What Should I Look For In A Home Security Camera System

In the same wayfolks are ditching cable for contract-free subscription services like Netflix and video streaming viewers like the Google Chromecast or Amazon Fire TV Stick, security firms like ADT are beingness forced to share the market place with an increasing number of do-it-yourself devices -- and standalone cameras stand for a significant portion of that growing subcategory.

In this article

• Former-school security cameras
• Taking matters into our ain hands
• Webcam or security camera?
• Camera features, specs and other tech
• On the horizon

While the shift toward DIY security gives consumers many more options, information technology also complicates the purchasing decision a flake. That'southward why we're here. We'll address a bunch of topics and potential questions in this buying guide so you can figure out exactly what today'south DIY dwelling house security cameras offer. We'll also take a look at the innovative tech that's probable to define the hereafter of the industry.

Old-school security cameras

Cyberspace Protocol, or IP cameras are the precursor to modern-day smart-home-style security cameras. Technically, these little numbers were the DIY competition for the ADTs and Vivints of the globe long before today'southward smart home was fifty-fifty a thing.

Here'south the problem: only like their clunky name suggests, IP cameras weren't designed with simplicity in mind. And some of these so-called DIY devices are still kicking around today, masquerading as competitors to smart domicile security cameras like Nest Cam Indoor, Amazon Cloud Cam, Ring Spotlight Cam and others.

Foscam's Plug and Play Wireless IP Photographic camera (model number FI9826P) is one case. I reviewed this IP camera in 2014, and its web interface was ridiculously convoluted. Check information technology out for yourself:

Foscam's web interface. Ugh.

Screenshots by Megan Wollerton/CNET

Sure, a relatively tech-savvy person could probably make sense of this, but today's DIY security cameras are, in most cases, driven by simple mobile apps.

That puts force per unit area on companies to create cameras that are truly uncomplicated to prepare upward, but it'south good news for consumers -- and the mass market as a whole -- since there are more buying options than ever before.

Taking matters into our own hands

Earlier getting bogged downwards by the specifics, recollect virtually what you hope to go out of a security photographic camera. Hither are some questions to consider:

• Do y'all want to wait in on a mischievous pet while you're at work or are you more interested in protecting your property 24/7?
• Volition your camera stay in 1 spot or would you lot like to be able to move information technology around with ease (including outside)?
• What most the app? Do you want to have admission to your camera on your computer besides equally on your phone?
• Is a high-resolution video feed necessary or is it OK if the camera captures a simple standard-def prune or photo of a security result?
• If you're interested in saving video footage, would you rather use cloud storage or access your video locally (via a microSD carte or a USB drive)?
• How much are you willing to spend on a security photographic camera?
• Practice you desire your camera to work with other devices?

DIY security offers you the freedom to select from a bunch of different features, prices and styles. Only, staring at a bounding main of options can exist really confusing if you haven't already sorted through what matters to you and what doesn't.

Webcam or security cam?

There'south a lot to consider as far as security camera features, specs and general tech goes. The divergence betwixt a webcam and a true security camera is one important distinction. Webcams are often lumped nether the security photographic camera category considering many of them offer some security features, but I would contend that they're pretty limited if your main business concern is security.

Take theNest Cam Outdoor and the Canary View as examples. Both let you lot view a live video feed on your phone wherever you have an internet connection, but Nest Cam won't alarm y'all every time a potential security issue takes place (such as when the built-in sensors notice motion, etc.), whereas the View gives you a ton of customizability so you can receive alerts every fourth dimension something happens, if that'south what you lot want.

This may seem like a pocket-sized stardom, but if you are going the standalone DIY security photographic camera route, those notifications are the only mode to approximate real-time monitoring (short of staring at the feed all twenty-four hour period). DIY likewise ofttimes means that, unlike ADT and other providers, at that place's no professional monitoring service behind your camera. That means, for better or worse, it will be upwards to yous to contact the police if you come across someone breaking in to your house.

If yous don't fifty-fifty have the choice to get a notification every time a security event happens, you could easily miss the in one case that a burglar snatches upwardly that pricey piece of jewelry.

That doesn't mean that in that location's no place for webcams every bit security supplements, but they're actually best reserved for checking in on a pet throughout the day to make sure your favorite sweater hasn't turned into a chew toy.

Camera features, specs and other tech

Here's an in-depth comparison of what types of security cameras are currently on the market.

• Connectivity and power source

The bulk of DIY security cameras today operate on your home Wi-Fi network. That means that you need to situate them within range of your home'due south router or wireless access point to role properly. This likewise means that an pause to your Wi-Fi signal, whether due to spotty service or an electrical outage will keep your camera from working.

The Netgear Arlo Go camera works over a cellular network (today, compatibility is express to AT&T Enterprise customers) and Canary'southward Flex has an optional Verizon 4G LTE mount. Link-Union's Link-U Hybrid SmartCam also works over a cellular network with assistance from an internal 3G/4G modem and a data SIM carte (purchased separately).

Yous tin can even catechumen the flexible Flir FX into an action camera for recording in your automobile, but information technology can only save these on the get recordings to a microSD card and doesn't have any sort of remote cellular connection capabilities.

Buy a separate mount to use Flir FX as an action cam.

James Martin/CNET

Well-nigh cameras are powered by a plug-in adapter. That doesn't mean that you can't easily move the camera to a different spot, just that yous'll always have to consider the location of an outlet when you lot're selecting the install expanse (or keep an extension cord handy).

A growing number, though, tin can operate untethered. Homeboy, Netgear Arlo, Logi Circumvolve, Netgear Arlo Pro, Flir FX, Canary Flex and even the Ring Video Doorbell 2 are all battery-powered (or at to the lowest degree offer optional battery ability). Some have replaceable batteries, while others are rechargeable, simply each i gives you greater control over where you install your camera (many devices come up with hardware so you can mount your cameras to a wall, built-in stands and so yous tin can set them on apartment surfaces and some others have magnetic bases so you can hands snap them onto fridges, filing cabinets and other metal surfaces for a quick no-fuss install).

• App

Well-nigh security cameras today are accessible on either Android or iOS devices. Many as well offer web apps so you can log in on your laptop to view the same video feed or tweak your settings. The app interface is pretty important because it's your main point of access to your camera.

App configuration varies past device, but it typically requires creating an account (username and countersign), logging in and entering your local Wi-Fi details.

Hither's a wait inside the Nest Cam app on an iPhone.

Screenshots by Megan Wollerton/CNET

Basic features, such as motion and sound alerts, night vision, two-style talk (this relies on a built-in speaker and microphone combo so you can remotely confront an intruder, startle a family fellow member or scold a misbehaving pet) and activity logs are typically establish in security camera apps.

• Video

Some cameras offering constant access to a live feed (as long as the photographic camera and your app are connected to the internet). This is called live streaming and it lets you cheque in on your domicile whenever you want.

Other cameras, similar Homeboy, focus exclusively on recording a video clip only when motion or another sensor is triggered. That means that these cameras don't make sense if you want to look in on a pet throughout the solar day -- they merely operate as security cameras.

Video quality is also a major consideration. The clearer your video quality, the more bandwidth it takes up and the more likely it is to feel lag times and other annoying glitches. Loftier-definition, or HD, video focuses on either 720 or 1080p streaming quality. Most have 1080p today, while others, similar Homeboy, stick with depression bandwidth 640x480 VGA video quality to keep the battery going longer.

If you do end upward picking an Hard disk pick and run into lag times or other bandwidth holdups, most cameras give y'all the option to adjust the quality to a lower resolution. Some cameras even auto-conform video quality based on your internet connection.

• Storage and subscriptions

Not all video storage is created equal. There's cloud storage, which sends your video footage to a remote server, and local storage, which relies on a separate accessory (typically a microSD card that has a dedicated slot on the camera) to concur any footage you'd like to salve.

Remote and local storage are really a matter of preference, merely some cameras, similar the Flir FX give y'all both options.

It'southward too common to pay an optional subscription fee (normally monthly) for cloud storage. Nest Cam charges $v a month for 5 days of continuous footage; other models, like Canary Flex, Flir FX, Piper and Homeboy give you free cloud storage options.

• Field of view

How much do you want your security camera to run into? Since it's probably guarding a single area, room or point of entry, a larger field of view is generally more than desirable. D-Link's Omna has a 180-caste lens, although Foscam'due south underwhelming IP photographic camera has manual pan and tilt functionality that dramatically increases its field of view.

• Price

Pricing varies a lot depending on the camera and its features, but most cost betwixt $120 and $200 (non including any added fees for cloud storage). the $60 Tend Secure Lynx and the $230 Guardzilla 360 are outliers on either stop of the pricing spectrum.

At $60, the Tend Secure Lynx is one of the to the lowest degree expensive cameras you tin can buy.

Chris Monroe/CNET

• Advanced features

Beyond the basic live stream, alerts, night vision and 2-way talk, there's a whole other globe of features and integration available. The Tend Secure Lynx,Netatmo Welcome, Nest Cam IQ Indoor, Nest Cam IQ Outdoor and select others offer facial recognition. Not but can these models distinguish between people and everything else, they can also tell you who they come across from a database of friends and family members you add to your account.

The Lynx photographic camera correctly distinguished among all seven of the faces I added to the app.

Screenshots by CNET

Some models besides permit you gear up activity zones, which means yous can select a specific area inside the photographic camera's field of view that you'd similar it to either ignore or pay extra attention to. That way, it tin focus on the spots that really matter, similar a doorway, and ignore that nearby countertop your true cat's always jumping on.

If you lot want to get extra serious about home security, there are a handful of models, like the Canary All-in-One and even the free Salient Centre Android app (which can plow spare Android devices into security cameras for free), that come with congenital-in sirens and arm and disarm modes for a more straightforward security setup.

In addition, an increasing number of cameras answer to voice commands. Nest's IQ Indoor works with Google Assistant; Canary's cameras work with Amazon's Alexa and Google Banana and the D-Link Omna works with Siri via Apple tree's HomeKit platform.

More recently, we're seeing integrations between cameras and the Apple TV or theAmazon Echo Show,Repeat Spot or Fire TV so yous can pull upwardly your camera's live feed on a larger screen.

There are too smart home hubs similar Wink and SmartThings, which are compatible with a variety of different protocol languages and help span the gap between two products from 2 different brands that speak two different protocol languages. Wink, for instance, works with Nest'southward cameras and SmartThings has its own IFTTT channel.

Inquire Siri to pull up the Omna camera's alive video feed.

Chris Monroe/CNET

• Design
  

Security cameras are supposed to blend in. For that reason, you'll discover a lot of cameras with simple white and blackness finishes. But, when you await closer, key details help distinguish a smartly designed camera from the rest of the pack.

About security cameras come with built-in stands, while others have solid cylindrical constructions. If you're interested in mixing up your camera angling, you'll probably want to consider one with a stand that also lets you pivot the camera, like the Nest Cam Indoor. Others, like Homeboy and Netgear'southward Arlo Pro have magnetic backings so positioning the camera angle is entirely up to you.

On the horizon

There's a lot to recall most when you're considering a DIY home security camera, just taking time to examine the characteristics that distinguish 1 model from the next volition help guide you to the right fit.

Even and so, the security manufacture is in flux, and there are a lot of upcoming innovations that are certain to leave their marking on the abode security market place. Face up recognition is one intriguing new feature nosotros've already noted, but at that place'south a lot more than on the way. We look forward to new and innovative ways to use phonation control with security cameras, every bit well equally fifty-fifty more third-party integrations linking your camera to other smart domicile devices.

32 outdoor security cameras that take home security seriously

See all photos

Even traditional security firms are making changes. ADT and LG partnered on a contract-gratis all-in-one security device. And AT&T'due south Digital Life security system, likewise equally Vivint are working with an increasing number of third-political party brands.

Regardless of the trends, commencement with what you want to become out of a home security camera. Given the apace growing market, there'due south bound to be an option out there that works.

Source: https://www.cnet.com/home/security/security-camera-buying-guide/

Posted by: valdeztherplis.blogspot.com

Share this post