Does The Maximus Camera Floodlight Provide Free Storage

Both indoor and outdoor cameras are key to securing a smart domicile, but with the later yous have quite a few options to consider: video doorbells, mounted security cameras, freestanding cameras and floodlight cams. Maximus Camera Floodlight is a new floodlight camera, meant to compete with the Ring Floodlight Cam, and function of Kuna'southward security devices.

Last twelvemonth we tested the Maximus Smart Home Security Outdoor Light & Camera, which combines voice, security, smart lights and a video doorbell part into one device and works with Amazon Alexa. We found it to be an easy DIY home security organization to install — but it had few tertiary-party smart dwelling integrations. We put the Maximus Camera Floodlight through our GearBrain testing to see if it had more smart dwelling juice.

What is Maximus Camera Floodlight?

The new Maximus Camera Floodlight is a floodlight powered by Kuna app. It includes a 1080p colour Hard disk drive photographic camera with 270-degree detection, a 70-pes range and shines with 2400-lumen. It may look big and heavy simply it's not — the device weights 6 lbs. and is 10.78 inches wide and viii.02 inches high. The floodlight is AC powered (max: ninety-277V, fifty/60 Hz) and weatherproof, tested in -4F (-20C) and 122F (50C) and 95 percent humidity. The camera has a 155-caste field of view (FOV) and an adjustable Passive Infrared Sensor (PIR) lens that you can adjust upwards to forty degrees left-correct and up-down. It comes with two-way communication and a siren (115+ decibel), which the company says is louder than a motorcycle.

Finally, Maximus Photographic camera Floodlight has night view — but not nighttime vision. Night view is when motion is detected, and the lights illuminate so yous can capture video in total color.

Kuna's Maximus Camera Floodlight GearBrain

How does it work?

The Maximus Camera Floodlight connects on a Wi-Fi frequency of either 2.4GHz or 5GHz to your home Wi-Fi router. Control is through a smartphone app, and likewise phonation commands from Google Banana or Amazon Alexa enabled devices. Before installing, check the wireless betoken at the location where you lot plan to install your Maximus Camera Floodlight. So, download the Kuna app from either the iTunes App Store (for iOS devices running iOS vii or in a higher place) or Google Play store for Android devices supporting Bluetooth LE: 4.3 (Jelly Edible bean) and higher up. If yous already take a Maximus product and Kuna app, as we did, at that place is no need to get the Kuna app again — just open the app and add a new device. The app will locate your device, connecting it to your home Wi-Fi network.

Installation – How piece of cake is it to install?

If you lot already have a floodlight, which we had on our examination house, installation is extremely quick and easy. Plough off the power so follow the instructions in the box.

Once you lot're connected to your habitation Wi-Fi network (run into above), you lot will exist asked to set your time zone and location, and prepare the sound yous want to play when motion is detected. The default sound is a chime, but you choice your own from a listing:

Video Voicemail
Barking Dog
I'm Busy correct Now
Sorry non Interested

Annotation that at this point you might need to update the app's firmware. If so, this will take only a few minutes. Nosotros always suggest you do the update — information technology will brand the rest of your setup easier.

The next step in the app is to setup your lights. Default is to have the light go on automatically at dusk and turn off at dawn — and we advise yous utilize this. When y'all're done with the setup process, you tin go back and modify this setting. Once you end this step, your light is set to exist used.

Kuna app is where you control your Maximus Camera Floodlight. GearBrain

Challenges with Installation

Installation should take about 10 minutes, if you're comfortable working with wiring and light fixtures. If you lot're a wiring novice, you should nonetheless hands be able to fix this floodlight but it might take longer.

We had one challenge though. Our exam house already had a floodlight, just the junction box was non recessed into the side of the firm. It stood out from the wall — and that acquired the Maximus Camera Floodlight's weight to pull the device forward leaving a gap betwixt the light and the junction box. We had to insert atmospheric condition stripping effectually the ring of the junction box in order to seal the back of the light to the junction box. If our junction box was recessed on the wall, nosotros would not have had this trouble. If your light fixture is not recessed, make sure you seal whatsoever gap, as we did, behind your mounting bracket.

If you install Maximus Camera Floodlight on a raised junction box, make certain you seal the mounting bracket to prevent moisture from getting in. GearBrain

Kuna App Controls Maximus Camera Floodlight

Kuna provides the software, cloud platform and app for your Maximus Camera Floodlight. The Kuna app is very easy to use, with elementary controls. In the app'southward device settings, y'all tin change the Wi-Fi network, check your device'due south health and add other members to control the photographic camera floodlight. You can also access settings for the floodlight, motion sensor and speaker volume.

One distinct feature is Kuna AI, the habitation security's bogus intelligence. Yous demand to upgrade to a paid monthly programme to become this feature, but doing so allows your photographic camera to send an alert when it detects a person or vehicle, or if they're detected in a particular viewing expanse. If the camera overlooks your driveway, you can become notifications about your vehicle as well, similar to how Ring's motion sensors work. The divergence, though, is that Ring doesn't delineate between a car or a person. Kuna AI can tell the difference between the two, and also recognize a car'south specific color, model and make within seconds. Ring cannot.

Nosotros tested the Kuna AI feature through the Maximus Camera Floodlight, and information technology did take a few days for the organization to recognize an actual person. One time information technology did, though, we plant the feature worked very well. However, if you do have Kuna AI activated — and only of you have Kuna AI activated — move timeout is set to 30 seconds, which is the amount of time the light stays on after motion is detected. You can't change it. We tried to change it to a longer time, but it would not let u.s. exercise so. We hope this will be allowed in future releases.

For light settings, you tin can set your lights to proceed at dusk, or pick a specific time. You lot can also program your lights to become off at dawn or pick a specific time. Motion detection tin can likewise be set to be e'er on, off or merely at night. You can't option a specific fourth dimension, still, for this to be activated. Every bit long as Kuna AI is not activated, equally we noted above, you can select the length of motility to timeout. Information technology tin can be either 30 seconds, 5 minutes or you tin can custom set up this feature to timeout between 1-60 minutes.

Kuna AI GearBrain

Keep in heed, once more, that Kuna AI is a feature that requires y'all upgrade to a Kuna Premium plan. In that location are three of these: Essential Security ($4.99), Peace of Mind ($9.99 per calendar month) and Absolute Control ($19.99 per calendar month). Each plan offers Kuna AI, unlimited downloads, theft protection and discounts off future Kuna products. The more cameras and video downloads yous desire, the college the cost of the plan. Yous don't, all the same, need a plan to utilise your Maximus Photographic camera Floodlight. You will still get 24/7 Hd video alive feed, two-style communication, pre-recorded messages, quick 911 access, manual record, ii-hour event look dorsum, automated greetings, in-app sound siren, 3 downloads per calendar month and low-cal controls.

Kuna offers premium plans in their app. GearBrain

Features

Besides Kuna AI, there a few other prissy features with the Maximus Camera Floodlight, including the "play sound on detection" feature, of which there are vi: "chinkle", "video voicemail", "I'g busy correct at present", "Tin I help y'all?", "Sorry, I'm not interested" and my favorite, "barking dog." Another feature we like is the support for 2-style communication through the Kuna app. Audio is slightly delayed merely articulate, and yous can control the book.

The cost for Maximus Photographic camera is $249 — the same as the Ring's Floodlight Cam which also has 1080p HD camera, easy installation, advanced move detection and works on a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi connection. You can buy the Maximus Camera Floodlight on Kuna's site.

Limited Smart Home Integrations

The Camera Floodlight tin be controlled by Google Assistant and Alexa-enabled devices — however there are not many other devices or home security systems that work with this floodlight security camera. If you are looking to add a device like Maximus to your current home security system or a home automation platform, you will be disappointed. The company mentioned they are working on more smart dwelling integrations but today, Maximus just works with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, and even and then at that place are limitations, including non accessing your security cameras through these platforms. (Check out The GearBrain, our smart habitation compatibility checker to see the other uniform products that work with Google Home and Home Mini likewise equally Amazon Alexa enabled devices.)

Summary

The Maximus Camera Floodlight with Kuna AI is a practiced, standalone DIY dwelling security device, offering unique AI capability to assist keep your home safe. It's easy to install, works with either Google or Amazon smart speakers, and has excellent video quality. Nosotros similar how you can command the brightness of the lights, and that Maximus supports two-way conversations with individuals, whether they are guests or unwanted guests. The device also has 911 accessibility in case of emergencies.

At that place are limitations with this photographic camera floodlight though. First, you can't store videos locally, as the device lacks a microSD slot, and you must become a plan if you desire to look at video clips from more than than 2 hours back. It would be nice if at that place was a fashion to store videos on the photographic camera floodlight via a microSD card — which many abode security cameras do let.

Maximus Camera Floodlight Maximus Photographic camera Floodlight'south HD photographic camera can't be adjusted by the app which would be nice, only information technology has good FOV. GearBrain

We also noted that the camera angle tin't exist controlled by the Kuna app. Truthful, the device has a 155-degree FOV — but it would be nice to be able to accommodate the camera to see other areas if needed.

Finally, there are limited smart domicile integrations. If you want to add this device into an existing smart habitation system — or plan to build a smart abode system to help secure your home — you'll need to use Google Dwelling house or Amazon Echo as your hub. Even then, y'all will not be able to access video from the app, instead tapping into two apps to watch and shop video. That's hardly ideal.

Overall, if y'all are looking for just an like shooting fish in a barrel to install outdoor security photographic camera which can as well function every bit a floodlight, Maximus is a good choice. If you are looking for an outdoor security camera that tin exist integrated into smart domicile system or an existing DIY home security system, however, Maximus is not there nonetheless, but has potential.

Pros:

• Good video quality, 155-degree FOV

• Kuna AI and like shooting fish in a barrel to install

• Works with Google Banana and Alexa enabled devices

Cons:

• Limited smart home and home security integrations

• Can't access video from Google Home or Amazon Echo devices and can't store videos on your device – need to pay for a plan

• Can't adjust the camera on the device and need a premium plan to get Kuna AI