Whether you wish to secure a home or a business, installing a surveillance system represents one of the most effective security measures you can take. Having cameras on your property allows you to view recorded footage of crimes or suspicious activity to help solve any security issues you experience. Additionally, network-connected surveillance systems also allow you to check in on cameras’ live views at any times using a phone or computer. Finally, we also offer some unique monitoring options to make your surveillance work harder for you than ever. In this post, we show you some valuable surveillance monitoring options to level up your camera-based security.
First, we’ll go over the term “surveillance monitoring” as a relevant foundation for the rest of the material presented here. Then, we’ll go over some monitoring methods related to traditional, hardwired surveillance systems. We often use a central station to help us monitor the cameras we install for maximum security. After reviewing this method, we’ll review how you can set up your recorder to monitor activity for you in real time. From there, we’ll shift our focus to surveillance monitoring options revolving around smart cameras. These cameras provide a streamlined installation experience and more budget-friendly security overall. In this section, we’ll look at motion-based activity alerts, along with unique alerts created by video doorbells. Now, let’s dive in and explain what we mean when we refer to your “surveillance monitoring options!”
Whenever possible, we prefer installing traditional hardwired cameras to provide maximum security and reliability.
Surveillance Monitoring Services Versus Regular Surveillance
When we refer to “surveillance monitoring” services, we have a very specific security service in mind. When most customers view their surveillance cameras, they do so using either an onsite monitor or an offsite computer, smartphone, or tablet. While viewing their cameras, users can search through recorded footage for events of interest. However, surveillance monitoring refers to a process in which your camera equipment creates communication with you to alert you to activity. Sometimes, the equipment itself creates these alerts. In other instances, our central station creates this communication with you. Either way, surveillance monitoring services involve alerting users to camera activity, eliminating the need to search through footage hours or days after the fact. With this knowledge under our belts, let’s begin by exploring our options for monitoring hardwired surveillance systems.
Monitoring Your “Traditional” Cameras
When we discuss “traditional” camera systems, we’re referring to cameras that require running wiring from a dedicated video recorder to each and every camera location. In the not-so-distant past, just about every camera system required this type of installation. These days, hardwired surveillance represents just one of a couple popular options for installing cameras. However, we prefer installing hardwired camera systems when our customers’ property and budget allow for it. These systems provide a couple major security advantages.
For starters, traditional cameras continue to record twenty-four hours a day at all times. Unlike their smart-camera counterparts, hardwired cameras capture video even during periods of non-activity. Additionally, traditional cameras will record video even if a property’s internet connection goes down. As we’ll also discuss in the next section, smart cameras generally rely exclusively on the internet for their recording. In this section, we’ll tackle a couple different options to add video monitoring services to traditional camera systems. Now, let’s get started with a look at central station-based camera monitoring.
Central Station Video Monitoring
One of the most effective surveillance monitoring options, central station monitoring involves remote camera monitoring by a central station that has operators standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Upon a camera detecting a motion event, our central station checks on the situation and, if necessary, contacts our customers to alert them to the activity. Customers who receive this type of monitoring pay on a per-camera basis every month.
As part of this service, our central station sits down with us and our customers to review who usually comes to the house and when. This allows for a completely customizable security experience, and avoids unnecessary police dispatches or calls to the customers for routine activity. For this reason, central station video monitoring can get expensive if not utilized carefully. As you can probably imagine, customers who opt in for this service pay a fairly hefty fee for it. However, it still remains quite popular for those who require this level of security and customization.
Recorder-Based Motion Detection Alerts
Unlike central station video monitoring services, recorder-based alerts do not carry a monthly charge. This is because these alerts do not involve the use of a third party to help monitor your cameras. Instead, our video recorder can communicate directly with our customers to alert them to activity. These alerts can take the form of either email or text-based alerts. Upon receiving a notification, users can utilize their camera system’s mobile app to view live video and monitor the situation.
Alarm.com smart cameras can instantly alert you to activity in any area where you install them.
Cameras in low-activity areas often represent the best application to create these notifications. After all, outdoor cameras facing large areas of land can create a truly overwhelming number of motion alerts! However, motion detection alerts can provide an ideal solution for those looking to monitor areas with very little action. For example, customers with a room containing valuables, dangerous chemicals, or weapons often utilize this feature. Now, let’s turn our attention to surveillance monitoring options related to smart camera equipment.
Smart Camera Monitoring
As we mentioned earlier, smart cameras, such as our preferred model by Alarm.com, do not require us to run wires from a recorder to every camera. This creates a couple benefits for customers. For starters, it allows us to install cameras in areas where running wiring would prove difficult or impossible. Homes with finished basements and businesses without open attics or basements provide a couple potential examples. Smart cameras provide us with quick, efficient installation for these types of applications.
Furthermore, smart cameras often work for customers with smaller budgets than our hardwired camera customers. Of course, the decrease in labor caused by not having to run wiring to each camera cuts down on overall system cost. Moreover, installing smart cameras also eliminates the need to purchase the most expensive piece of equipment in most camera systems — the recorder! For these reasons, many customers turn to a smart-camera based surveillance solution. Let’s take a peak at a couple smart surveillance monitoring options now.
Motion-Based Notifications
Similar to the recorder-based video alerts mentioned above, these alerts come from your surveillance equipment itself, and not from a central station or other entity. However, in this instance, the cameras themselves create the notifications. In addition to providing an alert, these notifications can also send the live video itself directly to your phone. The ability to receive instant live video alerts impresses many of our customers. Moreover, our Alarm.com smart cameras can take this feature one step further.
As we mentioned, cameras that send too many alerts due to constant motion can quickly annoy customers. However, homeowners like the ability to receive alerts when they are necessary. Unfortunately, animals, trees blowing in the wind, and even steady rain can create an abundance of motion events. The Alarm.com smart camera has offered a way to help with this issue. Alarm.com video analytics allow a camera to tell the difference between a person, animal, or vehicle. Additionally, it can tell the difference between a weather event and a live object walking through its sights.
Installing an Alarm.com doorbell cameras allows you to see — and interact with — anyone who stops by your home while you are away.
This allows users to customize the types of alerts they receive. For example, pet owners may wish to receive motion-based alerts when a camera detects a person or an animal. Or perhaps the camera trained on a fenced-in yard that houses a dog would create too many alerts for a customer’s liking. Therefore, this feature ensures that you will receive only the alerts you wish to receive, when you wish to receive them!
Video Doorbell Notifications
In addition to standard smart cameras, doorbell cameras add a tremendous amount of security to any entrance where you install them. As with smart cameras, we prefer Alarm.com video doorbells. These devices allow you to have a video-enabled conversation on your smartphone with anyone who rings your doorbell. Additionally, doorbell cameras record motion-based clips of anyone who approaches your door for later viewing, just like the smart cameras we described above, making them another monitored surveillance measure. If desired, you can have live motion-based clips sent to your phone as soon as the cameras detect motion. This lets you interact with someone snooping at your door even if they don’t ring the bell! This obviously adds significant security against package thieves to your entry points. The ability to interact with and view footage of anyone approaching your home make video doorbells a great security addition!
Putting Our Surveillance Monitoring Options to Work for You
We hope that this post helps you fully understand your surveillance monitoring options for your own property. Additionally, we encourage you to contact us with any questions this post may raise for you. We will happily answer any and all of your security-related inquiries. Moreover, we also invite you to take advantage of our free site survey program. We provide complimentary site surveys and equipment quotes to both new and existing customers alike. While on site, we can address any and all security concerns you may have. Furthermore, we can make suggestions of our own based on observations of your property. Together, we can create a complete surveillance and security plan to keep your property — and everyone on it — as safe and secure as possible!