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The new Piper nv ($279) model builds upon their success of the original Piper product ($199) and sports an upgraded camera plus night vision technology to automate and monitor your home. Piper nv sits on a shelf, table, or hangs on a wall to monitor your house. It features an HD webcam plus built-in temperature, humidity, light, and sound sensors. The unit also functions as a Z-wave hub for controlling lights and electrical appliances.
Piper nv vs Original Piper
The new Piper nv model, shown in black on their website (but available in both white and black) sports an upgraded HD camera. Both models feature a 180° viewing angle, but the new nv model has a 3.4 megapixel camera versus the original Piper’s 2 megapixel camera.
Immediately upon taking Piper nv out of the box, I realized that another improvement has been made to the camera housing. In the original model, the camera lens is protected by a clear plastic dome. The dome was susceptible to glare, reducing video quality when overhead lights reflected off the dome. In the NV model, the camera lens protrudes from the unit for maximum viewing angle and there is no plastic dome over the lens.
Piper nv (left) and original Piper (right)
While the photos from original Piper were sufficient for monitoring our home, Piper nv appear more crisp, picking up a bit more detail.
It is also far more capable of capturing a photo in a dark room.
Setting up Piper nv
It was extremely simple to add another Piper to our home. Whether it’s your first Piper or your third, an iPhone or Android app guides you through the installation and setup process. Piper’s multi-colored light on the front of the unit provides status as well as the phone app. The app pushes your home WiFi settings down to the unit, allowing it to securely connect to your home WiFi.
How Piper nv works
Piper’s z-wave controller allows you to use the Piper as a home-automation hub for controlling lights, monitoring door or window sensors. Like a “big fancy” home security system, Piper can set off an alarm and send an alert to your phone if someone opens a door or window.
Piper’s user interface contains different modes for home, away, and vacation. Depending on what mode your Piper is set to, the device triggers different rules for monitoring door/window activity, motion, sound, or temperature changes. Lights and appliances can be controlled with rules such as “turn on at 6 PM, turn off at 10 PM.”
If something happens, such as a door opening, the Piper unit can turn on a 150dB internal siren, start recording video, send alerts to your smartphone, send email, send a text, or even place phone calls.
This compact and powerful system has no monthly fee whatsoever. It’s really a very powerful product.
Is it everything you’ve ever wished for? Pretty close.
What doesn’t it do?
Despite it’s wealth of sensors and data collection, there is currently no way to export or access the data from the device. Piper’s original funding website talks about plans for a public API, but nothing exists currently. If you are a fan of the website “If-This-Then-That”, you will be disappointed because there is no way to integrate Piper into your IFTT automation scripts.
Summary
Piper nv improves picture quality and reduces glare over the original product. Whichever model you choose, Piper is a powerful self-monitored home security system and home automation hub.
Enter to win a Piper nv for your home!
You can also visit these blogs for more chances to win a Piper nv of your own!
- by Thien Kim of I’m Not the Nanny
- Piper nv Home Security Camera by Michele McGraw of Scraps of My Geek Life
- A Daily Pinch
To learn more about Piper, visit their website, follow them on Twitter or Facebook, or read my past posts:
- How Do You Secure your Home While Away? Piper nv Automates & Monitors Your Home
- Why Piper is More Than a Home Security System: Exciting Platform, Different Functions, Attractive Package & Affordably Priced
- My Family’s Experiences with Piper as a Tool for Home Automation and Security
I was compensated for taking the time to evaluate Piper but all opinions are my own.
I am excited about the home security to keep an eye on the home. Any homeowner needs something like this
The home monitoring because I would like to make sure that my home is safe while I am away.
Love the 3.4 megapixel camera, the alerts you can receive, and the wifi capablity to your home’s wifi internet.
Home security is the most appealing part to me. I would appreciate getting a text when I’m not home alerting me to something wrong.
Most excited about home security. Peace of mind knowing I have an extra layer of protection is valuable to me.
I’m most excited about the home security! I am constantly worrying about intruders. I love that you can receive alerts when something happens!
For me it’s home security..one less thing that I have to worry about
In general, I’m pretty carefree when it comes to security and personal safety, especially in my home. However, I am disabled and my husband travels a lot, which means I am on my own quite a bit. I don’t often worry, but sometimes I do, and I probably ought to be more concerned about home security. That’s why I’m excited about that function of this camera! I love that it could give me a heads-up when there’s a potential problem so that I can be prepared for whatever is coming next.
Definitely home security because we travel frequently.
I am really excited about the home security. There is always so much going on in ths world lately. It would be nice to have this extra security. Thank you for sharing
I am excited about the security. There have been so many break ins and shootings on the news that it makes me a little nervous. This would be great
I read the article you wrote on monster vehicles. My grandkids would love playing with these. I have never seen these before. Thank you for sharing
Home security because we plan on traveling this summer and also with both of my youngest kids home, I want to feel secure when home alone with them at night.
Home Security – you want to know that everything is taken care of.. especially with all the hackers.
I am most excited about the home security while I’m at home and away. I want to know who’s at the door or in my yard
Home security and video monitoring. I have never heard of this product before, but you really got me interested. The only security systems we’ve ever had was one of those monthly-payment types.
I like automation because it means I don’t have to do much! 😉
This is fantastic! Never saw this before!
Home security, because it will give me ease of mind,
i am excited about the monitoring of my house the the video feed and this would be a great way to feel a bit more at ease while home or away
I am in the market for a home security system and this one is top of my list!
I really am looking forward to the home security. Having that as added protection allows me to rest somewhat assured that everything is okay while I am gone.
home security because when we leave i would like to feel a little safer this would be so stressfree
I think the video monitoring is best
I like that you can see in the dark. If I hear a sound down stairs I would like to see what it might be. I also like that you can see the whole room 180 degrees. I would like to get one for my mom. She lives alone and it would be nice for her to have to she feels safe.
I’m excited about the video monitoring. Would love to see what my dogs are up to when I am not home
I’m most excited about home security because I don’t want my family or belongings harmed.
I would feel a lot better having this security system for my family.
Home security because I would like to have peace of mind every time I leave my house
I am most excited about home security because it would make me feel more safe.
I am so excited about the Home Security! I always worry about that, and this would bring our family great peace of mind.
Home security! It would be awesome to feel more safe in my home.
This would be great to monitor our property.
The home security, we have a baby coming so homeprotection is very important to us.
I am excited about video monitoring so I can always know where my baby is.