First of all, while I don't like it, I understand the need for no web server in the battery powered models and no direct access to the sdcard data or video stream.

What is so disappointing is FORCING the customer to be completely tied to you app and/or cloud service for getting motion recordings and images. You could at the very least allow for FTP transfer to a customer's own equipment in the same way you allow for emails to be sent. Whether the video is uploaded to your AWS bucket or a customer's own site should be no difference in power requirements.

Due to this direction of ReoLink, I will no longer buy anymore of your products and the Argus PT with solar panel and two additional wired cameras I just purchased will be returned.

I will also be looking for replacements of my other ReoLink cameras as the time comes to swap those out for newer technology.

I used to recommend your product all the time but will not any longer.

You obviously didn't comprehend what I wrote. I clearly stated that I completely understand not having direct access for everything you just described about ONVIF, RTSP, etc.. Please read again what I wrote.

What is wrong, is the fact the ONLY options you have to retrieve the videos are ALL manual and completely tied to their APP or cloud. With the exception of the option in the camera config to use email or push notification. Either way, it still makes it a pain in the rear to access or do anything with the video clips.

The one thing that they could have included in the firmware which would take up no more battery power than it does to push the video to their cloud, is to provide an option for the clips to upload off a sdcard to something such as an FTP server. Then a customer could easily script what they wanted to use the clips for their needs. As it stands with what they currently provide, EVERYTHING is a manual process and there is no way to automate retrieving the videos for any kind of use.

It is absolutely to wrong direction to take and I stand by my original post!!

Is this firmware, or something newer, still available for the IPC_51516M5M hardware?

Trying to access the link gives me an error that I don't have permission.

mdunning,

Just saw the below on an Amazon from August 22nd review which may interest you.

There is a hidden feature you don't know about so I am here to fill you in. Auto Tracking is a feature of this camera BUT ONLY AFTER you update the firmware to the update from earlier this year Feb/March 2021 which you can find on the Reolink.com download center page.

mdunning,

Does the E1 Outdoor have the options for using RTSP with third party NVR's? I was looking at getting one, or more, of these and cannot see specifically where it does or does not.

Their documentation at the url below seems to indicate that it does, but, well, we know what their docs are like sometimes.

https://support.reolink.com/hc/en-us/articles/360007010473-How-to-Live-View-Reolink-Cameras-via-VLC-Media-Player

Just looking for someone who can confirm.

Interesting though that their web site store shows as not available but it is available from the offical Amazon Reolink store.

I get that there are delays. But I would rather see items pulled from product listings if not available so that people don't waste time researching specs only to find out they are not, and may not ever be, available.

That was my only point and that goes for all industries.

And here it is July 19th and STILL not in stock. If they aren't going to be available anytime soon, why not just remove them from the site?

You obviously did not bother to read the part where it was asked why can't ftp be allowed just like email? No additional drain on the battery any more than what email could be doing. This way, captures could be sent to an ftp site for processing.

Also, even an API to the cloud for downloading any captured images/videos would suffice. But as it appears, you want to lock in and control/own everything and not give the paying customer any options.

So how do you respond to this??

I use Blue Iris now with other webcams, including reolink cams which have the built in web server. I like the ability to centralize everything and go to one place for viewing clips. Had hopes that the battery powered line from ReoLink at least had some way to remote access and transfer clips, whether the camera did it directly via ftp or an API to grab the captures off the SD card, via automation so everything could be consolidated on prem.

Even though I would still be using BI for my other cameras, I can create a web site for my personal use which would allow me a single place using a standard web browser, and not a closed source vendor application, to view my recordings from many sources. As it is now with these cameras, I am forced to use ReoLinks app on my phone, tiny screen, or install yet another vendor app on every computer I use just to see the ReoLink clips.

I am one that avoids the use of anything cloud based if at all possible, and that is another turn off for the direction ReoLink has gone with these devices.

It seems to me they are trying to starting to get their customers used to having to use the ReoLink access and storage solutions with the intent of changing their entire product line as they move forward. Have seen this happen with MANY companies in the past.

Would be nice if Cynthia would chime in and give an honest answer.

You obviously didn't comprehend what I wrote. I clearly stated that I completely understand not having direct access for everything you just described about ONVIF, RTSP, etc.. Please read again what I wrote.

What is wrong, is the fact the ONLY options you have to retrieve the videos are ALL manual and completely tied to their APP or cloud. With the exception of the option in the camera config to use email or push notification. Either way, it still makes it a pain in the rear to access or do anything with the video clips.

The one thing that they could have included in the firmware which would take up no more battery power than it does to push the video to their cloud, is to provide an option for the clips to upload off a sdcard to something such as an FTP server. Then a customer could easily script what they wanted to use the clips for their needs. As it stands with what they currently provide, EVERYTHING is a manual process and there is no way to automate retrieving the videos for any kind of use.

It is absolutely to wrong direction to take and I stand by my original post!!

First of all, while I don't like it, I understand the need for no web server in the battery powered models and no direct access to the sdcard data or video stream.

What is so disappointing is FORCING the customer to be completely tied to you app and/or cloud service for getting motion recordings and images. You could at the very least allow for FTP transfer to a customer's own equipment in the same way you allow for emails to be sent. Whether the video is uploaded to your AWS bucket or a customer's own site should be no difference in power requirements.

Due to this direction of ReoLink, I will no longer buy anymore of your products and the Argus PT with solar panel and two additional wired cameras I just purchased will be returned.

I will also be looking for replacements of my other ReoLink cameras as the time comes to swap those out for newer technology.

I used to recommend your product all the time but will not any longer.