FabianIt's finally here – the Philips Hue Secure Camera. I am very curious to see how the latest product from Philips Hue will perform in practice. Before I test the camera in my home, I would like to tell you about my first impressions of the unboxing and installation.
Just like with its other products, Philips Hue uses plastic-free packaging for the Hue Secure camera. In my case, the stand was included, which costs 49.99 euros individually. In any case, the wall mount is included, which is conveniently simply inserted into the stand and thus cannot get lost. This way, you still have the option of installing the camera in a different place later on.
All cameras must first be connected to the power supply using the power supply unit provided, including the battery-operated version. Then you start the search for the new hardware in the Camera section of the Hue app settings. You can't really do much wrong with the following steps.
After the camera has been started, it can be easily added in the Hue app. There are step-by-step instructions here, it really is very easy. Among other things, the “Ownership Card” is used here, without which the camera cannot be paired.
You can also make the first settings directly, including determining when the camera should be active and when it should not. If an alarm is triggered, you can, for example, set the camera's siren to sound and at the same time let selected lamps flash. You can also store an emergency contact that you can call with a quick click.
The LED of the Hue Secure Camera reveals these details
Directly above the lens, the Philips Hue Secure Camera has a small LED to show its current status. Here is a small overview of the different colours:
- Flashing blue: The camera is being set up
- Blue: The camera has successfully connected to the app and the Wi-Fi.
- Red: The camera is recording or the live view has been activated.
- Purple: The camera is booting up
- Green: The camera is updating the software
You can easily call up the live view of the camera by clicking on your Secure System. Here, the camera is loaded directly and you can access the live image, optionally also speak through the camera via microphone.
In the security area, you can also access recorded events and download the corresponding videos to your smartphone. Please note that a paid subscription is required for some functions; I will write a separate article about this. At the start, you can try out your new camera without any restrictions, because the first 90 days of the Premium subscription are free.
Even if the camera is deactivated, it can be used as a motion detector. You can also activate the “Trigger Lamps” function in the camera settings. Here you can then add lamps that are switched on when motion is detected. Unfortunately, third-party apps cannot access this practical function.
Philips Hue Secure Camera
from $199.99 / €199.99 / £174.99
Let Philips Hue keep an eye on your home for you! Get a crisp, clear 1080p HD live stream, turn on the lights or send an alert to your mobile device when motion is detected, or even trigger a sound alarm with a tap in the Hue app. This wired home security camera is easy to mount and install in any home.
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Mostly interested in how quick alerts arrive, if they come with previews and what the app launch to viewing live / scrolling through history is like. Like having hue cameras but their app is awful but these are probably a bit expensive to switch everything to