Home Security ERA: Video monitor system recommendations

[Futureman]

Hi ResetEra!

My first topic in the shiny new home we all love.

My fiancée and I want to get some kind of home monitoring video system. I would like to hear recommendations from users here that have a system. This topic doesn't need to be just about little old me... if you have any kind of system let us know what it is and how it's been working for you!

We already have a security system in our house through Vector. I think they offer a video monitor add-on but you have to pay a monthly fee. We don't really care about recording anything, we would really just like to have 3 to 4 cameras that hook up to our WIFI and let us view from our phones when we are away from home.

I think ideally we'd be able to put one or two of the cameras outside. I think some run off batteries? I feel like that might make more sense then wired system but I'm open to any ideas.

I would like to stay around $300 total but open to more suggestions if it's higher or lower. Seems like the Nest 3-pack for $500 and Arlo 4-pack for $600 may be the most popular options but that's probably because they are well known names. Maybe there is something comparable for the same quality but cheaper?

 

[xxracerxx]

I am interested in the Arlo Pro just because of the free storage they offer.

 

[Septimus Prime]

I have Arlo (not Pro) and am very happy with it. Setup is a breeze, and it works as advertised.

My biggest complaint about it is that setup is so easy that it really isn't that physically secure, and someone could easily steal the camera itself.

 

[xxracerxx]

My biggest complaint about it is that setup is so easy that it really isn't that secure, and someone could easily steal the camera itself.

Click to shrink...

Can you not screw it to a base?

 

[TheJTizzle]

We have been in the Canary system for a few years now. It's a top end experience with a great UI and hardware selection that continues to expand with new products. They also just redid their pricing after some backlash, so its more clean and even and a pretty solid time to jump in. Check the site, and if you have any specific questions I'm very happy to answer :) http://canary.is

 

[Futureman]

hmmm even though I said I don't care about recording, I mainly said that because I didn't want to pay a monthly fee. Arlo offers 7 days of motion and audio triggered recordings? Interesting. My pets would constantly set that off inside though.

 

[Septimus Prime]

Can you not screw it to a base?

Click to shrink...

You can, but the camera itself also screws onto the mount directly, so you can also unscrew it with just your bare hands.

Ideally, you would be putting it somewhere fairly hard to access, so most people won't be able to reach it and won't even know it's there, but if someone were really inclined to take it, it wouldn't be hard.

hmmm even though I said I don't care about recording, I mainly said that because I didn't want to pay a monthly fee. Arlo offers 7 days of motion and audio triggered recordings? Interesting. My pets would constantly set that off inside though.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, the recordings get emailed to you in 10-second clips, so you know right away when it goes off.

But yes, the sensor is also very sensitive. I've had my outdoor camera get set off by seemingly nothing a few times.

 

[darscot]

Stay away from the Arlo Pro if you live anywhere mildly cold. I have it and anything close to freezing the cameras shut down. So right now my cameras turn off as soon as the sun sets and then start working again when a couple of hours after sunrise. Trying to sort it out with customer support but so far nothing. I've had them for a few of months and before this issue they worked pretty well and were easy to set up. I think I have owned them just long enough to get screwed trying to return them. Stay away from these cameras.

 

[Futureman]

I like that Canary has Google Assistant integration. Does Arlo? Obviously Nest does.

darscot, I wonder if that's a widespread issue or something wrong with yours? Arlo's website shows a camera in the snow right on their main page. That's literally all you see if you don't scroll or click.

 

[ruggiex]

For me, I just used a couple Amcrest cameras. What I like is that they can upload directly to my NAS and have microSD as backup if NAS is unreachable. I also have one I rigged up using RaspberryPi. There are a few mobile app that works with them so I can see all of them at once. Optionally you can subscribe to their online storage.

 

[darscot]

Yeah they are apparently good to -20 Celsius but I can tell you they are not. I find it odd that both my cameras go down. If it was just one I would think it was a bad camera. There are posts on the support website of the same issue with no response. If they resolve my issue I'll let you guys know but support so far is not good.

 

[Futureman]

I'll give it one bump...

now I'm looking at Nest's entire security system. Kind of want to just cancel our Vector system and go with this. Vector is like an 80 year old grandpa compared to this...