Y-Cam Cube HD 1080 Review

👤by David Mitchelson Comments 📅10-08-13
Conclusion

In these times of austerity with the current economic crisis many small store owners and indeed the home owner are wise to boost their security to deter the petty criminal. Such devices like an IP camera are becoming much more common because they are easy to use and come with lots of useful features to work in conjunction with smart phones and tablets.

Y-Cam are a popular name when it comes to surveillance and it’s great to see them releasing new cameras such as the Cube Series.

We found the Cube HD 1080 a neat little thing. It’s physical dimensions and weight mean that it is discreet and easy to position in numerous different locations. Furthermore, we also found the software interface and general setup easy to use and it next to know time we had the camera up and running. What we like especially is the broad array of options that are available to choose from – Y-Cam give you plenty of flexibility over the operation of the camera from turning of specific aspects like the LED or Infra-red in the evening or setting motion detection recording over continuous mode. In this regard, both novice and advanced users will appreciate the selection of settings available.

When Cube HD 1080 is operational the visual quality is very good. The viewing range is one particular highpoint as the wide angle lens gives an expansive view that is both crisp and clear. 1080p is obviously the highest image setting this camera can take advantage and this large resolution means that quality of capture is not compromised on. At first we were a little disappointed by the maximum of 15FPS for 1080p mode but it actually worked well and motion was smooth.



Other areas which are good are the audio features – on a previous Y-Cam camera we weren’t keen on the microphone quality due to noise interference but we are pleased to see (or hear) that Cube HD 1080 has a quality microphone which works well at picking up nearby sounds.

There are however some areas which are slight drawbacks – the WiFi signal range on Cube HD 1080 we found to be quite weak, against the other IP cameras we have tested that also have wireless capabilities, this camera suffered and as a result had to be relocated to another area for the test video. The other aspect which we feel could be improved upon is the camera stand. Whilst we appreciate its steel construction, the locking mechanism wasn’t overly impressive – it isn’t a secure method of fixing the camera head, sometimes it can drop or move. Going on the price-tag of this solution, we would have expected something better.

Priced at £250 the Cube HD 1080 is not a cheap investment. But all things considered, based on the high-end features it comes with, anything comparable from other brands will sit around this mark too.

Compact, sleek and jam-packed with useful features such as motion detection and night vision, this lightweight HD IP camera is easy to use and comes highly recommended for the home or small office.

Pros
+ Small, lightweight
+ Excellent visual quality
+ Good night vision capabilities
+ Motion detection + scheduler
+ Great audio/microphone
+ Easy to setup and configure
+ Lots of options to customise

Cons
- WiFi range is weak
- Stand could be improved – locking mechanism



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