4 Camera Locations to Consider to Deter Thieves

Everyone in the country is spending less time doing typical activities such as going into the office, shopping, or taking the kids to school. Instead, Californians are spending more time in their homes working, cooking, and conducting e-learning with their kids. Likely, online shopping habits have picked up, along with home deliveries, which is a side effect of staying at home and avoiding crowded spaces. Since everyone in your home is busier than ever before for the sake of social distancing, it’s likely that you may not notice packages left on the doorstep before nefarious porch pirates see them or if a car is broken into. Smart home security will help you keep your Newport Beach, CA, property safe and secure while you’re at home on a video conference call or away on a vacation in the future. Read on to learn how a security camera installation by Launch Systems can bring you peace of mind.

SEE ALSO: Confused on Where to Start with Your Security Camera Installation?

Doorbell Camera

We’ve mentioned before that security cameras installed on the first floor of your home are useful since over 80% of burglars enter homes through the first floor. A doorbell camera gives you a view not only on your front porch but usually into your front yard as well, depending on the orientation of your home and doorbell. Video doorbells give you an up-close and personal view of whomever – or whatever – steps on your front porch. From delivery person to the kids coming in from their afternoon walk, the footage is captured, and you’re able to watch, rewind, and replay footage as needed.

Interior Entryway

When you receive the notification and live video feed on your smart device of the delivery person with a package, you can communicate with them. If you’re enjoying music on the back porch with the family yet want to maintain social distance while keeping your package safe, you can remotely unlock your smart locks and ask the delivery person (through an intercom) to drop off the package inside the front door. This ensures the package is kept safe from potential thieves. Security cameras that are installed in the interior entryway of your home will capture this footage. Once the delivery person is done with their delivery, you can remotely lock the front door, then come indoors to safely retrieve the package when you are ready.

Perimeter Cameras

When school is out or people find themselves with more time on their hands than usual, crime rates increase. Installing security cameras on the perimeter of your Newport Beach-area home can do two things – deter potential thieves and provide footage if anyone tries to trespass. Any motion detected by these expertly installed cameras trigger your security system. You are then notified via text or push notification and can view the live footage immediately on your smart device. If the incident occurs at night, remote security monitoring services can notify law enforcement for you.

Make Your Irvine, CA Home Safer with These Smart Solutions

So, you’ve decided to make your home safer and more secure, but how exactly are you planning to do that? Beyond having an alarm system, intelligent placement of security cameras can improve the safety of your property. Once you’ve decided to go forward with a smart security camera installation, Launch Systems assesses your Irvine, CA property, and inquires about your security system preferences to determine the perfect placement of security cameras and the ideal system for your home. Read on to learn two security camera installation areas you may not have previously thought to consider.

SEE ALSO: Confused on Where to Start with Your Security Camera Installation?

The First Floor

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 81% of burglars enter homes through the first floor, with 34% of those coming through the front door. Some may think video doorbells are a novelty, but they can truly help you surveil your home and potentially deter theft of packages and unwanted entry through the front door. Not only are you making your home safer, but you’re able to add convenience because you can see who’s at the door without before answering. Other ground-level security camera locations include the rear entry, garage doors, and by first-floor windows. Placement is also essential. Wide-angle cameras should be placed to see 75 to 180 degrees without obstruction, while focus cameras should aim at specific areas with around 45 to 75 degrees of viewing space. And of course, be sure to place your outdoor surveillance cameras out of reach, typically about nine feet above the ground.

Detached Structures

There are likely valuables on your property beyond the walls of your home. A tool shed, a detached storage area or garage, and cars in the driveway are all valuables that are often overlooked when homeowners take a DIY route to security camera installation. Often, thieves target these structures due to the lack of visible security cameras or poor lighting. Avoid thieves taking advantage of your home by placing cameras in high and visible locations, and add exterior lighting around your property to deter thieves. Launch Systems has a long history of serving clients in Irvine and the surrounding areas. From our initial personal consultation assessing your needs to security camera installation to post-installation support, we pride ourselves on our work.   Call us today at (949) 515-7030 or use our online contact form to get started on your no-obligation consultation. We can’t wait to help you make your California home safer and bring you peace of mind.

Deter the Dreaded Porch Pirates This Holiday Season

The holidays are filled with festive activities with family and friends, and shopping opportunities for that special someone – or someones – in your life. Online shopping and store deliveries have become very popular in recent years, and it’s not uncommon to see packages lying on the porches of your Irvine, CA, neighbors, or even on your own front porch. Unfortunately, a new term exists for individuals that take advantage of this burgeoning trend of home deliveries: porch pirates. These individuals take advantage of a convenient service to many. From video doorbells to surveillance cameras, keep reading to learn how you can leverage your smart home security system to your advantage this holiday season.  

SEE ALSO: Let Control4 Ease the Stresses of the Holiday Season

Video Doorbell

Control4’s door stations offer your home a video and audio intercom experience. Full-motion video and high-quality audio capabilities allow you to communicate with, and see, whoever has rung your doorbell, plus notify you of any detected motion. Packages sitting on your porch or not, this is a beneficial system to incorporate into your Irvine, CA home. If a potential thief approaches your door, you will be notified via text or push notification of the detected motion; then, you can tap the screen to view live video footage. Your audio will automatically be muted, but if you see a thief nearing your front door, you can turn on the audio function, communicating to the pirate that you will call the authorities and that you have them on camera in the act. Hopefully, this never happens, as the security cameras serve as a deterrent in and of themselves, but you can rest easy knowing you have a course of action to take.

More than a Doorbell

Control4’s video doorbells are more than just a doorbell. Extend the video and audio capabilities inside your home using Intercom Anywhere. Intercom Anywhere allows you to greet guests at the front door, communicate with specific rooms of your home, and call people outside of your home with a Control4 touch screen or from the Control4 app. The same functionality that allows you to deter porch pirates keeps your family connected!

A Piece of the Puzzle

Smart home automation from Control4 allows for easy control for the solutions mentioned above, plus grants you the ability to manage your motorized shades, lighting control system, home theater, security system and more. Not only can you deter porch thieves, but you can keep your Irvine, CA home safe with security systems and surveillance cameras, too. It’s all operable with Control4 automation!   If you’re ready to deter porch pirates this holiday season, plus keep your family communicating, contact us today at (949) 515-7030 or use our online contact form to reach out. We can’t wait to hear from you.

Learn the Difference Between Local and Cloud Storage Systems

Many of our customers consult us for a variety of smart home solutions, and we love hearing from you. From whether or not to invest in a more robust network to incorporating lighting control systems into your home, we’ve learned our customers’ strongest desires relate to simple functionality and high-quality products. That desire spills over into the security and surveillance realm, as well. Several different components can go into a security camera installation, and surveillance cameras are typically the most significant component of many systems. Camera footage storage is an aspect of security installations about which we get many questions. If you’re wondering what the difference is between local storage and cloud storage, keep reading.

SEE ALSO: How Hidden TVs Help Designers Create More Beautiful Homes  

Components of a Surveillance System

Before you install a security system in your Laguna Beach-area home, make sure you’re informed about the variety of solutions available. Beyond cameras, door and window sensors, carbon monoxide detectors, motion sensors, video doorbells, smart locks and more are all components you could potentially incorporate into your own home. From dome to bullet cameras, wireless to wired options, and indoor to outdoor cameras, there are several options available, and each is suited for different needs. A professional security installation company will consult with you, performing a site visit to understand your current setup and clarify your vision for a future security system.  

Local Storage

Local storage does just that with your footage – your video and accompanying audio is stored locally. In the past, this meant bulky servers or computer storage. That’s a thing of the past, and cameras compatible with local storage have some type of SD or microSD card storage. You can easily access this footage, so don’t think this is some sort of old-fashioned method in comparison to cloud-based storage. Another consideration to make when planning a security camera installation is whether or not you want 24/7 recording or if you only want a recording to take place when sensors detect motion. This preference will affect your storage needs. Local security footage storage is stored in your home and is accessible by you when you need to access the archive. Storing locally keeps your data secure and unavailable to potential cyber thieves. The local storage option is also the generally more affordable option since you aren’t paying for monthly cloud-storage fees.  

Cloud Storage

Cloud storage, on the other hand, sends your security camera footage to a remote, cloud-based server, off-site from your Laguna Beach-area property. The primary benefit to this storage option is the ability to watch your security camera footage remotely, wherever you are, from a smart device app or your computer browser. Launch Systems can protect your home network from cyber threats so you can rest easy knowing your data is secure in the cloud. Security camera installations can accommodate a combination of both types of storage, so be sure to consult with a professional before you make your final decision. No matter your storage decision, a security camera installation can proceed without a hitch in your Laguna Beach home with Launch Systems. Call us today at (949) 515-7030, contact us online, or chat with us below. We can’t wait to hear from you.