Which home CCTV System is right for you?
Home security is increasingly a tech priority. With so many deliveries, packages and services now coming to your door, keeping your home secure and safe is now a major tech trend. With CCTV packages becoming part of this new wave of gadgets, what system is right for you?
There are many trusted online shops like John Lewis, Ebay and Amazon offering ‘off the shelf’ products like the Nest Cam IQ or Netgear Arlo Pro - we want to demystify the buying process of finding the right CCTV System for your needs here.
When is buying an off the shelf product the way to go?
Really, only when you want a very simple camera that records close up during daylight. For example, if you want to monitor people coming to your door and link it to your doorbell and mobile phone while you are out - so you can manage where your delivery driver leaves your Amazon package. OR, when you want to monitor what the dog is up too from your desk at work!
We’ve listed some basic Pros and Cons for using off the shelf CCTV systems which would typically set you back between £150 to £300 pounds for a basic home system excluding installation:
Pros:
- Most off the shelf packages are reasonably priced and the technical description very appealing.
- They can be easy to install and will act as a deterrent in some instances.
- If you just want the camera to record daylight footage close-up e.g. at your door, then these could work for you.
Cons:
- The simplicity of many of these systems means the intruder can simply unplug a cable rendering the camera useless.
- Technically, the manufacturer claims they will record clearly in the dark and at a reasonable meterage away e.g. 20 metres. We replace lots of these systems where the customer has been disappointed with the quality of the recording.
- You will still need to pay somebody to install your external cameras.
- You may be breaking the law if your installer doesn’t follow specific guidelines from the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and your camera(s) end up filming part of a pavement or road. Or, as we have seen in some of our takeover CCTV cases, into a neighbours house or garden - totally illegal!
What are the benefits of using an experienced CCTV Security System Installer?
Using an experienced company to install your CCTV Security System will ensure your system is designed specifically for your requirements and budget. It will include the most up to date equipment and technology and NOT break the Data Protection Act.
Outdoor Home CCTV Cameras
The jury is still out on the actual effectiveness of CCTV in public spaces, but it seems to have the biggest deterrent effect in pre-planned crime, so a visible camera may stop your house being specifically targeted. Research* has also showed that it helps police identify and catch offenders, so it could help catch whoever is behind a series of crimes, such as vandalism or anti-social behaviour.
Night Vision
Night vision is important for external cameras if you want footage to stand as evidence in the court room so opt for cameras that have infra-red as standard. After-dark email notifications can also be set up to snap a photo and send it to you if motion is detected at night especially useful if your house is in a remote area with minimal neighbours and you work away and leave your family at home.
Indoor Home CCTV Cameras
Indoor CCTV is often purchased to keep an eye on teenage children or the animals while you are at work. These can be hidden in smoke detectors or can be linked to your home SMART technology.
Monitoring Vulnerable Relatives
In some cases, role of the CCTV Camera in the home is much more important. Our customers are asking us to help them monitor their vulnerable relatives to allow them to be safe in their home. With real-time monitoring including panic alarm pendant solutions you can provide peace of mind for both you and your loved ones!
Benefits of a Wireless CCTV System
For properties with complicated or sophisticated existing infrastructure wireless CCTV cameras provide the obvious solution but there are other clear benefits:
- ‘Wireless’ literally removes the issue of a criminal having the ability to cutting the wire.
- A wireless camera is more flexible as they can be placed wherever you need coverage e.g. the garage or side of the property and most can be positioned up to 20 metres away if you want coverage for a larger property and grounds.
- They save data directly to the cloud which is safely accessible and backed up making it almost impossible to destroy.
Storage
Some cameras will offer the ability to store your footage in the cloud. This is more convenient, makes data loss less likely, but will often come with a monthly service charge. Other models will offer the ability to store on a local drive such as a USB thumb drive or microSD card. This will likely be the cheaper option, but if the data storage unit is damaged, stolen or lost, your data will be lost too.
With a Communicate UK CCTV home system, the cameras will record 24 hours a day and store, on average, 30 days of footage before the system will slowly start to overwrite the previous footage. With an option to increase the memory and back up onto USB sticks.
Remote Access
Most systems offer remote access to your mobile phone so you can see your home when you are away anywhere in the world. It is also possible to receive email and text notifications when motion sensors are activated including a screen shot of the camera activated at that point in time.
Maintenance
By using a service provider rather than buying an off the shelf product, not only do you have the peace of mind of 24 months parts and labour guarantee you can also secure a maintenance contract to suit your budget. Our engineers are then on hand 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to help if you system stops working – invaluable if you are away on holiday.
How Communicate UK can help!
To recap, this is why choosing Communicate UK to achieve peace of mind for your home and family is the best solution.
Communicate UK have a team of friendly installation engineers available to meet demand across Essex so if you are jetting off and still haven't sorted out who is looking after your property while you are enjoying a sangria then give us a call 01245 400044 and ask for Pat or Glen. Or send us an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Why choose us?
- 25+ Years Alarm & CCTV Installation knowledge and experience
- NSI Gold Accredited Approved Intruder Alarm Installer
- Family-run business based in the heart of Essex
- 24 hour telephone support service
- Over 2000 happy Intruder Alarm and CCTV customers in South East of England
Why choose a Communicate UK CCTV System?
- All our CCTV Systems are designed and manufactured in the UK
- Our friendly engineers are highly trained and DBS checked
- Every camera we install is password protected
- All our IP Cameras are High Definition
- Our CCTV Footage will stand as evidence if required in a court room
- Our cameras are set up within the Data Protection Act requirements
- FREE CCTV signage required to be displayed by law are provided for every install
I have been using Communicate UK for over 25 years for our Intruder Alarm and CCTV System for my property and other members of my family properties across Essex. We have moved several times over the years and the support we have received from the team at Communicate has been fantastic. Their engineers are experienced, flexible and friendly and the systems they have designed have incorporated the latest technology to ensure my family, my property and valuables are always safely monitored even when we are out of the country".
