Are you concerned about the safety of your neighborhood, porch pirates stealing parcels from your doorstep, whether the shadow appearing at night outside your window is a friend or a prowler? A home security camera system is the perfect deterrent to scare away mischievous makers and keep your property safe. These smart outdoor security camera systems with connected cameras can monitor what’s happening inside and outside of your home.
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Buying outdoor security cameras – 16 frequently asked questions
Over the past few years, the security camera industry is flooded with an extensive variety of outdoor cameras at different price points with various functions. Some feature cellular backup while others reply on batteries, some have to be hardwired to the doorbell of lighting fixture while others come with a multitude of accessories for easy installments at your home.
So, how can you pick the best outdoor security camera systems of the bunch? Here’re 16 frequently asked questions to help you make a smart decision.
What kind of security cameras are best for outdoors?
If it has ever happened to you that your parcel at the doorstep was stolen, vehicles broken into your driveway, the chances are high that the intruders have long gone before you found out and you never got to know who committed the deed. It’s time to invest in an outdoor security camera to keep those annoying perpetrators off fence.
The rugged smart security cameras for outdoors are specially designed to withstand strong sunshine, rain, snow and other severe temperatures, connecting to your home WIFI network and monitoring the live footage of activities outside of your property. Once the motion is detected, an alert would be sent to your phone, and you can monitor the live recordings, talk to the intruders without opening your door.
How do outdoor security cameras work?
Most smart outdoor security cameras consist of a WIFI radio that connects to the WIFI network in your home, providing easy access from everywhere using a mobile APP. Besides WIFI cameras, there’re also wired counterparts that you need to install with power cable into an outlet in your home. Wireless outdoor security cameras are easier to install and you can just put them anywhere outdoors. In addition, there’re also Bluetooth cameras that are easy to install, however, with the restriction that your phone has to stay within 40 feet to stay connected.
What else do outdoor security cameras work with?
If you have a smart home system, make sure the outdoor security cameras can work with other smart devices like door locks, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and be integrated into your smart home automation hub.
Recently, most outdoor wireless security cameras are compatible with IFTTT (If This Then That), with which you can easily interact with other IFTTT enabled devices. For instance, when the camera detects motion and sends alerts, you can activate the siren or turn on a lamp indors with a smart plug.
Can you use indoor security cameras outdoors?
No, most indoor security cameras are not built with features and functions of outdoor cameras, for instance, the ability to withstand rain, snow and other severe weather. If you’re just placing your indoor camera out of a widow to monitor outdoors, it works well, however, not as good as outdoor cameras do.
Can you use outdoor security cameras indoors?
Yes, outdoor cameras can also work indoors though not work so well as cameras that are specially designed for indoors. If you’re looking for cameras that can work well both indoors and outdoors, dome cameras are second to none choice.
What kind of weather can outdoor security cameras withstand?
Outdoor camera usually carries a two-digit IP rating that indicates how well it can withstand weather conditions. The first digit (ranging from 0 to 6) following the IP prefix displays how resistant it works towards solid objects like wind-blown dusts, and the second number is indicative of resistance to moisture and ranges from 0 to 9.
Most outdoor security cameras come with IP66 or IP65 ratings, which means they provide complete or almost complete protection from dust ingress and can handle rain, snow, wind, and heat.
How many outdoor security cameras do you need?
Normally two outdoor cameras (one to monitor the front area of your home and the other to monitor the back area of your home) are perfect, plus a video doorbell to watch your porch. However, if you stay in a huge property, or in an area with high property crime rate, you might want to add extra cameras.
What resolution do you want?
Outdoor security cameras that are able to capture videos at 1080p are the most sought after as they offer sharp, clear pictures, don’t require big storage capacity and can be viewed on virtually any phone, tablet and PC.
Security cameras with ultra HD (4kp) are also available, however, a strong network connection is necessary for steaming without experiencing choppiness and large storage capacity is needed.
In addition, it’s suggested to choose security cameras with wide viewing angle and ensure they can record clear videos at night. IR (infrared) LEDs are used in most cameras to deliver black and white night videos, on the other hand, there’re also a few cameras that use white light to capture full-color night video. Check for cameras with night vision range of over 30 feet.
How much bandwidth do outdoor security cameras use?
Four factors come into play regarding camera bandwidth:
* Resolution of the camera: the higher the resolution, the more bandwidth you’ll use.
* Frame rate per second: the higher it is, the more bandwidth you’ll need.
* Video compression: two formats: H.264 and MJPEG.H.264 HD, the better the compression, the fewer bandwidth is required for transmitting videos.
* The number of cameras on your system: an IP security camera uses about 500 Kbps and 10 Mkbps.
Do the outdoor security cameras have two-way audio?
Not all outdoor cameras have two-way audio feature but some wired outdoor cameras do and with the two-way audio function, you can easily communicate back and forth with someone via phone APP. Security cameras with two-way audio feature usually cost more than normal ones.
How do the outdoor security cameras function in night vision?
Most outdoor security cameras feature night vision that use infrared light to illuminate dark images so you can see clearly what’s going on in the field of view.
How well do the security cameras detect motion and sound?
The motion and sound sensitivity in outdoor security cameras varies depending on the model. Most security cameras work well in detecting motion and will send alert to the app in your phone. However, the motion settings on a great majority of cameras are too sensitive, which means an alert would be sent even for rain, strong sunshine, bugs, etc. It’s suggested to choose outdoor security cameras that you can adjust the motion sensitivity so small things wouldn’t trigger an alert.
How much should you spend on wholesale outdoor security cameras?
In general the prices of outdoor security cameras are much higher than the indoor counterparts. Depending on features the prices range from $100 to $400 for retail. You’ll pay more for advanced features such as facial recognition, time-lapse recording, cellular connectivity, motion tracking, both cloud and onboard storage options, etc. If you’re looking to buy wholesale outdoor security from China, the prices are only a portion of retail prices.
Where shall you place the outdoor security cameras?
The most common spot to place outdoor security cameras is either at the front or back door. It’s also a great idea to cover other entry points like back windows.
How to protect your security cameras from being hacked?
Most outdoor security cameras support encryption, which means the data streamed is protected, however, they can also be vulnerable to hacking.
Here’re a few things you can do to keep your security cameras safe.
* Buy security cameras from trusted seller.
* Make sure the WIFI network in your home is secured.
* Create strong passwords for your devices and app.
* Update all software to the latest version.
* Turn off remote viewing when you don’t use it.
* Block the lens of the security camera when you don’t use it.
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