What to Look for in Security Cameras
Today’s security cameras are affordable to homeowners with all kinds of budgets. Anyone looking to protect their home, property, and family should consider buying home surveillance equipment.
Choosing the right video surveillance security system is simply a matter of considering your individual requirements and preferences. Options range from single cameras to multi-room cameras and whole-house cameras.
One video security system differs from the next based on certain key features. Here’s what you should look for in security video cameras:
Indoor vs. Outdoor
Indoor cameras can help you keep an eye on babysitters, housesitters, construction workers, and anyone else that might be in your home while you are away. Outdoor cameras, built to withstand different weather conditions, can be either discreet or very large and obvious to intimidate potential intruders.
Both indoor and outdoor cameras can be used to monitor just one area or multiple spots inside your home or on your property.
Wireless vs. Wired
Wireless cameras depend on a reliable wireless network to stream video. You can connect to the footage from anywhere using a URL for your system and this is a great option for viewing images being captured from multiple cameras around your home. Wireless cameras are discreet because they can be installed almost anywhere and only require one wire per camera to power the battery.
While wired cameras are less discrete and require multiple wires, they create clear pictures and provide a reliable service at all times. They are an excellent choice at a new construction because the wires can be built into walls.
Field of view
The field of view of a camera refers to how wide of a viewing angle it will record. Some cameras record only what’s directly in front of a lens, while others cover a much larger space. Some cameras have a pan-tilt-zoom feature that can record a 360-degree view.
Resolution
A higher resolution means a better image quality; however, most home owners don’t need very high resolution to meet their security needs.
Colour vs. Black & White
For home surveillance equipment, having coloured images is a nice feature to have but isn’t crucial. It is however important to have an excellent black and white video camera, particularly one that shoots clear images at night, using either an intensifier or infrared technology. A security camera with night vision is especially important for outdoor systems.
Live Surveillance vs. Recording
If you want a live video of your home, you’ll need to work with a good security company who will monitor the video feed for you. If you want to have recordings, which give you the advantage of viewing an exact moment later on, you will need to purchase a system with a digital video recorder (DVR).
Now you know what key features to consider in a security system, depending on what you want your security cameras to do for you!