We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Technology

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

How do I Choose the Best Home Surveillance Camera?

By T. Webster
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 7,934
Share

Choosing the best home surveillance camera is as easy as defining the area you wish to observe and why you want to place it under surveillance. One of the first questions to consider is whether you want the camera to monitor areas inside or outside of your home — or both. The second thing to consider is whether a wired or wireless system will be best for you.

One home surveillance camera usually can be used to monitor a single area, but this depends on the size of the area. If you need to monitor multiple locations, however, you will need to buy a system that coordinates multiple cameras. After you decide on the number of cameras you need, consider whether you want the security system to be visible or hidden.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both wired or wireless security camera systems. Wired security cameras, for example, are more difficult to conceal because of the wiring. The images captured by wired security cameras tend to be clearer and more reliable, however. A wireless camera tends to be less stable, because other devices, such as cordless phones, could interfere with its signal.

Unless you are adept at electronics, you should have a professional install your wired home surveillance camera. A security monitoring service, for example, might also be able to install cameras. These companies also understand the legalities surrounding a home surveillance camera system and can make sure that your system is operating under the law.

A wireless camera is much easier to install, but its images sometimes can be seen by others if the wireless transmission is intercepted by other devices. This in itself can be a security problem if others can monitor activities at your home. A way to avoid this is to ensure that the video camera's signal is encrypted so it cannot be intercepted.

If you want your camera system to be visible, a large camera is best. If a hidden camera is the best option for your purposes, you probably can find as small as you can imagine. The purpose of a small, hidden camera can be defeated by laws, however. In some areas, signs must be posted that tell people that they are under surveillance.

You also will need to determine whether you simply want a home surveillance camera to provide a live feed or you want to record everything the camera sees. A common option for recording is to have the video fed and saved digitally to a computer system. Another option — and the cheapest — is to install a dummy camera that is not connected to anything. This often is used as a crime deterrent. Of course, if someone does break into your home or commits some other crime, it will be more difficult to prove without a video recording of the event.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
By Raynbow — On Jun 19, 2014

If you get a home surveillance camera, make sure you have help installing it. This type of equipment can be quite challenging to install, and programming it can be difficult, too.

By Rundocuri — On Jun 18, 2014

If you are in the market for a home surveillance camera, you should look around for an inexpensive model that is on sale. This is a great way to save money, because you do not have to purchase an expensive model to get the results you want.

Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/how-do-i-choose-the-best-home-surveillance-camera.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.