VIVOSUN
Gabrielle
Impossible to actually connect to it and view your tent at any point in time. Every time i open the app i get the same old connectivity error and never get to actually monitor anything inside the tent.
DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY!!!
Customer
10 out of 10 waste of money had the product for three days had it paired and connected. Worked great for 24 hours, then stopped working. keeps disconnecting and reconnecting the next day, fixed it another 24 hours and now it Powers turns off and on
Michael
Super easy to connect you can set the timelapse for up to a year and from one minute up to as long as you’d like per picture. I have a weak single it’s sit about 200ft from my house plus another 50ft to the router. The video quality seems good and you can download straight to you’re phone.
Stewie & Lorraine
Set up was easy, and I kinda like the voice status.
The image quality is dead horrible! Evidently the frame rate and the household AC current are incompatible. (Maybe 50hz for the UK?)
The result is dark black bars across all my daytime videos, (see the photo) I have several other cameras that do not do this. Seems like a software fix would correct this but I am unwilling to wait months or years for Vivosun to correct it.
It’s possible I got a bad one, but everything else seems to work, which is great - except it’s a camera. The software had no way to change shutter speed or frame rate leaving me stuck giving this camera a 1 star.
Joseph Vargas
Great video quality, and easy installing.
Bob M.
The documentation for this device doesn't tell you anything on how to use it besides getting it connected to the Wi-Fi. I contacted support with a bunch of questions, and their support is great and they replied and answered all the questions that I have seen people asking online so I wanted to save people the hassle of having to figure this out yourselves.
If you need help email [email protected]. You need to enter your order number and where you purchased it from to get a reply.
Weak Wifi Issue
One thing to note that I figured out myself regarding the Wi-Fi connection. The Wi-Fi connection seemed extremely weak when I tried to set it up however I discovered that if you try to put it in a grow tent that has Mylar reflective coating. It drastically reduces the Wi-Fi connection. This is a known issues as the Wi-Fi signal gets reflected and attenuates the radio frequencies.
I am an IT guy, and I have very strong Wi-Fi access points at my house. I put an access point literally 10 feet from the tent and when the tent was closed it still would barely connect. I immediately thought this camera is junk. I put a ring camera that I have at my house in the tent, and it did the exact same thing so then I immediately realized it's the tent not the camera causing the problems.
Here are the issues that were addressed by support:
1st. I put in an SD card that was 512 gigs and immediately it only showed 384 gigs available I was perplexed by this Here was supports answer:
About the video storage:
1/3 of the SD card is reserved for time-lapse storage to ensure sufficient space for longer recordings.
Only the remaining space allocated to continuous recording—about 318GB on a 512GB card—is shown in the app."
2nd: When you put in an SD card it automatically starts recording 24/7 to the card and there's no way to disable it. I immediately thought as most people probably would that it's going to fill up all the disk space and the time lapse recordings will not work. Here is their answer
About the recording mode:
The camera supports two independent recording modes:
1. Continuous Recording (24/7 Recording) – Works like a standard security camera, continuously recording.
2. Time-Lapse Recording – Records at set intervals based on user settings.
Both modes store data separately and do not affect each other’s storage space.
3rd. If you try to take the SD card out of the camera and put it on a computer to watch the videos you can’t play them on a computer. Here was their response to this question:
About the video format:
The videos saved on the SD card are recorded in a proprietary .H264 format that is not directly compatible with most standard video players or converters. This format is commonly used in smart cameras to optimize storage and enhance security.
To view or share your recordings:
· Please use the VIVOSUN App to access, preview, and download videos from the SD card.
· Once downloaded through the App, videos are automatically converted into standard MP4 format, which can be played or shared using regular media players on your phone or computer.
Note: SD card recordings are not saved in MP4 format by default, so reading them directly with a card reader on a PC will not work.
Hope this helps everyone!
00SubZero00
TL DR;
1) Manual has sparse technical information and zero technical guidance
2) Firmware has no customization. (e.g. IPv4 DHCP only, no option to download or push a FTP server like most IP cameras, specs say h.264/h.265 but its h.264)
3) Its an IP camera and no apparent option to offload files
4) Bizarre formatting of SD Card - my 128GB card showed only 80GB for recording - found it records 24/7 on an 80GB port and then formats a secondary volume for
5) You can only view media thru their app (DEALBREAKER) - you cannot offload media from the card to a PC - the time lapse is in some proprietary video container and not even VLC will play it.
6) The picture quality is fine for the price
7) The ease of setup is probably the only good thing about this product. I was 30 seconds to ping on my network.
8) Frequently disconnects on my wifi and the AP is literally 1M away. I am a network architect with
9) "Advanced settings" is comical - adjusts logo and timestamp. Whats so advanced about video overlay?
10) doesn't appear to be any means to update firmware
11) The app is interesting and nice
Its indefensible to me for a company not to provide any technical guidance in the manual. There is none. I wanted a tool for my grow tent and this is more of a toy. There is no firmware options to customize and now that explains why there is no technical section in the manual; nothing to configure. The specs stated h.264 / h.265. This isn't true, it records 24/7 and it is in the h.264 format so it begs the question then why even list h.265? h.265 is much more space efficient. No option for h.265. I found the device creates two volumes; again why not mention this in the manual?! I was thinking the device will overwrite my time lapse. Like others who noticed storage management listing 2/3 of the sd-card's capacity - it appears to portion the 24/7 recordings in the 2/3s portion and the time lapse in the remaining 1/3rd space DVR-Video. Again why not document this instead of making me the user have to figure this out?
The device records 24/7 in 10 minute blocks. I don't really care to have each and ever single minute recorded especially when there is no way to quickly offload it so that is useless to me. Since its h.264 and records 24/7 you have better have 512GB card because my 128GB with a 80GB volume will hold only ~4 days before it overwrites or stops recording. Again useless without an efficient means of offloading media.
The dealbreaker for me is that there is no apparent way to offload any media. If there is well gee would be nice to document that you know in a manual but I can't RTFM since there isn't one. Neither thru the Vivosun app or by extracting the card and placing the card into SD card reader. I emailed support and got a generic auto response on a simple questions (i.e. media offloading, bizarre card formatting)
Bonus: it frequently disconnects as shown, I'm not even wasting my time troubleshooting that issue. I'm a network architect and I have Cisco network with Cisco switches/ APs - I performed a wifi survey when I set it up in my house with an Ekahau sidekick. My signal is never below -40dBm anywhere in my house. The AP the device is associated to is literally 1M away.
I PURCHASED THIS *SOLELY* for time lapse. Given that seems locked to viewing in the app and I have had it just two days, I am returning the product. I'd rather pay $60 more and get a 4k IP camera with actual technical support / guidance / firmware configuration / media offloading options. I was getting ready to purchase new grow package (Vivosun light, humidifer / hub / tent) and this experience and other reviews made me rethink that and will look elsewhere.
Kevin D.
Watch your plants when you're away!
The packaging for the Vivosun grow camera is decent. Sturdy packaging, everything fits well and snug.
Item quality: It is cheap, molded plastic. Every inch of this feels fragile and its quite light. I imagine if you drop this on a hard floor it will shatter. Its about the size of the palm of my hand, doesn't take up too much space and isn't necessarily ugly, but quite boxy. Not ergonomic at all.
Camera quality: Average. It's a camera and it does do what it's supposed to. It records and takes decent pictures.
Set up: Easy enough but also clunky. You need to first download the Vivosun app. If you're a customer already you probably already have it. You can power the camera through Vivosuns hub or through a provided power adapter so no need to worry about batteries life. When powered up it barks orders at you. Takes about five minutes, no biggie. It just sounds and feels like I'm playing with a cheap toy.
THE APP: This is the worst part of the entire product. First off you can barely see anything. I dont know if its just me but they app is SO DARK! Next, if you're looking for the timelapse function like I was, it is very strange. There are two settings in timelapse. End, which selects a date and time to end your timelapse. Then a duration where it takes a picture. Its very wierd and not very intuitive.
Weird stuff here. I'm not sure whst to think here. For the money, I think I dont think the value is there. It's lacking in quality.
Humberto Alejandro Lopez
Been trying to connect this device for over two days now. I’ve called support and all they did was send me an email on how to connect the device. They are absolutely no help at all.
Tywin Lannister
I had no problem adding this to my WIFI. My router is a dual 2.4ghz/5ghz unit so be sure to connect to 2.4ghz because this camera only uses that bandwidth. Once I downloaded the Vivosun App I was up and running in about 10 minutes.
YMI
I would give it zero stars if I could. Have been trying to connect for two hours. It gets halfway through and then crashes. garbage software.
Tyler
poor build quality. i can’t even put it up anymore. if you can’t tell, the magnet for the part that connects the camera to the canopy jumped out of its place
Dee
My favorite time of the day is when I check the progress of my plant babies. The time lapse feature is the app is awesome.
Craig T
Works 50% of the time. Definitely wouldn't miss this if it stopped working 100%. Would not reorder. It's what you would expect for the money. Cheap and meh...
James Shackelton
Works very well
Kendell
It do not work on the app
Azaria solomon
Doesnt work unless im connected to the same wifi as the camera. Basically it doesnt connect when im not at home…which is why I bought them.
Returning them asap.
Heidi
I’ll give it four stars for now because it took more than 15/20 minutes to get the device to connect. Also, it did not even suggest an SD card to go with it in order to do the time lapse video. I haven’t even used an SD card since back in the days, don’t even know which type to use thanks.
Sarah
I have always wanted to get a camera for my grow tent. I finally got one and I absolutely love it. The picture quality is great and the camera is built very nice. It was very easy to set this up and connect it to my Grow Hub. This works flawlessly. It’s small enough to squeeze into any corner and the nighttime view looks very well. This is the perfect camera for any VIVOSUN fan!!
Michelle
Another amazing piece of equipment from the minds over at vivosun, absolute home run. Connects seamlessly, and easily. One small thing is the instructions don't tell you that timelapse requires an sd card (no problem) however the camera itself let's you know it does. 10/10 5/5 stars
L.H.
I love the Grow Cam from VIVOSUN! This product functions well, especially being on the middle to low end scale of how pricy these cameras can be!
I am using it to monitor my plants and will eventually be making a time lapse booth with this camera as the most important feature.
My dogs wiped out my instruction manual (I know, cliche). Even with that happening, the camera was very prompt in making itself known on the VIVOSUN app, and connecting quickly.
I have not used nor tried to use the camera for audio, therefore will not speak on behalf of the sound quality not talk ability, may update as growing progresses.
The picture quality is very present with this camera, while it’s no doubt lower than some, it is much higher than many models on the market.
Many features including automatic night vision, time lapse, and audio are available, if you own other products from VIVOSUN this camera pairs well with anything else on their exciting store!
Jeremy
Great price, great picture quality, easy to set up!
Amy
Yet again another amazing Vivosun product, the camera is super easy to setup and works perfectly. It covers my entire 5 x 5 tent and I look forward to getting another for my 3 x 3. The camera quality is great throughout the day and even at night. I am really look forward to using the Timelapse feature as well the camera doesn’t require a Sd card unless you are looking to use the time lapse feature. I have taken videos and clips where I can even use my microphone with such ease. I look forward to using this in both of my tents and thinking about getting a grow box and doing an entire time lapse video through out the whole grow.
The only issue I ran into was I kept accidentally trying to setup to my 5GHz WiFi, make sure it is a 2.5 GHz (it says it on the app as well)
robert
I have had this camera for a few days now and instantly In love with it. Its akin to a wyze camera but with the vivosun integration. From opening the box to active use was less than 5min. Set up in app was easy to do. Picture quality is decent and I used the talk feature today while I was out of town while a roommate attended my garden. I also enjoy being able to look at my plants from anywhere or being able to show them off. I am extremely excited to do a veg timelaps as well as a flower time laps. Overall a great addition to my growing line up as I upgrade my current gear.
Kristen Evans
The camera is a great new addition and so nice to be able to watch our girls when we are away from them!! We are definitely obsessed with watching them grow!!! We went with the 512gb microSD card. We originally ordered a
T -byte one but it wouldn’t support it.
This was our first tents harvest! We wouldn’t have been able to do it without VIVOSUN!
#obsessedgrowers
Lady Lizz and MCGTX
Brings a great peace of mind to the tent! Being able to check my ladies whenever wherever is nice. It connected to my WiFi easily. The design is very similar to a wyze camera but it features a Timelapse capability with a sd card. Which would be cool to use to collect data.
Andrew Smith
This is my second one. No issues with the first one but the glue that holds the magnet to the part that clips onto the tent pole didn’t hold on this one. Camera fell. Thankfully it didn’t break. Used super glue to fix it.
I like the visibility into the tents. The time lapse works very well. Very easy to set up. You can download it at any point. Pretty cool. Night vision works well also.
What I don’t like is that even if I change the advanced settings so the VIVOSUN logo doesn’t display, it ALWAYS comes back on, maybe immediately after closing the app. This isn’t cool.
Definitely worth the money but would be better without the logo always being in view.
elnenepr77
Got two of them. Works very well. Always good to keep an eye on your plants!
Parks N' Tech
The VIVOSUN GrowCam C4 has completely transformed my growing experience! Setting it up was incredibly easy and straightforward, and the 2K QHD video quality is absolutely superb. The clarity is so impressive that I can see every detail of my plants, right down to the individual leaves. This level of detail is invaluable for monitoring plant health and identifying any potential issues early on.
The night vision mode works flawlessly, providing clear images even in complete darkness without disturbing the plants' natural sleep cycle. The time-lapse feature is a fun and fascinating bonus, allowing me to condense hours or even days of growth into a short, shareable video. It's a great way to document my plants' progress and share the journey with others.
The accompanying app is user-friendly and works seamlessly. It allows me to check in on my plants from anywhere, anytime, providing peace of mind and the ability to react quickly to any changes. For recording footage, you'll need to purchase an SD card separately, as it's not included. However, this is a minor inconvenience compared to the overall benefits of the GrowCam. The camera itself feels well-made and durable, and the setup and operation are remarkably simple. For the price, the VIVOSUN GrowCam C4 is an absolute must-have for any serious grower. It's an invaluable tool for monitoring, documenting, and ultimately maximizing the success of your grow.
Marcotte Disposal
The VIVOSUN GrowCam C4 is a game-changer! Setup was easy, and the 2K QHD video is super clear—I can see every leaf detail. The night mode works perfectly without disturbing my plants, and the time-lapse feature is a fun bonus.
The app is smooth, and I can check in from anywhere. Just grab an SD card (not included) for recording. For the price, this is a must-have for any grower! 🌿🔥
