This time I would like to introduce to you the unboxing review and usage experience of the Zyxel aurora smart home cloud camera. Recently, IPCAMs that can be connected to the cloud have been launched one after another on the market. However, either the picture quality is not good, or the app is not intuitive and easy to use. Some are unknown. Although the brand of Jingchuan seems to be good, people cannot be completely assured in terms of information security. Zyxel, a well-known domestic network communication manufacturer, has launched a product with simple and easy to use, convenience of use, and low-light full-color recording as its main appeals. The new smart cloud camera "Zyxel aurora" will serve as a touchstone for future smart home and IoT-related applications.
Zyxel aurora smart home cloud camera unboxing and appearance
Internet cloud cameras in the market In order to stand out, the "Zyxel aurora smart home cloud camera (hereinafter referred to as "Zyxel aurora")" launched by Zyxel this time is much more meticulous than competing products in terms of hardware specifications, applications and convenience: The main functional highlights are marked on the lower left corner of the outer box, including an ultra-wide-angle lens that can record 1080P resolution videos up to 145 degrees, and is the first in the industry to use Sony's latest "starlight level" image sensor, which can provide low light sources Features such as full-color recording in the environment, built-in 16 GB capacity for loop recording, and a simple and easy-to-use user-friendly App. In the following introduction, everyone can see the photography capabilities of the Zyxel aurora smart home cloud camera:
The detailed hardware specifications of Zyxel aurora are marked on the side of the outer box. It uses Sony 1/2.8-inch 1080P starlight-level sensor, F/2.0 large aperture, 2.8mm focal length, and can record at an angle of up to 145 degrees, triggering, and continuous , schedule video... and other main specifications:
The close-up on the back illustrates the various placement methods of Zyxel aurora. In fact, when placing Zyxel aurora, it does not matter whether it is front, back, hanging or It can be placed on the table upside down. As long as there is WiFi, plug in the power and you can use it:
Unboxing, the internal decoration is quite creative, on the left, right and bottom of the camera body. Different accessories are stored and placed, which looks quite refreshing:
All accessories of Zyxel aurora include cameras, manuals, chargers, geckos and charging cables:
The plug uses standard 5V /2A specification current, if you want to temporarily place the Zyxel aurora next to the crib or other places without plugs, you can use it with a mobile power supply for several hours without any problem:
Zyxel aurora camera body close-up, appearance Using a triangular column design, the camera body can operate even if it is placed upside down on the table without a base. With a base that can be changed to various angles, its flexibility of use is greatly improved:
The main feature of Zyxel aurora is Exclusively using the latest Sony 1/2.8-inch star-level sensor, F/2.0 large aperture, 2.8mm focal length, 145-degree ultra-wide-angle photography is almost wider than the human field of view, and you can also record good videos at night or with the lights off. Effect:
There is a power button on the top of the camera. After connecting the power cord, press it once to turn off the camera. Press it again to turn on the camera. Press and hold for 5 seconds to restore the factory default value:
Left and right of the camera Side close-up:
There are speakers and microphones for calls on the left side:
The design of the Zyxel aurora mechanism is full of ingenuity and is designed to suit various life situations. , such as the basic up and down elevation angle, of course there is no problem:
Whether it is placed at a high place or hidden in a corner, there is no problem:
You can also remove the base and put it upside down, for flexibility Very big:
In addition to the TYPE-C connection port on the back that can be plugged into both the front and back sides, the holes at the back are used to connect subsequent Alarm beeper / PoE expansion modules:
In addition to the changeable angle of the base and the rotation direction of the lens, the base also has an unexpected mystery, that is, it adopts a two-section design:
The gray base at the bottom is made of metal and can be firmly fixed on the wall through the gecko. Or it can be directly attached to the refrigerator or iron shelf through magnetic force. The upper half of the base is magnetic and can be easily assembled and separated:
So even if the Zyxel aurora is usually fixed on the wall for monitoring, as long as If necessary (for example, removing the lens from the living room and moving it to the baby's room), it can be removed and moved to another location in one second. It is very simple and does not even require tools! Zyxel aurora is full of features in the design of its base and appearance. Various ingenious ideas:
Zyxel aurora App setting and installation
Zyxel aurora is almost not difficult to set up, and does not require any in-depth network knowledge, as long as the environment is Wi-Fi network, prepare your smartphone and connect it to the power supply to start setting up and connecting to the cloud:
▲After placing the Zyxel aurora properly, connect the power supply and wait for the LED light next to the lens to be constant. After turning on the blue light, you can start the network settings.
Zyxel aurora supports both Android and iOS platforms. First, search for "Zyxel aurora" in the Play Store or App Store to download the App for free:
Next, set up For first-time use, you need to register a Zyxel Cloud account first. Enter your email and password before registering. You will receive a confirmation email after a while:
Click the startup link to complete the Zyxel Cloud account registration process. It's quite simple. You can then connect and manage the Zyxel aurora cloud camera through this account:
After the registration is completed, log in to the account and enter the main screen of the App. At the beginning, execute "Add Camera", and then there will be a section Simple camera installation instructions:
When the camera LED shows blue light and flashes, you can continue to set up:
Zyxel aurora needs to be paired and set up via Bluetooth at the beginning. In order to complete the process Zyxel engineers must have put in a lot of effort to make it understandable even for the elderly and children. Take pairing as an example. General Bluetooth pairing may require verification of the pairing code, but Zyxel displays different LED lights on the screen of the mobile phone. The corresponding light signal on the camera is used as a pairing command, which is quite simple and easy to understand:
▲ Take the above picture as an example, select pink and then proceed to the next step.
Next, you can select the WiFi network. And enter the connection password:
That’s it! It’s simple enough! From now on, users can connect to their homes from anywhere in the world through mobile networks to view the current situation and record videos. ：
Zyxel aurora is also very simple to monitor and use. In the "Camera" option, you can view your own or relatives and friends' cameras (you can share your Zyxel aurora with relatives and friends far away, such as grandparents watching their grandchildren) After doing homework, relatives and friends living abroad can go back to Taiwan to check on the daily conditions of their elders):
Viewing the Zyxel aurora real-time screen is also very simple, just click on the video icon of the camera to view it directly (if you have several groups If Zyxel aurora, several updates will appear). In this state, you can also make calls, take photos, record videos, etc.:
Through the App, you can easily communicate with children or elders:
Click the arrow next to each lens dynamic to expand all interfaces and settings:
For detailed function options, please refer to this official website for a clearer introduction:
In the camera settings , you can view the lens name, recording settings, camera settings and other parameters:
Among them, the "Motion Detection Area" can set a warning range. As long as there is any disturbance in the area, a notification will be sent immediately. You can also set Recording only when motion is detected:
Another thing to note is that the Zyxel aurora does not have the recording function turned on by default. You must go to the "Recording Settings" in the camera settings to turn on the recording function:
After turning on the recording function, you can also set whether to "continuous recording" or "record events only" (since the Zyxel aurora only has 16 GB of memory, if you want to record for a long time and it is easy to review, I personally recommend selecting "record events only" (will be better), the highest recording resolution can be set to 1080P, and finally whether to send App notifications and E-Mail alerts when the event is triggered:
After the setting is completed, you will see the camera dynamics A red recording prompt will be displayed in the upper left corner, and if there is any situation within the set detection range, a warning will pop up in the work panel, which is very practical for monitoring specific places with few people:
Zyxel aurora The recorded video content can be scrolled up and down in "Replay", and you can click to play, download and share the video:
During playback, the screen can be turned horizontally and played in full screen:
Posting a video recorded by Zyxel aurora for your reference. When I came home from outside and triggered the regional warning, the video was automatically recorded (please ignore that there are a lot of things at home, I have been too busy recently and have not had time to organize QQ):
The final test is an example of Ada using the 4G network to connect home to check the situation at home:
Just like my recent business trip to the mainland, it is very convenient to connect home through the cloud to check the situation at home:
In addition to the functions just briefly introduced, Zyxel aurora also has recording schedules, smart motion detection settings, real-time alarm notifications, two-way voice conversations, one mobile phone can watch multiple cameras at the same time, and can be shared with several mobile phones for simultaneous viewing, etc. Function. Zyxel aurora also supports Synology NAS's NVR and Surveillance Station storage solutions, providing users with a complete and scalable storage solution that can store to the public cloud, desktop management options, intelligent image analysis, monitor multiple IPCAMs on the same screen, etc. , Zyxel also expects to continue to launch Aurora’s external Ethernet power supply or alarm module in the second quarter of this year to expand Aurora’s related application functions.
Conclusion
Zyxel Aurora smart home cloud camera regardless of product appearance , usage, various placement situations, App UI / UX design and other aspects, I personally feel that the performance is quite excellent, especially in low light conditions through the LED light next to the lens and the large aperture and high-sensitivity lens. The high-quality performance of color rather than black and white images. From the initial setting to the daily use experience, it is quite good, especially the thousands of changing base changing methods and quick release, which add points to its mobility and convenience. A lot.
However, the Zyxel aurora's 16GB memory cannot be expanded, and it seems a pity that there is no viewing interface for the desktop version. I hope that the official can add PC applications (such as web pages) in the future, so that it can be used for people who have a lot of monitoring needs. It will be more convenient to use, but in summary Zyxel aurora is already a very good leader among similar products. It is also recommended for remote stores, counter monitoring, observing pet dynamics, checking the sleeping status of babies, and caring for elders. Reference for those who have daily living...etc.
Thanks to Zyxel for providing product testing for this article