The Kasa KC200 Review

The Kasa KC200 Review

The Kasa KC200 is the Smart Outdoor Security Camera from TP Link. This has servel great features and comes in at a respectable price. Let’s look at it in detail and see what it can offer and where it’s flaws may be. If you’re looking for a video on how to install it then please click this card above. This video today is purely a review of the unit.

Specs – the Kasa Cam comes in pretty loaded with features like

• weatherproofing
• 2 way audio
• 1080p footage
• siren
• cloud storage
• Instant notifications
• activity zones
• night vision
• watch from anywhere.

Then tie all this into your smart home and set up routines, smart actions and use IFTTT as well.

Installation – Firstly the installation part was easy, it could be made easier if the power cable was smaller so you didn’t have to drill such a big hole in a wall to fit the cable through. This or I need to get better with the tools. Aside from that the install is simple and set up is simple as well. It was no fuss. The weatherproofing I haven’t tested but another summer in Queensland will tell the test of time. It’s definitely a sturdy product to handle and I am confident in it’s promise.

Image and Sound – Once set up you have the ability to see a really clear image. The day before i installed it someone asked me why all security camera footage is grainy and horrible, however not with the Kasa cam and it’s 1080p as you can see from the images. The speaker also gives the opportunity to give 2 way audio, now it is fairly easy to hear what is being said as long as people don’t talk too loud, i think the speaker is being too sensitive. The audio and video is also delayed by about 2 seconds which can be confusing. I would say the audio features are great and offer some good solutions however i think this is also the area that needs the most improvement. The best audio feature is the siren, I have used it to scare some people (friends and family) and it is loud enough to startle an unwanted guest.

Smart Features – Now to trigger all this video and sound being recorded you can set activity zones so that only if there is movement within these zones will the camera be activated. This takes some trial and error to get the right zones. I started off enthusiastically and every little movement was being recorded all the way out to the road. I then narrowed it to include my driveway, the doorway and some of the garden. Even after all this a certain tree’s shadow would cause havoc between 4pm, and 530pm. So I reduced my activity zone even further. I think i have hit my sweet spot. This also works at night time and used in conjunction with night vision gives great clarity. When choosing your activity zone you will als decide if you want notifications or not. For me I chose to receive notifications and I think this is the right choice for me. I do get a lot of notifications. However I prefer this as to not know who is at my door. You can choose to not get notifications at a certain time and to also limit your notifications so if the camera get triggered 12 times in 5 minutes you only get 1 notification. If the camera is triggered again after 5 minutes you will then get another notification. You can also set the sensitivity of the camera, the amount of movement required for the camera to be triggered also to be triggered by sound. In here you can also choose to record video only, sound and video or nothing.

Scenes and Automation – Apart from the basic get a notification if someone arrives automation there is more you can do with the Kasa cam. Smart actions can be triggered within the Kasa app and one i currently have is that if the camera is triggered between 9pm and 330am the light will come on in the kitchen. The more Kasa products you have the more you can do. For example if you had a tp link smart plug then you could also automate the kettle to come on or the tv to come on if the camera is triggered. This would work particularly well if your camera is in the garage and then would only get triggered by your car.

Scenes are a little more simpler and can be added as a single button press. Example movie time sets both my lights to 5% brightness and turns then on.

Storage and Cloud – The Kasa Cam currently comes with a free subscription to there cloud service and all your clips get stored for free under the Kasa Care Plan. This is a premium service that at the time of filming is absolutely free. This includes 30 days of storage.

To sum it all up the Kasa KC200 is definitely worth buying. It offers value and quality. Buy one if you want a reliable security Camera.