Home Security Cameras: Necessity or Luxury in a Home Protection System?

January 29th, 2024

Home protection systems in , range from a simple deadbolt to an around-the-clock video surveillance system. Not every system comes with home security cameras. Different families have different needs and will make different buying decisions based on how they plan to use the system. For instance, families with small children or an elderly or teenage member may want to include video in their home protection package to make sure the environment is safe, even when they're not at home. Others may be more concerned with property protection, and won't need to buy a home protection plan that includes home security cameras. To decide what you need, determine what comes in the standard package and whether you want to add on video to make the system more robust.

Can You Get By With No Video?

To determine whether you want video or not, look over the standard equipment that can be included in a typical home protection system. It will help you determine your choices and create a budget. Here is some of the standard equipment included in a home protection system.

• Door and Window Sensors - If you're worried that someone might enter your house in , through a door or a window, you can get sensors to alert you if that happens once you set the alarm system up. The alert goes to a central monitoring station that can also be hooked up to alert the nearest police state.
• Touchscreen Panels - These are panels that allow you to set the home security system. Some come with remote control capabilities and two-way communication features. One or more panels can be installed in your home to have access to set the system from either the back door or the front door.
• Key Fobs - You can also set the system on or off using a key fob. It's the same idea as using a key fob on your car to lock the doors and set the alarm on it. It not only is a tool for convenience, but you can also use it to call the central monitoring station, even when you're not inside the home.
• Glass Break Detector - This small device will help you figure out if your window has been broken, even if you're not around to hear a burglar doing it. It can be your first line of defense and give you time to escape the house, if it is being invaded. It is an additional level of protection from the window sensor that only tells you when a window is opened, not when it is broken.
• Alarms - If you want a horn alarm installed so that it goes off when the home security system detects an intruder, you can do that. Silent alarms can also be sent to the police station as well to get help right away. For elderly, who may require help, but not police protection, life alert alarms can get needed assistance to come to their home when necessary.
• Motion Detector - You can place these outside the home near doors and windows or inside the home to alert you of activity when you are not home. Motion detectors are one way to find out if something is running around your backyard and they can be linked to flood lights as well as your home security system.

All these systems work well to detect intruders and keep your family and your valuables safe in , . However, they don't give you any visual evidence of who might be causing trouble. In addition, if it is your own family that might be in danger from their own activities, not some stranger lurking in the backyard, then, you also want to include home security cameras in your package.

Different Types of Cameras Available

For situations that demand video, you will have several choices. Modern technology allows you to buy a system that hooks a camera up to the Internet for real-time viewing. If you don't have the time for that, you can even record video for later viewing. Here are a few choices:

• Fixed Video Cameras - This camera is put in a fixed location with a fixed view. If someone is not in that frame of view, the camera won't capture it. If you know what area needs video, it can be a less expensive way of capturing video.
• Pan and Tilt Video Cameras - These allow you the option of tilting and panning the area that is being photographed. They can be used with a remote control, in case you want to view something outside the fixed frame when you are not home. They are more expensive to buy.
• Hidden Home Security Cameras - If you want to hide the indoor or outdoor home security camera from view in , then that is also a possibility. Some people prefer to announce the fact that they have a home security system (as a deterrent) and others prefer to hide that fact. Hidden cameras will be more difficult and expensive to install than those mounted visibly.