Security camera?

[TominNJ]

I'm looking for a security camera with these features:

Remote checking via internet
Sends notifications when it detects activity
Not on all the time- I want to be able to turn it on when I leave and off when I return
Remote recording without paying monthly fees
Records only when it detects something
It needs to work - this is apparently a big issue

I want the peace of mind of being able to check in and see that everything is okay. I want it to record thieves so the cops can hopefully get my property back.

I have a drop cam that does most of those things but the monthly fees are objectionable.

What are you folks using?

[srick]

Tom -

I've been very happy with the Piper NV. It needs power to work (but has a limited battery backup) and internet (which would also need backup power for a router, etc.)

There are several reasons that I purchased several of these to monitor my office.

1) I didn't want the hassle of giving out codes to office staff, trusted staff of the office next door, and cleaning people; then hoping that they could operate the keypad and enter the code before the alarm went off. More than a minimal level of false alarms will generate a fine from the town.
2) The police in our town have told countless stories of how most alarm systems do and don't work. An alarm goes off -> a signal is sent to a regional call-in center -> police are notified -> if a patrol car is nearby, they will get there in two or three minutes. Even in the best of circumstances, turn-around time would be 4-6 minutes. By that time, many thieves are on their way out the door.
3) I can evaluate what is going on in real time, so when I see that the cleaning person has come in at an odd time, I know it is her.
4) The Piper can be set to monitor other things like loud sounds, temperature changes. It also has add-on sensors for water or windows or doors.
5) It only records 30 seconds at a time. That is good and bad.

Bottom line here Tom, it is unlikely that you will ever prevent a break-in. That takes a dog or an impenetrable set of locks (there are ways to circumvent impenetrable locks too!!!).
In setting up a system, you need to either think like a thief or consult with your local police to evaluate what is the most likely mode of entry, what is most at risk of theft and how much damage would you expect a thief to do. The police have plenty of background info and hopefully your local department is as helpful as ours is. Also, think about how many years you have gone without a break-in/theft - they are rare occurrences - they do occur and you should never be cavalier, but simple measures can usually make your home/office less of a target and a little more inconvenient to rob.

best,

Rick

PS - get rid of the grey plastic martin cases that shout "steal me"!

[Jim_G]

We're using Blink (blinkforhome.com) to supplement our other security system simplisafe. Very happy with it and meets everything on your list. The free offline storage has limits and the motion detected recording are limited to 60 seconds max. Neither of these are problem for us. They recently announced an outdoor camera is coming and we'll be adding a couple of those too.

[fazool]

If you have some old smart phones laying around, you can use a product/app/service called Alfred which is fantastic.

I configured three old cell phones and had access to watch our home while in the Bahamas. It triggers on motion and records and notifies you.

Simply awesome solution.

[RedJoker]

Any IP camera should be able to do this. I had one in my unconditioned garage that survived about 5 years. The indoor one is still going strong.

[imwjl]

Keep in mind how many of these IoT devices are not patched and secure where the device you own can be used to attack others, and often be hacked to spy on you too.

[Gmountain]

Make sure the system is wireless and not dependent on your power, telephone, or internet service, which are often cut off by criminals.

[seannx]

Originally Posted by Jim_G

We're using Blink (blinkforhome.com) to supplement our other security system simplisafe. Very happy with it and meets everything on your list. The free offline storage has limits and the motion detected recording are limited to 60 seconds max. Neither of these are problem for us. They recently announced an outdoor camera is coming and we'll be adding a couple of those too.

We've been using a three camera Blink system at our business. Very easy set up, full control via the Blink app for IOS or Android, wireless, and battery powered. Along with the outdoor camera, a complete security package is coming with keypad entry, cellular connection, entry and water sensors, siren, and optional 24/7 professional monitoring. The video quality is excellent, and the motion activated clips can be easily saved.

[spock]

Jim G,

I was looking into Simplisafe and they offer a video camera as well - how is the Blink different?

[Jim_G]

Hi Spock.

I've had Simplisafe for 2 years now. When I first started using them, they didn't offer a camera. It was something they had been talking about for years and failing to deliver. Finally late last summer they came up with something, but I didn't need it any longer.

Blink came along with a real product before SS did. Interesting story with blink too, they came to life via crowd sourcing. Their packages were quite reasonable, especially the free cloud storage. They've continued making improvements, starting with longer clips. Originally you were limited to 15 seconds a pop, that's been upped to a full minute now. Automatic scheduling was added later. And now the outdoor camera is coming along.

As it turns out, since Simplisafe is based in Boston and I was active on their forums for a while, they pinged me to be an early beta tester of their camera and they came out to my house in part to watch me attempt to set it up. They took a quick gander at the blink while they were there, to check out the competition.

As far as the quality goes, they were about the same. Blink uses a very bright LED for night vision, SS infrared. Both were okay but I preferred the quality of the blink slightly. Blink uses batteries and they are long lasting. There is a base station that has to plug into electrical and all the cameras talk to that, which talks to the ISP wifi.

SS cameras plug directly into outlets, no batteries. And they intergrate directly into the existing system.

The iPhone app was similar for both. Adding extra cameras to blink was easy and inexpensive. I never learned how SS was going to package their cameras. Last I heard the number that you could add was limited, but I'd check with them before making a decision if it matters. One thing that's clear is that SS really stinks at communicating and explaining their products. Their cameras were going to be part of the larger monitoring system, and it seemed clear you'd be paying monthly as a result. Their tech support seems pretty responsive, but I base that mostly on what I've read on the forums, I've only needed them once in 2 years.

I had door entry and glass break sensors from SS and a monitoring plan. I had some motion sensors too, but our cats kept setting them off. Often at inopportune times when neither myself or my wife were near our phones, which meant the local PD were called. We were on the verge of getting charged for false alarms.

So I put all the SS motion sensors away and have been using blink for that. I don't have a monitoring center keeping on an eye on that, but that's fine. I figure if we're getting motion, but none of the entry or glass breaks have gone off then it's 99% sure that a cat set it off. And the captured videos have so far always confirmed that.

As for the concerns someone raised about losing power, etc. I've seen that on the SS forums and can only scoff. If you're protecting the Crown Jewels then maybe you need a 24 x 7 armed guard patrolling your estate. I haven't seen a good quality video system that relies entirely on a cell signal. If one exists then where are storing your captured clips? If it's on one of those old cell phone systems, wouldn't you be worried about a burgular just scooping up the phones on the way out? You can drive yourself crazy worrying about the what-ifs. I do like the idea of having two separate systems keeping an eye on things, even if some of the failure points, mainly loss of wifi, are the same.

[Jim_G]

sorry, duplicate post

[DesertTwang]

Living in one of the most burglarized cities in the country (Tucson), I have been considering a home monitoring system also, especially after a recent series of breakins, one involving the house of a musician friend of mine.

But he told me something interesting: He said he asked the police about such systems, and the response was, "don't even bother. Those guys will be in your home no longer than 5 minutes, and there's no way for us to respond in time."

The impression I got is that if I were to have footage of burglars cleaning out my house and take that to the police and ask them to track them down, they would just laugh at me.

I'm still waiting to find a solution that might offer some protection.

[srick]

Another issue that our police have raised is that most cameras are mounted at ceiling level - If there is an image, it's usually of the perp's ski mask or hoodie. The police love it when the camera is at eye level, but those are the exception.

A lot of ID work now is being done by DNA (hopefully they're careless and not wearing gloves)

Rick

[amyFB]

I've kicked this around a bunch of times and never install anything.

mostly for the reason that video cams won't prevent a theft, just maybe deter a thief.
but also because i live in a rural area served by the state police who can be as far away as a 45 minutes drive. so, that thief is long gone by the time they get to my house.

i do things like - have motion activated lighting all around the house, so if you do break in at night, you've a chance of being seen by a driveby.

i intentionally allow the patio and porch to look a little sloppy, not distressed or shabby but just not to appear as if the interior is filled with lovely objects of high value.

windows have shades and curtains so you cannot look in.

important docs are in a safe deposit box.
my guitars are insured with clarion.

i decided that's good for me and i'm not going to lose any more sleep over it.

good luck to everyone!

[LSemmens]

Insurance is still the best protection you can get. If you get an alarm system, you'd probably be better covered with one recommended by your insurance company. Thieves generally don't care about your memories, they are only after a quick buck. All you are doing is gambling with the insurance company.
They are saying, "You won't claim", and you are betting that you will. At least, if you are insured, you can replace the goods.