Jabbakam Starter Kit review

By default, the camera is set to capture footage when motion is detected in any part of the frame. We found this effective, but you can adjust sensitivity and even change the area where motion is detected. Again, by default, the camera is scheduled to detect motion at all times, but you can select in the web interface when you want recording to be active. Typically, this will be when you’re out of the house as you’ll otherwise end up with hundreds of clips in your inbox of you and your family going about your daily business.

The alert system works well. You can opt to receive an email when the camera records activity, and also if the camera goes offline for any reason. The only type of alert not included in the monthly charge is text messages. These cost 10p for an SMS and 20p for an MMS, which includes an image from the camera.

You can view clips on just about any device with a web browser, and there are apps for iPhone, iPad, plus Android phones and tablets. There’s room for improvement in these apps, though. The iPhone app, for example, allows you to watch and delete clips, but you can’t alter the recording schedule or configure motion detection. Also, unlike on the website, you can’t filter clips by date or time.

If you’re comfortable with configuring port forwarding, FTP servers and email clients, it’s possible to set up similar monitoring with a standard IP camera and avoid the monthly fee. However, those with less technical ability can use the Jabbakam to easily monitor their home or anything else that’s valuable to them from a web browser wherever they are. For this kind of user, Jabbakam is good value.