It seems that more and more people are buying cameras for their homes these days. The D-Link DCS-8525LH full HD pan & tilt Wi-Fi camera is a part of that growing trend. I personally have 4 Arlo cameras monitoring my home, and I know several neighbors who have cameras mounted around their homes as well. We may not live in a rough neighborhood, but it is nice to be able to keep an eye on things when away, know when a package arrives or who is ringing the doorbell. So how does this indoor camera from D-Link perform? Read on for the full review of the D-Link DSC-8525 camera to find out.
Specifications
- The D-Link DCS-8528LH has the following specifications.
- 1080p HD quality video
- Built-in mic and speaker
- 0.73 lbs
- Two-way audio
- Pan and tilt
- Sound and motion detection
- Wide angle viewing
- Night vision
What’s In The Box
- DCS-8525LH camera
- Micro USB power adapter
- Mounting kit
- Ethernet cable
- Quick install guide
Design
The design of the D-Link DCS-8525LH is straightforward, it’s a round shaped camera mounted on a gimbal. The camera pans 340 degrees and tilts 110 degrees. This ensures full coverage front to back and up and down, there is no hiding from the DCS-8525LH camera. The round camera houses the lens as well as 10 IR lights for 16 feet of night vision. On the base of the camera, there is a D-Link logo on the front, an Ethernet, micro sd slot, WPS button, micro USB port and a reset button on the back. The mic and speaker are located on the base as well, and mounting options are located under the base.
The D-Link DCS-8525LH looks like it could easily audition for the roll of the cute droid in the next Star Wars movie, it is white with black accents and rounded in shape. Overall it is what you would expect from a camera, nothing wild in this design. The included power cord is almost 10 feet long, this is good if you want to position the camera far from an electrical outlet.
Ease Of Use
Setting up the D-Link DCS-8525LH is as easy downloading the app, signing into you D-Link account (or signing up) and scanning the QR code on the bottom of the camera. You can name your camera and start using it straightaway. To use the camera manually you only have to press view and once the camera is live you touch the screen and a screen icon will pop up with a red rectangle indicating where the camera is looking. Move your finger to move the camera in the direction that you wish. There is a bit of lag between telling the camera to move and when it actually does move, but it’s only about one second. You can also take a photo or video of the live picture by pressing the corresponding icon on the screen. Using the camera, recording, accessing recorded video and photos is simple enough but it does take some practice to learn to do it seamlessly and to take full advantage of all features on the D-Link DCS-8525LH
There is also a mic and a speaker on the DCS-8525LH allowing two-way communication between your device and the camera. Once again, there is a bit of lag, but nothing that I could really complain about. The lag is probably because I chose to set the DCS-8525LH up wirelessly. The speaker sounds good, voices come through clear and are easily understood. You can also set the camera to record in 1080p or 720p. You can record video to the cloud, a micro sd or to your device and there is Google Assistant and Alexa integration as well.
Software
The first page of the app for the D-Link DCS-8525LH has any device you have linked available, from here you can pick a device you want to use. The next page is the event page, here you will find recordings and any notifications that you have been sent laid out on easily accessible timeline. You can view the items, save them or delete them from here. The next page is for the setting of different devices, your account, and schedules. The last page is a one-tap page where you can set automation for Home, Aways, bedtime, wake up and panic. These allow you to set automation, such as the DCS-8525LH is to record video and send you a notification should it hear sound or detect motion. I found that the notifications were very fast, usually within a second of detecting something the notification arrived.
The app is simple to use once you get accustomed to it, but it does take a little bit of studying to get the most out of it. The worst part that I found was the notifications. You need to have notifications on in order to make the most of a motion and sound detecting system right? You need to be notified when the camera picks up something. Yeah, that’s true. What I didn’t need was to be notified, at 2:54 am that the D-Link software was going to be updated in 5 minutes. Then I was notified again at 2:56 am that the D-Link software was going to be updated in 3 minutes. Then at 3:09am I received yet another notification that the upgrade was going to happen now. Seriously?! I just want to get back to sleep here. At 3:12 am another notification arrived to inform me the software has been upgraded. I don’t care, update away, just let me sleep. This is the only app that has ever done this to me, there has to be a better way.
Price/Value
The D-Link DCS-8525LH is available on Amazon for $99.65USD. I think this is a great price for an indoor camera that has motion and sound detection as well as the ability to record in 1080p, have two-way communication, various options to store video and night vision as well.
Wrap Up
The D-Link DCS-8525LH is a great camera to keep an eye on things in the house while you are away. It is easy to use (with a bit of practice) and comes at a good price. So if you are looking for an indoor Wi-Fi camera, make sure you check out the D-Link DCS-8525LH.
