If your neighborhood has increasing problems with vandalism and theft, you should consider installing a residential video surveillance system to keep your home safe. A visible camera may be enough to keep intruders away. However, to get the most out of a video security system, it's a good idea to compare systems and get the most features you can afford. Here is a look at some video functions you may want to have.
High Picture Quality In All Light Levels
One of the most important aspects of a video system is the quality of the picture it produces. Home video cameras have come a long way, and they are capable of high definition videos that rival the quality of home movies. This is important when it comes to identifying an intruder. In addition to providing clear, crisp pictures during the day, you also want a camera that records at night. The camera should have night vision capability and it should adjust itself automatically as the level of light changes throughout the day.
Motion Detection And Push Notification
Your camera can record your property 24 hours a day. Save this data to a hard drive or memory card, and you'll have a historical record you can refer back to if you ever need it. It is even more beneficial if your camera has a motion detection push notification feature. With this, the camera sends a notification to your smartphone whenever it detects someone walking within view of the camera. This gives you a real time alert that there is an intruder on the property. You can scare the intruder away with an integrated audio speaker or alarm, or you can call the police with the hope of catching the criminal in the act. If you don't utilize a notification system, you may want to consider hiring a home security service to monitor your video feed for suspicious activity. You may not want to do this for the long term, but monitoring could be best if you feel your home is in danger.
Remote Viewing Through Mobile Devices
It's also nice to be able to view the video feed from your camera when you want to check in from work or while you're on vacation. This allows you to monitor your pets, check on your kids after school, and monitor your home when it's vacant. You can buy a WiFi equipped camera system that sends images to an app on your tablet or smartphone, allowing you to check in any time you want. Some systems also have two-way communication so you can converse with someone at your front door through the app. This makes it seem like someone is home even if your house is vacant.
To be the most effective, you may need to install more than one camera. You can mount cameras indoors and outdoors for the most protection. If you buy a camera with zoom, pan, and tilt capability, you can cut down on the number of cameras you need. At the very least, you want cameras at the corners of your home that monitor the entire perimeter of your house so your doors and windows are under surveillance all day and night.
