The Elements of Security

Things To Consider When Adding Video Monitoring To Your Home Security

3 March 2020

Ava Robertson

Video monitoring is an excellent addition to almost any home security system, and with the right cameras, you can see who is outside your home day or night. There are some things you need to consider when you make the leap to video monitoring, but if you take the time to set it up correctly, your home can become your fortress. 

Quality Versus Quantity

When you are looking at video cameras for your home security system, you should look for the best cameras you can afford on your budget. A few high-quality cameras that produce better video quality are a better option than a lot of low-quality cameras that leave you with graining, hard to see video. 

The whole point of adding video monitoring to your home is to be able to identify someone outside that does not belong there. If the cameras pick up a person, but the quality of the image is so bad that you can't tell who it is, then the time you spent putting the cameras in is wasted. 

Coverage Area

Take a look carefully at your property to identify potential problem areas. If you have dark corners or parts of the yard you can not see from the windows, make sure a camera can see that area. A wide-angle lens on a camera mounted on the outside of the house can offer more coverage than a standard lens, so if you are limiting the number of cameras, with wide-angle lenses, you may be able to see just as much as you would with more cameras. 

Consider mounting the camera away from the house on a pole or in a tree looking back at the home if you need to get a specific area of coverage. It may require running a little more wire, but a potential intruder will not likely look for cameras out away from the home.

Extra Features 

You do not need color cameras if your budget does not allow it, but a color image gives you more information to give to the police if there is an incident. The color of a car, the clothing the person was wearing, or hair color are all clues the police can use to find the intruder you recorded on your video monitoring system. 

Night vision or IR (infrared) cameras are also important, and again, if your budget is tight, get fewer of them, but put the night vision cameras where the property is darkest. Even one IR camera in the right spot can help, and if you can only afford one or two IR cameras, you may want to put them on motorized mounts to sweep a larger area.

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