754 Messages
Questions About The Outdoor Security Camera (Original and the new Series 2)
So recently I became aware of the following link:
https://simplisafe.com/outdoor-security-camera-series-2
As always, I have questions. :)
1. This camera appears to be the same as the original outdoor camera with additional speakers and a louder alarm added as well as a 25 foot outdoor cable included if the person buying it is a Pro or Pro Plus subscriber. All of this for $199.99 which happens to be same price as the original outdoor camera even though the original outdoor camera lacks some hardware and doesn't come with the outdoor charging cable which costs another $29.99.
I think literally every customer would agree that dog don't hunt. How are you charging more for 1st generation hardware with an outdoor cable than a 2nd gen camera with the outdoor cable?
2. I see in the page above that not only does the Active Guard Outdoor Protection only work with the gen2 cameras but it only works with up to 3x gen 2 cameras. Given y'all are charging up to $80 a month why on earth are you limited to the number of gen 2 cameras you can use with the new plan?
3. One of the questions in the FAQ section for the gen 2 cameras is, "When will my Outdoor Camera record and for how long?" and the answer you give for the "how long" portion is quite literally:
"will record for a minimum of 10 seconds".
That is a terrible answer. Would you buy a car if the specs said it would go, "a minimum of 35 mph"? Or an internet plan that said it would would provide speeds of, "at least 56Kbps"? Or a mobile plan that promised to let you talk for, "at least 20 seconds per call"? And not top end was ever given in any of those examples? No, you'd laugh and go find another vendor.
I'll make it easier for y'all:
What is the max length of a single recording of the gen 2 camera and what is the cooldown period, if any, between recordings?
I look forward to your answers!
Official Response
simplisafe_admin
Community Admin
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1.2K Messages
2 months ago
@worthing In order to use SimpliSafe Active Guard Outdoor Protection, customers will need at least one Outdoor Camera Series 2 that is plugged in using the power cable. Therefore, we provide the power cable with the Series 2 camera so that customers have everything they need to set up their system as soon as it arrives.
Active Guard Outdoor Protection is supported by the Outdoor Camera Series 2 and Video Doorbell Pro. At this time, you can enable up to 3 cameras, of which one must be a wired Outdoor Camera Series 2. This 3 camera limit is to provide optimal monitoring protection. We are continuously testing and innovating, and we are exploring the ability to enhance the service to include additional cameras, but we don’t have concrete details to share at this time.
An individual camera recording can be up to 3 minutes long, but the camera will continue to record as long as the camera detects motion (depending on Motion Type selected). Note that longer recordings may appear as separate videos on the timeline.
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temporary2008
2 Messages
5 months ago
Can somebody from SimpliSafe answer the questions raised?
I cannot find anything in detail about the difference between original and series 2 cameras. I was hoping the answer would be something like "longer recordings, less wasted time before the camera wakes up, better recording quality, cameras made by Arlo or to Arlo spec".
The current cameras allow my old slow walking elderly father to leave the property before it triggers. I really wish I hadn't wasted my money 🙄
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worthing
754 Messages
5 months ago
Bump? Two weeks and counting folks and no answer.
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tylerzuck
1 Message
3 months ago
Yeah, I’m also chiming in to say I’m considering adding a second camera to my outdoor system, but the lack of information is infuriating. Basic info about the product shouldn’t be in the FAQ; at that point just put the entire product in FAQ under “What do we sell”.
oh yeah, and I can’t even find the FAQ with the information quoted.
Until an answer is provided I have to assume the specs are so bad that marketing refuses to publish them. I’m strongly considering going a different route for video…
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CamerawouldntrecordanELEPHANT
1 Message
2 months ago
You bring up some great points! I have gen 1 and the battery is constantly sucked dry but yet it "wakes up" 10 seconds too late. Then it will only record about 10 seconds to top it off!
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worthing
754 Messages
2 months ago
Four months and counting. Anyone? Have y'all just given up? Have I been blacklisted or put on some kind of ignore list? I have multiple threads open asking seemingly simple questions that just don't get responses. (Including one about how one of my threads was just closed w/o any answer at all.) @davey_d @emily_s @simplisafe_admin ?
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captain11
Captain
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6.3K Messages
2 months ago
@worthing Just found this thread. Great questions, great topic for a live, online webinar! (Sorry SS, that dead horse is still around for flogging).
I signed up for ProGuard Monitoring. Being in Illinois, one of two states (TX is the other) that doesn't allow AI face recognition monitoring without subjects approval) I had a live agent. With the series 2 in the front and testing with my next door neighbor, I could hear normal conversations on his front porch next door! Night vision and video better too than the original, which is on the back of my house. It so happens my setup is one Series 2, one original OD camera and one doorbell pro, so I hit the maximum perfectly.
One word on the service: Wow. Worked as advertised, with an agent challenging an extended family member who was entering my car in the driveway. It really is effective, but I no longer have the service, back on Pro. Why? As set up now the agent has access to the siren, lights and can set off an alarm condition. That's fine but, unfortunately, it sets the exact same settings for any alarm condition, including false alarms when I forget to turn it off going down for those late night snacks or a motion sensor gets too much sun. That is a deal breaker for me with OD camera sirens blaring at 2am and until the settings can be different, ProGuard is not for me. I have communicated this to SimpliSafe and do hope they address it. The Pro Guard service is that good and highly recommend it, only reservation being the global settings issue.
So SimpliSafe, how about that webinar on this topic and all the others? And to be clear, yes SimpliSafe_Admin, I am requesting a response, even if its "take a long walk off a short pier". I won't be upset about it. Promise. :-)
(edited)
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