Home security cameras etc.

[Adam]

I have an IP camera to cover the back door (which was trashed, though held firm, last January when the house was empty for a couple of weeks).  It records locally to an onboard mSD plus remotely to an FTP server, but while the house is empty I like to switch the router off so it will still just record locally.  Although it uses a motion sensor the IR LEDs remain on all night, glowing visibly red - I'm undecided whether this red glow is a deterrent or a provocation, but I'm inclined to think the latter.

I've had CCTV for years.  All the neighbours have alarm systems though, as a few have been burgled.  Once in a blue moon I've checked through the images from when the recording has been triggered, and once spotted someone in the early hours wandering across the road, first trying a neighbour's door and then moving onto my drive by stepping over a low fence.  As he glanced up and spotted the red glow from one of the cameras, he then walked back across the road and got in a car & drove off.  The local PCSO recognised the person when I reported it to the police, so definitely a useful deterrent for that instance.

[frankly frankie]

Yes I've come down on the side of 'deterrent' as well.

The main problem with the IP camera I've got is that the software is just awful, and although there are 3rd-party software options that are compatible, they are pretty awful too.  This makes browsing the clips and images a real pain (when triggered it records a 20-second clip plus 2 stills - that's all configurable).  That wouldn't be so bad but the motion sensor (set to 'medium' sensitivity) is easily triggered by moths and even falling rain (another 'feature' is that the front portal of the camera is irresistable to spiders, more often than not the picture is of a spider silhouette, ghastly big, centre screen).

Well, it mostly gets used for badger-watching anyway - but finding the one badger clip among 200 moth clips and 20 cat clips and 5 fox clips is a bit dreary, fortunately these creatures all work to a faily well-defined schedule, badgers being 'round about midnight.

[ian]

I can only say the Arlo 720p images are clear and faces easily discernible (I recognise you Mothman!). But yes, if you want to see what's happening 15 meters away, then no. Or rather you're going to need the infinite zoom capabilities of movieOS. I can only comment that I'm happy – they were easy to set up, I didn't want to mess around with cabling, and work reliably as intended and the online storage is a considerable bonus (I've no real need to mess with local storage). Of course, I'm hoping they stick to filming the local non-human wildlife. We've never had any problems anyway (the main local crime seems to be theft of delivery packages left on doorsteps), so they are mostly deterrent, there's now clearly a camera pointed down the driveway. That and occasional reassurance on our travels that the house is indeed still standing and intact. I am under little illusion that Surrey police would catch a burglar if I suppled 4K professionally lit footage, the scrote-in-questions's home address, and a complete DNA sequence.