Google is rolling out a fix for some Nest Cam models as the company finally addresses the blurry night vision problem.
Back at the end of OctoberSeveral reports emerged of a significant drop in the performance of Nest Cam’s night vision feature. It was discovered that the video feed became very grainy after the sunset lost almost all detail. Images of the fall can be found on the website Nest subreddit.
In a remarkable post on reddit, the problem has gotten so bad that you can barely see what’s in the photo. The trees are almost completely obscured by what appears to be TV static. This whole situation was ultimately due to a failed firmware update – version 1.69 to be precise – that came out in mid-September. Daytime performance, on the other hand, was excellent during this period. There were no reports of blurry videos during the afternoon.
The technology giant has told 9to5Google The solution is currently making its way to the battery-powered Nest Cam model, the battery-powered Nest Doorbell, and the second-generation wired Nest Doorbell. It will be released to “all users” in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out for the patch when it arrives.
Possible sequel
The interesting thing about the blurry night vision is that it has been a recurring problem for a while. If you go through old posts on the Google Nest Community Forums, a few months ago you’ll find people complaining about the June 2023 update causing a “horrible whitewashing effect.” This also caused a blurry video feed. A poster in the thread, similar to someone smearing Vaseline over the lens.
We bring up past frustrations because they may continue for a while. Another report from 9To5Google states that the same issue occurs on the Nest Cam with Floodlight; a model not on the company’s initial patch list. That’s why we reached out to Google to ask if there are any other cameras suffering from the same bug and if there are any plans to address them as well. This story will be updated if and when we hear from the company.
Until then, check out Ny Breaking’s list of the best home security cameras for 2023.