You have decided it is time to take the plunge into home automation. You are still thinking about building your own home automation suite as opposed to buying a base package from a brand-name equipment provider. Before you make that decision, it might be wise to figure out what kinds of devices you want in your system. For instance, should a doorbell camera be part of your home automation suite?
Doorbell cameras are marketed as both automation and security devices. They certainly offer a level of convenience and protection you do not get from a standard doorbell. Yet all the security and home automation functions that a doorbell camera provides can be achieved with other means. In the end, what it really boils down to is assessing your needs.
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Doorbell Camera Basics
A doorbell camera is a device that combines a standard doorbell function with on-board audio and video. A typical unit houses a small video camera that provides real-time feeds 24 hours a day. Cameras range in quality and features from one unit to the next. As for the on-board audio, it is generally a simple system consisting of a speaker and microphone. It allows two-way communication between property owner and visitor.
The next thing to note is that doorbell cameras can be standalone devices or integrated with a broader home automation or security suite. A standalone doorbell camera would have a companion mobile app for maintaining video surveillance and communicating via the on-board audio. A device integrated into a larger system would be accessible through that system’s app.
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Keeping an Eye on the Porch
According to Vivint Home Security, a Utah home automation and security provider, people new to the home automation space tend to invest in doorbell cameras to keep an eye on the front porch. A doorbell camera gives them an advantage over porch pirates, burglars, and other unwanted visitors.
In the absence of any other form of video surveillance, the doorbell camera certainly does the job. The latest models are motion activated, meaning they start recording video as someone is approaching the door. They also alert homeowners by way of a smartphone notification. Homeowners can then bring up their apps and watch video footage in real time.
The advantage of this sort of arrangement is being able to communicate with whoever is standing at the door. Not every standard wireless video camera offers this function. In fact, most video cameras do not have on-board audio due to the liabilities of recording conversations without consent.
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In Concert with Other Cameras
The general rule is that you don’t need a doorbell camera if you have a standard video camera providing a good view of the porch. But there are valid reasons for installing both types of cameras in a full suite. You might use a doorbell camera to surveil the front door alongside a wall-mounted camera that gives a wider view of the entire front of your property.
In this sort of set up, the video camera gives a close-up view of any visitor standing in your door. You cannot get that kind of detail from a wall-mounted camera unless you zoom in on that area. But then you lose the wider view you want to see.
There is a lot more about this topic that could be discussed. The point is this: whether you include a doorbell camera in your home automation suite is really a matter of how you want to achieve your home automation and security goals. Only you can determine whether a camera doorbell is appropriate.
