Quick Tips on Choosing the Perfect Surveillance System for Your House

Home security is becoming more important these days, not only because of the growing number of crimes happening in different neighbourhoods but also because of the fact that we now store more valuables at home. The gadgets we own, personal belongings with a lot of memories attached to them, and other valuable items are worth protecting.

The increasing demand for better home security naturally leads to more security solutions to choose from. Aside from alarms and sensors, CCTV surveillance systems are also gaining traction and popularity among homeowners. Before you have a system installed, however, here are some quick tips on how you can choose the perfect surveillance system for your house.

Understand the Challenges

Going for a CCTV system right away is certainly not something you want to do. There are a lot of options when it comes to video surveillance systems. You may end up with a solution that exceeds your needs, which means you are paying more for the features you don’t use. Even worse, you can end up with a system that doesn’t suit your property and your needs at all.

Before starting your search for a CCTV surveillance system for your home or apartment, take the time to fully understand your specific needs. How big is your property? How many areas do you need to cover in order to fully secure the property? Does your home have thick walls or a lot of steel? Will you be monitoring the feed in real-time?

The more you explore your specific needs, the easier it will be to find a solution that meets those needs perfectly. When you have a lot of areas to cover and not a lot of obstructions, going with wireless CCTV will help simplify the CCTV installation process and allow you to save a lot of time and money.

Check for Essential Features

Whether you are going for wired or wireless CCTV system, always make sure you get the features that can really help you protect your property better. Of course, wireless CCTV cameras are easier to install for experienced CCTV installers, as explained on network-data-cabling.co.uk. Good installation is a must because you want the cameras to connect with the base station or monitoring console properly, even when running through a wireless network. Choppy feeds and bad connections are simply unacceptable.

You also want to make sure that the image quality coming into the monitoring console is good enough. In the event of a break-in, you want to be able to identify the culprit. You can take it a step further and get CCTV cameras with good low-light capabilities for maximum protection.

What about feed monitoring and recording? There are plenty of options when it comes to the monitoring console you use. A live feed can be streamed to multiple monitors or a single one. The main hub – the heart of the CCTV system – can also record feeds from multiple cameras for later viewing. Just make sure you have enough hard drive space for the video files.

Added Features You Need

Just like other security systems, CCTV surveillance systems are more advanced than ever. Some manufacturers even use Artificial Intelligence in their systems, while others offer instant on and quick setup. Some added features you can now find are more than just marketing gimmicks.

Motion detection is a good example of an advanced feature that is very useful. Instead of scrubbing through hours of empty footage, you can now jump to select dates and times when movements are detected in the monitored room. Some systems even support auto-archiving and they notify you, the homeowner, whenever motion is detected.

Another handy feature to have is remote access. Instead of waiting until you return home to review the video files, many CCTV systems now come with remote access. Connect the main hub to the internet and you can monitor your house no matter where you are and at any time. You can use a standard browser or a native app designed for the system you choose.

Don’t Forget Integration

If you already have other security measures in place – or if you want to add them to your house – then integration is an important factor to think about. You can avoid having to manage multiple security systems manually when all systems you use are integrated properly.

The motion detection system mentioned earlier can be integrated with the house’s smart locks or basic security systems. The same can be said for the CCTV system in general. Most systems can now be configured to record or monitor rooms only when the locks and main security system are disengaged.

You can add new elements like access control management, a smarter hub with capabilities like facial recognition, and even bigger, better hard drives for storing video files as you use the CCTV surveillance system. For now, however, you only need to focus on finding a system that really meets your security needs.