How To Protect Your Home With Smart Video Cameras

According to the FBI, there were an estimated 1,117,696 burglaries in 2019, and the average dollar loss per home invasion was $2,661. Although that’s a big chunk of money, oftentimes the emotional turmoil that follows a break-in is even worse than financial damage. Typically, a person’s first reaction to a home invasion is surprise and shock, but that quickly gives way to anxiety and even post-traumatic stress. It’s not uncommon for victims to experience insomnia and sleeplessness after a burglary, which can also lead to depression.

Your home should be your safe haven, and it deserves to be protected against unwanted and unwelcome visitors. Not only do your physical possessions hold value, but your mental health is also of the upmost importance. Thankfully, when it comes to defending your home and everyone who lives inside it, smart home video cameras can help. There are two major functions of smart home video cameras: 1) they can scare away wannabe criminals and 2) they capture footage of criminal activity to help cops identify and apprehend perpetrators during an investigation.

If you have a smart video camera obviously visible on your front or back porch, it’s less likely that a criminal will even consider breaking and entering your home in the first place. According to a comprehensive study of 422 incarcerated male and female burglars, approximately “83 percent said they would try to determine if an alarm was present before attempting a burglary, and 60 percent said they would seek an alternative target if there was an alarm on-site.” Additionally, half reported they would discontinue the burglary attempt if they discovered the presence of an alarm or video system. By having a smart video camera on the outside of your home – even if not installed! – you can dramatically improve the safety of your dwelling.

Unfortunately, simply having a smart video camera doesn’t always prevent crime. If somebody does unlawfully enter your home, smart video cameras can capture footage of the criminals while they’re at work. And if you have indoor cameras, they’ll also record the person’s movements within your private space. If somebody enters your home in the cover of darkness, it can be tricky to get a good look at them to report an accurate description to the cops. But with high-quality video footage, you’ll have a 100% objective picture of the criminal’s physical appearance. Since break-ins are 6% more likely to occur during the day when people are at work or running errands, a smart video camera can keep watch for you. Another benefit of video footage is that it can help expedite insurance claims if anything valuable gets stolen from your home.

Beyond recording video footage in and around your home, smart video cameras have a number of life-enhancing features that you can take advantage of. Most modern versions are wireless, which means they use the internet or another wireless network to transmit footage from the video device to a computer and/or the Cloud for long-term storage. Additionally, smart video cameras can be controlled with an app on your smartphone or tablet, so you can view all of their recordings in real-time, no matter where you are in the world.

Thanks to the central app, you can also integrate your smart video camera with other smart home devices like voice assistants, smart locks, smart speakers, and smart lights. By integrating all of your smart home devices, you can set up notifications and alerts and access a complete picture of your home’s video, comfort, convenience, and energy efficiency in one place. When looking for a smart video camera, keep an eye out for valuable features such as HD video quality, motion detection, night vision, two-way audio, and a wide lens.

As of 2019, the global smart home video camera market size was valued at USD 3.71 billion. Additionally, sales of smart home devices are increasing by over 20% per year. To put it plainly, there are a lot of smart video cameras on the market, which can make it confusing for the average homeowner to know which product is right for their unique needs. One brand that we feel reigns supreme is the Google Nest Cam Outdoor, which retails for approximately $275. Not only is the Google Nest Cam Outdoor device beautiful, but it also does exactly what it says it’ll do. Let’s explore a few reasons why we love this product so much:

a. The Google Nest Cam Outdoor comes equipped with a 130° wide-angle view that lets you see everything that’s happening at your home, 24 hours a day, 7 days

per week. You can open your app at any time of day or night – 3pm or 3am – and have instant access to the camera’s live video feed. Talk about peace of mind.

a. In addition to an HD camera, the Google Nest Cam Outdoor also has a built-in speaker and mic so you can get somebody’s attention or ask your mailman to leave an Amazon package on your back porch. If you see somebody suspicious on your property, you can alert them that you’re watching through the app.

a. The Google Nest Cam Outdoor’s camera, cable, and adapter are all weatherproof, so you don’t have to worry about how they’ll hold up in thunderstorms or sub-zero temperatures. Regardless of what weather conditions are on the forecast, you can be sure your home is always protected.

a. The camera’s night vision evenly illuminates the wide-angle view, so you can easily see what’s happening at your home after the sun goes down. Some smart video cameras can’t clearly capture images in poor lighting, but the Google Nest Cam Outdoor always provides 1080p HD image quality, day and night.

a. Obviously, you can’t watch your 24/7 live video feed at all times. That’s why the Google Nest Cam Outdoor also monitors motion and listens for conspicuous sounds, and then sends an alert or email if it detects anything suspicious. If you miss an alert, you can access photos of the scene for up to three hours for free.

For all of those reasons plus many more, we highly recommend the Google Nest Cam Outdoor to families of all shapes and sizes. However, if you have a different system that you need help with, OneStep can provide installations and education on all product options.

Although smart video cameras claim to be easy to install on your own, we know from experience that many systems do better when installed by the experts. Not only do you have to properly mount them to your siding, brick, or stucco exterior, but you should also hide any visible wires for a flawless, beautiful finish. And after the device is physically installed, you also need to download its corresponding app, connect its 24/7 live feed to your smartphone, and integrate the device with all your other smart home products so they can work better together.

With OneStep, installations are included with every smart home product purchase, plus we can also help you decide which specific system is best for your family’s needs. If you’re on the market for a smart video camera but don’t know where to begin, contact your local OneStep rep today. We currently have a number of service areas throughout the United States, including Fort Myers, Florida, Atlanta, Georgia, and Dallas, Texas – just to name a few! When it comes to your home don’t rely on a DIY job. Instead, call the OneStep experts and let us handle the hard stuff.