The DIY smart home and home security specialists at Abode Systems have released their first Apple TV app, along with an upgraded version of the company’s existing Android TV app. The new software promises to make it easier for Abode users to control their self-installed systems from their couch, using their TV or set-top box remote. The company already has apps for smartphones, smart watches, computers, and tablets.
Users will be able to manage their security system and control their smart devices (lights, thermostat, from the Abode dashboard, but the primary attraction will be the ability to view live feeds from up to four Abode security cameras and/or video doorbells on their connected TVs. You can also watch recorded clips, and with AC-powered cameras that have 24/7 recording enabled (more on this in a bit), you can scrub back and forth along a 10-day timeline and jump to specific events.
Abode Systems
Abode is one of the few home security developers with products–specifically, the Abode Smart Security Kit and the Abode Iota All-in-One Security Kit–that support Apple HomeKit as well as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Its cameras, however, do not support Apple’s HomeKit Security Video platform. You can find out more about Abode smart home integrations at the preceding link.
Abode has also released a revamped version of its existing Android TV app, which offers a similar set of features. Abode says the Android TV menus and general layout will look slightly different from the Apple TV app, but that users will have the same camera features. They will also be able to control their Abode system and the devices connected to it directly from their Android TV.
Abode says it’s not developing apps for other TV operating systems–such as Amazon Fire TV, LG’s WebOS, Roku OS, or Samsung’s Tizen OS–at this time, but didn’t rule out doing so in the future.
Further reading: TechHive’s highest-rated smart home systems
As is typical of DIY home security systems, Abode offers free and paid service plans, but a paid plan is required to get security camera recordings (you get only a live view without one).
The company has two paid plans that include up to 10 days of event-based camera recordings: Its Standard plan costs $8 per month ($75 per year), while its Pro plan that adds professional monitoring and cellular backup in the event the system loses its primary connection to the internet costs $26 per month ($240 per year).
Either a Standard or Pro plan is required to get 24/7 recording for an unlimited number of AC-powered Abode security cameras, a service that costs $10 per month ($110 per year) on top of either of those subscriptions.
Author: Michael Brown, Executive Editor, TechHive
Michael is TechHive's lead editor, with 30+ years of experience covering smart homes, home networking, and home audio/home theater. He holds a BA in Multimedia Journalism, authored the book Desktop Video Production, and was awarded Best Online Review by the Computer Press Association. Michael built a smart home in 2007 and used it as a real-world product-testing lab. Now living in the Pacific Northwest, he is converting his 1890 Victorian bungalow into a modern smart home. Michael has worked at CNET, PCWorld, Electronic Musician, and Maximum PC. As a freelancer, he contributed to New Media, Camcorder, MacWeek, and more.