Hey @Woolywonk Thanks for the feedback. This is why we have the forum, to listen to our faithful users. You can adjust the 6 second motion clip length if you have an SD card.
What camera model do you have?
Can you do that for the alert mate? I thought it was only 6 seconds for the free cloud alert?
I think @Woolywonk sounds like he is wanting very similar to how I have mine set up. That is why, and if he/she wants it I am happy to help once the SD cards arrive.
I guess now what he/she wants is to cancel the cloud subscription and receive a pro Rata refund.
Adjusting the 6 seconds is only on the kami wirefree. It doesn’t adjust the alert… rather the length of recorded time to a max of 60 seconds
1 Like
That’s what I thought. Maybe that is what Steven was thinking.
Most Wirefree (battery) products work that way
that is correct @YorkshireUser. It’s for the wire-free which is the camera I use at home. I was hoping to clarify the camera model @Woolywonk. What camera model are you using?
Hi, Steven. I have the Yi Security Cameras (Outdoor, 1080p). They are hardwired. The SD cards should be here by Saturday.
I should note that yesterday a gardener in a small truck came by to pick something up, at 10:34. My Google Nest doorbell detected him as a “person.”
But when I looked in the Yi app, I see motion detected at 10:24 and the short clip stored on the cloud is of some tree branches moving in the wind and the sun reflecting through. No motion detected at 10:34 and since I can’t see the footage on the cloud, I would never know. And it’s a truck, as well as a person walking 
I hope that the SD cards solve my issue with missing footage, but the cloud at this point is rather useless to me, and I’d like a prorated refund.
And I hope that Yi improves the motion detection.
Thank you!
Can I ask does the motion you want to detect ‘cut across’ the PIR or the Yi camera? PIRs are temperamental little devils that need some care on their placement. Including the height and diagonal positioning and how they detect (I.e movement, pixel changes, heat signature, AI, object size).
I think I shared the advice presented by Yi to you previously.
It’s not just Yi either. I’ve read about Arlo, Blink, Ring and Logitech do it.
That is why it is best to really think why you need the camera. What you want it to do and understand how they work.
But yes they all seem to pick up the rustling of the trees or bushes!
An example I tested two cameras. One with pixel change detection the other PIR. The pixel one would pick up every time. The other about 85% of time. One was battery the other AC (the mains powered one was the pixel and a substantial difference in unit cost).
Here is the guidance.
https://news.yitechnology.com/tips-tricks/where-to-place-my-outdoor-home-security-camera/
And
Here
https://help.yitechnology.com/hc/en-us/articles/360035691213-How-to-Install-the-YI-Outdoor-camera-
I think yes partly the motion detection will improve as the firmware develops but also ask yourself how much consideration and research did you do on this type of technology before you bought it and then before you pulled out the ladder and your drill?
With the SD card and always on recording it will record everything that is in the line of sight of the camera lens. So even without an alert it will capture what it see’s. This will provide a better experience for you.
Some diagrams to help visualise this (from two other brands Blink / Arlo - brand is irrelevant as is the type of camera):
This will help give you some understanding too:
1 Like
Hi, YorkshireUser, and thank you for the detailed explanation, it’s really helpful. For this particular camera, I don’t have much choice about positioning, but while it faced down a driveway, movement along the driveway would be on an angle, not a full frontal. I would definitely expect it to detect a truck though, although it has missed a UPS delivery before too. It’s weird because the Google Nest doorbell is in a similar angle and it’s pretty spot-on, with some false positives, but not many and never a missed motion. I am hoping that Yi would improve the detection over time, and that they will restructure the cloud to be more useful to users with needs similar to mine.
Having said that, I think that the SD cards will solve my problem, as even if motion is not detected, I can review the footage as needed. I actually got the 128gb version of the SD cards, hope that they work with the camera.
Thanks again for all of your help!
The SD cards will ensure everything is recorded. But I do feel, and again I can only comment based on experience and what you have said, is that the positioning of the camera could do with some alteration. I accept that it cannot be placed optimally in all situations but from what you describe it does feel to be that. Especially since yours is a wired product.
1 Like
Thanks all for contributing to a positive community discussion! We are always working to improve our cameras and our AI models to better service our users.
@Woolywonk if you’re interested, keep us updated on how things work out 