I've had COVE installed for a month now and here are my thoughts that may make someone think twice about getting this even after your glowing review. 1) They have a 60-day try-it-out money-back guarantee but what they hide in the fine print is that the 60 days starts when you buy it, not when you get it delivered and set up. They also start charging you when you buy it too. I had to raise hell with their support to get them to honor an actual 60-day guarantee. 2) The first set of equipment they sent me had issues so they said they needed to replace everything and sent me a new "bundle". I immediately had issues and while my sensors should have been preconfigured with the panel, they had the sensors I returned configured instead so I had to remove everything before setting up the new ones. 3) The doorbell camera and outdoor cameras are all motion activated and the motion activation is TERRIBLE. I will often get an alert that motion was detected and when I check the video there's nothing there because it took so long to actually activate the camera to record. They also have a "Human detection" option which doesn't actually work. Their support even confirmed that it doesn't work and will activate on ANY motion including cars and pets. 4) The doorbell has an "activity zone" which doesn't seem to work at all because it triggers with motion present even outside the activity zone and sometimes doesn't record anything at all. My grandmother left the house today and when I was checking the recordings there was a stretch of time where it should have recorded her leaving out of the front door, walking down the front of the house to the driveway, getting in her car, and leaving. None of that was recorded. Her car was there in one video triggered by a UPS truck and was gone in the next that was triggered by an Amazon truck. 5) I'm currently waiting on a new touch panel because out of nowhere my panel lost cellular connection and since it doesn't use WiFi at all my panel has no connection to the monitoring service and is functionally useless. While troubleshooting the guy wanted me to take the panel off the wall, unplug it, and take it outside to do a cellular test. If it doesn't work in my house it's useless to me anyway. He had nothing to say when I asked what happens if something goes wrong during this week and I need the monitoring or hell, even need to arm the system. I'm effectively without my security system for a week. That alone is making me consider sending this all back and going with something like Simplisafe. 6) The indoor cameras do not mount to the wall and need to be plugged into a wall outlet with a rather short USB cable they provide. 7 )The outdoor cameras are wireless and battery-powered and you have no way of knowing the battery died unless you check the app and see the camera isn't connecting. When it gets low the app doesn't alert you and the only alert you get without loading the camera is the camera itself plays a message from time to time saying the battery is low. I need an effective system with a reliable connection to monitoring and cameras that actually do what they're supposed to do. This really does not seem to fit that at all.
Here's an update on how things are going with my system. I'm on the verge of getting something else. I've already replaced one of my outdoor cameras and the doorbell camera because their support can't figure out why I cannot watch recorded videos through the app and instead of REALLY trying they just keep insisting I replace the cameras...again. The indoor cameras are not recording video correctly. I have to pull the SD cards to see if it's the camera recording them with the video sped up and out of sync with the audio or if it's the playback doing that. Both indoor cameras have this issue. All of the cameras are missing inexplicable moments of time. I was watching recordings from my downstairs indoor camera and every few minutes despite being constant motion and activity to keep the recording going it would stop for a few minutes at a time. Those time periods were also times that I needed to see what happened but because the camera wasn't recording I had no way to know what was going on. I can't rely on a system that has random gaps in recording for no explainable reason...
I have Cove my experience- Great Customer Service, Nice design, horrible long delay 3rd party monitoring center response time- 3-4 minutes the system sends 3 text messages within 30 seconds but to get a call 4-6 minutes way too long. & glass sensors that connect to the panel fine but do not work at all. I returned 5 of them
Very informative and thorough. I purchased my Cove Security Equipment and got the monitoring plan, All prior to seeing this video. I am eager to see any updates, ad Cove now DOES have proprietary indoor & outdoor cameras and Cove Home is now able to be integrated with Google Assistant, maybe a video on how to achieve that integration is warranted because I have not yet figured it out
Great Job, comprehensive review was thinking about Vivint but in a gated community and low crime area this cheaper do it yourself option is pretty good. I will be using this and get a few "Ring" outdoor camera and one indoor ring camera and doorbell to supplement Cove.
In the review on the website it reads "Plus, we could use the Cove Touch Screen Panel to speak through the camera’s two-way audio, a great way to communicate between floors of a home without resorting to yelling." but that option is most definitely NOT in the touch screen panel. How were you able to speak through the camera via the touch screen panel when the cameras are only present in the app?
Can you monitor the indoor and outdoor cameras from your phone ? This would come in handy at work. What about a doorbell cam ? Can you monitor from your phone also?
Love this review! Although one thing has been pulling my leg. I've been looking at the Cove Security System, and I find this question crucially important: "Can you use Wi-Fi with Cove?" Because where I live, cellular data is almost non-existent, but we do have Wi-Fi & Ethernet.
So is it WiFi capable or just LTE only? Our current apartment has absolutely no cellular reception for a multi block radius. I had to set up WiFi calling just to use my cell phone while at home. Looking at this system for a new home we are buying, but I'm wondering what happens if our home is in a spot with poor cellular reception. Is it just unusable if so?
Do NOT get this if there is no cellular reception. It is 100% cellular. I'm dealing with a panel that I've had installed for a month and just randomly lost cellular connection. They told me they have to send me a new one and it will take about a week to get here so for this week I have zero monitoring from them. Not cool.
Very nice thorough review! Do you happen to know if Cove is vulnerable to the same things Simply Safe is? Basically can the security system be ignored with a simple RF transmitter on the correct frequency?
In professional warranting you say cove + give you a one-year warranty and cove basic a 1 year warranty there is no difference seems like ring alarm such a better deal only been $10 I'm up with nice-looking senses and ring video backup and for that $10 a month you get phone access with through cove it is $25 And ring has 4G backup 2
How can you tell if a DIY wireless security system uses encrypted sensors? It only takes a little know how to false trigger your alarm. Depending on your jurisdiction about a handful of false alarms can get you into steep fine with police/fire/rescue/911/city!
As long as you register with your local PD/Fire dep. etc. if it’s a false alarm they won’t charge you. However, if you fail to register with them they will. For us it’s like 15 bucks a year.
If I have installed the ring alarm and I have a trip overseas , it rang suddenly one day without burglary , how can I shut off the alarm ? Sorry for bothering you. Thank you very much indeed.
I don't think I've seen a security app yet that does not let you arm and disarm your system as long as your phone has a wifi signal. So poke around in the app and look for that feature.
Do your neighbors have a security sign? As a rule of thumb, you should match your neighbors. (Regardless if you actually have a system or not.) This makes it very hard on thieves. If nobody has security signs on your block, don't post one unless you want to advertise to thieves "stuff to steal is here".
@@kookie7693 why would you advertise which specific monitoring service you're using? No point in giving thieves that sort of info. Just get a generic alarm sign without the name of the company you're using
@@raheenb well I live in an apartment and there is no way to put the sign up anyway but thanks for the info! I'll keep that in mind the next time I move..... Into another apartment.
Are you able to bypass motion sensors if your pets are 60+ pounds while on the armed away setting or would you just do like armed stay since I know those usually get disabled while in that state? Thanks for the review! Highly considering this because the price is so good compared to others.
In our experience, whether or not your pets will trigger your motion sensors has a lot to do with your security setup in relation to how your furniture is. Its a lot of trial an error.
You might want to check out our Arlo Ultra 4K Camera review, these cameras have motion-activated spotlights: www.security.org/security-cameras/arlo/review/ultra/
This is the worst system ever. I spend more time on the phone and more time receiving replacement cameras than I do enjoying peace of mind. The cameras suck. Battery life is garbage. And if you dare change your router, wifi network or password, gawd forbid- you will need a new camera. Resetting is a waste of m%#*{+# time!!!!
Love this video, very detailed, digestible, & simple
Thank you. Please share the channel with your friends.
I've had COVE installed for a month now and here are my thoughts that may make someone think twice about getting this even after your glowing review.
1) They have a 60-day try-it-out money-back guarantee but what they hide in the fine print is that the 60 days starts when you buy it, not when you get it delivered and set up. They also start charging you when you buy it too. I had to raise hell with their support to get them to honor an actual 60-day guarantee.
2) The first set of equipment they sent me had issues so they said they needed to replace everything and sent me a new "bundle". I immediately had issues and while my sensors should have been preconfigured with the panel, they had the sensors I returned configured instead so I had to remove everything before setting up the new ones.
3) The doorbell camera and outdoor cameras are all motion activated and the motion activation is TERRIBLE. I will often get an alert that motion was detected and when I check the video there's nothing there because it took so long to actually activate the camera to record. They also have a "Human detection" option which doesn't actually work. Their support even confirmed that it doesn't work and will activate on ANY motion including cars and pets.
4) The doorbell has an "activity zone" which doesn't seem to work at all because it triggers with motion present even outside the activity zone and sometimes doesn't record anything at all. My grandmother left the house today and when I was checking the recordings there was a stretch of time where it should have recorded her leaving out of the front door, walking down the front of the house to the driveway, getting in her car, and leaving. None of that was recorded. Her car was there in one video triggered by a UPS truck and was gone in the next that was triggered by an Amazon truck.
5) I'm currently waiting on a new touch panel because out of nowhere my panel lost cellular connection and since it doesn't use WiFi at all my panel has no connection to the monitoring service and is functionally useless. While troubleshooting the guy wanted me to take the panel off the wall, unplug it, and take it outside to do a cellular test. If it doesn't work in my house it's useless to me anyway. He had nothing to say when I asked what happens if something goes wrong during this week and I need the monitoring or hell, even need to arm the system. I'm effectively without my security system for a week. That alone is making me consider sending this all back and going with something like Simplisafe.
6) The indoor cameras do not mount to the wall and need to be plugged into a wall outlet with a rather short USB cable they provide.
7 )The outdoor cameras are wireless and battery-powered and you have no way of knowing the battery died unless you check the app and see the camera isn't connecting. When it gets low the app doesn't alert you and the only alert you get without loading the camera is the camera itself plays a message from time to time saying the battery is low.
I need an effective system with a reliable connection to monitoring and cameras that actually do what they're supposed to do. This really does not seem to fit that at all.
Here's an update on how things are going with my system. I'm on the verge of getting something else. I've already replaced one of my outdoor cameras and the doorbell camera because their support can't figure out why I cannot watch recorded videos through the app and instead of REALLY trying they just keep insisting I replace the cameras...again.
The indoor cameras are not recording video correctly. I have to pull the SD cards to see if it's the camera recording them with the video sped up and out of sync with the audio or if it's the playback doing that. Both indoor cameras have this issue.
All of the cameras are missing inexplicable moments of time. I was watching recordings from my downstairs indoor camera and every few minutes despite being constant motion and activity to keep the recording going it would stop for a few minutes at a time. Those time periods were also times that I needed to see what happened but because the camera wasn't recording I had no way to know what was going on. I can't rely on a system that has random gaps in recording for no explainable reason...
Thank you for this! I am having an awful time trying to decide on which DIY kit to go with.
You are so welcome!
I have Cove my experience- Great Customer Service, Nice design, horrible long delay 3rd party monitoring center response time- 3-4 minutes the system sends 3 text messages within 30 seconds but to get a call 4-6 minutes way too long. & glass sensors that connect to the panel fine but do not work at all. I returned 5 of them
Thanks for the feedback. It helps everyone make a more informed decision.
Very informative and thorough. I purchased my Cove Security Equipment and got the monitoring plan, All prior to seeing this video. I am eager to see any updates, ad Cove now DOES have proprietary indoor & outdoor cameras and Cove Home is now able to be integrated with Google Assistant, maybe a video on how to achieve that integration is warranted because I have not yet figured it out
Thanks for the information we will look into it.
Awesome review Dave. I just ordered a system due your awesome review.
Thank you! Please share the channel with your friends.
Very thorough. Thank you for covering this.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great review, answered all of my questions.
Thanks Rick!
Great Job, comprehensive review was thinking about Vivint but in a gated community and low crime area this cheaper do it yourself option is pretty good. I will be using this and get a few "Ring" outdoor camera and one indoor ring camera and doorbell to supplement Cove.
great review, thanks for the straightforward nature
Never had an issue with my cove system had it for 2 years now with no issues. Just like anything else it will be mixed reviews
In the review on the website it reads "Plus, we could use the Cove Touch Screen Panel to speak through the camera’s two-way audio, a great way to communicate between floors of a home without resorting to yelling." but that option is most definitely NOT in the touch screen panel. How were you able to speak through the camera via the touch screen panel when the cameras are only present in the app?
Thank you
I'm switching to Cove ASAP
I have to ask is Frontpoint better of should go for Cove
Great review! Very helpful 👍
Great review! IF the cell service in our area is poor, is it safe to assume this won't be good for us?
Yes it would.
By the way. It’s Cove Plus will give you a lifetime warranty and Cove Basic will only give you a year warranty.
Can you use cove in stand-alone mode, no monitoring, just alerting whenever there's an event, ie. door opened, window broken, etc?
Cove told me you can. It's called self monitoring
Can you monitor the indoor and outdoor cameras from your phone ? This would come in handy at work. What about a doorbell cam ? Can you monitor from your phone also?
Will this notify you which door opens while you are still home? Like will it say "back door open" even though the alarm isn't on
Yes
Love this review! Although one thing has been pulling my leg.
I've been looking at the Cove Security System, and I find this question crucially important: "Can you use Wi-Fi with Cove?"
Because where I live, cellular data is almost non-existent, but we do have Wi-Fi & Ethernet.
Yes, WIFI is a requirement for most DIY systems
Great review. Thanks
You are very welcome.
So when a door is opened or window, dose it tell you which one is opened? (On the hub)
So is it WiFi capable or just LTE only? Our current apartment has absolutely no cellular reception for a multi block radius. I had to set up WiFi calling just to use my cell phone while at home. Looking at this system for a new home we are buying, but I'm wondering what happens if our home is in a spot with poor cellular reception. Is it just unusable if so?
Do NOT get this if there is no cellular reception. It is 100% cellular. I'm dealing with a panel that I've had installed for a month and just randomly lost cellular connection. They told me they have to send me a new one and it will take about a week to get here so for this week I have zero monitoring from them. Not cool.
Very nice thorough review! Do you happen to know if Cove is vulnerable to the same things Simply Safe is? Basically can the security system be ignored with a simple RF transmitter on the correct frequency?
Glad you brought it. The RF transmitter issue was fixed years ago, but people still think it works.
How easy is it to change the batteries in the sensors?
Oh my god...I've been on hold to cancel my ADT now for 60 minutes...LOL..we are done with ADT.
Sorry to hear you're having that experience with ADT.
I was wondering if there was a wall bracket for the touchscreen
Yes
Yes, it comes with a flat wall mount bracket, an an angled mount for placement on a table it shelf
If dogs over 40lbs trigger the sensor then why does the app ask you if your dog is over or below 40lbs?
So you don't spend money on buying a sensor because your dog is more than 40lbs.. I mean, do you need it written in crayon?
@@Slimzyjoe I think they just like saying "dog". Look at their profile pic.
How do I disable monitoring?
In professional warranting you say cove + give you a one-year warranty and cove basic a 1 year warranty there is no difference seems like ring alarm such a better deal only been $10 I'm up with nice-looking senses and ring video backup and for that $10 a month you get phone access with through cove it is $25
And ring has 4G backup 2
But does ring give 24/7 monitoring?
@@roshanerobinson1988 Yes it does.
Cove plus is actually lifetime warranty and cove basic is one year warranty. Just so you know.
@@elisDbar89 but you have to go professional monitoring it's more like 2
Cove Plus locks in your monthly rate for life at $35!
cove website shows a smoke detector not a carbon monoxcide detector
No phone app on the basic monitoring? Deal breaker
I was a bit shocked at that too. Surely that's a mistake. (But definitely a deal breaker as I'm not about to find out if it's a mistake.)
Can you use the motion sensor outside?
I mean, I don't know how weatherproof it is. That is the first concern I would have.
Can you have more than one touch alarm panels?
can you do a video on simplisafe and cove dyi thank you
I'll try to get to it this summer!
Good review
We'll pass your compliments along to our video team!
How can you tell if a DIY wireless security system uses encrypted sensors? It only takes a little know how to false trigger your alarm. Depending on your jurisdiction about a handful of false alarms can get you into steep fine with police/fire/rescue/911/city!
As long as you register with your local PD/Fire dep. etc. if it’s a false alarm they won’t charge you. However, if you fail to register with them they will. For us it’s like 15 bucks a year.
@@Jeffjames962 it is 200$ a year in San Diego to register with police
@@DR-G-Radio ouch!
If I have installed the ring alarm and I have a trip overseas , it rang suddenly one day without burglary , how can I shut off the alarm ? Sorry for bothering you. Thank you very much indeed.
I don't think I've seen a security app yet that does not let you arm and disarm your system as long as your phone has a wifi signal. So poke around in the app and look for that feature.
Thank you. Is there an additional fee for the 4G LTE service?? It seems it would be like an additional cell phone line.
Good question, unfortunately they don't list the answer on their website.
It's included with their monthly monitoring price
Is the yard sign stick very short which makes it close to the ground?
it has an extender. I just got mine and was like wtf is with this midget ass sign... well there's an extra foot or so of pole in the box
Do your neighbors have a security sign? As a rule of thumb, you should match your neighbors. (Regardless if you actually have a system or not.) This makes it very hard on thieves. If nobody has security signs on your block, don't post one unless you want to advertise to thieves "stuff to steal is here".
@@kookie7693 why would you advertise which specific monitoring service you're using? No point in giving thieves that sort of info. Just get a generic alarm sign without the name of the company you're using
@@raheenb well I live in an apartment and there is no way to put the sign up anyway but thanks for the info! I'll keep that in mind the next time I move..... Into another apartment.
Are you able to bypass motion sensors if your pets are 60+ pounds while on the armed away setting or would you just do like armed stay since I know those usually get disabled while in that state?
Thanks for the review! Highly considering this because the price is so good compared to others.
In our experience, whether or not your pets will trigger your motion sensors has a lot to do with your security setup in relation to how your furniture is. Its a lot of trial an error.
How far should the sensors be from the windows
no more than 3/4ths of an inch.
Can I have the app eith basic plan? Thank you!
The Cove App is available with Cove Plus Plan.
How far does the motion detector work?
45 feet
Is cove encrypted to prevent wireless hacks?
Good question. You should checkout Cove's FAQ page.
hi, i can learn how to set up home security ok
How can I help you?
Cove doesn't have doorbell camera
Correct.
Not yet but its coming soon
They do now, two options.
Have you reviewed the Arlo wire free spotlight camera? if not can you?
You might want to check out our Arlo Ultra 4K Camera review, these cameras have motion-activated spotlights: www.security.org/security-cameras/arlo/review/ultra/
Nice
Thanks
Can we have a security system review that is 2 mins ?
I'd love to do a few of those. what exactly are you thinking?
Can you call it new when you reviewed it previously?
I don't believe be reviewed it before, he reviewed alder, and it looks exactly like this cove system
This is the worst system ever. I spend more time on the phone and more time receiving replacement cameras than I do enjoying peace of mind. The cameras suck. Battery life is garbage. And if you dare change your router, wifi network or password, gawd forbid- you will need a new camera. Resetting is a waste of m%#*{+# time!!!!