Home CasaVerdeSmart ,,,,,KKmoon HD Ball is a video camera that we have had in the editorial office in recent weeks and which, due to its size and technical characteristics, finds its place especially in outdoor places or in shops, where it allows you to keep the environment constantly under control.
It is in fact waterproof and thanks to the automatic focus combined with the 4X zoom it offers excellent visibility even of the smallest details, furthermore the remote control even from a smartphone and the possibility of receiving alerts with photos via email upon detection of movements make it an ideal solution also to keep an environment under control in one's absence. It also records on microSD and in case of unwanted access it is difficult to get hold of the files stored inside, making it an excellent security system even for your business.
How it's made
The video camera is definitely flashy : the only “eyeball”, that is the transparent spherical half inside which the optical group moves, has a diameter of about 12 centimeters and the whole structure leaves the camera protruding from the wall on which it will be fixed by 22 centimeters.
The whole body is in solid metal with a satin paint in a color that goes well with industrial environments or inside a shop, where it would certainly fulfill its purposes best. In reality there is no rule and it can also be used at home, perhaps even in the garden due to its impermeability, yet considering the alternatives currently available on the market we hardly believe it can be chosen for this environment, even if its functions could in fact, at least make the purchase weighted.
Overall, it weighs just over a kilogram but it is not a feature that should be of interest since it will be fixed to the wall with four plugs (included in the package), although it remains difficult not to notice it when you take it out of the box. A thick cable appears from the back at the end of which five cables branch out : the Ethernet socket for connecting to the wired network, the video outputs (white and yellow ), the power socket (red) and a button for manual reset of the camera well protected from accidental clicks with a cap (black).
How does it work
The configuration can be done either through a Windows PC by installing the software included in the package, or through the app that can be downloaded for free on iOS and Android smartphones and tablets. For our tests we followed the latter path, operating directly on the iPhone 7 with iOS 10.3.2.
The user interface of the app is really minimal, the functions are reported in Italian (even if the translation is, however, in some cases a bit spartan). From here you first configure the camera to the network, an operation that takes place in a few minutes if you connect it via Ethernet cable to the router or, following the steps on the screen, in WiFi by entering the network ID and password, reminding you to screw the antenna that you find in the box to ensure excellent signal reception.
At the end of the procedure we will have in front of the main panel from which you can select the camera to access almost instantaneously the transmission of the live shot: if you have more than one camera you can centralize them all within the app, perhaps to control several rooms at the same time through the small preview on the screen.
What can it do
Peering through the various menu items you realize the potential of the camera. It is possible to program the recordings at predefined times of the day or to activate an alarm in the moment in which the camera detects a movement, an alarm that can be configured with different systems.
In fact, you can choose between a push notification directly in the application, the automatic start of recording on microSD , sending a mail with 1–2–3 photos attached, saving photos and videos on an FTP server or a combination of all this. Every minimum parameter can be customized according to your needs, from video quality to audio and recording settings.
External memory
The strong point of this camera is in the management of the external memory, that is a microSD (compatible up to 64 GB, not included in the purchase) which in fact it is installed inside the structure. In other words, it is necessary to unscrew the four screws that close the protection ring and four other smaller screws that hold the transparent cover to protect the camera. This is a time-consuming operation, especially when performed with a manual screwdriver, and is the only way to access the microSD slot well hidden in the internal skeleton.
In this way, in the event of a theft, the thief, in addition to having to know the camera, will also have to take time to tamper with it or cover it with a cloth, with the result that the moment it is noticed by the camera, if previously programmed with the alarms, will have already notified the owner with a push notification on the phone, email with attached photographs and a video will already be uploaded to his FTP server, therefore proof of any tampering, even physical. And even if the attacker has intelligently damaged / turned off the router before accessing the room, there will still be a physical backup copy inside the camera and to eliminate this test, too, he will necessarily have to dedicate some time for physical access to the card.
Technical features
The camera – we read in the technical data sheet – mounts a lens equal to a 12mm and is able to frame a large portion of the space in front of it: by installing it at about 2 meters high it is therefore able to control a very large area, with the complete visibility of small rooms (about 10 × 5 meters) without having to direct the camera, an operation that can still be carried out via PC or from the app to cover an angle of view equal to 355 degrees on the horizontal axis and 90 degrees in the vertical one.
The maximum resolution supported is Full HD 1080p H.264 which, combined with the 4X zoom, can also show the details of a face framed over 20 meters away. In these cases, automatic focus is particularly useful, a detail that can also be controlled manually if necessary.
Conclusions and price
Due to its shape, design and dimensions, we believe that KKmoon HD Ball can be a valid ally in shops or public places, where you want to keep a watchful eye on customers inside a club and add a valid camera to the predefined security system as well. Nothing prevents you from using it, however, even at home or perhaps in the garden, where the impermeability makes it efficient even in the case of hostile temperatures and weather: thanks to infrared it offers excellent visibility even at night and without the need for a light on. Even the faint moonlight that filters through a small window can be sufficient to ensure visibility across the entire surface framed by the camera.
KKmoon HD Ball is on sale on Amazon for 99.99 euros.
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