Keep an eye on your yard with a smart outdoor camera

Smart, secure and easy-to-install surveillance cameras can now be purchased at most electronics stores. They come in a variety of colours and price ranges – depending on their feature sets – and are designed for both indoor and outdoor use.

What should you consider when buying a security camera?

Just as with buying a car, some preparation is required before purchasing a security camera. Most of the modern smart versions are controlled via a mobile phone and a dedicated app. So the first thing to do is to make sure your mobile phone meets the app's minimum requirements.

Then consider how the recorded material is stored; is it stored for free on a server, locally in the home, or does it require a subscription? The camera’s image quality is important too – a recorded clip is no good if a face is blurry. When something is detected by the camera and it starts recording, make sure you’ve enabled notifications on your mobile phone so you’ll be alerted when not at home.

You should also consider whether the camera should be battery-powered or plugged in. There are advantages to both, but for outdoor use it’s good to have cameras connected to an electricity source. This is especially true in places where temperatures drop to freezing. Battery-powered cameras quickly drain when it gets cold outside and need to be charged more often.

Consider smart outdoor cameras with a built-in siren

There are many different variants of outdoor cameras. Smarter versions can even have a built-in siren to scare away intruders. The Somfy Outdoor Camera has a loud siren of 110 decibels that draws attention no criminal wants!

Available in two different colours, the Somfy Outdoor Camera can also be connected to outdoor lighting so that turns on if the camera detects motion. With this feature your lighting suddenly becomes a bit smarter and more useful.

Make your home deliveries easier

When positioned correctly, an outdoor camera can also facilitate the reception of home deliveries. There’s not always someone at home to receive a delivery of something you bought online. But leaving the package on the stairs or a front porch may not be a good idea, especially if it will be a while until someone is home.

By positioning an outdoor camera near your car garage, for example, it's possible to communicate with a delivery driver through the camera’s built-in microphone and speaker. If you have a smart garage door connected to a TaHoma switch from Somfy, you can also open the door remotely and ask the driver to leave the package in the garage. You can then close the garage door with your phone and use the camera to check that everything worked. It’s both convenient and safe.

Discover the smart Somfy Outdoor Camera.