There are many ways to secure your home, which all come with varying levels of security. You could install an automated driveway gate that removes the risk of the gate staying open because someone forgot to close and lock it. You can also erect a high fence that screens your property from intruders. But even with all these in place, we can?t think of a home that would not benefit from a good quality home security camera system.

A home security camera system gives you an extra set of eyes that watches your property round the clock. In most cases, the knowledge that a home is monitored by security cameras is enough to scare off burglars. Not many burglars want to leave behind the incriminating evidence of video footage that shows them breaking into someone?s house.

Choosing A Security Camera System With The Right Features Is Key

As with your driveway gates and residential fences, you have more than a few security camera system options to choose from. The challenge is to choose a security camera system that will meet as many of your home security needs as possible.

It is their different features that mark home security systems apart. And it is deciding which of these features are must-haves and which ones only have fleeting usefulness that makes security camera system selection tricky for people.

Remember, too, the number of features your security camera system can claim, whether they have a practical usefulness or not, has a bearing on its price. You don?t want to overpay on a camera system because of a few shiny lights and other ?bells and whistles’ features that don?t add much value to the product.

To make your shopping task easier, we have done the homework for you and have isolated five must-have features for your home security system:

• Real-time monitoring

Want to view live video footage of what?s happening in and around your property while you are thousands of miles away on holiday? There are security camera system apps that do that these days. Remote monitoring mobile applications are a must-have feature that, because of its sheer utility, is now standard on many security camera systems.

Many modern security camera systems come with video streaming capability, which allows you to remotely access live footage from your home security cameras. There are both Android and iOS apps for this, so you can make your security camera system selection based on the mobile gadget you use.

The ability to remotely check in on your home gives you much-needed peace of mind, removing the anxiety of wondering if or not your home is secure in your absence. This is an important feature that frequent travelers, especially, must insist on.

• Two-Way Audio

How cool would it be to be able to tell a burglar to get away from your front door, lest they want a confrontation with law enforcement, which is now on its way? And, of course, to watch their priceless reaction to the realization they have been caught in the act?

Two-way audio allows audio communication between the person monitoring footage from the security camera and the person in front of the camera. If the person caught on camera is an intruder, it works even better if the camera is hidden so they won?t think to vandalize and disable it.

This feature is also handy for communicating with people knocking on your door, especially when you are away from home and aren?t able to receive them. It also gives you a way of asking strangers to identify themselves before you open your door to them. That way you can avoid opening your door to robbers and other intruders. All this enhances your home?s security. Consider this feature a must-have if you have young children or elderly people you sometimes leave on their own at home.

• Motion sensing

One of the oldest complaints people have with home security camera systems is the often-limited onboard storage. Even when you are storing all the footage in the cloud, video consumes a lot of space and you will quickly exhaust your available bandwidth if your system is set to record continuously.

The motion-sensing feature fixes this problem by allowing recording only when something in the frame moves. The feature also allows you to set up alerts so you can receive notifications every time there is suspicious movement on the property. If the day passes without incident you will also have the benefit of saved storage space. The feature is especially useful if your security camera system depends on local storage.

Of course, there have also been complaints that motion sensors on some security systems are too sensitive and are often sprung by rodents and falling leaves. This inadvertently leads to many false alarms, too, which can grow into a serious annoyance.

• HD Video Quality

Security camera systems of old were notorious for their poor video quality. They were characterized by grainy images that made it super difficult to identify anyone caught on camera doing what they aren?t supposed to be doing – the very problem they are meant to solve.

Thankfully, you can now get better, HD quality video footage from your home security cameras, with 720p resolution being the standard. Some even boast resolutions of 1080p or higher. Remember, though, with higher definition video comes larger home wifi bills. HD quality recorded or streamed video requires significantly more internet bandwidth.

• A Wider Field of View

A wider viewing angle of at least 120 degrees widens your frames and ensures you are able to catch as more of what is happening within and outside your property with the same camera. Your camera?s field of view determines how much you can see at a time and plays a part in the actual positioning of the cameras. A camera with a narrower field of view demands extra effort in choosing spots where it can catch the important movements without obstruction.

Just remember, though, a camera with a narrower field of view also allows closer viewing, which helps identify burglars and intruders more easily. So, even though a camera with a narrower field of view may capture less, it comes with the benefit of more detailed images.

Where To Get The Best Security Camera Systems In Ontario

There are other important security camera system features we can add to this list and which you will do well to look out for. Infrared lights, for one, enable night vision that significantly boost video quality in conditions of poor light as well helping you tell if the cameras are in working order.?

The option for cloud storage for your video footage is also worth investing in. You won?t find a security camera system with enough local storage for continuous recording over weeks of time. Often you will have to erase old footage to free up pace new recordings. Cloud storage fixes this by giving you a secondary storage medium you can access on-demand.?

With all that said, your choice of security camera system vendor is just as, if not, more important. It helps to choose a vendor that stocks security camera systems from the top manufacturers as that guarantees good quality shopping options.?

Ideally, the vendor should also have a security camera system installation and servicing capability. Jay 360 is all that and more and is the trusted home security partner for the homeowners of Toronto.

Shopping for a security camera system for your home in Toronto?

Look no further than Jay 360. We are Toronto homeowners? home security system vendors of choice, with authorized dealer partnerships with some of the world?s top home security camera system manufacturers. Contact us today to discuss your needs.