PROS:
- Great for keeping an eye on your pets while away. ( I found out which one of my dogs was the one that kept hiding my slippers)
- On days you will be gone longer than usual, you can fill the thing with kibble and feed them their meals from anywhere.
- Also good for home security. (Landlord came in with electrician for major repairs (scheduled) while I was away and I had it placed so I can see most of the house *due to my own paranoia* and was able to keep watch to make sure they only did what they were supposed to and not go in other rooms.)
- Has Night Vision
- Camera Quality is good for the price. Not as good as newer smartphone cameras, but then again.. you can buy about 8 of these for the price of a smartphone..
- Fun and addicting to watch. (Especially at work)
- Can talk into your phone and talk using the box as a speaker.
CONS:
- Making an account for the Petzi app, had a small problem (made an account and says it doesn't exist, tried to make another account says email is already in use.) Just used a different email and made another account and it worked.)
- There is a 3-5 second delay, but that's not really much of an issue unless you were trying to do some sort of training that involved timing. (In which case you should being doing that in person.) Internet speeds doesn't seem to matter much. Tested with Google Fiber and Spectrum 100mb/s speeds.
- Switching from WiFi to 4G disconnects the app.
- Sometimes doesn't connect "Whoopsi", "Camera not plugged in", "No connection", etc. (Simple fix to this that works for me is to close the app COMPLETELY (close the process) wait a little bit, then reopen the app and it works.
- While in camera mode, there is an "AFK checker" (Countdown timer asking if you are still there.) If you don't press YES, then the camera will close. Pops up every few minutes. Not too much of a hassle but it does get slightly annoying.
- Microphone communication is only 1 way. From phone to box. Box is only a speaker.
- Made me realize how much of a stalker I am.... (I can't not want to watch my dogs at work now.)
Overall I'm happy with the product. Researched the product before I bought to see if it's what I needed and compared it to other similar products. The app also does have it's own social media with other Petzi users that you can take a picture with and share. But I don't really use it.
If you're looking for something to play and interact with your pet with (like a laser feature) or want a home security system that records and allows you to playback recorded footage, this might not be right for you.
If you're looking for a "nanny-cam" with decent camera quality (no playback/no recording. Live stream only) to check on your pets and reward / feed them for not destroying your furniture while you're away, This might be good for you as it was for me.
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Petzi Treat Cam: Wi-Fi Pet Camera & Treat Dispenser
Amazon Launchpad
Reviews with images
A good interactive camera, but could use a few improvements
This is a great product that has some room for improvement. I mainly purchased this because of the treat dispensing feature. I have a dog who likes to wander into the kitchen and get into the trash when I'm gone, and I wanted to find a way I could train this behavior out by rewarding him for staying in the living room. It's been really helpful so far, but I've mostly used it as a way to check in on my dogs instead of a training aid.Pros:+ Treat dispensing feature is great. You are able to use any kinds of treats you want, although they have suggestions for what works best.+ Video is good quality. You are able to take snapshots.+ You can send audio.+ Overall a good design. I worried about my dogs trying to bust open the container to get the treats but it would be hard to do so. It's easy to mount it on the wall. It looks nice.+ The support team is very nice. They respond promptly and they are very helpful. They seem to genuinely care about keeping their customers, unlike some dog product companies. If you have a problem with your device, I'm sure they will fix it.+ The camera only turns on when you connect through the app.Cons:- Audio is only one-way. Originally, their Kickstarter said it would be two-way so I'm not sure what happened there. This feature would have been a major improvement.- You can only view the camera through their application. It would be great if there was a way to view it online too, so I can keep an eye on it throughout the day.- There are delays with everything. Your video is delay by a few seconds, and any interactive button you push has a delay as well. I expected a slight delay, but it's slower than I hoped. My internet connection is fast, so that isn't the issue here.- Treat dispensing mechanism can use some work. They suggest hard treats that are at least 1 inch long, but even the treats they supply you with that match this description aren't perfect. Sometimes one treat gets dispensed, sometimes 4+ do. I've also seen it get stuck once. I wish there was a better way to control how much got dispensed.- Minor con, but I feel their their social feature is a waste of time. They created a new social networking site that you can upload pictures of your pets to, much like instagram and the more dog-focused Pack. It has nothing to do with the camera. I rarely even see any photos posted that are actually taken from snapshots. I wish they would have put the effort into improving another part of the application instead.Some easier improvements: I'd like to see the addition of video recording in the future in addition to their snapshot feature. I'd also like to see a way to record video throughout the day. Currently, you're only able to view the camera when you connect with your phone. You can't see what happened in the past. It would also be great if you could set it up to alert you when there's movement.Overall, it's a good purchase if you want to be able to interact with your pet more, instead of just watching them.
