Security cameras
The latest smart security cameras include sophisticated audio and video technologies
Safeguard your home with these smart cams.
the la test security cameras are neat, Discreet and very smart in deed…
There’s no doubt that we see more information about security cameras here at Home Life than any other type of smart-home product. Browsing the website of one electronics store recently revealed no less than 68 different cameras, with the majority falling into the $100-$200 price range. Having such a wide range of products can make it difficult to choose, but whichever brand or manufacturer you go with, there are a number of key features and technologies it’s worth thinking about when you buy your first security camera.
Top of the list for any camera, of course, is image quality. We’ve all seen news reports on TV with video footage that is so blurry you end up wondering why they bothered spending any money on a CCTV system in the first place.
Most manufacturers provide affordable, entry-level security cameras with 720p resolution (1280x720 pixels) for around $100, and we’d certainly recommend that quality as the minimum requirement for a decent security camera. Ideally, though, it’s worth stepping up to a model that provides full 1080p HD video (1920x1080 pixels). Netgear’s Arlo Q is one of the most affordable 1080p cameras, at around $160, although most cameras designed for indoor use seem to go for around $200. These will provide much better image quality if you ever need to use your video footage as evidence in the unfortunate event of a crime. A good camera in this price range should also provide
a “night-vision” mode for low-light conditions.
The first generation of smart security cameras was pretty straightforward, relying on simple motion-detection software to keep an eye on things while you were away from home. If the camera detected any movement while you were out, it would automatically start to record video footage and send an alert to your iPhone. However, the latest cameras are starting to use sophisticated artificial intelligence techniques that provide even more advanced features.
Netatmo’s Welcome camera ($199) was one of the first to use face-recognition technology to tell the difference between a burglar and your kids coming home from school, and its new Presence camera goes even further. It’s more expensive, at $300, but that’s because it’s weatherproof for outdoor use and also includes a powerful floodlight. The Presence is designed to monitor activity outside your home or office; Netatmo has developed new software that claims to tell the difference between people, pets and passing cars. The Arlo Pro from Netgear – another weatherproof outdoor camera system, starting at $250 – even claims to recognize trees swaying in the breeze, so that it doesn’t keep sending you false alarms on a windy day.
Logitech’s indoor Circle camera ($150) is getting a “people recognition” feature, so that it only reacts to human intruders, rather than pets wandering by. And we’re looking forward to seeing the new Home Plus from Withings ($199), and an unnamed camera from D-Link, which will be the first security cameras to support Apple’s HomeKit. That will allow you to control the cameras with Siri voice commands, and to use the Home app in iOS 10 to link the cameras to other devices – such as lights and thermostats – that also use HomeKit.
Sound and vision
Artificial intelligence is advancing in other areas too. Most security cameras include a mic so that they can record both sound and video, but Swann’s SoundView camera ($110 – but see our discussion of subscription fees later) can actually listen out for specific types of sound, such as breaking glass, that might warn you of a possible crime.
However, the most advanced sound technology we’ve seen so far comes from a camera called Cocoon ($219). Originally launched on the Indiegogo crowdfunding site, the Cocoon uses an innovative “Subsound” technology that can pick up faint sounds and vibrations from all around your home – not just in the one room where the camera is located. It can detect sounds such as creaking floorboards, and claims to be smart enough to tell the difference between your kids charging up and down the stairs and a burglar tiptoeing in at night.
There are some other weird and wonderful variations on the security camera theme, too. Sengled’s Snap ($105) sneakily hides a 1080p camera inside a power-efficient LED bulb, so that you can monitor areas such as hallways or stairs without revealing the presence of the camera. We also like the Canary camera ($150), which combines a 1080p camera with a honkingly loud siren, and even has an air monitor that can check humidity and air-quality levels in your home.
While security cameras are often the first smart-home device that many of us buy, a lot of cameras are also designed to be used in conjunction with other security devices, such as motion sensors and contact sensors that can be attached to doors and windows around your home. Get started with one of the cameras that we cover here, and in a few issues we’ll come back and explore some of the other security devices that can provide extra protection for your home.
the la test security cameras now use sophisticated artificial intelligence to provide more advanced features