The video surveillance camera or security cameras – better known as IP CAM – are the new frontier of car alarms, especially thanks to very simple installation and integration with smartphones allow the interior view in an easy and fast of your own home or the external via Android or iOS app. All this is possible because they use the direct connection to the wifi router via wireless or ethernet cable, and can be reached remotely via any smartphone or tablet with an internet connection.

The gem that makes this type of video surveillance camera, particularly interesting (not everyone is able to do it of course) is that most of them are able to record only when some movement is detected and it is possible to set an alert notification that informs us in real-time of this suspicious movement in our house.

All this allows us to increase security by minimizing the inherent memory factor needed to save these footages. But what are the factors to keep in mind when buying a good digital surveillance camera, which can actually become a real home burglar alarm? Let’s find out together.

Main features

When choosing your surveillance cameras you will have to keep in mind a few but important concepts with which you will not only purchase the CCTV camera that best fits your needs but above all, you will spend the right price for what you are looking for:

Recording quality: The output video format can vary in resolution depending on the type of camera, ranging from 640 × 480 pixels to 1920 × 1080 pixels. This factor may seem obvious taking us to choose IP CAM with rather high resolutions in order to have the top shots, but the negative aspect is when we are going to see them, if our connection is slow enough we will find it difficult to see a stable way. Which is why, if we were in such a situation, it would be better to opt for a room with a lower resolution to reduce the traffic on our home line. The recording quality also includes the compression ratio offered by the recording format, which can be: H.264, MPEG4, MJPEG, and JPEG. This is also a factor not to be overlooked because the higher our relationship, the less heavy our records will be. Among those mentioned, the best compression ratio is undoubtedly the H.264.

Action range and sensors: Some of the best surveillance cameras allow you to rotate (remotely controlled) to increase your range. There are also fish-eye optics that maximize the field of view without having to rotate the camera. As for the sensors, instead, they can be equipped with Motion Detection technology, able to capture the movements in the range of action of the security cams and so start recording or send a notification to your smartphone. Another interesting sensor that tries to solve the problem of the infinite range of the cameras in question and is the one that allows them to “listen” to any noise and once they are detected, start recording.

Data storage: Last but not least, let’s analyze the aspect of data storage. This aspect is quite varied and varies from camera to camera. However, the most common storage method is NAS storage, a network device that provides space for storing any type of data. Then there are cameras that save the data on a proprietary cloud and finally, there are rooms with micro SD slots on the back that save the data directly on the spot. Once we have analyzed the main aspects that distinguish the various IP video surveillance camera present on today’s market, we can now move on to our recommendations for purchases, obviously taking into account one of the main factors for the purchase, the quality and price ratio.

Why buy a video surveillance camera?

A wireless surveillance cameras positioned on the front door, above your garage or connected to a rear entrance, is able to provide a glimpse of what really happens outside, even during the night, whether someone is trying to steal or animals passing by through the garbage cans. You could warn with a danger sign and the presence of the cameras security, to scare off the bad guys. Home security systems with cameras should help you identify someone, record any suspicious movements and be able to be checked at any time. If this is not enough, you can monitor your home security with 24 hour surveillance, 7 days a week, especially if you are on vacation, perhaps receiving notification alerts for any suspicious activity.

Many security camera systems are equipped with on-board speakers, this means that you can record an audio message with your smartphone and send it to the outdoor security cameras that will play it. If the verbal threat does not work, there are home surveillance systems that can provide an alarm that warns neighbors or certain numbers that they can intervene quickly. Of course, you can save footages for later viewing. Some surveillance cameras also integrate with other smart systems in the home to activate alarms, lights, thermostats, and other devices when movement is detected.

Best video surveillance camera

Now that we have seen a nice overview of what digital surveillance cameras are and who (and why) should buy them, we are ready to list what we consider to be the best in the industry for value for money.

Sricam SP018

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One of the most appreciated for its good quality and price ratio! Installation is very simple and there is support for an app for remote control. The head can move in all directions and thanks to the wide-angle 1080p HD lens you can keep an eye on the whole space.

Add to this the hands-free function to talk at a distance through the camera (with the app) and the support NVR and RTSP, as well as the WiFi 5Ghz. A 12-month guarantee is added to all!

YI Dome Camera

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Yi is a brand that you’ve known, perhaps thanks to Xiaomi. This Yi Dome is equipped with good features and excellent quality in the filming.

This home security camera has a 112° wide-angle lens, capable of rotating for 345°, it is possible to make a 4x zoom of the shots, it is equipped with night vision and through two-way audio, it is possible to capture both the sounds and send them (remotely maybe). As for the sensors instead, we find that of movements and noises and is able to send reports via email in case of strange movements in the house.

In short, respectable features for a device that maintains a very good quality and price ratio. As far as archiving is concerned, we also find a MicroSD slot that can host a 32GB card and through the proprietary application, very user-friendly, it will be possible to manage up to 12 rooms simultaneously.

YI 1080p Home Security Camera

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Another YI product, more satisfaction. This video surveillance camera is capable of recording 1080p video at 15fps with a panoramic wide angle of view of 111°. Features 2.0mm lens (focal length) and zoom: up to 4X. Its price is also quite cheap. Other interesting features to note are the two-way audio with a built-in microphone and speaker, night vision mode up to 5 meters with 8 non-invasive discrete LEDs (for babies and children when they sleep) and 940nm infrared sensor.

You can control it via your smartphone thanks to the YI Home App (up to 12 cameras), download free from Google Play Store or Apple App Store. YI 1080p Home Camera allows recording on smartphones and PCs or on micro SD cards up to 32GB.

D-Link DCS-942L

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This D-Link is one of the most sold on the market in terms of a surveillance camera. The quality of shooting is 640 × 480 pixels, it is equipped with infrared LEDs for night vision and a motion sensor that alerts us via SMS or e-mail when it is activated. As for storage, on the side, there is a slot for micro SD cards (maximum 32GB) and therefore does not require the use of NAS devices.

It does not have a POE connector and therefore the only way to interface with the network is via WIFI. And finally, as far as the application and portals sector is concerned, which can be accessed to view the videos and modify any settings, D-Link provides the mydlink system that allows you to easily control our cameras security from the outside.

SV3C Outdoor Security Cameras

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Very varied depending on what you are looking for, but these outdoor security cameras are one of the best choices in terms of both functionality and price point of view, in our opinion!

In addition to 1080p FullHD resolution with 35 fps (which should guarantee clear and smooth images) there is support for POE – Power Over Ethernet – which allows this CCTV camera to connect to the Internet and provides a live feed at the same only thanks to the Ethernet cable coming from your router.

TP-Link Kasa Cam Outdoor Camera

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The TP-Link Kasa Cam Outdoor camera is a video surveillance camera that should not be mounted at home but outside. It has a high resolution (1080p), 2-way audio to communicate with the delivery person at your front door or use the siren to scare away intruders.

The magnetic camera mount and mounting wall plate make for quick set-up and allows you to configure your camera for the best view, you can also get instant alerts straight to your smartphone whenever your outdoor camera detects any sound or motion.

Netgear Arlo Q

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This Arlo deserves one of the podium places given its simplicity of assembly and use. Netgear has done a good job both from the hardware point of view, in fact, this security camera allows recording in full HD and has a field of view of 130 °, and both from the software point of view of its app that allows to manage 4 IP Cams simultaneously configuring them in a simple and fast way.

As for the data storage, in this case, we have the possibility to use cloud storage having 1GB free of space.

Netgear Arlo Pro 2 / Arlo Ultra 4K Surveillance Camera System

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As can be guessed from the name of the model we are faced with a higher-end security camera systems than the aforementioned Arlo Q. This is declared by the owner of the house as a room that does not fear darkness or water. Yes, the surveillance camera is weatherproof and is equipped with a system with RGB-IR technology that allows the full HD sensor (with 130° viewing angle) to capture images at night with uniform illumination.

Furthermore, Arlo Pro (as well as its previous version) is powered by battery so they do not need cables of any kind, which makes it extremely easy to mount even in less “reachable and more complex” areas of the house.

YI Home Camera 3

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Compared to its predecessors, it presents many new and interesting features, thanks to an Artificial Intelligence (AI) improved in the smallest details. Motion and noise sensors will only report unusual noises such as a baby’s crying or broken glass. You will also have included in the price 1 month of free storage in YI Cloud, to be able to keep your videos safe even if the room is damaged or stolen.

Through the application that allows remote control, you can turn on/off and program the operation of the web security camera to your liking, setting weekly days and time slots. The technical sector sees the 1080p FullHD sensor, wide-angle, night vision and bilateral audio. The integrated microphone and loudspeaker allow either to have a conversation at a distance (or to send commands to their animals) or to scare off any unwanted guests.

Foscam Outdoor PTZ

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These Foscam outdoor security cameras are equipped with 1080p HD video quality, H.264 compression and have motion detection to alert you to suspicious movements via email. Thanks to its IR-LED it is able to illuminate and reach distances that are around 196 feet and is compatible with PoE (energy and data through the same ethernet cable). Remotely you can reach it via the DDNS service (if configured by the user).

Best-selling video surveillance camera

At the end of our best video surveillance camera buying guide, we are leaving you here with the top 10 of the most sold security cameras at the moment. The ranking is updated automatically every day.

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