That's where the SimpliSafe SimpliCam come in handy. It is an industry-leading smart home security camera. It comes with 24/7 HD video monitoring, and intruder and motion alerts as standard. We've been using one in our house for just over two weeks now so I wanted to share my thoughts with you.
The camera was quick to set up - you download the app, sign into your account and scan the QR code on the camera to link them together. You don't have to have experience with cameras or video equipment. Ours is set up in the hall facing our front door but in an area what will catch an intruder coming in from the back too. If it detects movement (which has only us been in the flat - luckily) a notification comes through to my phone so I can watch live what is happening via the app.
If you can't watch the action as it happens then SimpliSafe offers an an optional recording plan, for just £4.99 per month (for up to 10 cameras), you can record, store and share critical footage with police and neighbours. They offer 30-day storage and you can download and share clips from your home security camera so if your on holiday and you only discover something when you get back all the video clips will be still there.
I've not been able to test it properly but they believe a home security camera should know the difference between an intruder and a branch moving outside the window so its built-in intelligent detection algorithms are calibrated to detect the unique heat signature of humans, so you’re only alerted to the things that matter!While you are home and don't want the camera recording you can use the built in stainless steel privacy shutter. It only opens with your permission via the app so you can open it again when your out of the house. It is supposed to protect your video feed with the same level of encryption used by banks to protect their accounts. I only wish there was a way that it would automatically detect when your when home so you don't have to remember.
Finally the most important part of any security camera is the quality of the video. It films in HD and both the live feed and recordings are very clear and play back quickly. I like the feature in the app that previews the recording at a faster speed so you can see quicker if there is a problem without watching the whole clip. When it is dark night vision starts automatically and the quality is just as good.
The SimpliCam is £49 and the outdoor kits are £19.99 which seems like really good value for money to me. I had in my head that security camera with a high quality video would be much more expensive. Additionally you can pay for the recording plan which is £4.99 a month and again a bargain especially if you have more cameras.
Maybe I'm being picky here but I'd like to be able to delete the video clips that have been recorded and stored on the cloud. It's my own home after all and you never know what it might pick up. I also mentioned above but it would be useful it it would detect you were home, maybe by knowing you'd connected to the home wifi, and stop the notifications. Maybe these are updates that will come in the future.
Overall I'm really pleased with my SimpliCam and can see if being a useful smart addition to our home for years to come. If I don't use it day to day (we barely leave the house at the moment) I can see myself plugging it in before we go away for overnight stays or holidays for that extra piece of mind. After all, £49 is nothing compared to the value of our home being safe.
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