Home Surveillance Camera

If you want to make sure your possessions and the occupants of your home are safe, a video surveillance system is one of the best solutions. A home surveillance camera lets you keep an eye on what's happening in or around your home (for example in the garden) depending on which type you choose. It adds to your peace of mind and is a powerful tool for defending yourself against growing security concerns. Once the preserve of luxury properties and business premises, surveillance cameras are now widely available and have been installed by more and more people keen to protect their safety.

Why install a surveillance camera in your home?

Figures released by the French Ministry of the Interior show that the risk of burglary isn't something to be taken lightly: more than 250,000 burglaries are recorded every year in France, or one every 90 seconds. This means it's essential to protect your home against intrusion.

A video surveillance system is one of the most effective options available to ensure your possessions are safe. Just installing a surveillance camera in plain sight acts as a deterrent and can discourage burglars, who will turn their attention to a home with less protection.

A video surveillance camera also lets you see what's going on at home or in your garden. It can record footage continuously or be fitted with a presence detector so that it only records when someone enters the home. The most advanced cameras even have facial recognition so that they recognise people who are usually in the home.

Connected cameras also alert you as soon as the surveillance camera detects a presence in your home, regardless of where you are, by sending a notification to your smartphone. This allows you to react quickly, go to the location or call the police. By planning ahead, you can prevent a burglary before it even takes place or ensure those responsible are arrested.

Lastly, the footage taken by a video surveillance camera can be used later on to identify burglars or how they operate, and to understand the failings in your home security system. Footage can also provide evidence to your insurer that a burglary actually took place, which can be useful if there was no break-in. Discover all our products

The different types of surveillance cameras

There are various types of video surveillance cameras available for monitoring your home. To ensure you get the best protection you need to understand the benefits of the products on offer. Then it's up to you to identify the best solution depending on how much protection you want, how the premises are configured and your lifestyle habits.

• Indoor or outdoor surveillance camera?

You might decide to install a security camera inside your home, as well as outside in the garden. This allows you to detect the presence of intruders even before they enter your home, as well as to secure the immediate surroundings of your home. It's well-known that garages, outbuildings and garden sheds are easy targets for burglars. By installing a video surveillance camera outside you can monitor the surroundings of your property and be alerted (by a notification on your smartphone or if your camera is paired with an alarm system) as soon as suspicious movement is detected in your garden.

• Analogue video surveillance camera or IP camera?

The world of security cameras is divided into standard analogue models that are connected by a coaxial cable to a recording device and a monitor to watch the footage, and IP models. IP cameras are faster to install, as they don't need any cables. The images are sent to a protected network via radio waves or a Wi-Fi internet connection. This means that the footage can be viewed remotely without a problem.

• Wired or wireless security camera?

There are several possible configurations for installing a home surveillance camera. A wired security camera requires more work to conceal the cable, while a wireless camera only needs to be powered by an electrical outlet or a battery. The different models each have their advantages: a wired camera gives stable images, while a wireless camera is easy to install.

• Traditional or connected camera?

Connected cameras, which became available a few years ago, brought significant improvements to the surveillance camera market. They allow you to very easily watch the footage taken in real time on your laptop or smartphone remotely over the internet, wherever you are. You can see the inside of your home or the surroundings of your garden as if you were really there, and if there's an intrusion you'll be notified immediately. You'll then be able to react, call the police and give them very detailed information thanks to the footage: the number of burglars, how they entered, etc. You can also re-watch the videos whenever you like using the app or, depending on the manufacturer, on a dedicated website with secure access.

How to choose a surveillance camera

The surveillance camera market is booming, with security cameras and other accessories available at all levels of quality and price. Below are a few pointers to help you choose and find the right video surveillance system for you.

Image quality is crucial when it comes to determining how good a surveillance camera is. Choose a device with a good-quality sensor that has high resolution. A 720p or 1080p camera records clear footage that you can zoom in on without losing too much quality. It's best to buy a surveillance camera that has a wide viewing angle and if possible an integrated zoom so that you can target a specific area when watching in real time. Although these factors affect the price, they ensure the footage will be high-quality.

Night vision is also very important, as most burglaries take place under cover of darkness. Choose a night vision surveillance camera that has infrared LED lights. Invisible to the naked eye, these light up a room and ensure that the footage is clear. Some cameras also include a feature that lights up a room, making it easier to record quality footage. What's more, remotely switching on the light via your smartphone can scare off burglars!

Some video surveillance cameras are motorised: this can be useful when monitoring a wider area if your camera's viewing angle isn't enough to cover the entire area being monitored. There are even video surveillance cameras that revolve 360°.

If you install your surveillance camera outside, choose a waterproof model that can withstand bad weather. To find out how resistant a camera is, look at its protection rating. 65 or 67 is ideal for protecting the camera from dust and water.

The look is also important, not only because you'll be seeing the device every day but also because you'll need to decide how discreet you want it to be. A camera that's visible will act as a deterrent, while a discreet camera will be more difficult to locate and has less chance of being vandalised or disabled by intruders. There are also security cameras that have a vandal-resistant dome to prevent intruders tampering with the device.

Some surveillance cameras take footage continuously, while others are triggered when a presence is detected. This allows you to avoid filming hours of footage unnecessarily and only archive footage in which motion was detected. Some cameras can even differentiate people from cars and animals. This is particularly useful outside to avoid unnecessarily triggering a camera when a cat or bird moves past it.

If your surveillance camera is connected to a monitor, make sure you choose the right screen size. It needs to allow you to make out details in the footage and provide good resolution.

Lastly, your surveillance camera can be paired with other accessories such as an intercom or alarm, which increases the level of protection your installation provides and therefore improves your security.