my home. And having the HD video recording doesn’t hurt, either. And I can add two more items to the above list of requirements that the 750i allows me to do:
6. Let me listen in if I want to do so using a built-in speaker on the camera(s).
7. Only alert me if certain areas of the camera’s view change — let me define where to monitor in the image so that the alert software ignores that moving clock pendulum. (Okay, I don’t really have one of these, but hopefully you get the idea… just focus on the door or window moving, software!)
I’d like to thank Logitech for providing me with a 750i test unit — I’m sold. The ease of installation, the simple software interface and easy-to-figure-out configurations, the email and text notification, checking in with my mobile phone or an Internet-connected computer… all solid reasons to give the 750i a look if you’re in the market for a video surveillance system that’s expandable and reliable.
