When we launched at CES 2012, we introduced the first official commercial for Dropcam HD.
It covers a few of the ways people use Dropcam: pet monitoring, baby monitoring, and keeping an eye on your home. It also highlights the new features of Dropcam HD: video you can watch from anywhere, night vision, and two-way audio.
After a year of research, development, and countless cups of coffee, we're excited to announce Dropcam HD, and it's available for preorder now! Over this past year, we've spoken with lots of our users to understand what they wanted from their cameras. And with the goal of designing a useful and impressive camera, we give you Dropcam HD!
Dropcam HD is the first and only Wi-Fi video monitoring camera designed for your home. It sets up in under a minute, and you can now watch video in 720p HD from anywhere - Mac or PC, iPhone or Android. With 16 times better resolution than the previous Dropcam Echo model, Dropcam HD is the best way to monitor your baby, your home, your dog, and your business.
It's as easy as checking your email, but comes with the security of your online bank account. -- Greg Duffy, Dropcam CEO
Dropcam HD looks amazing and its internals bring you peace of mind:
Watch on your iPhone, Android, or computer
Dropcam HD securely streams video to you 24/7 and will alert you when it detects any movement or sound on your email, iPhone, or Android. No matter where in the world you go, your video is always at your fingertips and secure for only you to see.
Audio and Motion Detection
Dropcam HD features a microphone and 720p HD lens which detect motion and sound. Put one in the baby's nursery and you'll receive an alert to your email or on your phone if Dropcam HD detects motion or audio - day or night.
Night Vision
12 infrared LEDs automatically turn night vision on and off as the lights change. You can see in complete darkness while still retaining the amazing HD resolution.
Two-Way Audio
Yell at your dog or say hi to your baby from work. Dropcam HD features a speaker on the camera so you can talk directly to what you're watching. Simply open the free Dropcam iPhone or Android app, or login to Dropcam.com from any Mac or PC and click "Talk."
Digital Pan and Zoom
Sometimes you just want to focus on one area - your baby's crib, your driveway, or your dog door. With digital pan and zoom so you can capture every important detail from your video.
Dropcam DVR
Record your video securely offsite and get mobile alerts
Starting at $9.95 a month, or about 30 cents a day, you can securely record your video with Dropcam DVR. Only you can see the video from your camera, putting you in full control of how you use your Dropcam HD. Take advantage of all the features that come with Dropcam DVR:
Easy navigation Skip back and forth to quickly see what's important.
Mobile alerts Instantly get notified of important events on your phone or email.
Clip generation Save the video you want to your computer. We'll hold the rest.
We're excited to have announced such a great camera and can't wait to hear what you have to say. Tell us in the comments what you think of Dropcam HD and what you want to see next.
After one week of going on sale online, orders for Dropcam HD have already outnumbered the cameras ready to be shipped out by late January! We're amazed at how outstanding the demand turned out to be, and are working hard to meet it. We plan to ship to everyone that pre-orders by late March. Those that ordered in the first week will receive their camera by late January. Be next in line to get your Dropcam HD!
Next shipments arriving late March
We know that many of our customers waiting to receive their camera will be disappointed by this announcement. Dropcam HD made a big impression with features like:
720p HD video
Night vision
Two-way audio
Audio and motion detection
We're working hard to get Dropcam HD out to everyone.
Thank you to all that have pre-ordered so far! Pre-order today and be among the first on your block with Dropcam HD when it ships.
Because of our users' continued feedback and support, we've improved our cameras and the Dropcam DVR service. In addition to the traditional home, baby, pet, and office monitoring use cases, we've seen Dropcams used in other interesting and unique ways:
We also released some amazing features to the Dropcam DVR:
A new, easy-to-use DVR Timeline interface that lets you quickly get to the video that you want to see
A reworked Settings Panel that lets you control your Dropcam from one place
Easier playback controls
More screen real estate dedicated to your video
New additions at Dropcam
As 2011 comes to a close, we look forward to what comes next. Our team has continued to grow. Our offices are much larger than they were at the start. Loren is now a married man and Martin is going to be a dad! Congratulations to the both of you!
Keep your eyes and ears open and stay tuned for some very exciting news from Dropcam. Our recently announced funding with Accel Partners means a lot of great things are on the way. We look forward to making your jaws drop in 2012.
Meet Dropcam at CES 2012
Look out for Dropcam at CES! Find us in the Mommy Tech section right next to innovators such as Activision, Disney, LeapFrog, and MTV. We're in booth 3421, LVCC North Hall. Stop by and say hi to the team. We can't wait to meet you!
Recently, we wrote an article on how Greg in Southern California caught a theft in his neighborhood on Dropcam. Using his Dropcam DVR, he saved the video to his computer and shared it with his local police. They in turn used it to search for the burglar. As it turns out, Greg caught another incident on his Dropcam involving someone running over his neighbor's mailbox with a car!
Greg reached out to us soon after and told us the story.
"My neighbor told me that someone had crashed his car into his ornate mailbox, leaving it in pieces and took off. He never saw the vehicle. I checked my Dropcam and provided him with a video of the hit and run."
Though you can't see the mailbox itself get run over, it's easy to see the car hop the curb and drive away. And what happened immediately thereafter is nothing short of poetic justice.
"My neighbor watched the video and was able to locate the suspect vehicle around the corner parked in a driveway. The vehicle had damage to the right fender, paint transfer from the mailbox and a flat tire. After that neighbor saw the footage of the hit and run, he paid my neighbor to replace the mailbox."
The irresponsible driver admitted fault after seeing himself caught on Dropcam. Twice now, Dropcam has proven itself for Greg, his neighbors, and the Rancho Cucamonga community. Perhaps it’s time to bring some Dropcams to the next neighborhood watch meeting? See more videos like this one on our YouTube Channel.
Would you use Dropcam for your neighborhood watch? Let us know in the comments.
Vinny has an adorable pet beagle named Mattie. For some time now, he’s suspected that Mattie has been toppling over his kitchen trashcan but has never actually seen it happen. It’s almost as if Mattie knows to behave better when she’s around her owner. Coincidence? We’d like to think so, but who knows really?
To resolve the matter once and for all, Vinny put a Dropcam in his kitchen. It didn’t take long at all to discover the truth behind this toppling-trashcan mystery.
All the light-hearted jokes of our pets secretly plotting against us might just be a reality! Just look at what little Zoey did to her owner's tax forms as the April deadline was approaching http://youtu.be/XreFe5OOt0E. At least Vinny has a little peace of mind knowing that he can keep on eye on Mattie with Dropcam.
For years, we have been dealing with her getting into the trash while we are out. Finally, we have the video evidence from our Dropcam.
Send us your pet video caught on Dropcam!
Is your pet secretly plotting world domination? Or maybe just doing something really adorable? Was it captured on your Dropcam? Send the video our way. Contact david@dropcam.com to put your pet in the limelight!
For Greg in Southern California, Dropcam was as an eyewitness to an unfortunate event in his neighborhood. Despite living in a great area, Greg saw his neighbor's gardener get robbed on his Dropcam. Greg can’t always be there to keep an eye on his front porch, let alone his neighbor’s. Dropcam watched and recorded the entire event.
Greg reached out to tell us the story of how Dropcam helped him. As he described in his email:
"On March 20th, 2011, my neighbor told me that his gardener had expensive equipment stolen off of his truck. I checked my Dropcam footage and saw that the theft was caught on tape."
Not only did Greg help his neighbor’s gardener, he helped out his entire community.
“I gave the video to the Rancho Cucamonga Police Department, which provided them with a "digital eyewitness" of the theft. Detectives told me that the area had experienced a rash of thefts of this kind. Detectives now had a description of the suspect and the suspect's vehicle, which was disseminated to patrol deputies.”
Greg’s use of Dropcam and the online DVR helped not only his neighbor, but the police too. With Dropcam, Greg went back in time to review the entire theft. In situations like these, one can never be too careful, and it’s great that Greg was able to help. With Dropcam on the scene, the Rancho Cucamonga neighborhood can breathe just a little easier.
See other amazing and unique Dropcam videos on our YouTube Channel.
Dropcam parents share lots of videos with us of their children, especially their babies. Two dads recently sent us videos starring their infants. So we just had to post them to share with everyone.
Baby's first steps caught on Dropcam
Pariya uses Dropcam to watch his baby at home. He's a working dad and can't be near his baby boy as often as he'd like. That's where Dropcam comes in for him.
This was the first time my 6 month old son was able to stand up. I would have missed this magical moment without Dropcam, as I was able to see it from my office. Thanks, Dropcam.
We're glad that Pariya was able to watch his baby boy from work using his Dropcam. And now he has the memory to keep and share forever!
First time scaling a wall caught on Dropcam
Like Pariya, Shawn is also a dad who uses Dropcam to watch over his two infants. In his video, Shawn shows us how baby Avery takes her first steps out of her walker-- and then some. After watching, it becomes very clear why we know Avery at Dropcam as "Ninja-baby."
This is a priceless clip captured by one of my Dropcams. It's one of the best investments I've ever made!
Both of these dads shared a precious memory that they would have otherwise missed without Dropcam. We’ll post more awesome videos in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for plenty more or go watch some right now on our YouTube channel.
Did these videos touch your heart the way they did ours? Let us know in the comments!
William Atwood from Maryland! William is a family man who was at home with his kids when the eastern US dealt with its big earthquake in August. Sure enough, William’s Dropcam was in his kitchen to keep an eye on the scene. William caught the start of the earthquake (and its funny effect on his cat and children) on his home Dropcam.
As William describes it, “even in Maryland , you can see the effects” of the earthquake using footage from Dropcam.
Brittany, one of the Dropcamers who voted for this video to win, states that she loved how much build-up she found. Dropcam was simply watching over their home, yet the video tells a story:
the man scratching his rear, then the cat running, then the actual earthquake with the boy falling dramatically. The turtle audio is funny too”
Congratulations on your new iPad, William!
We want to thank all of our loyal and passionate Dropcam users for participating in this contest. There were lots of entries, but there can only be one winner. We'll post the top finalist videos here over the next few weeks. Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook to stay up to date with the finalist videos as we post them!
The Dropcam website contains all the information you'll ever need in an easy-to-read layout. And did we mention that Dropcam.com is as secure as your online bank? It's true! Look for the "https" in the URL. From activating your first Dropcam, securely watching your Dropcam video, or learning about Dropcam, Inc., there's something for everyone--and it's all easy to find!
My Dropcams - a new way to view your cameras
You told us what you were looking for with your Dropcam layout--and we've made some great updates as a result. Now, you can save time when looking for the right Dropcam. See all the cameras you own at once, along with those you subscribe to. Log in to view My Dropcams or simply click Public Dropcams to see the new, easy-to-use layout.
Our expert support team is trained to assist you with all things Dropcam. We've built an easy-to-use Support Forum to make it simple for you to get more answers quickly. Of course, you can always call 888-755-3371 or email support@dropcam.com.
