I worked in computers for many years, first working for a large IBM dealer in New York for many years and then eventually joining PCMag (back when it was still published as PC Magazine). I’ve been with the company for over 14 years, most recently as director of computer lab operations and then as a freelance editor.
The pricey Lorex 2K Wired Flood Camera is a self-contained home security kit with high-resolution sensors, two adjustable LEDs, and a built-in card slot for local video storage.
Smart floodlight cameras are great for monitoring and illuminating large areas around your home, such as driveways, pools, and backyards. With the $249.99 Lorex 2K Wired Security Camera with Floodlight (W452ASD), you get a clear view of what’s happening and two bright LED lights with adjustable color temperature. It also offers local video storage, color night vision, smart alarm, and dual-band Wi-Fi, all of which justify its high price. However, it’s not as robust with third-party integrations like the Editors’ Choice Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera ($249.99 plus paid storage plan), and its LEDs aren’t as bright. Despite these drawbacks, Lorex may still be a better choice if you prefer to use subscription-free services.
The Lorex 2K Corded Floodlight is available in black or white finishes and measures 8.5 by 11.0 by 8.2 inches (HWD). It features two adjustable LED lights, each with a maximum brightness of 2,400 lumens. You can easily change the color temperature (cool or warm) and control the brightness of these lights. By comparison, the LEDs on the Arlo models above have a fixed color temperature of 4000K and a maximum output of 3000 lumens.
Like the affordable Wyze Cam floodlight, this model is IP65 weatherproof, meaning it won’t have any problems in bad weather. The twist-off base contains three wires (hot, neutral and ground) that provide power to the light; The device must be connected directly to the junction box. The package includes mounting screws, mounting plate, wire caps and instruction manual.
The camera shoots 2K video (2560 x 1440 pixels) at 15 frames per second, has a diagonal field of view of 122 degrees and an aspect ratio of 16:9. The device uses High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology to enhance contrast and infrared LEDs to capture colorful night vision when the spotlight is active.
Inside the camera there are 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi radio modules. The front panel houses a microphone and speaker for two-way communication, as well as a status LED that glows green when the device is connected, slowly blinks green when it’s ready to connect to a network, and quickly blinks green when paired with an app. Flashes red when network connection fails and flashes red and green during firmware update. The device has a passive infrared (PIR) motion sensor on the bottom and a rubber cover on the right side that protects the reset button and microSD card slot.
The product comes with a 32GB card for storing event-triggered recordings locally, but you can upgrade to a 256GB card if you need continuous recording capabilities. The camera uses buffering to capture the five seconds of activity preceding the motion event (which helps provide context); can distinguish between cars, people and pets; and also supports motion and motion zone tracking. You can optionally set the spotlight to illuminate the area when the camera detects motion, or turn it on manually via the companion app. Notably, Lorex does not offer any cloud storage or premium subscription plans for this model.
You get support for Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands, but the device doesn’t work with Apple’s HomeKit or IFTTT platforms. Note that it also does not integrate with the Lorex Smart Home Security Center.
The 2K Wired Spotlight uses the same mobile app (available for Android and iOS) as other Lorex devices, including the 4K Spotlight Wi-Fi 6 Indoor/Outdoor Security Camera and 2K QHD Wired Video Doorbell. The camera appears in the Devices screen panel with the last frame, a play arrow that starts live streaming, and a privacy mode button that turns off live streaming and disables event recording.
On the live playback screen, each of the five buttons below the channel allows you to switch to full screen mode, select a video quality setting (HD, SD or Auto), pause the stream, mute the sound, or switch to multi-view. View your camera with up to nine camera panels (requires Lorex Fusion wireless or wired recording equipment). There is also a Timeline button that displays a scrolling list of all event entries on the map, and an Event View button that displays thumbnails of recent events (last three days) as well as time and type of movement (person, animal). or vehicle).
Below are additional buttons for taking pictures, manually recording video, initiating a two-way call, activating the built-in 85 dB siren, turning on the floodlights, activating a quick response (you can choose from three pre-recorded messages: “Nobody Available Now”, “Leave the package with doors” and “We’ll be there soon”) and turn on privacy mode.
Open your device settings by clicking the three dots in the top right corner of Live View. Here you can configure motion and audio detection settings, enable continuous recording (the 256GB card starts overwriting recordings after about 24 days, depending on the resolution you choose), create a custom Quick Reply, enable object bounding boxes (for motion tracking), and configure smart alerts. Otherwise, you can enable HDR, select video quality, change motion activation settings (sensitivity, object detection, and motion zone), and adjust spotlight settings (color temperature, light duration, and brightness).
At the bottom of the home screen are the Home, Events, and Settings buttons. The Home button takes you back to the Home screen from anywhere in the app. Click the “Events” button to see a screen with thumbnails of recordings from all devices in your account; you can play or delete any of these clips. Finally, tap the Settings button to customize your home and away settings, manually view photos and recordings, customize sounds and notification schedules, set up multi-factor account verification, and add more devices.
Installing floodlights is not difficult, but if you are not familiar with electrical wiring, you should hire a professional to do the job. You can watch the video instructions in the app or just use the included printed manual.
I started by removing power from the existing floodlight circuit and removing the old fixtures. I used the included screws to attach the mounting plate to the junction box, connected the black wire to my house’s black (hot) wire, the white wire to my house’s neutral (white) wire, and the green ground wire to install the screws.
I then secured the wires with the included nuts, tucked the wires back into the junction box, and used the two included screws to attach the base to the mounting plate. Finally, I attached the new light to the base, rotated it to lock it in place, tightened the mounting screws on the base, and restored power to the circuit.
Once the physical installation was complete, I opened the app, clicked the plus button to add a device, and selected the spotlight from the list. I scanned the QR code on the side of the camera with my phone, made sure the LED was flashing green, and set a passcode for the device. After I provided my Wi-Fi network information, the camera appeared in my Lorex and Alexa device list within just a few minutes. I gave the spotlight a name to complete the installation.
Lorex cameras provide superior video quality. Daytime video shows clear detail and rich colors, while black-and-white night video looks sharp and has good contrast. Color video quality at night is also very good thanks to the bright LED backlighting. Two-way conversations sound clear and loud.
Speaking of the floodlights, during testing they did a great job of illuminating the entire driveway and part of the front yard. They instantly respond to motion triggers as well as shift commands via the app. Motion detection worked as expected; alerts were received quickly and correctly identified people, animals and vehicles. My Alexa voice commands allowing the spotlight camera to send video to the Amazon Echo Show also worked without a hitch.
Detailed 2K video, color night vision, local video storage, and adjustable LED lighting are all good reasons to consider the Lorex 2K Wired Security Camera with Floodlight. However, this camera doesn’t offer the same integration as the Arlo Pro 3 floodlight camera, and the field of view isn’t as wide. If both options are too expensive and you don’t mind upgrading to 1080p resolution, the Wyze Cam Floodlight is a great alternative with audio and motion detection and IFTTT support for just $99.98.
The pricey Lorex 2K Wired Flood Camera is a self-contained home security kit with high-resolution sensors, two adjustable LEDs, and a built-in card slot for local video storage.
Subscribe to Lab Reports to get the latest reviews and product recommendations delivered straight to your inbox.
This press release may contain advertising, offers or affiliate links. By subscribing to our newsletter, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time.
I worked in computers for many years, first working for a large IBM dealer in New York for many years and then eventually joining PCMag (back when it was still published as PC Magazine). I’ve been with the company for over 14 years, most recently as director of computer lab operations and then as a freelance editor.
PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering Labs-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions will help you make better purchasing decisions and get more from technology.
PCMag supports Group Black and its mission to increase diversity of opinion in media and media owners.
PCMag, PCMag.com and PC Magazine are federally registered trademarks of Ziff Davis and may not be used by third parties without express permission. The display of third party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily imply any affiliation or endorsement by PCMag. If you click an affiliate link and purchase a product or service, the merchant may pay us a commission.
Post time: Sep-14-2023