A lot of people are looking to invest in home security systems, whether it’s just a camera or two, or a full-fledged system.
And if you’re one of them, you’ve undoubtedly met the question of whether or not you should go for smart security. There’s no denying it’s going to cost you a bit extra, but the benefits are actually more than worth it.
To make things a bit easier to understand, let’s compare conventional home security systems to smart ones, so you can see just how much you’re getting, and why you really need smart security nowadays.
Without wasting any more of your time, let’s go.
Article Breakdown
What Do You Get with Conventional Systems?
When you get a conventional, non-smart security system, there are a few things that you can expect from it. To begin with, you’ll get a couple of surveillance cameras.
They’re connected to a centralized recording device, so you’ll have to connect to it physically if you want to access the recorded footage.
To add to this, some systems will also come with an alarm panel that’s connected to a monitoring company.
Depending on what you go for, you might get 24/7 monitoring and quick responses, which are two things that are nice to have but will cost you a pretty penny, to say the least.
Now, make no mistake, a conventional system does add a lot of security to your home. However, it is actually pretty closed down, which means you can’t access it from outside, and it usually can’t communicate with you if something happens.
Yes, you’ll get the footage of the burglars that went through your home, but only once you get home and it’s too late.
What Does ‘Smart’ Even Mean?
You’ll come across the term pretty often, so it’s good to know what it actually means. When you’re looking at smart devices such as vivint smart home from the aspect of home automation and security, you’re actually looking at devices that communicate with you in one way or another.
This allows them to keep you in the loop when something happens, which significantly cuts down on reaction times, something that could be crucial in the event of something happening.
How do they do this? Well, while conventional systems have components that don’t always communicate with each other, with a smart system, all devices are connected to your home Wi-Fi network, which acts as a hub.
Your Wi-Fi network also gives all these devices access to the internet, which means that as long as you have a working internet connection, you can access them from just about wherever you are.
What Are the Benefits?
As you can see, the main difference between a conventional system and a smart one is the fact that smart systems have a way of communicating, both among themselves, and with you when you’re not around.
It is this communication that makes them worth it because you’re getting a lot of benefits from it.
To begin with, the fact that your home security cameras have internet access means that instead of storing footage locally, they can store it on the cloud.
This allows you to access said footage from wherever you are, and all you need is an internet connection. You can review the footage, you can download it on your phone or computer, and to add to that, you can even connect to your camera’s live feed and see what it’s recording.
Oh, and as if this wasn’t enough, it’s nice to know that most of these cameras come equipped with motion sensors.
If they detect movement while you’re not at home, you’ll get a notification on your phone pretty much instantly, and you’ll know something is happening.
It’s not just the cameras that are part of your smart security system. You also have smart locks and video doorbells, and there are motion sensors and smart alarms, too.
Conclusion
If you opt for smart security instead of a conventional one, you’re getting a system that can let you know something is happening within seconds of the event itself.
It’s also the fact that you have a complete overview of the entire security system regardless of where you are in the world, which gives you unparalleled peace of mind.
And last but certainly not least, there are notifications. It’s the notifications that let you know whenever something happens that are another key benefit of going smart, and no conventional security system can match that functionality. You don’t have to check anything – if something happens, you’ll know.
Yes, going smart might seem like a pretty big investment at the moment. However, when you factor in all the benefits you’re getting and the peace of mind of knowing your home is safe and sound, that investment is more than worth it.