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TP-Link Tapo C210 tilt home security camera review

Soumen Maity

February 12, 2023

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Detailed Review of TP-Link Tapo C210 tilt home security camera

The mechanical pan and tilt controls, 2K video, local storage, and voice control of the TP-Link Tapo C210 Pan/Tilt Home Security Wi-Fi Camera are excellent features. Additionally, it’s simple to install and did well in tests. The primary issue is that it doesn’t support Apple’s HomeKit ecosystem or interact with other Tapo devices.

The spherical camera housing on top of the motorized base offers the matte-white finish Tapo C210 360-degree panning movement. The motorized black lens assembly has 114 degrees of tilt, a Reset button, and a microSD card slot. The camera has dimensions of 4.6 by 3.4 by 3.3 inches (HWD). 

A power connection on the rear allows charging using the provided USB power cable and AC adapter. Along with a setup manual, users also receive a mounting kit for putting the camera to a wall or ceiling. The C210’s 3MP camera records 2K video at 15 frames per second and has a resolution of 2,304 by 1,296 pixels. It has a tiny LED, a built-in siren, a microphone, and a speaker for two-way audio. When the camera has a reliable connection, the LED glows solid green after flashing red and green during setup. The LED flashes white when the camera detects motion and the Alarm function is turned on. A black-and-white night vision video range of around 30 feet is provided by four infrared LEDs. The camera lacks a color night vision feature.

The camera alerts users when motion is detected and can indicate if a human was the cause of the commotion. By default, the gadget keeps local copies of each event’s video recordings on a microSD card that is not in the package. According to Tapo, a 256GB memory card can hold up to 21 days’ worth of video. But for online storage, users may also sign up for a Tapo Care subscription. Services for one camera are under the Basic package. This level enables motion tracking, infant crying recognition, rich alerts with pictures, and customized activity (privacy) zones in addition to 30 days of recording history. Everything from the Basic plan is in the Premium plan, but support is to 10 cameras.

The camera connects to the users’ home network using a 2.4GHz WiFi radio, much like any other Alexa- and Google Assistant-enabled devices like the Amazon Echo Show and Google Nest Hub. There are a few IFTTT applets for Tapo light bulbs, but none function with any of the Tapo cameras. Additionally, the camera does not work with Apple’s HomeKit framework and does not facilitate the creation of routines, shortcuts, or even automation involving other Tapo devices. Users can program Google and Alexa to interact with a few linked third-party gadgets.

Users use the Tapo smartphone application, which is available for iOS and Android, to set up and customize the C210. The My House section of the app loads to reveal panels for each Tapo device in the user’s home. Home, Smart Actions, and Me navigation buttons are at the bottom of the screen. Users return to the home screen by pressing the Home button. For devices that allow these features, users can build routines, shortcuts, and automation using the Smart Actions button (remember, the C210 camera is incompatible with any of these functions). To access local and cloud recordings, sign up for a Tapo Care subscription, and upgrade the device’s software, tap the Me button. 

Users may select between 2K, 1080p, and 720p resolutions using the Video Quality setting, as well as enable audio recording, and calibrate pan and tilt movements using a few of the Advanced settings.