Some systems store recorded video locally on an SD card or a solid state drive, while others offer cloud storage. Locally stored video is a good choice for do it yourselfers on a budget, but you have to be careful not to overwrite video you may need later. Cloud storage makes it easy to store and access recorded video, but it can cost hundreds of dollars per year depending on your subscription. Some systems offer both cloud storage and local storage, and
some provide a dedicated storage drive that gives you DVR capabilities with time lapse recording, which makes it easy to find a video event that took place at a specific point in time. All of the systems we've tested feature an app that lets you use your smartphone as your command
center to arm and disarm the system, create rules, add and delete components, and receive push notifications when alarms are triggered. Most apps also allow you to do things like view live and recorded video, lock and unlock doors, change thermostat settings, and silence alarms. Some apps will even use your phone's location services to automatically arm and disarm the system according to your physical location. The more expensive systems usually come with a wall mounted panel that acts as a communications hub, with a touch screen display that allows you to do everything the app does. The display lets you communicate with a professional monitoring service when an alarm is triggered and view video from any of the installed security cameras. While many systems use wireless components that are installed using double sided tape, some high end systems use components that require professional installation. These soup to nuts systems typically cost considerably more than DIY systems and offer 24/7 professional monitoring, but you may have to enter into a multi year contract and pay a hefty termination fee if you break it.
Integra Lending Group, LLCIntegrated
Financial Group, IncIntegrated LendingIntegrated Mortgage GroupIntegrity Financial Services, Inc.
In my professional role in the Home Security Industry, I preach the values of the
Internet, not only for us as adults and professionals, but also for our children. Our children have almost immediate access to any kind of information available throughout the world. Want to read A Tale Of Two Cities?It’s on the Internet. Have a question about who the third person to land on the moon was?It’s on the Internet. However, want to be exposed to nudity, pedophiles, and
thousands if not millions of other social deviants?You bet it’s on the Internet and just a key touch away from your child or grandchild. So, what do we do about this?First, we educate ourselves. Go to The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children website at and download their study “Online Victimization – A Report on the Nation’s Youth. ” This report will provide an eye opening look at the perils our children are under every time they access America Online, Compuserve, or the Internet via the local Internet Service Provider. It also provides a telling survey on how parents deal with their children’s use of the Internet. For example, over 85% of parents have talked with their children about being careful talking to strangers on the Net, and 97% of those polled check every now and then on what is on their child’s computer screen. But, only half the parents ever go back and actually check history to ensure the child is indeed staying out of potential problem sites, and only 39% set a limit on the amount of time their child can be on the Internet.