Lens is more: What to look for when buying a home-security camera

Driving the advances, interestingly, is the smartphone industry. It is here that cameras have made the greatest leaps, with artificial intelligence (AI) guiding sensors in ways that make selfies look better, landscapes more detailed, bokeh effects smoother. Much of that AI versatility is now being assimilated into security cameras too.

In a progression spanning the past three to four years, security-camera systems starting at prices as low as ₹2,000 (made by companies such as Google, Amazon, Qubo, Xiaomi, Realme, CP Plus and TP Link) have begun to use AI-guided sensors to recognise licence plates and faces, and alert homeowners when a stranger or a stranger’s vehicle approaches. They offer highlights of the day too, to let users know, for instance, who rang the doorbell while they were away, or when a package was delivered.

As sensors improve with each generation, offerings have expanded to include high-definition video-streaming, two-way talk options via smartphone apps, and night vision. Areas that will continue to see improvement, via new generations of sensors, are video quality, battery life (in those that do not rely on a direct power connection), and object and facial recognition in low light.

As the layers of artificial intelligence are refined, the alerts are expected to become more precise too. Currently, for instance, cameras may miscast a known face as a stranger’s and trigger a movement alarm, or may fail to register a very-fast-moving object.

So how should you choose from the array of options available? Two things should factor into a decision: the data storage plan, and the indoor-outdoor question.

The more affordable security-camera systems typically don’t work outdoors. To keep costs down, they leave out the robustness layer that builds resistance to water and dust. These systems are best used indoors or in well-shielded locations. They will break down with exposure to the elements.

The more rugged outdoor cameras cost a bit more, with prices typically starting at about ₹4,000 (these include the Airtel XSafe and Hero Qubo outdoor versions) and going up to ₹10,000 (the Google Nest Cam).

The other factor to consider is the storage plan. On the upside, most of today’s security-camera systems come with inbuilt storage. This means that even if your home wi-fi drops momentarily, the video feed for that duration will be recorded.

But long-term storage of a video feed tends to be linked to a subscription service, and it’s here that home security systems companies are earning their big after-sales bucks. Tata Play, for instance, in a tie-up with Google, charges ₹299 a month for a Nest Aware Basic service that offers a user access to surveillance footage for up to 60 days, via a cloud-storage platform. The Nest camera itself stores just three hours of recordings on-device.

Airtel’s XSafe cameras charge ₹119 a month for access to just seven days of footage. Most security cameras in this class can accommodate memory cards of up to 256 GB which could hold about 20 days’ worth of high-resolution footage.

For most homes, a camera that supports about 256 GB of local storage should be more than enough, even when the family is on vacation (a lower-resolution setting will offer still-clear views and allow you to save more days of data). Smartphone companion apps offer the option to download clips complete with time and date stamps, which can help too.

Cloud storage, then, becomes a factor of convenience. Pick wisely, to ensure it won’t be essential.