The Xcam2 Video Camera gives you Low Cost Home Surveillance!
Written: Mar 01 '02 (Updated May 24 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A great price for a wireless color camera!
Cons: Picture quality is lacking a bit!
The Bottom Line: If you are looking for an affordable wireless color camera for surveillance then this is a great buy!
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| surferdude7's Full Review: X10 XCam Anywhere |
Home surveillance starts at a low cost of only $79.99 with free shipping. All orders from x10.com have free shipping if the order is over $49.99.
Xcam2 Video Camera
The Xcam2 Video Camera Kit is the latest camera from X10.
The Xcam2 Video Camera is a color analog video camera with a built-in microphone. It uses 2.4 GHz to transfer video wireless for up to 100 feet. The camera will give you a 60-degree view.
The camera receiver can connect to a TV, VCR or Web TV Plus, it comes with a one-year warranty and 30-day money back guarantee.
Included with the camera for a low price of $79.99 is a receiver for video only, (For Audio it is an extra $10) an addressable power supply that can be used with other X10 components and two mounting screws?
Xcam2 Wide-Angle Camera
X10 offers a wide-angle camera that will give you a 120-degree view verses the regular camera of only 60-degrees. This gives you twice the viewing area over the regular camera.
The cost of the wide-angle camera is $99.99 for the kit and it also comes with a receiver for video only, (For Audio it is an extra $10) an addressable power supply that can be used with other X10 components and two mounting screws?
Xcam2 Instant On
They also offer an instant on camera for $119.99 that has no warm up time, it also comes with the same components as in the other two cameras listed above.
The Receiver
The receiver that comes with the camera has an RCA hookup for video and a standard coaxial connection. The audio version has an extra RCA hookup for sound.
The receiver has a flat antenna that can move in many directions to give you better video conditions.
It comes with a 110 watt power supply that plugs into the receiver.
ADD ON’s
There are several things that can be added on to enhance the power of the Xcam2 camera. Listed here are only two of several, I just wanted you to give you an idea of the extras that the camera can do.
X10 NINJA
The NINJA is a unit that you place your Xcam2 Video Camera on top of and gives you the ability to move the camera from left to right with a total of 240 degrees of turning radius. You can also move your camera up and down 130 degrees making your camera very versatile. It takes about 31 seconds to complete the 240-degree movement and 15 seconds for the up and down movement.
With the NINJA comes with a wireless ScanPad Remote that lets you control up to four different cameras at a time. You can also program how you want the camera to move automatically or what position you want it in by the push of a button.
The cost of the NINJA with the remote is $99.99 without a camera and $169 with a Xcam2 Video Camera.
VCR Commander II
The VCR Commander sells for $49.99 and with a Motion Sensor $59.99. The VCR Commander can work with up to 16 different cameras.
The VCR Commander is great for home security, with a motion sensor it will turn on your VCR and start recording until the motion stops and then it will turn your VCR off 5 minutes later.
In the Home Mode it will not turn on the VCR but will give you a chime sound to let you know that there is some movement in the camera area.
In the Away Mode it will turn on and off your VCR and record what is going on.
What I got!
I got the Xcam2 Video Camera Kit with Audio and the NINJA, they had a two-day sale and the NINJA was FREE with the purchase of any camera. My total cost was only $89.99 that included free shipping and no sales tax charges.
Installation is easy and the instructions are also easy to understand.
The quality of the color video from the camera is fair, you can easily see what you are viewing. It will not read a newspaper 20 feet away but what can you expect for less than $90 for a wireless color camera system.
They claim you can use it up to 100 feet away from the receiver, I had it about 75 feet outside away from the receiver and the picture kept breaking up. I moved it to several locations and it seem to work quite well about 50 feet from the receiver, the camera being outside and the receiver on the inside of the house.
The camera and NINJA can be use outside or inside.
On Sale!
Check out X10 every few days, they seem to have a different sale all the time with some great offers like I got, getting the NINJA free.
My Final Words
I wasn’t sure what to expect with a low price like they offer, so I thought well they do give a 30 money back guarantee, (Sending it back will cost you shipping) lets give them a try.
The NINJA was smaller than I expected and that is a plus and it operates smoothly without hearing it while it is moving. The remote with it is nice and easily programmable for you preferences in movement or stop locations.
The Xcam2 Video Camera works fairly well and is very small, great for hiding in almost any place you wish. It does produce a better image during bright daylight hours verses night with lights on. For total darkness it is useless.
Would I recommend the camera? YES, it is a bargain for the price.
Would I get another one? YES, I plan to get a wide-angle camera when they offer the VCR Commander II free with the purchase of a camera. A couple months ago they had that offer.
This is a very cost effective way to have home security, they even offer a 3-camera kit deal starting at $169.99.
Recommended:
Yes
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