What are the best home security cameras to use for outdoor surveillance? January 11th, 2016

Over the last few years, there have been remarkable upgrades made to home surveillance cameras, which is good news considering that most home invasions originate through the front door, back door or garage. Simple security methods at these access points can do a lot to deter potential burglars, prevent home invasions and keep your family safe.

But it’s not just home invasions homeowners need to take be wary of anymore. According to a report released last month, more than 23 million Americans have had packages stolen from their front porch and outside of their homes. And, often, the only way to catch these “porch pirates” is to have them captured on video through home surveillance cameras.

Good news, though. Homeowners can now equip their homes with video monitoring and surveillance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, that is accessible to them from anywhere in the world. And while most high-tech security systems used to come with a high price tag, home surveillance and top-of-the-line home security equipment is now surprisingly affordable.

To start, you just need to know what features you need, what features you want and find the product best suited for you (and your budget).

HARD-WIRED CAMERAS

One of the first questions you’ll need to ask yourself is, “do you want a wired or wireless camera?” Both work well, and both have individual pros and cons.

Hard-wired cameras are exactly what they sound like – they’re hard-wired to digital video recorder. Wireless, on the other hand, are connected via a wireless signal and work off battery power or plug in to an outlet. Hard-wired systems are, generally, a little more expensive to install, but they tend to provide a better quality video and don’t interfere with the other wireless devices in your home. About the size of a baseball, hard-wired cameras are small, but capable. Wireless cameras, on the other hand, are easier to install and less expensive to purchase and replace, but are more susceptible to signal interference.

Whichever equipment type you choose, hard-wired or wireless, you should expect to receive what has become the minimum standard feature list for today’s home security cameras: day/night capabilities including Night Vision, and vandal resistant and weather resistant casing. Reputable home security installation providers will also consult with you prior to any install to find the optimal placement of each camera for better video capture and surveillance.

DIGITAL VIDEO RECORDERS (DVRS)

The digital video recorders of your home security system are what enable you to stream, view and record activity captured by your home surveillance camera. Fortress offers 4, 8, 16, or 32 channel DVRs, meaning we can setup and monitor activity from 4, 8, 16 or 32 cameras at different areas in and around your house. Whether you want to monitor just a few areas in and around your home, or if you want to view and capture everything on your property, we have the solution.

Remote Access

All of our DVRs are compatible with Apple’s iPhones and iPads, Android devices, BlackBerry and all PCs. Through your Smartphone or your home or business computer you can access, save and record your security data and enjoy features that include email event notification, full-control remote access, up to 14 days of record space, USB port for easy transfer of data, and Smart recording and Software analytics.

IP CAMERAS

If, on the other hand, you don’t need all the bells and whistles of surveillance, an IP camera, or Internet Protocol camera, is the most cost effective solution if you’re primarily interested in real-time streaming and remote accessibility only.

IP cameras are connected directly to the Internet and have a built-in CPU and web-based solutions to allow transmission of images and monitoring. Fortress’ IP camera solutions can also record 10-second video clips sent to your email.

Whether you’re new to the home security camera marketplace or are looking to upgrade your existing home surveillance system, one of our experienced Fortress Security representatives is ready to walk you through your options and find an affordable solution.

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Posted in: Home Security Systems » by: admin