The $59.99 mydlink HD Wi-Fi Camera DCS-8010LH is an affordable security cam that lets you monitor the inside of your home from wherever you are using your phone or a smart display. It installs in minutes, and uses IFTTT applets to interact with other smart devices. That said, it only offers 720p video that doesn’t handle low lighting very well, and it lacks two-way audio. Ultimately, you can get more bang for your buck with the $29.99 Wyze Cam Pan or the $129.99 SimCam 1S, two Editors’ Choice award winners.
A Simple Design and App
The DCS-8010LH is a white, puck-shaped camera that measures 2.5 inches wide and 0.8 inches thick. It’s attached to a round stand that rotates 360 degrees and provides forward and backward tilt adjustability. You can use the stand on a desktop, or attach it to a wall or ceiling using the included mounting screws.
The front of the camera is glossy black and contains a microphone, an infrared LED for night vision, and an LED indicator that glows green when the camera is connected and turns red when the camera has lost its Wi-Fi connection. Around back are a micro USB port for the power adapter and a reset button, and there’s a microSD card slot on the left for storing recorded video. You have to supply your own media (up to 128GB), as the camera doesn’t come with an SD card installed.
Whereas most indoor cameras capture video at 1080p (or higher), the DCS-8010LH is limited to 720p resolution. It has a 120-degree field of view and 4x digital zoom, and is equipped with a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi radio. Despite having a built-in microphone, the camera doesn’t support two-way audio, but it does offer motion detection and will send a push alert and record video when motion is detected.
You can store video locally on your phone, by using the microSD card slot, or in the mydlink Cloud. Through the Cloud, you get access to the last 24 hours of video for free, but if you want to access older video, you can subscribe to a $2.49 per month Basic plan that gives you seven days of video for three cameras. A Premium plan goes for $4.99 per month and gives you 14 days of video for up to five cameras, and a Pro plan will cost you $9.99 per month and gives you 30 days of video with support for up to 10 cameras.
The DCS-8010LH uses the same Android and iOS mydink mobile app that is used by other D-Link devices. It opens to a home screen with panels for every mydlink device that you have installed in your home. Tap the DCS-8010LH panel to launch a live stream that you can view in full-screen mode by tapping the box in the lower right corner.
Other buttons let you mute the speaker, take a snapshot, and manually record a video clip. At the top of the screen is a Settings button that takes you to a screen where you can enable Privacy mode, configure emotion settings, choose a storage type (cloud, SD card), enable/disable the microphone, and configure Wi-Fi settings. Here you can also enter a designated contact phone number that you can tap to make a call when the camera is triggered, update firmware, and turn the status LED on or off.
The camera supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands, and works with other D-Link devices. It also works with IFTTT applets that allow it to interact with lots of third-party smart home devices, but it lacks support for Apple’s HomeKit platform.
Easy to Install and Use
Installing the DCS-8010LH couldn’t be easier. I already had the mydlink app installed on my phone, but if this is your first D-Link device, you’ll have to download the app and create an account. I opened the app, plugged in the camera, and it was immediately recognized as a new device. I was prompted to scan the QR code on the back of the camera, at which point my network SSID and password were automatically filled in. After 20 seconds, the camera was linked to my account and automatically added to my Alexa device list. I gave the camera a name, tapped Next, and the installation was finished.
The DCS-8010LH’s performance was mixed in testing. It delivered crisp HD video in a brightly lit room, but in typical daylight the image appeared dark, with noticeable barrel distortion around the edges. Black-and-white night video, on the other hand, was well lit and showed good contrast, and motion alerts arrived quickly with very few false alerts.
I had no trouble viewing video from the camera on an Amazon Echo Show device using Alexa voice commands. The camera also reacted instantly to triggers from a D-Link DCH-S161 Water Sensor.
Not Quite Worth It
Voice control, third-party integrations, and easy installation are all good reasons to consider the D-Link mydlink HD Wi-Fi Camera (DCS-8010LH) for your indoor security needs. But while it’s very affordable, its low price comes with sacrifices including a relatively low 720p resolution, uneven low-light imagery, and noticeable barrel distortion. Moreover, the camera lacks two-way audio capabilities. You’ll pay more for the SimCam 1S, but the extra money gets you sharp 1080p video, mechanical panning, intelligent alerts, face recognition, and dual-band Wi-Fi. Or if you’re looking to spend less, the Wyze Cam Pan delivers sharper video than the DCS-8010LH for half the price.
