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SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera Series 2 Review
Designed exclusively for use with the third-generation SimpliSafe Home Security System, the SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera Series 2 is a weather-resistant home security camera that offers a few standout features not available on the original model, including live professional monitoring and AI face matching for more accurate alerts. It's a solid performer and a good fit if you already use a SimpliSafe security system, but at $199.99, it's expensive for a 1080p camera, and live monitoring requires a pricey monthly subscription. If you aren't locked into the SimpliSafe ecosystem or you don't need live monitoring, check out our Editors' Choice-winner for outdoor security cameras, the wireless Reolink Altas PT Ultra ($209.99), which offers sharper 4K video, mechanical pan and tilt capabilities, and continuous recording support. Design and Features: Professional Monitoring for Crime Prevention The SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera Series 2 has a white finish with an IP65 weatherproof rating that protects it from damage from dust and rain. It measures 4.2 by 3.1 by 2.9 inches (HWD) and weighs 0.7 pounds with the battery installed. Around the back, there's a twist-off battery compartment cover with a magnetic circular indent for attaching the camera to the included mounting ball, a Reset button, and a USB-C port for connecting the camera to an AC power source. On the bottom of the enclosure is a threaded mounting hole for use with the optional $14.99 permanent mounting bracket. The face of the camera holds a sensor that captures 1080p video with a 140-degree field of view and support for 10x digital zoom. The front also features a spotlight, two microphones, and two infrared LEDs for black-and-white night vision. The spotlight can illuminate the area in front of the camera for full-color night vision and also serves as a status indicator that glows blue when the camera is recording a motion event or amber when a live agent is online and monitoring an event. The camera includes a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi radio and a 90dB siren that, along with the spotlight, is designed to scare off intruders. A speaker that juts out from the bottom of the camera is used for two-way audio communication. The rechargeable battery is rated to last up to three months between charges, but if you'd rather not deal with that, you can use the included 25-foot outdoor cable to power the camera. Note that a wired power connection is required if you plan to activate SimpliSafe's Active Guard Outdoor Protection service with a Pro or Pro Plus monitoring plan (more on this below). SimpliSafe Active Guard Outdoor Protection Unlike the $399 Deep Sentinel DS2, which is a standalone camera system that supports live professional monitoring, the SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera Series 2 can only be used as part of a SimpliSafe Home Security System (starting at $249.96) because it requires a base station to function. Similar to the Deep Sentinel's live monitoring service, SimpliSafe's Active Guard Outdoor Protection uses onboard AI technology to determine if a motion event presents a potential threat or a dangerous situation and, if so, sends an alert to a live monitoring center. A professionally trained agent will then access your camera and engage whomever has been spotted via two-way audio. If necessary, the agent will activate the siren and spotlight as a deterrent and contact local law enforcement. To cut down on false alerts, you can use the app to create a library of familiar faces for family, friends, workers, and other authorized visitors to your home. The camera uses AI to determine if the face is a match with anyone in your library and shares this data with live agents to help them determine if any interaction is warranted. For optimal performance while Active Guard Outdoor Protection is enabled, the camera's resolution is locked at 720p for streaming (recorded footage is captured at 1080p), night vision is set to black and white, and two-way audio is turned on. The camera will record video when it detects motion, but you have to subscribe to a plan to access it. The $31.99 monthly Core plan gives you 30 days of unlimited video storage and provides 24/7 professional monitoring and emergency dispatch if there's a break-in, fire, or medical emergency. However, that tier does not include Active Guard Outdoor Protection. For that, you need the $49.99 monthly Pro plan, which gives you everything from the Core plan and adds Active Guard Outdoor Protection between the hours of 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. local time. The $79.99 Pro Plus plan gives you everything from the Pro plan and adds 24/7 Active Guard Outdoor Protection. By comparison, Deep Sentinel's monitoring service offers 24/7 live monitoring for $100 per month. Smart Features: The SimpliSafe Home Security App The Series 2 camera uses the same SimpliSafe Home Security mobile app (free or Android and iOS) as the brand's security system. Unlike many of our favorite standalone outdoor smart home security cameras, it doesn't work with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant for voice control, nor does it support Apple HomeKit or the IFTTT automation platform. Inside the app, the Series 2 appears in its own panel on the Cameras screen. Tap the panel to launch a live stream that you can view in full-screen landscape mode by turning your phone sideways. There are buttons for initiating two-way talk, muting the speaker, manually recording a video clip, and viewing thumbnails of recorded motion events. Tap any event thumbnail to view, download, share, or delete the accompanying video clip. To access the camera's settings, tap the gear icon in the upper right corner. There, you can enable/disable Outdoor Protection and Video Verification, which allows monitoring agents to access recorded video to help verify if a security threat is in progress. Other settings let you activate the siren, configure night vision, create activity zones, enable motion detection, and set motion sensitivity. Installation and Performance: Simple Setup, Responsive Agents To start the installation, I charged the camera's battery for around six hours, opened the app, and tapped the Cameras button at the bottom of the screen. I tapped Add Camera, selected the Outdoor Camera Series 2, and installed the charged battery. I verified that the LED was flashing white, pressed and released the Setup button on the back of the camera, and gave the camera a name in the app. I connected the camera to the same Wi-Fi network used by the base station, waited a few minutes for a firmware update, and took the camera outside, where I installed it on my backyard deck using the included mounting ball and hardware. I ran a connection test, which showed good signal strength and Wi-Fi upload speeds, adjusted the camera angle, and was ready to go. In testing, the Series 2 delivered relatively sharp 1080p video. Daytime colors were vibrant, and black-and-white night video showed good detail and contrast. With the spotlight enabled, night vision was also sharp, but colors were not as bright as those in daytime video. The camera provided a wide view of my backyard, and motion alerts arrived quickly. The Active Guard Outdoor Protection service worked as advertised. To test it, I hung around in front of the camera (before registering my face in the app), and within seconds, a live agent informed me that I was being recorded. I explained that I lived there, gave my name when asked, and after a few seconds, the agent wished me a good day. For another test, I added my face to the app's familiar faces library, went back outside, and didn't have any interaction with an agent. The timeline showed that an event did occur and was monitored, but it was deemed a common activity and showed several snapshots of my face. The live agents I dealt with during testing were courteous and professional at all times. Verdict: Effective Outdoor Monitoring for SimpliSafe Users If you use a SimpliSafe Home Security System to protect your home and want to keep a close eye on what's going on outside, the SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera Series 2 is the most thorough way to do it. Thanks to professional monitoring, you can rest assured that a live agent will be alerted to any potential issues and intervene on your behalf. You have to pay close to $50 a month for Active Guard Outdoor Protection, which, along with a $199.99 list price, makes this a fairly expensive camera, considering it only offers 1080p video. Still, it's a good option for SimpliSafe users who want the utmost outdoor protection. If you prefer to self-monitor, you can get more for your money and avoid subscription fees with the Reolink Altas PT Ultra, which remains our Editors' Choice winner for its sharper 4K video, local video storage, and mechanical pan and tilt capabilities.
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Deep Sentinel DS2 Review
The original Deep Sentinel DS1 earned our Editors' Choice award in 2020 for its unique live monitoring service, quick response times, and ease of use, though we lamented its costly monthly fee and lack of voice control. Aside from a new spotlight and an upgraded AI processor, little has changed with the $399 Deep Sentinel DS2. Its monitoring service is still expensive ($100 per month), and it doesn't work with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, or Google Assistant, nor does it integrate with third-party devices. Deep Sentinel is also no longer the only game in town for professional monitoring. If you want to save money by self-monitoring your property, the Reolink Altas PT Ultra offers plentiful features, including ultra-sharp 4K video, mechanical pan and tilt, voice control, and local video storage, for $209.99, remaining our Editors' Choice for outdoor home security cameras. Design: Familiar, But Updated For this review, we tested the Deep Sentinel single-camera package that comes with one camera, a smart hub that processes camera footage using AI, two battery packs, a LAN cable, a yard sign, a mounting bracket, a quick start guide, a screwdriver and drill bit, and assorted mounting hardware. The kit costs $399, and the monitoring service costs $100 per month for a single camera. You can control up to six cameras with one hub, and each additional camera costs $200. Other optional accessories include a spare battery pack, a solar panel, and a plug-in Wi-Fi extender. The DS2 looks nearly identical to the DS1, but there are a few differences. The camera comes in white (the DS1 is black) and adds a spotlight just above the camera lens. Also new is a USB port for charging the removable battery pack via external sources like solar panels. The camera's 9,600mAh lithium-ion battery is rated to last up to three months between charges. The camera measures 6.0 by 2.5 by 4.2 inches (HWD) and has an IP65 weatherproof rating that protects it from damage due to rain and dust. The top portion has a twist-off battery compartment, a speaker, a microphone, a mini USB port, and an LED ring that illuminates with a spinning red line when the hub detects a potential security threat. The bottom portion holds the spotlight, an image sensor that captures video at 1080p with a 130-degree field of view, a passive infrared (PIR) motion sensor, an ambient light sensor, and a power LED. In addition to the spotlight, the camera has a 104dB siren that is used to ward off unwanted guests. A pairing button for setup is located on the back. The smart hub has also been upgraded with a more powerful NXP ARM Cortex A53 CPU that provides 30fps processing for quicker threat identification. It includes 4GB of RAM and 64GB of flash memory for storing recorded video locally (you also get 64GB of revolving cloud storage as part of your subscription). It uses proprietary RF technology to communicate with each camera and connects to your home network via a LAN port on the back of the device. The hub has a cylindrical shape measuring 4.4 by 5.4 inches and features a removable top that hides a built-in charging compartment for the camera battery. An LED indicator on the hub blinks green while the battery is charging, white when in pairing mode, blue during a software update, and red when there is no internet connection. A solid green light indicates that the hub is online, and a solid purple light indicates that you are in privacy mode. The rear of the hub has a LAN port, a power port, a reset button, and a USB port. Deep Sentinel's monitoring service hasn't changed much since we reviewed the DS1, but it is significantly more expensive. Instead of $60 per month, it now costs $100 per month for one camera (a minimum one-year contract is required when you sign up), and you now have to pay $50 extra for each additional camera, up from $20. For comparison, SimpliSafe's Outdoor Security Camera Series 2 costs $199.99, and live monitoring starts at $49.99 per month, but it only works when connected to a SimpliSafe Home Security System. Live monitoring with the Deep Sentinel system works like this: When the camera detects motion, the hub's AI will determine if the event is harmless or if there's a security threat. If the motion is deemed suspicious, the video is sent to the cloud, and an agent is assigned to view the activity in real time. If an agent decides that a security risk still exists after trying to ward off an intruder via the camera's two-way audio, they will sound the siren and enable the spotlight. If that doesn't work, they will contact the local authorities. All this happens in a matter of seconds. The DS2 camera and hub use the same Deep Sentinel Home Security mobile app (free for Android and iOS) as the DS1. It opens to the home screen, which has a scrolling timeline of recently verified event thumbnails (that have been reviewed by a live agent). Tap any thumbnail to view, save, or share the video, or to send it to Deep Sentinel. Below the verified timeline are panels for the hub and each connected camera. Tap the hub panel to access settings, where you can test its connection speed, view connected devices, and delete or restart it. Tap the camera panel to view a live feed, which is automatically presented in landscape mode. Here, you'll find buttons for muting the speaker, initiating two-way talk, enabling an AI deterrent (that plays a sound or a voice message when the camera detects activity), turning on privacy mode, sounding the siren, and defining a motion activity zone. Tap the History button at the bottom of the home screen to see thumbnails of all recorded events, listed by date. When you tap the settings button, it opens a screen where you can see which Wi-Fi network the camera is using, test the siren and speaker, set up protection (privacy) zones, create protection schedules, enable push notifications, and view the remaining battery life. Installation and Performance: Simple Setup, Responsive Live Monitoring In testing, the Deep Sentinel DS2 camera was easy to install. I downloaded the app, created an account, and tapped Add a Hub. I selected the DS2 Wireless Hub, connected it to my router, and powered it up. The hub immediately connected, so I tapped Done and then Add a Camera on the next screen. I inserted a battery into the camera, pressed the pairing button on the device, and it immediately paired with the hub. I gave it a name in the app, connected it to my Wi-Fi network, and mounted it on a deck post in my backyard to complete the installation. To test my connection, I raised my arms over my head, as suggested in the quick start guide, and received a response from a live agent within seconds. The camera provided relatively sharp 1080p video with rich colors during the day, but nighttime video appeared slightly grainy. Motion alerts arrived instantly, and recorded video was available almost immediately. Live monitoring worked as intended. Any motion caused by pets and family members was verified and ignored by the live agents (i.e. triggered no intervention). I donned a hoodie, sunglasses, and a face mask and loitered around within camera range. Within 10 seconds, the red light began spinning, and an agent said, "This is Deep Sentinel Security. Can I help you?" When I explained that I was testing the camera, the agent asked for my name, verified that everything was alright, and wished me a good day. Each interaction with a live agent was friendly and professional, and two-way audio came through loud and clear, as did the AI deterrent response. Verdict: Pricey Peace of Mind If you spend a good chunk of time away from home and want to make sure that your property is well protected, the Deep Sentinel DS2 system is worth a look. It's not the highest-resolution camera out there, but it offers good image quality and live monitoring with agent intervention and law enforcement dispatch when necessary. The camera is easy to install, and the hub offers local and cloud-based storage for recorded event clips, but at $399 for one camera and $100 per month for monitoring, it's a very expensive home security solution. If you don't require live monitoring, the Reolink Altas PT Ultra offers 4K video, mechanical pan and tilt, and voice control support for far less money than the DS2, so it remains our Editors' Choice winner.
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A comparison of SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera Series 2 and Deep Sentinel DS2, highlighting their features, live monitoring capabilities, and pricing structures.
In the evolving landscape of home security, two notable contenders have emerged with advanced features and live monitoring capabilities: the SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera Series 2 and the Deep Sentinel DS2. Both devices offer unique approaches to home surveillance, combining cutting-edge technology with human oversight.
The SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera Series 2, priced at $199, is designed exclusively for use with the third-generation SimpliSafe Home Security System. This weather-resistant camera boasts several improvements over its predecessor, including AI face matching for more accurate alerts and live professional monitoring 1.
Key features of the SimpliSafe camera include:
The camera's standout feature is the Active Guard Outdoor Protection service, which uses AI to assess potential threats and alert a live monitoring center. This service requires a subscription to either the Pro plan ($49.99/month) or Pro Plus plan ($79.99/month) 1.
The Deep Sentinel DS2, priced at $399, builds upon its predecessor's success with enhanced features. Like the SimpliSafe camera, it offers live monitoring services, but with a more robust approach to threat detection and response 2.
Notable features of the Deep Sentinel DS2 include:
Deep Sentinel's monitoring service is more proactive, with AI quickly determining potential threats and alerting live agents who can intervene in real-time through two-way audio, activate deterrents, or contact local authorities if necessary 2.
Both systems require ongoing subscriptions for full functionality:
While both systems offer advanced features, they have some limitations:
As the home security market continues to evolve, these AI-enhanced, professionally monitored systems represent a new tier of protection for homeowners seeking comprehensive surveillance solutions.
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