Nest Outdoor Cam vs Yi Outdoor Camera - Comparison of price, features, video, subscription, issues

[@SamColbear]

I have two of the Yi Cameras and am very happy with the quality of the product and the footage it records. The main gripe I have with the Yi is the cable length and also the hole I needed to drill to fit the usb connecter through the wall to the outside. Apart from that it is great and I highly recommend it.

[@LifeHackster]

Yes... the same thing with the Nest. You need to drill almost an inch diameter hole to get the USB end to go through.

[@mrcoolgarcia]

LifeHackster could possibly compare the swan security cam wire free 3 , just saw them at Sam's club and there only a couple of videos of this, they seem to be very comparable to the reolink and blink, BTW thank you for all this great video, it got me to get the right ring cams but I'm adding more,

[@redelbluredelmai2750]

I think the Yi works just fine and the price difference is kinda huge considering what the Nest has to offer. The Yi does its job well, so for me is the way to go. I can buy two of these for the price of only one Nest. I also think the updates are coming soon since it's part of the Xiaomi family. This company releases so many updates! I've never seen such a good support for products.

[@LifeHackster]

I agree. Yi are pretty good cameras.

[@toddhu2498]

Ok , even as a Chinese I didn't realize the Yi Camera is from Xiaomi, I was concerned about Yi's performance since Amazon get some bad reviews... but now I m so sure about it since what behind it is Xiaomi..

[@johnneubauer9568]

One thing that I would have liked you to comment on was the playback feature. I have the Yi and I can't seem to find a way to pause during playback which is annoying! Also with the Yi, I can't turn off the night mode manually. My area is reasonably well lighted and I like the color more than the night footage. There is no way to manually control this function.

[@LifeHackster]

You are right about the playback with the Yi...It is a bit harder to scroll to the footage that you want to check. I set it to only record when there is motion so usually I can just click to the area that has recording. As to night vision, yes, you can turn off the IR lights but it is not a guarantee that it will record in full color... what you need to do is to have more ambient lighting on the camera itself so as to trick the sensor and will change to full color recording.

[@johnneubauer9568]

Yi could simply give us a software update and add these conveniences. You realize how weak our cameras are when you watch a casino in Vegas zoom in on a person cheating at blackjack or stealing someone's purse. Of course, the price on those cameras is not in our inexpensive league..

[@owenzhu4450]

You have a best review. So detail. Thank you so much. And thanks to your son. I prefer YI.

[@LifeHackster]

Thank You. I appreciate it..

[@carlossanchez1299]

Quick question if you can answer if not that’s ok but for the Yi Outdoor Camera can you mute the deterrent alarm from sounding off every time there’s motion? But still get alerts on your app? Thanks again for great videos!

[@snakemonkey555]

I agree! Don’t know why Nest doesn’t upgrade the problem. Thanks for the review and information!

[@LifeHackster]

I'm assuming nobody is complaining..until I brought it up... Thanks

[@snakemonkey555]

LifeHackster So I’m going to bite the bullet and purchase one or the other. Which do you recommend? Nest or Yi?

[@LifeHackster]

I'll go with the Yi

[@snakemonkey555]

LifeHackster Thanks.

[@ProjectElara]

Nice review, as always. 3 questions: 1. Do you think I could safely install the yi Dome camera outside under a little roof attached to my garage? It would be dry there. 2. Which one would have better image? The yi outdoor or yi Dome 1080? (I've got two of those domes indoor already, so that would help me get an idea) 3. Do you know if they'll implement Google home linking in the near future so I could get my Phillips Hue lights to flicker for instance when one of my camera's detects motion.

[@LifeHackster]

1. Yes it can. I have a subscriber here that has his open to the elements and even got wet in the rain and it still works. I don't recommend that though. 2. Both should have the same sensors so they should be the same in video quality. 3. I hope so but Yi is somewhat slow in integrating anything and even their Alexa integration is just to turn on or off the camera which I think is useless.

[@ProjectElara]

Thank you so much for your replies! After posting my questions I found your comparison video as well about the indoor Vs outdoor cam. Very useful 👍 I love their cams, especially in comparison with the others, it's a lot of bang for buck. But I think in software you pay the price a bit.

[@motosportadv8177]

I agree with the changes you suggested for the nest!

[@LifeHackster]

Thanks.

[@motosportadv8177]

LifeHackster your welcome, thanks for all the solid reviews, really helps narrow to down what is needed for for a great security home network!

[@LifeHackster]

Cool..glad that I helped...

[@footballer3524]

Hello LifeHackster, Great review which has me considering buying the Yi to cover my backyard area. Does the Yi camera give an option to record in color than the black and white color as the Nest??? Besides using the Nest website, you can use the Nest Manager App on windows 10. However, in my case I noticed there was an approximately a 15 second video delay vs the Nest website video or phone app. The Nest Audio issue you brought up , I made it a no issue as i do not intend to use it, but i am more concentrated getting non stop video with audio which covers my full front area sideways from the garage which works great for me. At night, i do not use the white/black vision because it looks better in color in low light. In your video review it does not show as good because you have it in an enckosed area; Therefore, the outer area looked darkened because of the inside lighting. I get delayed motion notification from NestCam too, but as you mentioned that it is 24 hr recording then it is not such a big deal for me. I keep looking orward to getting notifications of your reviews, so i get "LifeHackster withdrawal syndrome" if you go too many days without a review or updates on any items you have previously reviewed. Keep up the great job as many neophytes depend on your shared knowledge.

[@LifeHackster]

lol on the lifehackster withdrawal syndrome. I try to post twice a week but it is too much...takes time to edit videos than anything else... The Yi has an option to turn off the IR LEDS but my porch light is not bright enough to trip its sensors to turn into color. Thanks for the tip on the Nest Manager app... I know the motion notification delay might not be an issue to everyone but for me, I need to have instant notification...got spoiled by Ring. If I'm at home and when my Ring chime and phone alerts me, I can easily glance on the monitor of my NVR system to see who is at my front yard, front door or backyard and with a 10 second delay, whoever or whatever it is would be already gone. My one year review of the Ring floodlight will be coming up so I need to start filming...and Reolink Argus 2 is on order, so I'll be reviewing it that too pretty soon... Thanks for being a subscriber bud...

[@footballer3524]

LifeHackster it is a pleasure to be a subscriber as your reviews are eloquent and your video review production is creatively concentrated on the product on hand unlike others.

[@LifeHackster]

I appreciate that... Thank You.

[@jasgill7002]

The yi outdoor camera was even selling for 68$ last week on AliExpress.com and excellent video as always

[@LifeHackster]

Wow...that is a good deal... Thanks..

[@bobboyd4029]

Hi Question about the YI outdoor security camera and Kami outdoor camera. Is the night vision identical? I read something that the Kami uses something called Starlight for it’s night vision recording. I realize YI manufactures both cameras, I can’t find anything that compares the night vision of both. Thanks B

[@Yankeerex]

Awesome review. Love all your videos.

[@LifeHackster]

Thank You. I appreciate that.

[@paulbrooker406]

Good Video and review keep it up

[@LifeHackster]

Thank you.

[@DCifuentesJ]

Can you set the beep in the yi camera to only happen when you're away from home and not when you're at home?

[@LifeHackster]

Not at this time. It has no geofencing yet.

[@ISRAELLOFT]

can you turn off the yi alarm but still give you notification on your phone?

[@LifeHackster]

Yes, you can.

[@Nobody-uq2py]

Congrats 6k subs

[@LifeHackster]

Thank You.

[@mirad77]

Has Nest been able to address/fix the push to talk issues with it's cameras since?

[@LifeHackster]

I haven’t seen any changes with the Nest.

[@mirad77]

@@LifeHackster Thanks for responding.

[@itsalvinlee]

question: without a subscription for the Yi outdoor camera, can you access the 24/7 recording on the micro SD card via the web or phone wirelessly? or do you have to go up to the camera and remove the SD card and plug it in to watch?

[@LifeHackster]

You can view recorded footage in the micro SD card using the app and also from the PC app in the computer.

[@itsalvinlee]

awesome! thank you!

[@RizkyPrasetyo16]

@@LifeHackster for one day how much space do you used in the sd card? at this late 2018 is it still recommend?

[@mattgrennie]

Great review man, keep it up

[@LifeHackster]

Thank you.

[@horlandas]

Which is very important and you did not report that. You can connect the nest to Android TV but you cannot connect the yi

[@LifeHackster]

This feature might be important to you but not for me and probably a lot of other people... price is definitely an important factor which is important to everyone.

[@Pospa420]

Hi, thanks for this comparison, but I have one question. Other sources says, that Yi cloud stores motion detected clips in free variant for up to 1 week. You said that free is only only recording to SD, which is obviously useless. So what is right?

[@LifeHackster]

Only 6 second motion activated events uploads to the cloud which is free...full motion footage is then on the micro SD card if you install one.

[@Pospa420]

@@LifeHackster great, thx for reply. Do you know what is the "cooldown" between those 6 second clips? Like what if there's gonna be movement for 1 hour, is it going to save 6 second clips every minute, or every 5 minutes?

[@LifeHackster]

Cool off is around every 5 mins.

[@Pospa420]

@@LifeHackster Thx, I think I will go for Yi outdoor cameras :)

[@bengal994]

Is there option on YI camera to save recording in HDD connected to router ? I mean FTP exactly.

[@LifeHackster]

Not at this time.

[@ChrisArbaugh]

Great info and a like for sure, but, what is up with you needing a key to gain access to the outside? What if you need to get out fast but cant get to your keys? What's the logic behind this?

[@LifeHackster]

Lol... I know but there is a reason behind it. As you notice, our back door is glass, if I don't have a double key lock, anybody from the outside can break the glass and reach in to unlock the deadbolt. We have a key somewhere accessible though just in case we have to get out quick.

[@footballer3524]

Here is how the talk/listen feature works per the Nest website: Leave feedback Nest Support How to listen and talk to people with your Nest camera and Hello Your camera has a microphone that can pick up nearby sounds, and it also has a speaker that lets you talk to anyone near the camera. In the Nest app, simply go to your camera’s live stream and use the Talk button to start speaking. Applies to: Nest Hello, Nest cameras  With Talk and Listen you can communicate with people even when you're away. For instance let's say you have a camera installed on your front porch. It sends a motion alert and you open the Nest app to see who's there. You see it's the delivery person with a package so you use Talk and Listen to instruct them to leave the package on the porch. Using Talk and Listen First make sure you have the latest version of the Nest app on your phone. Select your camera below to see how this feature works and how to use it. Nest Cam IQ Indoor, Nest Cam IQ Outdoor, Nest Hello video doorbell> Nest Cam Indoor, Nest Cam Outdoor> Talk and Listen works one way at a time: you and the person in front of the camera need to take turns talking and listening. When you tap the Talk button in the Nest app you won't be able to hear people on the other end until you tap it again. Your camera will continue to stream video during your conversation. But if you have a Nest Aware subscription using Talk and Listen will affect the sound in your video history. 🔇Audio won't be recorded during the time the Talk button was pulsing in the Nest app🔇. This is because the camera can't use the microphone and the speaker at the same time. How to use Talk and Listen To talk: Open the Nest app. Choose the camera you want to speak through. Tap the Talk  button. The button will change to say "Done" and start pulsing. The camera will chime on the other end if you have the Talk and Listen tone enabled letting the person in front of the camera know you're about to say something. Now you can start speaking. You won't be able to hear the person in front of the camera until you follow the next step. To listen: When you're ready to hear the other person's reply tap the Done button. The button will stop pulsing and change back into the the Talk  button. The camera will chime a second time on the other end if you have the Talk and Listen tone enabled letting the person in front of the camera know it's their turn to speak. Now you can hear the other person's reply. Repeat the steps above to talk and listen until your conversation has concluded.

[@LifeHackster]

That is one long instruction just to work their 2 way communication...They should update their cameras and use the one on their Nest Hello which is basically a "speaker phone" type...the talk and listen tone actually adds to the delay and who has time to instruct the other person in the camera...."wait until you hear the tone before you talk ok..." Thanks for the info...

[@footballer3524]

I realized it was one long instruction, but I figured to post it so whomever is considering buying it at least can read thru. I highlighted the flaw I found on the camera and which it was one of the reasons I was going to return it, but since where I placed the camera, I won't need to use such feature; Therefore, it was not such a big deal for me, but for others that might not be the case. I even highlighted the section which I found it to be a big flaw in the system. 🔇Audio won't be recorded during the time the Talk button was pulsing in the Nest app🔇

[@LifeHackster]

Yes... it is awkward to use..we are used to speaker phone/hands free or even push and hold to talk like a walkie talkie but not push to talk and push again to listen...

[@OOO-pc3nb]

Is the YI outdoor cam the same as the YI indoor cam except with weather proof cover?

[@TBezak]

Have you seen the new yi cam, with gray plastic parts? Could you review it against the older yi cam? I know you liked the yi cam. And the cloud free storage.

[@sherryberry6699]

get wyze. DON'T GET THESE THIS ALLOWS ONLY 6 SECONDS. THEN TELLS YOU TO SIGN UP 30 DAYS FREE TRIAL YI CLOUD PAY BEFORE FREE TRIAL. NEARING THE END I GOT EMAIL SAYING CHARGING MY ACCOUNT TRIAL ALMOST OVER. THEY ALREADY DID. I TRIED TO CONTACT THEM WANTED SCREEN SHOTS ETC AND STILL I HAD TO USE PAYPAL TO STOP RECURRING PAYMENTS TO THEM AND THEY ACTUALLY GOT A HOLD OF MY BANK INFORMATION AND CHARGED MY BANK ACCOUNT A SECOND DOUBLE CHARGE 129.99 FOR THE YEAR. SCAM I'M STRESSED TRYING TO GET MY MONEY BACK. SCAMS

[@El_Twin]

Great detailed review.

[@LifeHackster]

Thank You.

[@snakemonkey555]

Hey LH, I have the Yi outdoor cam and this is the second time in two weeks it went offline. So I either have to climb into the attic to unplug the unit or climb a ladder and hopefully not lose one of those tiny screws in order to reset/reboot the unit. I have two WYZE, a RING Doorbell Pro and the Yi Dome and no problems with these, only the Yi Outdoor. Have you experienced this issue? Any suggestions on a fix? Thanks.

[@LifeHackster]

I haven't had any issues on mine...that is weird that it does that. Check your connections and if it persists, contact Yi support.

[@scoobystevie7]

Hi there, having viewed several of your videos on Yi cameras I have bought the dome 1080p. Can you please tell me the make/type of micro sd that you use or have had most success with? I'm looking for a 64gb Thanks Stevie

[@LifeHackster]

I have uses Sandisk and haven't had issues yet. I had one in my Yi dome camera for more than a year now... recording when there is motion only. - amzn.to/2Ew4tTc

[@scoobystevie7]

LifeHackster, thanks for the info. I have ordered

[@LifeHackster]

You are welcome.

[@stephenforrester1832]

Do these have a back up battery in case of a power cut ?

[@LifeHackster]

No they don't. You can always plug in your router and the cameras to a UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) if you are concerned about power failure.

[@WakeRunSleep]

how does the Nest compare to Revo quality?

[@LifeHackster]

I'm not familiar with Revo.

[@DJaquithFL]

Somebody needs to make an integrated AC Powerline CAM with a smart PTZ for under $200/ea. It would put everyone out of business.

[@LifeHackster]

Yes...great idea..it will be more stable than WiFi...

[@MichaelBy]

any chance somebody could tell me whether or not the YI outdoor camera will work with the Mi home app ?

[@LifeHackster]

I am not sure...

[@LousyGamer]

It does. You can also adjust the settings using that..

[@eikna]

whats a good micro sd card can i use? whats speed?

[@LifeHackster]

I use Sandisk and at least a speed class 10 - amzn.to/2GNDPLD

[@eikna]

can we use 64? i thought only 32 max

[@LifeHackster]

Yes..I just realized that I have the 32 GB instead of the 64...

[@truckeejp]

Fantastic review. : )

[@Tlato.]

that Yi night recording was terrible. its so blurry. I have the wyze cam camera and its excellent. sadly, i cant keep it outside any longer since its only for indoor use only. so here i am now looking for an outdoor camera.

[@mamamoore3474]

I love your videos

[@LifeHackster]

Thanks.

[@motosportadv8177]

Full color lights on night vision 👍

[@LifeHackster]

Me too...

[@you-tubejunkie2926]

Is that USB ?

[@RichieColemanSr]

Why did you change your music... Are these companies or KZbin paying you yet?

[@LifeHackster]

Which one? My intro? my youngest got his KZbin buddy to make it for me....as to companies paying me..nope..not yet lol..As to KZbin...I have my videos monetize (ads) ..

[@footballer3524]

LifeHackster you do great video reviews that company should pay you without requiring to compromise your reviews. Even in a negative perspective companies can learn from what it is important to the consumers so they can build better or enhance their products.

[@RichieColemanSr]

LifeHackster yes your intro... I agree with Footballer, you do great reviews, which I believe are none biases reviews, which are of value to both the consumer and the company. You should be paid or your wife should take away your credit card lol... Thanks for your reviews as they have assisted me with a number of my buying decisions. 😊

[@LifeHackster]

Yes, I agree...hopefully the companies checks KZbin and learn from what we suggest....the goal is to have a better product...win win for everybody.

[@LifeHackster]

Lol on the credit card...ssshhhh..she might be stalking the comments ;) I'm glad that I have helped guys....

[@gdimitrov]

I have both cams. Yi is a joke. Motion detection sucks and also they have nothing like Nest Aware which is amazing service. Thanks for the review.

[@LifeHackster]

You are welcome. You can set the Yi to record 24/7 also..and now I'm seeing that the Nest actually gets triggered too by small flying bugs just like the Yi...it is just mostly suppressed by their notification...but you will see it on Nest's sightline..

[@gdimitrov]

You know what’s best thing about Nest and NestAware and is something nobody is matching as of now. At end of the day, you tune in to the feed and you can see for under a minute what happened in the last 24 hours. Is that easy. You slide your finger and is all there dots representing events and zone events, screenshots and etc. I’ve tried FLIR lorex rapid recap, arlo, yi cam, reolink, uniden, armcrest, foscam. Nobody has this convinient easy check what happened feature like Nest Aware. Probably amazon will match it eventually but they just entered the game so.

[@LifeHackster]

That's true I like that you can easily check the whole day just by scrolling up or down...

[@831Adventures]

My opinion is you need to cut to the point some of your points, dragging out too long. As far as the camera, depth of field if i buy 2 yi for $180 still cheaper than nest and if you angle them well, you can get 220 degree point of view. better than nest.

[@LifeHackster]

Some people will need my other points not just you...but thanks for your opinion.

[@toddhu2498]

lol, u damn right I go for YI