Last Updated on October 10, 2021
Security Cameras: What you’re lacking
The average person uses a Wi-Fi camera for a variety of purposes, from checking on their dog to verifying that they have turned off the stove, etc.
But people who use these cameras to secure their homes expect them to record everything that happens within range. But sometimes, these things aren’t as simple as that.
In reality, most Wi-Fi cameras aren’t able to take in everything, and we’re not referring to angles and field of view. The fact is that there are very few units that make reliable recordings in which you won’t miss anything.
The vast majority of Wi-Fi cameras are designed to record whenever motion is detected. Most of them also limit the recording time, anywhere between 5 seconds and 5 minutes. During this process, the video size won’t get too big.
The camera will begin taking another clip as soon as it becomes apparent that motion continues beyond the designated time frame.
That way, you don’t miss a raccoon, a face, or whatever other things go bump in the night. However, most cameras leave an empty space between the clips. The manufacturer of the camera refers to this as the “reset” period or the “retrigger” period.
These gaps in the footage are present in cameras like the original Netgear Arlo Pro that we use for our wireless outdoor home security camera guide.
On average, the cameras left gaps up to 35 seconds in between recordings. Furthermore, the time is long enough to miss someone breaking into your house or taking a package from your front porch.
As a solution, the company planned to add a “record until motion stops” feature, which is already available on some of the firm’s AC-powered cameras.
Amazon, Logitech, and Nest are leading companies making cameras with no gaps between them.
In spite of updates to the camera, the gaps continued to occur, although they were shorter and more consistent than before.
In some instances in which cameras were connected to AC power, there were still gaps of a few seconds to a few minutes between shots. This is important to consider when deciding which camera to use for security.
There are a few manufacturers that have acknowledged this by offering you the ability to adjust downtime. Similarly, Blink lets users set the time between 10 and 60 seconds for the retrigger time on the outdoor XT.
It is claimed that Blink uses this feature to conserve battery life, but that doesn’t explain why so many corded cameras do this as well.
The recordings of Wi-Fi cameras are usually stopped after a predetermined amount of time, leaving a gap between clips.
By doing so, it will ensure that humans, cars, and animals are not making endless recordings of the camera. However, recent solutions such as defined activity zones and person detection provide an excellent solution for addressing this problem.
Logitech, Amazon, Nest, and Logitech are some companies currently making cameras that do not leave a void. Logitech pauses clips after three minutes, but begins a new clip immediately afterward using a “per-frame tracking approach.”.
In Amazon’s streaming video, clips can last up to five minutes and the device continually records a few seconds of video to make sure you don’t miss what’s happening.
In basic terms, Nest records everything 24/7 and records when motion is detected. The system costs between $50 and $300 per year.
Do You Think You Could Live With Gaps?
Price is undoubtedly an important aspect to consider. Logitech’s Circle 2 and Nest cameras are typically three times more expensive than other security cameras. Although the Amazon Cloud Cam is more affordable, there are trade-offs when it comes to image quality.
It can also depend on your preferences for convenience whether you are willing to live with gaps. It’s especially important to consider this when using outdoor cameras.
As an alternative, you might consider accepting gaps in exchange for a cordless camera if your home lacks an outlet.
On Amazon, Arlo Pro users aren’t too concerned with missing a few seconds. They have almost 12,000 reviews and a 4.3-star rating (out of five).
It may be best if you set up multiple overlapping cameras if you worry someone (or something) may slip through. Security companies typically perform these services, but they are so expensive.
If you are planning to use the camera, think about how you plan to use it first. Depending on whether you’re watching the dog live or checking to see when kids arrive home, recording gaps might not matter. Additionally, it should only take a few seconds, right?
FAQ:
- What causes video loss in security cameras
There are a variety of reasons why CCTV security cameras or DVR/NVR are experiencing “video loss,” among them insufficient power supply, an unstable network, wiring issues, hardware failures (cameras, NVR/DVR or monitor), and inefficient camera software.
- Why is my security camera black screen
In some cases, CCTV cameras go black or the video goes black at night. If this happens, it’s likely the camera does not have infrared night vision, or the IR night vision camera is defective, or the user forgot to switch on the infrared.
Simple solutions: Check the camera settings to ensure IR is turned on.
- Do security cameras catch everything
Most home security cameras are motion-activated and record videos as soon as they detect motion, as well as sending you notifications. It is possible to record video continuously, known as continuous video recording (CVR).
