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Three tips when buying a surveillance camera
How do you want to store recorded video? There are basically three ways to go here.
Cloud. Most cameras today support, or require, a subscription to a cloud service to store video. Good for simplicity, but also involves an extra cost per month or year.
Memory card. A card in your camera goes a long way for most people. An inexpensive solution, but perhaps not easy to handle in all situations.
NVR. More professional-oriented solutions have a networked hard drive on which the material is stored. Alternatively, you can achieve the same effect by storing on a NAS or a computer. Significantly more messing about, but much greater freedom.
Right now, you might just want an indoor camera to keep an eye on things. But if you like the idea of surveillance, it can be frustrating when you find the camera you bought doesn't work with others.
Consider all scenarios where you might want a camera. Examples include a video doorbell, outdoor cameras, cameras with built-in lighting or sirens, battery-powered cameras or motorised cameras. Make sure you know what your want beforehand to make things easier in the future.
If you’re running smart home devices, it may be a good idea to check whether the cameras you intend to buy will work with the system you have.
If you run the Apple Homekit, some cameras can store videos in your iCloud account.
If you’re running Google, some cameras work with Chromecast.
Depending on the system and camera, you can use the camera’s motion sensor for your smart lights or include the camera’s light in your automation setup. It’s definitely worth considering beforehand. As is the case with many things, there are rules and regulations around surveillance cameras. Read more about it here so you can be sure to have considered everything.