Historically you may have had a burglar alarm to protect your family and your valuables in your home. Today a much better solution is a smart security camera. This smart security camera guide will look at why you would buy one, what you need to understand and how to make a purchase decision.

WHY should you consider a smart security camera?

The ability to alert and watch what is happening remotely outside and inside your home means you are always aware. This can be done live or as an after-fact.

Benefits of installing a smart security camera:

• Discouraging crime– A robber does not want to be caught on camera
• Video proof – If an event does happen, video footage can be reviewed, and police can use these images if appropriate
• Check up on the family remotely – Are your pets at home safe and sound?
• Elderly safety– Watch and review the habits of an elderly family member when you cannot be there in person.
• Insurance claims – Video footage can validate an insurance claim (we believe insurance companies will start offering discounts for smart camera installations)
• Notification – Be alerted if someone enters your yard night or day
• Progress or conditions – What is the progress on a building site or the current weather

WHAT do you need to know about smart security cameras?

A smart camera uses your home Wi-Fi network to transport the video image to the internet wirelessly within your home. A wireless smart camera with a battery is cord-free, whilst a smart camera without a battery will require a power cable.

A battery wireless camera will only record pictures once motion is detected. A mains-powered smart camera can record vision continuously as it has unlimited power to record continuously.

Smart Cameras come in 4 styles:

1. Fixed view Camera – These cameras are locked off at a set view and can be battery or wired power
2. Pan & Tilt Camera – You may change what the camera looks at from your smartphone app. These can be battery or wired power
3. Doorbell camera – A combined fixed camera and doorbell which is activated once the doorbell button is pressed with a notification to your smartphone
4. Outdoor Camera and floodlight – Similar to the fixed camera but has a motion-activated floodlight and possibly a solar panel to keep it charged

i-Fi coverage needs to be good – If you mount a camera outdoors, chances are the Wi-Fi coverage will be poor. Smart cameras need good Wi-Fi coverage to work properly, and your home Wi-Fi congestion may cause issues.

Video uses a lot of bandwidth so if there is a lot of other internet traffic, video transfer may be interrupted. Most cameras will have an SD card slot where a storage card can be inserted to record your video locally. Cloud storage enables recorded footage to be stored off-site and accessed from anywhere. A fee may apply for cloud storage.

All wireless cameras will be supported by a free smartphone app. This app will enable you to receive alerts, live view and watch historical recordings. The app will also allow you to customize camera settings. Depending on the features, you can also trigger alarms, turn on a spotlight and engage in a 2-way conversation.

HOW do I use and choose a wireless security camera?

Smart camera setup

The setup of a smart camera is very much a DIY exercise:

1. Connect the camera to mains power with the USB cable supplied. For battery cameras, this will charge the battery.
2. Use the QR code to download the app for your smartphone
3. Follow the instructions on your app screen
4. Consider the right location for your camera, considering whether the camera can see what you want to record and whether the Wi-Fi signal is powerful enough
5. Customize settings on the app (such as alerts)
6. Learn how to view and playback video

Features to look for when buying a smart security camera:

• Outdoor or indoor– If the location camera is outside, it will need to be rainproof
• Battery – For battery-powered models, what is the expected run time between charges
• Resolution of the camera – The higher the resolution, the better the quality of the picture and the greater ability to zoom in digitally to see details such as faces and number plates etc. Models may have Standard Definition (SD), High definition (Full HD) or Ultra High Definition (UHD or 4K) resolution. Each resolution increase is 4 x the number of dots or pixels.
• Viewing angle – This refers to the field of vision of a camera. The larger the number represented in degrees, the wider the camera can see. This will help in tight locations. A camera with a 90-degree viewing angle would see everything 45 degrees left and right from the center.
• Low light – Also referred to as night vision, is the camera’s ability to see in the dark. Most modern cameras will support this but look for the distance from the camera it will see e.g., 10m.
• Settings to reduce false alerts – Allows customization of what triggers an alert. Alerts can also be programmed only to occur at certain times, like outside business hours.
• Other –other features based on your needs include Siren, 2-way talk or a floodlight
• App functionality– A smartphone app will allow you to receive security alerts as well as provide live views from anywhere you have internet access. The app will also notify you of low batteries, and different people can be given access to smart camera footage.
• Smart Home – Do you wish to integrate your camera with your Google or Amazon smart home? If supported, you can ask your smart assistant to show you an image of the camera on your TV or smart screen.
• Camera brand – Once you decide on a smart camera brand, you are unlikely to be able to add extra cameras from a different brand to that brand's app. Different compatible smart camera styles can be purchased and added separately.

HINTS

The Laser Smart Home app will control your Laser Cameras and other smart home devices such as pet tech, lights, outdoors and power. Having one app is a big advantage and only requires one account and password.

Use the QR code to easily find the right app.

SUMMARY – Smart Security Camera

A smart security camera allows you to monitor your home 24 hours a day. The system can act as a home alarm system, evidence of an action, or even check up on an important family member like a dog.

The available solutions are simple to install and can be located anywhere you have a Wi-Fi signal. You can receive real-time movement alerts and view cameras via a smartphone app.