You’ve decided that it’s time for you to get your house decked out with security features, including a camera that has all of the latest technology. But, do you know what to look? Here are some of the features that you should look for if you want the best of the best in your smart home security camera.
Waterproof
This seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t think to double check that their exterior cameras are waterproof. It’s easy to get so distracted by a device’s features that you forgot go check off the basics. Remember to check for durable waterproofing for all of your exterior cameras.
Size
One thing that is really easy to overlook is the size of your cameras. If you are going to install cameras inside your home, you don’t want them to be so big that they are intrusive. If these are exterior cameras, you may want them to be a little bigger, so that you can get more scope. No matter your need, make sure you do some measuring at your house before you go shopping for your security cameras.
Video Quality
Check to see the video recording quality of security cameras. The best will be to get at least 1080p HD. You also want to consider how direct sunlight and your indoor lighting and shadowing might affect the video quality. Check to see if the camera you are looking at has a solution for those situations. Don’t forget to consider whether you want your camera to capture just one specific area, or if you want to get a more encompassing view. Look for a lens that covers more space, but watch out for warping.
Night Vision
Night vision can be useful for both indoor and outdoor security cameras. If you’re looking to make your house as secure as it can be, you definitely want to make sure that your camera has a night vision mode. Check to see how many feet your night vision covers, so you can be sure to place your cameras in the right spots.
Motion Detection and Zoning
Motion detection can be a useful feature to have if you want to get alerts about activity on your property. If your camera supports zoning, you can set your zoning to only alert and start recording you when certain areas are triggered by motion.
Viewing Features
What good is all this surveillance if you aren’t able to view the recording? Make sure that the available viewing features fit with how you want to be able to access your security footage. Can you remotely access your stored footage while you are on the go? Can you tap into the live stream view? Can you review with a hyperlapse view?
Storage
Storage is also an important thing to review. Check to see if your camera has local storage only, uses a microSD card, and/or backs up video to a Cloud. If there is Cloud storage, you want to check to see how long you can save video there. The videos might be set to auto-delete in 30 days; check to see if you can save them for shorter or longer periods of time.
What do you look for in your home security cameras?
