DIY Home Security Cameras
DIY Security Systems Are the New Fad
- How many cameras can the system support, and can it support cameras from other manufacturers? – You’ll hear systems called 2-channel, 4-channel, 16-channel, etc., which determines how many cameras the system can support. It’s best to purchase a system that can support a few more cameras than you think you’ll need – in case you want to add any down the road. Also, ask if a security system is proprietary or not. If it is proprietary, you may not be able to use cameras from other manufacturer’s on the system.
- What is the image quality of the camera that comes with the system? – If the image quality of the camera is weak, the authorities won’t be able to use your video to identify suspects or read license plates. For high definition quality video, you need a 1080p camera, a camera resolution that provides 1920 x 1070-pixel resolution, or 2.1 megapixels.
- Can the camera be used at night? – If you need your camera to record video at night, you’ll need to ensure your camera has night vision and that the area around the camera is properly lit, or that your camera has a wide aperture to allow details to be seen in low light.
- What is the field of view of the camera? – Depending on how wide the area you need to monitor, you will need a camera with a larger field of view.
- Does the camera have local storage? – You must have a place to store the video that your camera(s) is recording. It’s called your Network Video Recorder (NVR). If your camera doesn’t have one built-in, then you will have to pay for cloud services to store your video (that’s a gotcha some companies use to rope you into monthly fees). The amount of hard drive storage available in your NVR will determine how many videos you can record and for how many days you can keep them.
- Do I have the necessary Internet bandwidth to support the cameras I want on my security system? – See our blog on What upload speed do I need for security cameras?
- How is the security camera powered? – Just because it is a wireless camera, it doesn’t mean there are no wires involved. Wireless refers to how the camera transfers data, not how it is powered. It will need to have a power source, either battery (which needs to be changed) or an electrical outlet.
- Does the camera come with 2-way audio (if you want to talk to someone at the front door)?
- Do you even want a wireless camera (it might not be the best option since Wi-fi isn’t always reliable and can be hacked)?
- Do you want redundant storage of your security videos (copies of your security videos)?
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