Live streaming
Open the app and look. Handy when a delivery is due, a teenager is meant to be home or the dog has gone quiet. Check how many cameras you can view at once and whether live view counts against a data allowance.
Video monitoring
See what is happening at home, from anywhere
Cameras tied into a security system let you see who is pulling into the driveway, get a short clip when the front door opens, or simply check on the cat. The value is in how well they are linked to everything else.
Four ways cameras earn their keep
What video monitoring covers
Recorded video
Rather than record all day, most systems save short clips when something happens: motion in a zone, a door sensor opening, the alarm tripping. That keeps storage manageable and makes the important moments easy to find.
Video alerts
A clip or still arrives on your phone as the event happens. Set these carefully. An alert for every passing car soon gets ignored, which defeats the point.
Photo verification
Some motion detectors carry a small still camera. When the alarm trips, a few images go to the monitoring center, which can confirm a real intrusion to the police and treat it with more urgency than an unverified alarm.
Where the footage lives matters
A recorder in a closet is the first thing a thief takes. Off-site storage, in the provider's cloud, means the evidence survives even if the hardware does not. Ask how long clips are kept, whether storage is included in the monthly fee, and whether you can download footage for the police or an insurer.
Privacy is the other half of the question. Find out who can view your cameras, whether the provider's staff ever do, and how access is logged. Indoor cameras in particular deserve a schedule: off when the family is home, on when the alarm is armed. Most systems can switch them automatically using the rules described under automation.
Placement
Where cameras are worth putting
Start with the ways into the house. Most break-ins come through a front, back or garage door, so those are the views that matter. Wide shots of the yard look impressive and identify nobody.
Mount outdoor cameras high enough to be out of easy reach but low enough to see faces. Light the areas they cover; a camera watching darkness records darkness. And tell your neighbors, since a camera pointed at their windows is a quick way to fall out.
Good first positions
- The front door, at face height
- The driveway and garage door
- The back or side door
- Inside, covering the main hallway
- Where packages are left
Questions
Video questions
Do cameras replace an alarm?
No. A camera records a break-in; a monitored alarm gets someone to respond to it. They work best together, which is why most providers sell them as an add-on to monitoring.
Will cameras slow my internet down?
Clip-based recording uses little bandwidth. Continuous recording from several cameras can be noticeable. Ask how much upload the system needs before you buy.
Is there a monthly cost?
Usually, for cloud storage. Get it in writing as part of the total monthly figure, and check the contract guide for what else to confirm.
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