Two months ago D-Link announced the launch of the baby camera D-Link EyeOn Baby Camera, an IP camera with a lot of possibilities, such as night vision, speaker, microphone, thermometer, motion detector and sound detector. Something like the absolute control of your baby (or your children) from anywhere thanks to the possibility of See what you get from your smartphone, tablet or even any computer with internet.
In Babies and more We wanted to try it to see what it offers us and what we can expect from this camera, and that's why we leave you with an analysis of the camera, after a few weeks of use.
Exterior appearance
The exterior appearance of the camera attracts attention because it seems a great eye that sees everything. It is round, it is placed on a base and at the moment of locating it we must decide the orientation that we want to use. It can also be fixed on the wall (it comes with the accessories for it), although in our case, being a test, we have preferred to preserve the integrity of our wall. In addition, we would lose the possibility of moving it if we need it elsewhere.
Both in the base and in the camera there are some details in blue that can be changed to pink, since it brings the pieces in that color in case we want to associate the pink color to the surveillance of a girl.
The camera is accompanied by a power adapter with a large cable that, obviously, we must leave well out of reach of the baby. The connection is micro-USB, which is typical of Android phones now, so any adapter is worth and also worth it, if we are going to travel, use an external battery to power the camera If there are no plugs nearby.
Functioning
When connecting it we see that a circle lights up in the upper part of the chamber, telling us if the temperature is correct (in green), if it is cold (blue) or if it is too hot in the room (red). The temperature limits can be decided by us in the camera control software.
Then we already installed the camera through the iOS or Android program, and through there we can configure the camera and its operation. In particular I tried to put it into operation with my mobile, a Samsung Galaxy S4, and it was impossible. When I did it through the iPad I had no problem. A few days later the mobile application was updated and right now it seems to work fine.
From the application we can do almost anything imaginable: the most logical, see the baby, either day or night, because he has infrared and, even in the dark, we can see him. We can modify the alerts, which can jump when the temperature changes, when the baby moves thanks to the motion sensor, when it cries, thanks to the built-in microphone, etc. Come on, that the mobile can notify us when the baby moves, if we want it to happen.
From what the camera displays, images can be captured and video can also be recorded. So much can be captured on the device from which we are watching the video, so much can be in the same chamber, since it has a microSD card slot.
In addition, from the mobile or from the tablet, we can communicate with our baby. The application has 5 nannies that we can turn on and off from where we are, in case the baby cries and we want to put music on it. We can also talk through the application for the baby to hear us. A little impersonal, really, and a little sad to replace our presence with a babysitter or our voice through the big eye, but one more possibility that can be useful in other contexts.
Watching video from anywhere
The camera creates a Wi-Fi network to which we can connect the device we want locally. This will make us see what the camera captures from any device that is anchored to it (useful if we are in a place where there is no internet), provided we are within the range of your Wi-Fi.
In addition, being the most logical use, the camera can join the router of our house, and so we can see the image from any device that is connected to the home router but also from any computer on any site, through the myDlink website, after having created a username and password, of course.
Image quality
The picture it has HD quality, although according to what situation the resolution falls. In any case, for what it serves (which is not precisely to record family videos) the quality is more than enough. When we are in the same place as the camera, that is, when we are at home, the quality is quite decent. The movements are not as fluid as one would expect, since the typical effect of loss of frames per second of the webcams a little ago. If we look at the camera online, depending on the connection we have, the effect is even more pronounced.
There is also a delay about 2-3 seconds, which causes the image to arrive late to the "monitor" we use. This has a reason. As they tell us from D-Link the information travels encrypted, since if not, anyone with knowledge could capture the audio and video signal and see our son, our house and our family without us knowing. That encryption that must be done instantaneously makes the signal arrive with that commented delay.
I leave you with a video that sums up all its possibilities quite well:
And what is it for?
Personally it seems to me a very cool invention that I, as a father, would never buy for not seeing it useful. I mean that my children have always slept with us and, as we have adapted to their schedule, when they were going to sleep we were going to sleep too, or at least Miriam (the one of nights who had dinner in bed with the eldest baby, the middle baby and the little baby).
Then, for the day, the same thing has always happened to us, that we have not known how to be far from them, nor in fact we have wanted to do so, so we have never needed a baby monitor.
This has been so, in large part, because if the baby fell asleep in the bed and Miriam left, his absence generated an immediate alarm that caused him to wake up immediately. In case this had not happened, then I will not deny that it could have been comfortable to put a camera like this, plug the tablet or smartphone and dine both quietly at the table constantly monitoring any movement.
Now that my children are no longer babies, what I have done is try the camera in the home play room. One of the rooms, which was an office with a computer and all a few years ago, has ended up being the place of toys where closets, toys and books dress walls and floor. There they spend hours and hours and there, from anywhere in the world, I can see what they are doing, I can talk to them and I can listen to them. Come on, in my case I see more utility and sense now that they are older than when they were babies, but I insist, because mine were those of "my parents do not separate or crazy."
Another possible use is to pass the data of the D-Link account to the grandparents or relatives so that they too from home, and especially if they live far away, can see their grandchildren play. Although this may have been resolved for a while with the computer webcams, which also allow children to see others.
Price
The official camera price D-Link EyeOn Baby Camera It is € 129.99, although I have seen Pccomponents for € 125. The price I think is very correct for what it offers, since as you can see it is a surveillance ip camera that can be used both to monitor the baby, and to ensure that no one enters at home (remember that it has a motion sensor).
