In for the reply, my doorbell and both cameras (not outdoor model you old model with outdoor kit) the audio is so bad as to be useless its a good thing it wasn't a deciding factor in purchase.
I have the same problem. The outdoor camera speaker works fine, but the microphone does not pick up voices with sufficient volume to be heard. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
In my case, I am standing within 5ft. I have tried everything that has been suggested. I have gotten 3 new cameras and all have the same problem. I cannot hear what is said to the camera by the App and the App cannot hear what the person is saying to the camera. One can hear that something is being said but not well enough to understand.
There's a couple of possibilities I can think of. One is that the camera's mic and speaker may have both been damaged.
Or it might be a firmware issue. Just in case it's that, you'll want to reset the camera by pressing the button in the back (near the USB port) for 16 seconds. When you release, the camera will reset, and you can install it again through the app.
If a reset doesn't work, we should try replacing the camera with a new unit. Our Support team at 800-548-9508 can help with that.
My doorbell picks up a bird chirping in a tree 50 feet away and it sounds like it's coming through in THX. The guys standing on my porch talking waiting for me to open the door? Their speech is practically impossible to understand.
I have the exact problem with 2 outdoor cameras and one indoor camera placed outside in a protected covered area. SS is sending 3 new cameras, but I don’t think it is a camera issue. The person outside can hear me talking plainly, but anything they say is so faint that I cannot make out the words. Support persons do not have any suggestions other than replace the cameras. They are being shipped but I am skeptical that this will solve the problem.
I have the same issue with the outdoor cam. The speaker is extremely low volume. The best comparison is talking via the simplisafe doorbell and listening to how loud and clear that is compared to the outdoor cam. I waited so long for the outdoor cam that it's disappointing they didn't properly batch test them prior to shipping
I just gave up on having an outside camera. I could not get it to work as advertised. They needed more testing before putting it up for sale. Even with our problems, they just kept sending cameras. I would rather have had the money back. Then I could buy a camera that works.
Davey, I did all that; I went through 3 cameras. All would not have had damaged speakers. I rebooted multiple times. Nothing the trouble shoots suggested worked. I am left with one conclusion; the camera is poorly designed.
@jmittell with the Outdoor Camera being so compact, it's never going to be, say, loudspeaker-loud. The priority after all is with getting as clear a video as possible to the app ASAP. But it should still be very audible when you're closer. Of course, that all depends on the acoustics and what other noise is going on in the environment.
@cary328is did you say that you already tried a replacement? The Outdoor Cam should definitely be comparable to the Video Doorbell, with everything else (e.g. where it's placed) being the same.
I’m having the same issues as well. I tried talking to my wife while she was right at the camera and I had to hold my phone speaker right up to my ear in a quiet room to barely hear her.
Same problem here with speaker volume. I'm waiting on a wifi extender hoping this will help, but from the posts here looks like it's a design problem. Maybe that's why SS had them on sale recently.
Having the same problem. Since my WiFi connection is not good, I'm waiting on an extender hoping this will help with video and audio. However, from the posts it looks like the audio might be a design problem and maybe that's why the doorbell cam was on sale recently.
I just got a return authorization from SS for the same reason. I can hear noises from outside, but the person outside cannot hear when I talk to them. The video is great, but a person is not going to stop a breakin based on the shock feature of them hearing you tell them to go away. I am very disappointed that I now have to find another brand.
The others in this thread are talking about the speak. But it sounds like you're asking about the microphone? Unfortunately the Outdoor Camera as a whole is a little too compact to house a speaker that would be very loud in an open environment (e.g. outdoors), so you'd want to position the camera closer to people-level for best results with 2-way audio.
Same problems here. People can hear ME talk over the outdoor camera (and the video doorbell), but I can't hear what anybody is saying over either device. I even had a friend put his face right up to the doorbell, and I still couldn't hear what he was saying. Yet, I can hear birds chirping when watching live (with nobody out there).
I do have the volume turned up as far as possible on my phone and iPad. My signal strength and up load speeds are "Good" according to the "Connection Check".
@wjohnson270 When trying to hear your friend speak to you through your doorbell, were you holding down on the microphone button? You will not be able to hear audio coming through any of the cameras while pressing the microphone button.
If the button was not held down when you couldn't hear audio through your cameras, I would try the troubleshooting steps listed in this Help Center article regarding two-way audio.
krstrick
136 Messages
3 years ago
In for the reply, my doorbell and both cameras (not outdoor model you old model with outdoor kit) the audio is so bad as to be useless its a good thing it wasn't a deciding factor in purchase.
0
ljruthi72
1 Message
2 years ago
I have the same problem. The outdoor camera speaker works fine, but the microphone does not pick up voices with sufficient volume to be heard. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
5
cary328is
1 Message
2 years ago
I have the same issue with the outdoor cam. The speaker is extremely low volume. The best comparison is talking via the simplisafe doorbell and listening to how loud and clear that is compared to the outdoor cam. I waited so long for the outdoor cam that it's disappointing they didn't properly batch test them prior to shipping
0
0
jmittell
7 Messages
2 years ago
I just gave up on having an outside camera. I could not get it to work as advertised. They needed more testing before putting it up for sale. Even with our problems, they just kept sending cameras. I would rather have had the money back. Then I could buy a camera that works.
0
0
jmittell
7 Messages
2 years ago
Davey, I did all that; I went through 3 cameras. All would not have had damaged speakers. I rebooted multiple times. Nothing the trouble shoots suggested worked. I am left with one conclusion; the camera is poorly designed.
0
0
davey_d
Community Admin
•
5.6K Messages
2 years ago
@jmittell with the Outdoor Camera being so compact, it's never going to be, say, loudspeaker-loud. The priority after all is with getting as clear a video as possible to the app ASAP. But it should still be very audible when you're closer. Of course, that all depends on the acoustics and what other noise is going on in the environment.
@cary328is did you say that you already tried a replacement? The Outdoor Cam should definitely be comparable to the Video Doorbell, with everything else (e.g. where it's placed) being the same.
0
0
jjhvac
1 Message
2 years ago
I’m having the same issues as well. I tried talking to my wife while she was right at the camera and I had to hold my phone speaker right up to my ear in a quiet room to barely hear her.
0
saxonman
2 Messages
2 years ago
Same problem here with speaker volume. I'm waiting on a wifi extender hoping this will help, but from the posts here looks like it's a design problem. Maybe that's why SS had them on sale recently.
0
saxonman
2 Messages
2 years ago
Having the same problem. Since my WiFi connection is not good, I'm waiting on an extender hoping this will help with video and audio. However, from the posts it looks like the audio might be a design problem and maybe that's why the doorbell cam was on sale recently.
0
lsmyers50
1 Message
2 years ago
Just installed our outdoor camera and the column is too low. How do you fix it?
1
0
brendabryan4603
1 Message
2 years ago
I just got a return authorization from SS for the same reason. I can hear noises from outside, but the person outside cannot hear when I talk to them. The video is great, but a person is not going to stop a breakin based on the shock feature of them hearing you tell them to go away. I am very disappointed that I now have to find another brand.
0
0
jmittell
7 Messages
2 years ago
I think they should have a plan, at least, to fix the problem. So far, not even the sound of crickets.
0
0
willfam4
1 Message
2 years ago
Same problem here, just installed my first cam outside. can hear birds and other sounds except people talking at the camera??
1
wjohnson270
5 Messages
1 year ago
Same problems here. People can hear ME talk over the outdoor camera (and the video doorbell), but I can't hear what anybody is saying over either device. I even had a friend put his face right up to the doorbell, and I still couldn't hear what he was saying. Yet, I can hear birds chirping when watching live (with nobody out there).
I do have the volume turned up as far as possible on my phone and iPad. My signal strength and up load speeds are "Good" according to the "Connection Check".
2
0