Tips & Reviews

IP Cameras

Connected surveillance devices offer a great degree of protection and control over what matters most at home, by delivering instant access to video feeds with smartphone apps. IP cameras transmit their video feed over WiFi to either connect with a NVR (Network Video Recorder) for storage to large hard drives, or viewing on other devices. IP cameras are a great solution for surveillance when users don't want to run lengths of wiring, as many of the cameras are wireless. Smart surveillance solutions often combine functions like doorbells, smart lighting or other features for a well-rounded solution.

Analog Cameras

Traditional analog surveillance systems often consist of several cameras, which must connect to a local drive to record footage. This requires cables to be run throughout the house, which is more complicated than IP camera installation but also can provide whole-home coverage. Many analog camera systems are designed for outdoor use and have IR night vision to capture activity in the dark.

Storage Solutions

Most full-scale surveillance systems require a dedicated hard drive in order to store the captured data. The size of the hard drive system required depends on the video quality (higher quality means larger files), how many cameras are recording and how long the footage is kept before being overwritten. NVR (Network Video Recording) is popular for IP cameras to record to local storage systems, while still retaining viewing from mobile devices. DVR (Digital Video Recording) is what traditional analog surveillance systems require and keeps everything on closed-circuit TV, while XVR or HVR (Hybrid Video Recording) systems can suit either type of surveillance camera.