Current security camera options for a home?
August 5, 2021 9:51 AM Subscribe
We are thinking about putting up a couple of cameras around the house for low level exterior security, but aren't really excited about having to pay a subscription and have everything be uploaded. From mr. brilliantine's initial research, it looks like we can go with the Apple option, which would require upping our icloud storage, or a entry-level commercial option that would allow us to keep the data here. Mr. b is computer savvy and comfortable with servers, but the ones we saw have a pretty high startup cost. Any ideas from the hive mind?
I trust wirecutter:
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-wireless-outdoor-home-security-camera/
I'd get the cheapest probably. I know there's amazon cameras that you can do your own hosting and stuff. It's honestly a lot of work to figure out. Without subscriptions, most cameras will show a limited amount of activity, like nest cam lets you review live, and that day, without a subscription. That's good enough for me.
Realistically, a deterrent is what you want. Put up ADT signs and motion sensing lights. But also - think about your area. How likely is someone really to come in contact with your house? How visible are the entrances to other buildings? How much crime is in your area? If all of those answers are "not very likely" then get a doorbell camera and call it a day.
Also, unrelated, but I just have to mention it - installing the amazon key garage service was incredibly cheap ($25?) and easy and now our garage door is cloud connected! If I knew it was so cheap I'd have done it years ago!
posted by bbqturtle at 10:15 AM on August 5, 2021
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-wireless-outdoor-home-security-camera/
I'd get the cheapest probably. I know there's amazon cameras that you can do your own hosting and stuff. It's honestly a lot of work to figure out. Without subscriptions, most cameras will show a limited amount of activity, like nest cam lets you review live, and that day, without a subscription. That's good enough for me.
Realistically, a deterrent is what you want. Put up ADT signs and motion sensing lights. But also - think about your area. How likely is someone really to come in contact with your house? How visible are the entrances to other buildings? How much crime is in your area? If all of those answers are "not very likely" then get a doorbell camera and call it a day.
Also, unrelated, but I just have to mention it - installing the amazon key garage service was incredibly cheap ($25?) and easy and now our garage door is cloud connected! If I knew it was so cheap I'd have done it years ago!
posted by bbqturtle at 10:15 AM on August 5, 2021
I have Wyze as well. The one I bought was an outdoor “pet” camera but as far as I can tell it’s the same as their “non-pet” cameras, chewy.com just had the best price so that’s what I got.
It records and uploads 12 seconds of video when it detects motion and keeps that for 2 weeks I believe, for free. You can pay a subscription to record longer than that (and possibly to store more than 2 weeks worth). If you don’t want to pay, but want more than 12 seconds, you can have it recorded to a local SD card. Obviously that’s less “secure” in the sense that someone could steal the card from the camera, but it works for my purposes. It will automatically start recording over the beginning once it’s full. I let that happen and only check it if there is a 12-second clip that I want to see more of. So that’s my way to get longer than 12 seconds without a subscription.
I do find it’s pretty slow to try to watch live video. It works sometimes, but sometimes won’t connect. That could be my internet too, although my internet is generally pretty good.
But, good cheap easy option. I think I did read that you can set them up on your own server if you want to go that route, but I might be wrong about that.
posted by sillysally at 10:17 AM on August 5, 2021 [2 favorites]
It records and uploads 12 seconds of video when it detects motion and keeps that for 2 weeks I believe, for free. You can pay a subscription to record longer than that (and possibly to store more than 2 weeks worth). If you don’t want to pay, but want more than 12 seconds, you can have it recorded to a local SD card. Obviously that’s less “secure” in the sense that someone could steal the card from the camera, but it works for my purposes. It will automatically start recording over the beginning once it’s full. I let that happen and only check it if there is a 12-second clip that I want to see more of. So that’s my way to get longer than 12 seconds without a subscription.
I do find it’s pretty slow to try to watch live video. It works sometimes, but sometimes won’t connect. That could be my internet too, although my internet is generally pretty good.
But, good cheap easy option. I think I did read that you can set them up on your own server if you want to go that route, but I might be wrong about that.
posted by sillysally at 10:17 AM on August 5, 2021 [2 favorites]
I have both Wyze and Eufy cameras (but indoor). They both primarily store video on internal microSD cards. They use Wifi for movement notifications, reviewing stored video clips, and live streaming.
They work well enough. I'm not sure what spending more gets me, other than theoretical 24/7 recording which sounds like a headache to maintain for limited benefit.
posted by meowzilla at 10:23 AM on August 5, 2021 [1 favorite]
They work well enough. I'm not sure what spending more gets me, other than theoretical 24/7 recording which sounds like a headache to maintain for limited benefit.
posted by meowzilla at 10:23 AM on August 5, 2021 [1 favorite]
I can provide a "don't buy" warning for D-Link. stuff, which I bought so I would own my video and not have to pay a subscription. The support lifetime is too short, the network recorder I have is stuck at a buggy software version, while a newer revision of the same hardware got updates, and it's generally been a mistake purchase.
When some cops came to see if I could provide footage from a street-aimed camera and I couldn't (due to flaky software) they said the best stuff they encounter is Arlo and they don't recommend anything else.
posted by fedward at 10:51 AM on August 5, 2021
When some cops came to see if I could provide footage from a street-aimed camera and I couldn't (due to flaky software) they said the best stuff they encounter is Arlo and they don't recommend anything else.
posted by fedward at 10:51 AM on August 5, 2021
I have some Wansview cameras that are fine. Adequate picture quality, and you can run it through any app you want to monitor and store footage. I have a little linux server running and use the free "Motion" software that automatically saves images/video based on whatever settings you like (including motion detection).
In general, you want to look for a camera that lets you access either an RTSP or ONVIF stream.
posted by nixxon at 10:58 AM on August 5, 2021
In general, you want to look for a camera that lets you access either an RTSP or ONVIF stream.
posted by nixxon at 10:58 AM on August 5, 2021
FWIW Arlo used to be a brand of Netgear, now it's its own thing but controlling majority of its stock is still held by Netgear.
I have Arlo and Wyze. Arlo outside cameras and Wyze everything else (home security, smart lights, indoor cameras). I bought the Arlo because of a neighborhood security emergency and I needed something I could go buy in a store and install before nightfall. If I had it all to do again today I would go Wyze 100%.
Like so many things, it's almost always easy, cheap, good: pick two, you can't have all three. That said, Wyze comes really darn close to hitting all 3.
Background: i am occasionally a commercial security camera installer but I didn't want to run cable in the rental house i live in
posted by glonous keming at 11:08 AM on August 5, 2021 [2 favorites]
I have Arlo and Wyze. Arlo outside cameras and Wyze everything else (home security, smart lights, indoor cameras). I bought the Arlo because of a neighborhood security emergency and I needed something I could go buy in a store and install before nightfall. If I had it all to do again today I would go Wyze 100%.
Like so many things, it's almost always easy, cheap, good: pick two, you can't have all three. That said, Wyze comes really darn close to hitting all 3.
Background: i am occasionally a commercial security camera installer but I didn't want to run cable in the rental house i live in
posted by glonous keming at 11:08 AM on August 5, 2021 [2 favorites]
Oh my god, I said "Netgear" when I meant "D-Link." That is a significant material error. Those warnings apply to D-Link.
posted by fedward at 11:40 AM on August 5, 2021
posted by fedward at 11:40 AM on August 5, 2021
I actually have a QNAP home server.. not sure what ends up being a high start-up cost (I have a 253b, but newer models are out) - I think you can get a basic start-up around $500. Plus you get the home storage, plex server, music, etc etc etc.
That solves your storage side of the problem, and gives some decent remote functionality for whatever cameras you want to add (QNAP comes with I think a 10 camera license for free).
posted by rich at 11:53 AM on August 5, 2021
That solves your storage side of the problem, and gives some decent remote functionality for whatever cameras you want to add (QNAP comes with I think a 10 camera license for free).
posted by rich at 11:53 AM on August 5, 2021
If you're looking to store your own data locally anyways, there may be some value in considering non-crap-grade cameras. Basically everything sold to consumers at a retail store is aimed at being low cost and to drive you towards some vendor's cloud NVR, generating them extra revenue in perpetuity, and to get you on their platform, making it harder to switch.
In the last few years, some significant advances have been made in camera tech. Just yesterday we got a Hikvision Colorvu DS-2CD2347G1 in the shop for part of a camera refresh. I had been a bit skeptical of actual performance, but we darkened the shop as best we could, leaving mostly a bunch of equipment LED lights that made it not-black but definitely very dark, and let the camera go at it. It was amazing what the camera had no problems seeing.
Because I'm the owner of the business, and a cheapskate, I hesitate to pick up devices for evaluation unless I'm pretty certain there's something there. I had watched a dozen YouTube clips on Colorvu prior to picking up one to play with, and this one seems to be closest to being spot on.
We have been doing IP cameras since the earliest offerings, and still have a few Axis Neteye 200's floating around. These ColorVu's are amazing, and blew my socks off to the point where I am going to be upgrading outside cams to the latest 8MP version of the ColorVu's...
posted by jgreco at 6:17 AM on August 6, 2021 [1 favorite]
In the last few years, some significant advances have been made in camera tech. Just yesterday we got a Hikvision Colorvu DS-2CD2347G1 in the shop for part of a camera refresh. I had been a bit skeptical of actual performance, but we darkened the shop as best we could, leaving mostly a bunch of equipment LED lights that made it not-black but definitely very dark, and let the camera go at it. It was amazing what the camera had no problems seeing.
Because I'm the owner of the business, and a cheapskate, I hesitate to pick up devices for evaluation unless I'm pretty certain there's something there. I had watched a dozen YouTube clips on Colorvu prior to picking up one to play with, and this one seems to be closest to being spot on.
We have been doing IP cameras since the earliest offerings, and still have a few Axis Neteye 200's floating around. These ColorVu's are amazing, and blew my socks off to the point where I am going to be upgrading outside cams to the latest 8MP version of the ColorVu's...
posted by jgreco at 6:17 AM on August 6, 2021 [1 favorite]
I looked into these options a year ago, and unsatisfied with the options, decided to use the Synology NAS I purchased to house a Plex Server, Apple Time Machine backups, and a master copy of all the family’s photos and videos from many years back.
Yes the Synology plus the disks are pricey but are very reliable, easy to setup, and have two licenses for their surveillance software. I use a pair of Reolink cameras with a Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) connection (only one wire provides the signal plus the voltage to the camera). Works great, no subscription fees.
posted by scooterdog at 6:29 AM on August 6, 2021
Yes the Synology plus the disks are pricey but are very reliable, easy to setup, and have two licenses for their surveillance software. I use a pair of Reolink cameras with a Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) connection (only one wire provides the signal plus the voltage to the camera). Works great, no subscription fees.
posted by scooterdog at 6:29 AM on August 6, 2021
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posted by AugustWest at 10:11 AM on August 5, 2021 [1 favorite]