How do you define home security? Is it about sensors on doors and windows, cameras in all corners of the house and motion detectors in the yard and driveway? Or, do you have a different perspective? A more simple one.
While the aforementioned scenario is a great one, and comes with tremendous peace of mind, it could be an expensive endeavor. If you’re starting from scratch, it can be incredibly costly.
Brands like Nest, Honeywell, and Ring offer excellent products but they can get pretty costly. And while they do tend to integrate nicely with smart homes, not everyone needs that. Fortunately, we no longer need to spend hundreds of dollars up front, or subscribe to monthly plans, to keep an eye on things.
The EZVIZ C6CN Internet PT Camera is an example of a smart camera that doesn’t cost all that much (about $35) yet provides a great starting point for consumers looking to get going with home security.
What is the EZVIZ C6CN?
A camera capable of recording pictures and video in HD (1080) resolution, the unit offers up a 94-degree wide-angle picture and two-way audio. Users can speak to the camera and have their voice heard or choose to drop in and listen to the environment.
Size-wise and design-wise, this isn’t new territory. It employs the familiar “softball on a puck” shape and takes up around the same amount of space as a can of soda.
What’s in the box?
- C6CN WIFI Camera
- 10ft Power Cable
- USB Power Adapter
- Mounting Kit & Base Plate
- Quick Start Guide
What’s setup like?
The whole process of taking it out of the box and setting it up takes around five minutes. You can’t connect it to a 5GHz Wi-Fi network (2.4GHZ only) but you can directly connect to an Ethernet port.
We installed ours as easily as installing the EZVIZ app and then scanning a barcode on the bottom of the camera. It takes just a couple of minutes for the phone to create a three-way conversation between the router and the camera.
What does the EZVIZ C6CN do?
In short, it’s an unobtrusive camera that you can check from your phone any time you like. It’s possible to take snapshots or record video to your phone if you want or need. Additionally, there’s a microSD card slot in the camera itself which can be used for recording video locally.
There are options to capture 360-degree images, track motion, and communicate with the room. Another cool feature is the privacy mode which moves the lens all the way up until it’s obscured and cannot capture any video. Once enabled, it’s not possible to listen in or see anything other than a black screen.
The camera has a microSD card slot so it’s possible to capture video and store it for the long term. Worth noting, the EZVIZ C6CN does come with a 30-day free trial of the EZVIZ Cloud service. The manufacturer seems somewhat reluctant to share its prices but it largely depends on how fast back you want to keep recording history.
For $5.99 per month you can keep the last seven days; however, you can save money if you commit to one year ($59.99) at $4.99 per month. There are other options available, including longer history and discounts for multiple cameras.
Who is the EZVIZ C6CN for?
We can imagine a number of scenarios where it makes sense to have one of these installed. A few that immediately come to mind include using it as a baby monitor or to check on your elderly parents or grandparents. It would also be a good, inexpensive way to see how your pets are doing while on the go.
The motion tracking is nice if you have pets and want to keep an eye on them, particularly if they are prone to wander and/or congregate in a particular room.
Although there’s a minimal delay between conversation, it makes sense that one might want to put a camera like this in their parent’s home. A quick check-in, even if only by audio, is peace of mind.
Should I buy the EZVIZ C6CN Camera?
For the $35 price it’s hard to say no to the camera. We found ours to work well each time we used it and setup was easy enough. The overall quality and feature set is moderate enough to satisfy most basic users.
Motion detection is a nice feature that can be enabled if you’re looking to use it as a security camera. We’ve tested our share of EZVIZ products over the years and keep finding that the brand delivers worthwhile devices with wallet-friendly prices. This one is no exception.
Given it’s nearly 2020, we’d love to see support for Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. We would appreciate being able to glance at a room using our kitchen smart display when doing the dishes instead of drying hands off and getting a phone out.
Where can I buy the EZVIZ C6CN Camera?
You can learn more about EZVIZ and its products at its official website. As of the time of review, this camera was not for sale there but EZVIZ does offer its cameras and other devices through a number of retailers.
The C6CN camera is also available at places like Amazon, Dell, Walmart, Best Buy, and Newegg.
