Top Tips For Selecting the Perfect Home Security Cameras
Maintaining safety at home is easier when you have the right security system available. There are many options available these days for home security cameras and safety systems, making it difficult for you to find the best one for your needs. As each claims to offer something better than the last, you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed with the choices available to you.
At Lincs Alarms, we help homeowners across the region protect their families, properties and valued possessions with our home security systems. We offer a range of home security camera systems and alarms that can deter burglars, alert to signs of intrusion and maintain the high standards of safety you require at home.
In this guide, we are offering our top tips on how to choose the right home security camera system and what you need to consider to ensure the greatest levels of protection at home.
Understanding Home Security Camera Systems
A well-protected home ensures peace of mind at all hours of the day and is therefore incredibly important to develop.
Home security camera systems can be a great tool to ensure your safety by monitoring your home at all times, deterring burglars and giving you greater control of the daily events taking place around your property.
The first thing you need to do when finding the right home security camera system is to understand its purpose and the types available that can fulfil this.
What are Home Security Camera Systems?
Home security cameras are security systems that will monitor and record all the activities within and around your house. Much like CCTV for businesses and commercial premises, home security camera systems can offer a range of benefits for your safety like deterring intruders, providing evidence in the case of security breaches, and offering constant peace of mind.
By providing continuous remote monitoring of your home, security camera systems can offer peace of mind as they ensure that nothing untoward is happening around the property, whether you are present or not.
Types of Home Security Cameras
There are two main types of home security camera systems available based on your requirements for security as well as the accessibility of your property.
Wired Cameras
These home security cameras are connected to a recording device via cables or wires. This means they have a complex installation process which requires a professional to complete and may be expensive. This kind of home security camera is not suitable fo all properties due to the installation process required.
However, as they are wired, these kinds of home security cameras can provide reliable video quality as they are less susceptible to interference.
Wireless Cameras
For these types of home security cameras, video signals are transmitted wirelessly using WiFi. As they are wireless, the installation process is easier and the system can be installed almost anywhere.
Relying on WiFi for video signals can offer both benefits and disadvantages, based on your location and the reliability of the connection, but the flexibility of wireless camera systems makes them a highly popular choice for homeowners.
How To Choose The Best Home Security Camera System
Now you have a greater understanding of your options and what home security cameras can do for you, it is time to consider your unique position.
At Lincs Alarms, we understand that every home is different and your requirements for home security are going to vary according to this. We offer a wide range of home security solutions, including camera systems, as well as expert installation and maintenance to offer the highest standards of protection to what matters the most.
To help you choose the right security camera system for your home, there are some key areas to consider:
Purpose and Coverage Area
One of the first things you need to do when considering getting a home security camera system is ask yourself why you need it. The purpose of your home security system will be a key factor in choosing the best one and you should identify the key areas of your home that you want to cover before making your decision.
Do you want to monitor the exterior or interior of your home to avoid intrusions, theft, or other issues? Many people consider a combination of both when it comes to home security cameras and therefore need a system that can cover all bases.
Resolution and Image Quality
Once you have decided why you want security cameras and where they need to be installed to achieve this, it is time to consider the image quality.
Security cameras are designed to record videos of your premises and are often triggered by movement. The presence of security cameras is a great deterrent for burglars and other criminals, but this does not mean it will scare everyone off and in the unfortunate instance that something happens at your home, you need evidence to back you up.
It is important that your home security cameras can provide the necessary evidence in these cases and the image quality of videos recorded will play a large part in this. As the main controller of the cameras, you also want to ensure you have a clear image of what is happening at your home – especially when you are not present.
High-resolution cameras are your best option, as they allow you to identify faces and objects when monitoring remotely. For most homes, cameras that offer at least 1080p resolution will be sufficient but there are models that can offer 4K resolution for an even sharper image if you require this.
Night Vision
To monitor your home 24/7, you will need effective night vision as this will help you get a clear image through the video feed no matter what the lighting is like.
Security cameras with infrared (IR) LEDs allow you to capture clear images in low-light conditions, such as during the night. This is something you need to consider before choosing a home security camera system, as it can hinder your safety.
Most cameras offer night vision as standard, but you should consider whether the security system you choose has a good night vision range to offer the constant monitoring you need.
Field of View
The field of view determines how much area the camera can cover and therefore needs to be considered when choosing a home security camera system. The field of view will determine how much of your property is being monitored at any given time and whether you have coverage of entrances or particularly valued possessions.
When choosing home security cameras, make sure to consider those with a wide field of view. Cameras with a wide field of view can cover large areas, so you will need fewer cameras to protect your property. Similarly, consider cameras with wide-angle lenses, those of around 90 degrees or more offer the best coverage and can provide the peace of mind you desire without additional installation.
Motion Detection
It is common for home security cameras to have a motion detection ability, which means any movement around your property will trigger the recording. This can be a great way to avoid or deter any unusual activity, as you will always be made aware of this kind of camera.
Motion detection isn’t always suitable, as some people prefer a constant recording or live in busy areas where there is always motion, but it is ideal for most places. You can find home security cameras that allow for sensitivity control regarding motion detection, so it will only be triggered for unusual activity or entrances to your premises, as well as the zones where this feature is used.
This control can reduce false alarms and give you a better oversight of your home at all times.
Storage Options
Security cameras need somewhere to store the footage they record and there are two main options for home security systems:
- Local Storage: Footage is stored on a local device such as an SD card, DVR, or NVR. This option provides direct access to recordings but may have limited storage capacity compared to other options.
- Cloud Storage: Footage is stored remotely on cloud servers, offering scalable storage and remote access. When saving footage remotely like this, you need to ensure the cloud service has strong security measures to protect your data.
Both options offer their own advantages and disadvantages, based on your requirements and how much footage you need to keep.
Connectivity and Integration
A lot of homeowners want to connect their security cameras with other security systems they already have to provide a cohesive system that they can rely on. This can only be done if your new camera is compatible with the current system you are using at home.
Most modern cameras can integrate with other security systems and even smart home devices, like Google Home, Apple HomeKit, or Amazon Alexa speakers.
Before choosing a home security camera, you need to check that it will integrate with your existing home network and is compatible with other devices to provide a complete connected system for your protection.
Power Source
As we have mentioned, there are two main types of home security cameras – wired or wireless. This is how the camera will be powered and therefore needs to be considered before you can make your decision.
Wired cameras are not suitable for all homes, but can provide a constant power supply by being connected to the mains. Wireless cameras on the other hand are very flexible but do need regular charging to ensure they keep recording as needed.
The power source also influences the kind of installation and maintenance required of your home security system.
Budget and Affordability
The features available with each camera is going to influence the price of the system. When working to increase your home security, you need to consider the cost of not only the camera and alarm systems themselves but also the installation.
Maintenance fees also need to be considered as your cameras will need to be regularly tested to ensure standards are being met and they offer constant protection to your home. The work required in this will vary based on the kind of home security system you choose.
How Lincs Alarms Can Help Protect Your Home
At Lincs Alarms, we understand the importance of securing your home with the right camera system and have a range of solutions available for our clients. If you do not know what is going to be the right solution for your home, we can help.
Our team of experts is dedicated to helping you find the best solution tailored to your specific needs and provides expert installation and maintenance services to ensure your lasting protection at home.
We offer a wide range of state-of-the-art security cameras and systems, ensuring superior protection and peace of mind no matter your requirements.
Contact Us
Are you ready to enhance your home security? Contact us today to schedule a consultation with our professionals or to learn more about our security solutions.
