An Intro to Whole Home Video Surveillance Systems
What Is a Whole Home Video Surveillance System?
Whole home video surveillance is an approach to home monitoring that prioritizes constant and comprehensive coverage. It requires bespoke design, guided by your lifestyle, home, and preferences. Key features of a true whole home video surveillance system, like those developed by IC Realtime, include:
Continuous Recording – Most or all of the cameras are rolling 24/7, as opposed to requiring a noise or motion event to activate them.
Comprehensive Coverage – While it isn’t necessary to have camera coverage of every square inch of space, these systems comprehensively cover every entry point as well as key exterior and interior spaces.
Centralized Control and Accessibility – The ideal for these systems is easy access and camera control from anywhere, ideally in a central place that handles all your home automation systems.
From the technology it utilizes to the pros and cons of various design decisions, we’re exploring it all right here. Read on to discover what a whole home video surveillance system truly entails.
Is There a Difference Between Security Cameras and Surveillance Cameras?
First, a clarification. One that many folks aren’t even aware that they need. Let’s establish the basic differences between security cameras and surveillance cameras.
These days, a security camera is a commonly used term for the older technology of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras. The footage produced by these cameras is typical of lower quality, not available in real-time, and saved on a physical storage device like an SD card. They may be wired or wireless, and due in part to data storage limitations, they’re commonly set to only activate for specific motion or sound thresholds.
On the other hand, a modern surveillance camera is also known as an internet protocol (IP) camera. These types of cameras can send real-time feeds to a central monitoring point, such as a phone application. They typically provide continuous recording, regardless of what activity is taking place in front of them. Their data may be stored in physical hardware located on-site, or in the cloud.
This article specifically focuses on surveillance cameras, which provide higher-quality images and advanced features. Many surveillance cameras allow some degree of panning or zooming for example, which can be controlled from the monitoring point. Some also come with smart technology that allows for automatic detection of things like people, animals, and vehicles.
Why Should I Consider A Home Video Surveillance System?
Regardless of your specific concerns and priorities, your main motivation to get a home video surveillance system probably falls into one of three categories. These are:
Deterring Malicious Activity – If you want to make your house look like a less-than-desirable target, then video surveillance is a solid strategy. The prominent placement of surveillance cameras is a well-established method for deterring mischief.
Keeping a Clear Record – Home video surveillance systems are a powerful tool for keeping a clear, complete record of what takes place in and around your home. Since the cameras are recording 24/7, critical events and suspicious activity is always documented from multiple angles. This can help with perpetrator identification, incident documentation, and more.
Keeping an Eye on Things - Finally, most of us get peace of mind from being able to check our home from anywhere, at any time. Perhaps you’re renting the place out. Maybe you’re on vacation when a big storm rolls through. Or perhaps you just want to be able to keep an eye out for deliveries while you’re at work. Regardless, it’s hard to beat the reassurance that home video surveillance provides.
Design and Planning Considerations for Your Home Video Surveillance System
For your home video surveillance system to pay off as an investment, you need to be intentional about its design and installation. Of course, working with an expert consultant like Architechne is the best way to guarantee a high-quality system. However, even before you bring an expert in, there are some aspects of the design that are worth considering on your own.
Continuous Video Recording and Video Storage (Cloud vs On-Site)
How your live feed is hosted and the recordings are stored impacts how you (and others) can access them. On-site hosting and storage is typically harder for an outsider to gain access to. However, it also makes it much harder to monitor and review footage from off-site. What’s more, the hardware for on-site recording and storage needs regular maintenance.
On the other hand, hosting and storing video on the cloud can leave you more vulnerable to malicious attacks. Defending against this requires additional security measures like multi-factor authentication. The big benefit, though, is easy access from anywhere, at any time, from any device.
Wired vs. Wireless Security Cameras
Wired security cameras use cables to connect to their power source and/or network. One of their top advantages is never having to worry about recharging them. If they are also wired directly to your network, it can help ensure a stable, continuous feed. However, if the power goes out, then these cameras immediately become useless. Their dependence on a power source can also limit where they can be placed.
Conversely, completely wireless security cameras need to be regularly taken down, recharged, and re-installed. This downtime can leave gaps in surveillance coverage. However, their biggest benefit is their flexibility in placement. The fact that they can be installed basically anywhere means you never need to compromise on sight lines or coverage.
Interior and Exterior Video Surveillance Coverage
Perhaps the biggest consideration in home surveillance system design is how to balance your coverage. Your lifestyle, neighborhood, and chief security concerns can all play a part in determining how you want to position your cameras, and how many you want to use.
Interior-heavy coverage is useful if you’re mostly concerned about mischief and damage that could take place inside. For example, short-term rental homes will often focus surveillance on the interior to document potential property damage and term violations.
Balanced coverage works well for most homeowners, as it provides good views of entry points, the main paths of movement inside, and wide shots of each side of the home.
Exterior-heavy coverage makes sense if your biggest worries are things like vandalism, trespassers, and outdoor safety. In this configuration, resources can be focused on features like driveways, entrance gates, and pools, while still providing general views of the main home entry points.
Why You Should Hire a Professional Video Surveillance System Installation Company
The truth is, a single surveillance camera usually isn’t hard to set up and monitor by yourself. But the complexity skyrockets as you add more lenses into the equation. For true whole-home video surveillance, the bare minimum number of cameras required for a small house is four to eight. For large homes, you may need 20 or more. That many feeds make for a very intricate system to design and implement, and lots of advantages to engaging a professional team like Architechne.
Professional Installation
First, a professional installer can look at your home from a critical lens, catching blind spots you hadn’t considered. They can then use their expertise to build comprehensive coverage with the most efficient use of resources. If any infrastructure changes are needed, like rewiring, a professional can also take care of that with ease.
Technical Expertise and Support
The second big advantage of using a professional video surveillance system installation company is their technical expertise. They know the current technology options inside and out and can make informed recommendations about which models and features deliver the best ROI. What’s more, if any questions ever arise once the installation is finished, a quality professional installer like Architechne will always be ready to answer and assist with troubleshooting. That’s a whole lot nicer than scraping through forums and how-to videos on your own.
Our Top Pick: The Best Home Surveillance System in 2024
Watch our video below where the experts highlight our top pick for the best home surveillance system in 2024.
Get Whole Home Video Surveillance from Architechne
Architechne is the undisputed leader in home automation design, with incomparable experience in making life-changing home technology work seamlessly for you. When we build your home surveillance system, we combine comprehensive coverage with effortless control. Your preferences, your lifestyle, and your home dictate every aspect of the design and installation. By the end, you’ll have total control of your home, built right into the palm of your hand.
Curious how whole home video surveillance could work in your home? Get in touch with us today to find out.