D-Link rolled out a wealth of new home security cameras at the Consumer Electronics Show on January 8, including three wired IP cameras and two wire-free smart cameras with sights clearly set on the class-leading Netgear Arlo series. The D-Link DCS-1820LH is an indoor/outdoor camera with LTE connectivity while the DCH-2802KT is a Wi-Fi multicamera system with a base station that offers up to 11 months of battery life.
While D-Link’s previous smart cameras have been decent, our experiences with them often turned up many missing features, not the least of which was the lack of cloud storage. Fortunately, thanks to the latest version of the Mydlink app, cloud storage is now available on every D-Link camera announced at CES. That makes the 1820LH and 2802KT much more effective as true home security solutions.
Both the LTE and Wi-Fi cameras offer a very similar feature set, including Full HD 1080p recording; sound and motion detection; night vision; cloud storage and local recording; and Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and IFTTT support. One key difference, other than LTE connectivity, is that the Wi-Fi-only 2802KT features a 140-degree lens, one of the widest we’ve seen shy of hemispherical and spherical cameras. The LTE-equipped 1820LH makes due with just a 113-degree lens.
The 1820LH uses the Verizon LTE network, but can also connect over Wi-Fi where available. It will retail for $300 when it ships in the second quarter of this year. The 2802KT wire-free camera will be available in the same time frame, with the one-camera kit priced at $250 and the two-camera kit at $350. Add-on cameras are available for $220 a piece.
The wired cameras D-Link announced at CES are the DCS-8010LH HD Wi-Fi camera, DCS-8300LH Full HD Wi-Fi camera, and DCS-8525LH Full HD Pan & Tilt Wi-Fi camera. The 8010LH offers 720p recording and a 120-degree lens, while the 8300LH shoots 1080p video from a 140-degree lens. The 8525LH can pan to cover 340 degrees horizontally and tilt to cover 110 degrees vertically. All three offer sound and motion detection; night vision; cloud and local backup; and Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and IFTTT integration.
As lower-end cameras, the prices of the wired models are considerably less than their wire-free compatriots, starting at just $60 for the 8010LH. The 8300LH jumps to $90 while the 8525LH goes for $120. All will be available in second quarter 2018.
