Hands on: D-Link Omna 180, the first Apple HomeKit security camera
This week, accessory maker D-Link began shipping the Omna 180, the first security camera on the market boasting compatibility with Apple's HomeKit line of smart home accessories. AppleInsider offers a closer look at the new hardware that can keep your home safe.
Priced at $199.95, the D-Link Omna 180 integrates with Apple's Home app in iOS 10, and also connects to other HomeKit-compatible devices, allowing users to create custom scenes and triggers based on the device's capabilities.
Boasting a 180-degree field of view, the Omna 180 is slightly smaller than a "slender" aluminum beverage can, such as the kind used by Michelob Ultra. On the front is the lens, accompanied by a pair of sensors that allow it to also offer black-and-white images in low-light situations.
It includes an integrated microphone, as well as speakers for broadcasting to the camera, such as to comfort a pet or infant. While there is no way to speak to the camera through Apple's Home app, such functionality is offered through D-Link's official Omna app.
One of the nicer features of the Omna 180 is an integrated micro SD slot, supporting up to 128 gigabytes. This means detected movement will be recorded locally without affecting internet bandwidth.
It also gives D-Link a leg up on competitors, like Alphabet's Nest Cam, which require subscription-based cloud storage. Nest Cam also lacks support for HomeKit.
Another upcoming competitor, the Withings Home Plus, will offer HomeKit integration, though premium cloud video recording plans start at $7.95 per month. Again D-Link wins by including local storage on the micro SD card slot, which can be streamed from anywhere.
By default, the Omna 180 can track any and all motion and record 20-second snippets leading up to the trigger. Diving into the Omna app, users can select up to 16 different segments from the camera's view, allowing it to focus on a specific area for potential movement, like a door or window.
D-Link's Omna app also lets users adjust the sensitivity for motion detection, and there is a customizable "Motion Retrigger Delay" with options ranging from 30 seconds to 5 minutes.
In our initial tests, setting up and using the D-Link Omna 180 was about as dead simple as you can expect, thanks in part to the HomeKit integration. With Apple's Home app, we simply scanned the identification code stickered to the back of the unit, and the device connected to our network and was ready to operate.
We especially appreciated the ultra-wide 180-degree lens, which allowed us to truly capture the entirety of an apartment with ease. If you want to keep an eye on as much of a room as possible, this camera will get the job done.
It should be noted that the Omna 180 does not come with a micro SD card, so you'll have to bring your own. We inserted one into the bottom, formatted it through the official Omna app, and the camera began recording anytime it tracked motion from our specified "hot zones."
Notably, once the camera's "hot zones" are configured in the official Omna app, those are the areas that trigger motion detection capabilities in Apple's Home app.
This opens up a world of possibilities with automation, allowing users to receive notifications or trigger scenes based on parameters such as time of day or location.
Unfortunately, these same capabilities do not currently apply to saved recording files, as neither Apple's Home app nor the Omna app do not have any control over when the Omna 180 saves recordings. It would be nice to instruct the device to only save motion detected video during set hours, or when the user is seen as away from home via geofencing.
Regardless, if you're looking for a HomeKit-connected indoor camera, the D-Link Omna 180 is the only option available to you at the moment. Our first impressions are positive, and you can expect a full review from AppleInsider in the coming weeks.
Priced at $199.95, the D-Link Omna 180 integrates with Apple's Home app in iOS 10, and also connects to other HomeKit-compatible devices, allowing users to create custom scenes and triggers based on the device's capabilities.
Boasting a 180-degree field of view, the Omna 180 is slightly smaller than a "slender" aluminum beverage can, such as the kind used by Michelob Ultra. On the front is the lens, accompanied by a pair of sensors that allow it to also offer black-and-white images in low-light situations.
It includes an integrated microphone, as well as speakers for broadcasting to the camera, such as to comfort a pet or infant. While there is no way to speak to the camera through Apple's Home app, such functionality is offered through D-Link's official Omna app.
One of the nicer features of the Omna 180 is an integrated micro SD slot, supporting up to 128 gigabytes. This means detected movement will be recorded locally without affecting internet bandwidth.
It also gives D-Link a leg up on competitors, like Alphabet's Nest Cam, which require subscription-based cloud storage. Nest Cam also lacks support for HomeKit.
Another upcoming competitor, the Withings Home Plus, will offer HomeKit integration, though premium cloud video recording plans start at $7.95 per month. Again D-Link wins by including local storage on the micro SD card slot, which can be streamed from anywhere.
By default, the Omna 180 can track any and all motion and record 20-second snippets leading up to the trigger. Diving into the Omna app, users can select up to 16 different segments from the camera's view, allowing it to focus on a specific area for potential movement, like a door or window.
D-Link's Omna app also lets users adjust the sensitivity for motion detection, and there is a customizable "Motion Retrigger Delay" with options ranging from 30 seconds to 5 minutes.
In our initial tests, setting up and using the D-Link Omna 180 was about as dead simple as you can expect, thanks in part to the HomeKit integration. With Apple's Home app, we simply scanned the identification code stickered to the back of the unit, and the device connected to our network and was ready to operate.
We especially appreciated the ultra-wide 180-degree lens, which allowed us to truly capture the entirety of an apartment with ease. If you want to keep an eye on as much of a room as possible, this camera will get the job done.
It should be noted that the Omna 180 does not come with a micro SD card, so you'll have to bring your own. We inserted one into the bottom, formatted it through the official Omna app, and the camera began recording anytime it tracked motion from our specified "hot zones."
Notably, once the camera's "hot zones" are configured in the official Omna app, those are the areas that trigger motion detection capabilities in Apple's Home app.
This opens up a world of possibilities with automation, allowing users to receive notifications or trigger scenes based on parameters such as time of day or location.
Unfortunately, these same capabilities do not currently apply to saved recording files, as neither Apple's Home app nor the Omna app do not have any control over when the Omna 180 saves recordings. It would be nice to instruct the device to only save motion detected video during set hours, or when the user is seen as away from home via geofencing.
Regardless, if you're looking for a HomeKit-connected indoor camera, the D-Link Omna 180 is the only option available to you at the moment. Our first impressions are positive, and you can expect a full review from AppleInsider in the coming weeks.
Comments
The review does not say if you can download the video stored on the device to you phone or computer. I also would agree it would be nice to set the record feature to certain times or geo-fencing no need to record while I know I am home.
Lastly, I do not understand what anyone would want personal videos form their home being stored on anyone servers especially google. Google had the ability to analysis photos and video and determine what is going on in the video. Do you really want google analyzing videos from your home.
When using the Omna app on iPhone or iPad, video recordings are sorted by date, and you can delete them to free up space. At the moment the app does not have a "bulk delete" option (aside from formatting the card — which the app can do). It would be nice to be able to delete all videos from a specific day, range of days, month, etc.
Just because Google has that ability doesn't mean others do - but even if they did, you'd simply pick on that promises it won't do that in their terms of service. And if they lie, you sue them.
There are benefits to storing security footage on the server: an intruder not being able to take them being along with the camera being one of them. It seems to me that this is a possibility with this SD-card based system: what's to keep an intruder from reaching for the camera and disabling it before it had a chance to notify the owner and the owner began streaming?
As far as competitors requiring costly services to let you store footage in the cloud: I recently bought three cameras from "Blink", which store motion-detected video clips in the cloud at no charge (with some storage limits). While sparse in features, these truly wireless (2 batteries last a supposed 2 years) are also dead simple to set up and can be placed literally anywhere - not just near an outlet. I'm very happy with them so far.
Just for completeness: you're right - Blink does not have two-way talk: only a microphone (but I don't see that as much of detriment for a "security" camera). I don't remember what the default motion-detected clip-lengths are, but the maximum (which I have it set to) is 1 minute. There's an adjustable re-trigger time as low as 10 seconds. I place my Blink cameras in a house we're in the process of selling - just to look in on it once a day and to be notified via the motion sensing when realtors bring in potential buyers. I've had them for about a month now and the battery status on all of them still show "full". Unless you plan on using your security camera as a daily calming device for your pets or as a poor-man's video chat substitute, I don't think rapid battery drain is an issue. True, it isn't HomeKit enabled (I wish it was), but I paid $200 for 3 cameras (extendable to 10) - that's nearly 1/3 the cost of the D-Link - and includes cloud storage without subscription fees.
The Blink isn't as feature-rich as other - more expensive - security cameras. But with its completely wireless operation and the fact that you get three cameras instead of one for the same price, it's much more flexible - at least as a traditional security camera. And, coincidentally, its design is very Apple'esque: it's exterios reminds one of the original white iPods (or the case for AirPods). Very nice.
The screenshot button is a nice inclusion, though you could theoretically accomplish the same thing by pressing the home and lock buttons. Regardless, I'm hoping to hear back from D-Link soon regarding future updates to the app — it is a little barebones with 1.0 right now, and I think the ability to save videos would be a logical addition for a 1.1 update.
We're an Apple-only family, so iOS integration was important to us as well. I have the "Blink" app on two iPhones and one iPad. Whenever I want to get a live view of any one of the three cameras in my setup (you can have up to 10 under one "controller" box), I just start the app and tap one the live-view icon for that camera. It usually takes 3-5 seconds for the live view to start playing. Setup of a camera seems to be similar to the D-Link - you just go into the app, tap on "Add a Blink camera" and then you can just use the camera to read the QR code on inside of the battery cover of the camera). There's a one-time setup of the controller that's a tiny bit more involved (you hook it up to power, connect to it from the app via a private wifi network and get it registered to the servers in the cloud). Setting everything up for 3 cameras took maybe 5 minutes.
The cameras are single-focus, non-swiveling - i.e. not "feature rich". There's no infra-red "night vision" either, but the cameras do have a powerful LED that turns on when motion is detected in the dark as well as when you try to live-stream (but there's an option to turn it off).
I'm very happy with it so far. Happy enough that I might buy their "outdoor" camera when they finally release it. If you're a gadget/feature freak, "Blink" is not for you. But if you just need something that can do basic monitoring *anywhere* (no wires) and that's dead easy to setup and use, it's the security system to beat, in my opinion.
The wide angle lens is just too wide. The screenshots in the D-Link datasheet are completely misleading. The fisheye effect is extremely pronounced. Items 5 feet away on the sides are unrecognizable. And if the camera is at anything but eye level you waste a lot of viewing area on ceilings or floors. It would be nice to have a manual adjustment for the lens to let you zoom in and out. And it would be nice to be able to tilt the base manually. I don't expect a full PTZ camera but some manual adjustments would be helpful.
However, the biggest problem is that HomeKit does not support multiple steps, or conditions, in automations. I want to have recording and motion detection enabled only when I am away from home. The lack of this most basic piece of functionality make this camera almost unusable. It will be constantly recording and triggering the motion detector. Ridiculous.
I hate to be ragging on HomeKit and D-Link. I love Apple stuff and applaud D-Link for shipping the first HomeKit camera. But, as it is, I will not be buying another HomeKit accessory or camera until they add features that make it somewhat comparable to what else is already on the market.
Right .. that will be a huge hit with those mums and dads wanting to comfort wee Jimmy and Sara from the pub and save money on a baby sitter!
Device looking some what clunky.