D-Link Omna 180 Cam HD Review

• 1080p streaming (720p 15fps recording)
• Motion detection
• Night vision
• Two way communication
• Remote viewing
• Apple HomeKit support
• 180-degree lens
• MicroSD card recording

The camera comes well packaged and supported in the supplied box. It’s actually got a foam housing, so the camera should definitely find its way to you safely if being delivered. Inside the box is the camera, a power adapter and instructions. No SD card included. The camera itself is very light, fits in my hand and fairly discrete. It’s modern looking with its brushed silver finish and black highlights. At the front of the camera is the huge wide angle lens, with a single USB port at the back for power and a reset button. The microSD slot is on the bottom. I like the shape and size of the camera but for me, the finish isn’t quite there. It feels a little cheap and I was expecting better.

Setting up the camera is very similar to all the others. Plug it in, download the free app. It’s only available on iOS so no android support yet. From here, just follow the on screen instructions. It will connect to your wireless network, offer a variety of options, ask you to scan a code given on the back of the camera or inside the box, and  will eventually be set up and ready to use. I’m sure D-Link said it would be up and running in seconds but it was more like four minutes.

Using the camera is very easy. The app is very very well set out and easy to use, with very little need to read any instructions. On the home screen you can select the device you want to view, so yes, you can have multiple cameras. Each device is recognisable via a bespoke profile image and once you click into one, you go into live mode and will start viewing whats going on. Within this view, you can take screenshots, control the audio and also speak into your phone/iPad for two way communication. All content can be recorded via a microSD card (upto 128GB supported) and depending on the settings you use, you may need several large capacity cards. The camera is part of Apples HomeKit, which enables you to easily control and turn on lights, smart plugs, thermostats and sound alarms with the motion detection feature.

The motion detection works really well and there are options you can choose from, to fine tune your setting. You can also receive notifications on your device when motion is detected. Night vision also works well and I was able to make out things in the footage easily. The picture quality is good, as stated above. It live streams at 1080p, but only records at 720p, which at the end of the day is more than enough to capture what you need. The stream quality itself was average at best for me due to my broadband connection speeds. It was very laggy with a very noticeable time delay, and my net isn’t slow (100mb). The super wide, 180 degree angle camera on the D-Link Omna 180 is amazing and will literally capture most of your room.