Winees’ L1 solar-powered camera provides a powerful surveillance system for your home or office, incorporating advanced artificial intelligence. It is compatible with the AiDot as well as Google Home apps.
In my experience, when I set up and tested the system, AiDot, which is exclusive to the Winees eco-system, presented several problems. This app is a control centre for AiDot compatible smart devices. These include the Winees Camera and many other products related to lighting, security and other applications.
The AiDot application, despite its compatibility with a variety of smart products, including Linkind, OREiN Winees, Hyderson GoGonova and Syvio creates problems when you want to use only the Winees camera.
It was difficult to set up, and it did not fully function. Switching to Google Home provided a workaround for several connectivity issues and usability issues.
Google Home on the other had automatically connected to the Winees cameras and was able to run some of the features AiDot could not. Google Home is only part of the solution.
Video functions are the best part of Winees cameras. They deliver sharp, bright images at any time. Its lack of instructions and explanations about its features, as well as the ease of setting it up, leave a lot to be desired.
The camera saves surveillance data to the cloud, which can be retrieved via any browser. You can also skip the subscription and use the internal storage of the camera and the app instead to see recorded alerts and notifications.
Challenging Setup
Configuring and setting up wireless cameras for indoors and outdoors is generally straightforward. It is similar to pairing laptops and phones with other devices.
I don’t usually need to read installation instructions to connect such devices and get them working. However, in this case, hunting around for more detailed information — even from the company’s help center — was an added chore when connectivity problems surfaced.
The camera includes a guide to help you get started, as well as a solar panel. There is a separate cable included for connecting the device to an electrical socket, whether it be indoors or out.
One diagram gave an overview on how to secure and place the solar panel. A second sketch illustrated the location of buttons, lenses, and sensors. There were no detailed descriptions of features or troubleshooting tips for connecting the camera to WiFi.
It was more troubling that there were no instructions on how to use the app or explanations of default settings. The Help Center tab of the AiDot app had a very sketchy FAQ page that provided only a few clues.
Winees, and AiDot have separate websites that offer little in the way of detailed instructions or videos. Tech support phone numbers and email addresses were available in the AiDot Help Center tab. However, they mostly offered messages about promised help within a few business hours.
Solo Troubleshooting
After I connected the charger to the camera it gave me an audio prompt to press the power for three seconds, then follow the prompts in the app. It appeared that the artificial intelligence would automate setup.
The initial steps were successful in starting the Wi-Fi connectivity process. When connectivity fails, you can only try again.
I finally got the camera connected via Wi-Fi and was able to play back the 15-second recorded sessions that detected motion. The surveillance mode did not work.
The app repeatedly displayed a message indicating that the live stream was trying to connect. In the FAQ section of the Help Center, the only suggestion was to move your device closer to the router.
It seemed strange since the outside location was not near the router. The live stream would not connect even when the camera was placed a few feet away from the router.
After a while, I found a section in the AiDot App that had an option to reboot my camera. This also failed to fix the problem.
In the settings of the app, I also found a link to Google Home. I selected that option and downloaded the Google Home application on my phone.
The Home app has a section that addresses adding linked devices. It also provides dozens of devices supported. AiDot or Winees weren’t listed.
Left: The AiDot application only allows the playback of the 15-second recording. The AIDot App does not have a live stream mode but it does display the video of the 15-second recorded event. Observe the grayed out features that are not available without live-streaming functionality. This issue can be resolved by using the Google Home application. (Images by the Author)
By trial and error I chose what seemed to be a generic option for the device that connected the Winees camera to my Home network. The connection was also added to other smart apps.
The Winees Livestream View was successfully connected to the Home app. The AiDot App still says it is searching for the Live Stream connection, but only plays back recorded clips.
Camera Product Highlights
The solar security camera with a 2K 3MP optical lens and 6x digital zoom has a 130° diagonal viewing angle. Zooming in on the camera shows more details.
Quad High-Definition Video Resolution provides a crystal-clear image. QHD is 2560×1440 pixels at a 16×9 aspect ratio. This rating is 4 times higher than 720p HD or 720p Standard.
The L1 has a powerful 5200mAh built-in battery. Solar panel included provides a 365 day lifespan, eliminating the need to charge the camera battery via the electrical system of the building.
A local storage of 8GB Embedded Multi-Media Card eMMc can save up to 60 videos. This feature allows you to avoid paying for cloud storage subscriptions. It does not allow you to export images stored locally for permanent or extended access.
The internal storage is not removable, so it’s impossible to use an XD card to extract files. AiDot and Home do not offer file export capabilities, so it is impossible to access specific files.
The camera is protected by IP66 weatherproof materials, which are able to withstand harsh weather conditions. A long connecting cord to the included solar power, an installation arm extension, and an adjustable 360° rotation make installation a snap.
Advanced Features
This camera has a CMOS sensor with infrared for night vision. The result is a much sharper image. High-speed cameras are better with CMOS sensors, which scan and upload footage faster. The camera’s ability to detect movement at 10 meters distance is a night vision feature.
The passive (PIR) infrared detector reduces false alerts. This type of sensor can be used in motion sensors such as automatic triggered lighting systems and protection system that measure devices that emit infrared in their field.
Configuration options enable you to set the capture zone for vehicles, packages and pets. You can also define up to 4 activity zones that target the most important areas of your property.
You can also adjust the type and frequency of the alerts. When I use the Home app on my Android phone, it sends instant notifications when any intrusion is detected. AiDot notifications, however, were not reliable due to their unpredictable timing.
AiDot is the app you use to adjust camera settings and notifications preferences. AiDot is not required to run continuously once the setup has been completed. Home is a good app for me, since it allows access to both the Nest-compatible outdoor cameras, which are located in front, and Winees cameras, installed in my backyard.
AiDot allows you to zoom in and out of images, allowing for a better visual experience. It’s possible that the unresponsive live streaming function of the app was the reason I wasn’t able to use the zoom slider. The Home app on the other side allows users to zoom easily by pinching and releasing the screen.
Bottom Line
I was not impressed by the AI-powered features of the Winees video surveillance system because I did not see much difference between the device installed in my back yard and a different one in my front yard.
The only distinguishing feature of the Winees Camera is the ability to muffle the microphone. It emits a Klaxon sound when it detects intrusion. You can adjust the volume through the AiDot application. The AiDot application controls the volume using four settings: off/low/medium/loud.
This alarm can be used to deter unwanted humans or animals, especially when you are not at home or it is dark. The video images are incredibly bright and clear.
Winees L1 Outdoor Solar-powered security camera is available now from Amazon You can also find out more about the following: AiDot. Prices vary from $79.99 up to $119.99, depending on the place and time of purchase.
The camera includes a free three-month cloud trial, which offers rolling cloud storage for 30 days. Cloud storage starts at $1.99 a month.
Post-Patch Update
AiDot’s live surveillance display started working after a series of conversations with the tech support team. They promised that future updates to AiDot would fix the problem. The connection was not always maintained. Sometimes the connection breaks when I return to live viewing after switching to recorded snippets.
I feel more secure knowing that the alarms will sound if there is an intrusion detected, even if it isn’t in live mode. Overall, the Winees L1 solar-powered security cameras serves its intended purpose and functions reliably in spite of the connectivity issues.
