Logitech announces Alert series of high-def security cameras, we go hands-on (updated with video!)
By Tim Stevens 
posted August 3rd 2010 4:00AM
posted August 3rd 2010 4:00AM
The system basically consists of a camera and a pair of bulky plug adapters. Connect one to your camera, the other to your network via Ethernet, and that second one will pipe signal to the first via HomePlug powerline networking. While WiFi would seem like a better choice initially, this does mean you won't have to worry about having a completely uninterrupted signal in and around your home. And, you'd need to run power to the cameras anyway. Logitech did thankfully include thin Ethernet cables which are easily tucked behind your vintage crown molding and don't look too obtrusive.
The camera we received is part of the 750i Master System package, the "i" standing for "indoors." There is also a 750e Outdoor Master System package, where the "e" presumably stands for "everywhere" or "environment-ready" or something like that -- it's weather resistant, anyway, and ready to be stuck on the outside of your abode where it can film day or night thanks to an IR mode. The 750i camera, meanwhile, can only film during the day and has to go indoors, though it can be situated to point through a window. Both cameras offer 720p video, and are backed by motion-detecting software, so they're not recording all the time. You can even customize zones within their field of view to isolate exactly where movement will trigger footage and where it won't.
Each camera records to microSD, starting with 2GB out of the box. But, once a desktop computer (PC only) comes online running the Logitech Alert Commander software, it will automatically download the footage and empty out the camera again. Since the camera only records when motion is detected, Logitech estimates you can get about a week of recording between downloads if you like. Monitoring that footage from your LAN-connected PC is free, as is watching live footage through a browser or smartphone. But if you want to review recordings from anywhere you'll need to step up to the Mobile Commander tier, which is an additional $80 per year -- though you do get a free seven day trial.
Surely you have two questions left at this point: how much does it cost, and how well does it work? The first question is easy: $299.99 for the 750i bundle or $350 for the outdoor-resistant 750e model. Additional indoor cameras go for $230, outdoor ones for $280, and you can have up to six going simultaneously on any given installation. Now, when it comes to the second question of how well they work, that you'll have to wait a little longer for us to answer. We've just received ours and want to make sure it can spot wandering zombies and angry press representatives at night before we give it our stamp of approval.
Update: We stuck this on the front door and happened to catch a prowler looking in, so we thought we'd attach the footage. Note that this is completely unedited, cut exactly how the camera itself shot it, showing off how well it does at detecting the presence of a person but ignoring the car traffic in the background.
Introducing Logitech Alert Digital Video Security:
Be There Even When You're Not
Logitech Alert Delivers Complete HD Video Security System, No-Hassle Setup, Motion-Triggered Alerts, That You Can Watch from Anywhere
FREMONT, Calif. - Aug. 3, 2010 - Logitech (SWX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) today introduced Logitech® Alert™, a complete HD digital video security system that lets you keep an eye on what matters most. Whether it's looking in on the house while traveling, checking in on the baby while you're at work, or monitoring your second home, the Logitech Alert™ 750i Master System and the weatherproof Logitech Alert™ 750e Outdoor Master System with night-vision let you be there when you're not, by providing everything you need to monitor your home inside and out. The new Logitech Alert master systems come with a smart HD camera, powerful PC and Web software, and free remote viewing on a PC or Mac® computer, or smartphone.
To support easy expansion, Logitech also introduced the Logitech Alert™ 700i Add-On Camera and the Logitech Alert™ 700e Outdoor Add-On Camera. And for those who are often away from home, Logitech Alert™ Web and Mobile Commander is an optional premium service that lets you watch video that is recorded and stored on your camera and manage settings and alerts from the Web or your smartphone. Logitech also plans to bring Logitech Alert to the TV later this year, by enabling Logitech Revue™ with Google TV™ customers to view who is at their front door or check in on the baby in the crib, without leaving their couch.
"The video security market is characterized by expensive, hard-to-install and hard-to-use security systems, as well as poor-quality monitoring cameras," said Eric Kintz, vice president and general manager of Logitech's video business. "As part of our vision to bring HD video to anyone, anywhere, Logitech is thrilled to introduce a completely new video security solution to consumers and small businesses, which offers HD video quality and motion-triggered live viewing and recording at attractive price points."
No-Hassle Setup
Setting up your Logitech Alert security system just takes minutes with a simple three-step process - install the Logitech Alert software, connect to your network, and plug in your camera. Logitech Alert features HomePlug® AV networking, which means connecting your Logitech Alert camera is as easy as plugging in a toaster. There's no new wiring or networking hassles - HomePlug AV uses your existing electrical wiring and outlets to connect your cameras to your network.
Motion-Triggered Alerts and Recording – Capture Only What's Important
Logitech Alert smart cameras also feature a built-in DVR (Digital Video Recorder) and automatically record video when motion is detected, letting you capture only important events. The Logitech Alert Commander software lets you define up to 16 motion zones, allowing you to easily pay attention to critical areas of your home while ignoring others – reducing false recordings. Logitech Alert cameras come equipped with a 2GB MicroSD card for storage, eliminating the need for your PC to be always on. The card can give you enough space for up to a week of video based on the amount of motion-triggered recording in a typical home. The recorded video is automatically backed up when your PC is connected to your network.
Capture More Clearly, Event at Night or in Any Condition
Every camera in Logitech's new video security lineup captures high-definition 720p video and features a 130-degree wide-angle lens, making it easier for you to recognize the faces of potential intruders or the license plates of suspicious vehicles. The Logitech Alert 750e and 700e feature IP55 (International Protection Rating) certified, weatherproof outdoor cameras with powerful HD night-vision, allowing you to monitor in complete darkness regardless of weather conditions.
Watch From Anywhere
Logitech Alert Commander software allows you to easily configure your video security system, watch live video, archive recorded video on your PC and review the recordings captured by your camera. The Logitech Alert master system includes free remote viewing of live video through a browser on a secure site from any Internet-connected computer or through Logitech's free smartphone applications for iPhone®, Blackberry® and Android®. For power users who would like more control on the go, the premium Logitech Alert Web and Mobile Commander provide you all the access of your Logitech Alert PC software, even when you're away from home .
Easily Expandable
There's no need to limit your security coverage to a single camera. Logitech Alert is designed to be easily expandable. You can set up as many locations as you want and mix and match up to six Logitech Alert cameras per location- indoors and out.
Pricing and Availability
The Logitech Alert 750i Master System and the Logitech Alert 750e Outdoor Master System will be offered for a suggested retail price of U.S. $299.99 and $349.99, respectively. The Logitech Alert 700i Add-On Camera and the Logitech Alert 700e Outdoor Add-On Camera will be offered for the suggested retail price of U.S. $229.99 and $279.99, respectively. Logitech Alert Web and Mobile Commander will be available as a bundle with a seven-day free trial and a suggested retail price of U.S. $79.99 per year. All products are expected to be available in the U.S. and France in August. Please visit www.logitech.com/alert for more information.
About Logitech
Logitech is a world leader in products that connect people to the digital experiences they care about. Spanning multiple computing, communication and entertainment platforms, Logitech's combined hardware and software enable or enhance digital navigation, music and video entertainment, gaming, social networking, audio and video communication over the Internet, video security and home-entertainment control. Founded in 1981, Logitech International is a Swiss public company listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (LOGN) and on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (LOGI).
@trollOS
pretty sure no one cares.
@jjasper123
Still not IR-Hat proof.
Hands on? Where are the women in the article?
Great Idea! Now you'll have a CRYSTAL CLEAR picture of the guy that steals your HighDef security camera.
@Tuan X
Well id assume you put some sort of enclosure around them
y'know the thing smart people would do.
@Tuan X You would...if the thief didn't also steal the computer the recordings are on.
What i want to know is do i have something like an API to control the camera's i would live to be able to not record when resident's are home or the alarm is turnt off. and have them record when movement happens when the alarm is on.
You did hands-on of a video camera and no samples?
@kpenning
Yeah.. I would like to see the software interface and samples of the videos in different light conditions....
It is a very week hands on, does not give anything more than the product description gives...
@kpenning Added a quickie video above for you to see, but it's going to take a little more time to do a full review. Patience, I just barely received the thing!
Plug computer(http://www.plugcomputer.org/): $99
Logitech 1600x1200 webcam $34 (refurb on sale now!)
4 GB Flash drive: $10.
"Motion" webcam motion capture software (with FTP server): Free!
XAMPP Webserver (LAMPP package- for better UI) Free!
This is how we do security in my lab... it tweets too!
Buy yourself something nice with the $154 you just saved.
Too complicated for you? There is probably some poor-ass college kid who would do it for you for $154
Oh, did I mention, that you can put many cameras on 1 server (plug computer) with a $3 USB hub? and also add wifi with a $10 USB dongle?
@someguy7234
Even better IMO is a low-power WHS. You can leave it on doing a multitude of other things, it'll have virtually infinite storage for wifi cams, and you can remotely control it.
Wouldn't be cost effective in and of itself, but as a network storage, backup, streamer, home security system, etc it makes sense. =)
That would be I for internal and E for external...
@noisemag First thing I thought as well!
There's something ironic about a security camera getting stolen because it costs $300.
setup != set up
@ba8 Indeed. Thanks, fixed the typo.
No pan and tilt for $300 = no thanks.
I have a low-power WHS thats always on, so the $115 wireless-N linksys cam makes more sense.
I wish logitech would have just made an updated wifi version of the Orbit.
@Ducman69 Agreed - pan and tilt is the deal-breaker. Not good enough Logitech, I'll be buying the Panny.
Now I'll be able to see if my cats are using the phone while Im out.
Seeing someone rob your house is not as much fun as it sounds. I recommend getting some decent locks instead.
@Greg Locks no matter how good only keep honest people out. If a thief wants in they will get in regardless of how much property damage they create in the process. At least a video camera, assuming it uploads video footage off site would give the police an identity of the thief, which aids in the prosecution of said thief.
@Greg
i defeated your better locks with a kick through your wood framed door, or a brick through your windows.
So I guess the advantage of this is that it could act standalone? Wish the price is cheaper though, but I guess these kinds of devices are not cheap anyway. I wonder how good the sensor is in this cam. Being HD is not really great if all you see is a blurry mess.
A consumer-level video camera that doesn't automatically load recorded video upon activation to an off-site server isn't a security camera - you know this, logitech (and engadget)!! Unless someone is going to pay someone else minimum wage to constantly monitor their camera's feed, it's pointless.
@hendon42 LOL. Whatever you say. I guess that the tens of thousands of DVR-based security camera installed at just about every convenience store in America would not count as a security system, huh? Off-site server!! LOL!!! ooooooookay!!
Notice that I addressed a consumer security need?? I didn't address business needs. However, even businesses need to feed the video off-site to ensure it's not destroyed in an incident. If you're fine with having a dvr or vhs based camera in your living room that records to a base unit that is right by it, fine. It will be hauled out with your other belongings or destroyed - just like this logitech camera. Oh, let's not forget that if someone does take it, they will also have video on the storage card of you and anyone else the camera has recorded coming through the front door or whatever. Unless the storage card is encrypted (which it doesn't appear from what I've read on logitech's site) this camera might be more of a security hazard.
@hendon42 C'mon guys... Why clog the posts with opinions unrelated to the technology? If you install a security surveillance system (any system, VCR, DVR, Logitech cam), you'll hopefully use some common sense. Mount the camera high or in a secure enclosure. Hide the DVR/VCR in a closet or lockbox. In my house, a theif would spend too much time trying to find the DVR. If anyone is going to actually stick the camera on the front door and/or put a DVR next to their $$ stereo, then no solution will work for them. How about we keep the posts related to the actual equipment and not some idiot using it poorly?
The technology has to be able to instantly tell, such as through mobile phone, that it has been tripped and preferably send you a picture, pictures, or video of the instance. This allows you to contact the authorities if needed - that's the point of a security system at the consumer level. If you're going to set this in your living room and catch video of people entering your house, an enclosure is quite pointless because because it will be destroyed and your friends will say stuff like "what kind of decoration is that?" You need to set it in a place where it will be able to capture the entry point and enough light (a flash would be nice) to let you know whether or not to contact authorities. If it's inside, don't worry about an enclosure and other nonsense about hiding it they will most likely block the image, the light, etc. You want it for instant alert during emergencies so you can contact authorities, such as a break-in or fire - not so you can hide it. If you get an instant warning and contact the authorities that there is a break-in in progress, you can probably stop the intruder from getting away. Regardless, the camera itself should be thought of as disposable and something that would quickly be destroyed in an incident(even if you hide it and use it poorly). By the way, no two people are born with the same "common sense." Everyone has a different approach to things and that is why you would unfortunately, hide the camera.
After reading more, I found it appears to send footage to phone if activated. I can't find any more on that feature though to know if it's sufficient. I skipped over the motion detection part of the engadget article.
If the memory card is encrypted(and if the motion detection auto call feature works well) it might be a decent system. However, if the camera's memory card isn't encrypted and if there is no safeguard in logitech's alert commander software to help, then it would be less desirable because if someone takes your logitech alert security camera, they take the video on it, too.
WiLife - The reviews were bad but I bought Logitech WiLife anyway... Works great... except that I had to buy an HD2 to view live footage when away from home. That kinda sucked so I got an Evo, lol. I love the WiLife... it's simple and easy and works as a great home monitoring system. (Good for babies and elderly too)
This is so typical Logitech. $400 remotes and now this. Cameras that cost as much as the base system. Wonderful. Good luck with this one Logitech. FAIL.
The funny part is that logitech software was able to do this at least 7 years ago- it had motion sensor software in its old camera software that subsequently got removed. And those cameras were a lot cheaper.
@makryger I was just thinking about how I had an logitech webcam from about 10 years ago. It's software does motion detection and will even sound an alarm when it detects it.
Sounds like the same thing they are selling here, minus a decent resolution camera, for about 6 times what i paid for that camera 10 years a go. wtf?
I love Logitech.
@SpaceKyd Their speakers are kinda sucky though. But yeah, for webcams etc, it's awesome.
I would rather go with a more flexible (and cheaper overall) solution.
Currently I have several TRENDnet TV-IP312W's running over my wireless network. Their video stream is piped out over the internet and I have secure access to view from any web browser and a few mobile apps (all free).
These cameras have night mode with 6 IR LED's and it works quite well. For video recording, they are set up with motion detection zones and record to a NAS (FreeNAS).
Anyone who is remotely serious about home security isn't looking at Logitech to fill that need...
@NKTizzle Something is covering your camera, I can't see you!
@kempcross
I may appear to be covered, but I see all :p
I would love to see how well this camera does with night mode IR. Currently I have a set of four Panasonic BB-HCM511A security cameras positioned around the house. They work directly off of PoE so I have some PoE injectors inline with them.
All of their video feeds get dumped to Blue Iris security monitoring software which runs on a WHS box.
It works swimmingly but the night mode on the Panasonic cameras leaves a lot to be desired.
If these Logitech cameras put out a standard video format I should be able to commandeer the recordings with Blue Iris.
@CanyonCarver Output files are MP4. I'm not sure exactly which encodings are used internally for video and audio, but they play just fine on my Windows 7 machines.
@TimStevens Thanks Tim. Maybe I will pick one up after I see how well it does at night, how wide the lens is, etc. The guy who writes Blue Iris is pretty responsive to requests to support new camera models.
I see now that this camera is fixed in position. This actually might not work for me as my cameras are motorized and I have multiple presets that allow them to be swung around to check up and down the street, look down for packages on the door step, etc.
@CanyonCarver Fixed indeed. The extra resolution means that digital zoom is actually possible while still retaining good quality, but that only helps in very limited situations.
Not exactly the same but you can take a regular webcam or multiple cams and get the motion detection part by using software called Vitamin D
http://www.vitamindinc.com/
Its free / $50 depending on what you want
You have to admire a potential thief who wears a Grand Theft Auto while on the prowl
@themagicfetus
t shirt that is
@themagicfetus Subtlety is not exactly my forte.