Do you have security cameras at home?

Do you have security cameras at home?

  • Yes

    Votes: 153 59.1%
  • No

    Votes: 63 24.3%
  • No, but I am looking into it

    Votes: 37 14.3%
  • Other

    Votes: 6 2.3%

  • Total voters
    259
No.

Firstly, I can see outside because we don't have a 10 foot wall all around our perimeter. My theory is a lot of people build the wall and then it's human nature to get anxious because you can't see any more. Now you have a control centre in your kitchen instead of just being able to look out the window.

I'm skeptical that cameras have any effect on security. How is it supposed to work? Every time I've ever seen a crook on a camera it's the same thing - a guy wearing a hoodie, looking suspicious. Because it's dark it's rarely even possible to tell if it's a B/M or a C/M. What are you going to do with that? Tell your neighbourhood watch to be on the lookout for suspicious males? Lol. Now maybe if there's a proper crime like murder, some CCTV could be useful, but not on my house specifically.

As for deterrent effect, I think that's counteracted by the fact you've dropped 10s of grand on your perimeter defences in the first place. That just tells the professional housebreaking gang that you have some multiple of that in worth going in for. They can probably calculate it within a few Rand based on your external signals. They're not idiots.
Having cameras helped me catch a twat who robbed me...also helped in court to get a conviction.

Cameras are great when you come home in the wee hours and can check everything before you get home. Or you hear something dodgy in the middle of the night and can check it out without getting out of bed.

No they dont really deter people... One of the idiots who robbed me simply ducked under the camera and he magically vanished (actually he didnt vanish but in his pea sized brain he did).

Cameras are great for early warning though if well setup and you pay attention.
Also great at night time when the power is off and its darkness all around you.

I dont regret spending the R4k odd or whatever it was 5 years back for the 8 camera Hikvision set.
 
Having cameras helped me catch a twat who robbed me...also helped in court to get a conviction.

Cameras are great when you come home in the wee hours and can check everything before you get home. Or you hear something dodgy in the middle of the night and can check it out without getting out of bed.

No they dont really deter people... One of the idiots who robbed me simply ducked under the camera and he magically vanished (actually he didnt vanish but in his pea sized brain he did).

Cameras are great for early warning though if well setup and you pay attention.
Also great at night time when the power is off and its darkness all around you.

I dont regret spending the R4k odd or whatever it was 5 years back for the 8 camera Hikvision set.

Yep!

Handy, for when you hear a noise, outside. Check the cameras, the you know what you are getting into, before you unlock and open the door. You don't like what you see, call cops and security company.

Works well when you been away ftom home, to check the camera's on your phone/tablet, to see if there are any surprises waiting for you when you go thru the gate. Or waiting for you, at the gate.

Once found 3 types waiting just outside the house door. Phoned the security, company, and they promptly had 2 dog teams arrive, opened the gate, put the dogs in, and had some very surprised types, cornered by 2 dogs and nowhere to go.
 
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Not personally, however the complex has of all the major roads so the front of my unit is somewhat covered.
 
Still looking into it . Quote i received for 8 cameras of R15k 3 years ago was just too high for me
 
Having camera's has also helped us save our gate motor, and our neighbours gate motors more than a few times. But then, when we hear something we check the cameras first, then pick up the phone and alert neigbours that something is afoot.
 
Had one type walk straight up to the camera, take off his cap, jump, and cover the camera, with his cap, totally oblivious of the other two camera's watching him.
 
5 installed with frigate/HA for AI person/animal/object detection.

No more line crossing rubbish
Same here. 6x Hikvision + 1x EZViz (Wifi for this one, since I couldn't get a network cable to the camera.

Google USB-C based TPU running on an Intel i5 6th gen mini PC.

Added Google Gemini Pro to it as well, so now my notifications went from this:

1707825059929.png

to this:

1707825079717.png
 
Haven't had any incidents luckily so far, but have c
Same here. 6x Hikvision + 1x EZViz (Wifi for this one, since I couldn't get a network cable to the camera.

Google USB-C based TPU running on an Intel i5 6th gen mini PC.

Added Google Gemini Pro to it as well, so now my notifications went from this:

View attachment 1660802

to this:

View attachment 1660804

My notifications look very similar, but how do you do the description?
 
No.

Firstly, I can see outside because we don't have a 10 foot wall all around our perimeter. I think a lot of people build the wall and then it's human nature to get anxious because you can't see any more. Now you have a control centre in your kitchen instead of just being able to look out the window.

I'm skeptical that cameras have any effect on security. How is it supposed to work? Every time I've ever seen a crook on a camera it's the same thing - a guy wearing a hoodie, looking suspicious. B/M or a C/M, who knows, it's dark. What are you going to do with that? Tell your neighbourhood watch to be on the lookout for suspicious males? Lol. Now maybe if there's a proper crime like murder that someone might actually do some detective work on, some CCTV could be useful, but not on my house specifically.

As for deterrent effect, I think that's counteracted by the fact you've dropped 10s of grand on your perimeter in the first place. That just tells the professional housebreaking gang that you have some multiple of that worth going inside for. They can probably calculate it within a few Rand based on your very obvious signals. Then they go in with your wife in her car, on camera.
I imagine you don't have any security system then?
 
Haven't had any incidents luckily so far, but have c


My notifications look very similar, but how do you do the description?
You mean like the description for the motorcycle?
Google Generative AI Conversation - Home Assistant (home-assistant.io)

I did it with the recently launched Gemini Pro api (which you can then give it both an image and a prompt). What's even better is that you get 60 queries per minute for free - making it perfect for cameras. Frigate does the first detection (look for a person / car in my case), then an automation grabs the snapshot, saves it, submits it to the Generative AI service with a prompt. When the description comes back, combine it all into a notification and send it on.

Takes a bit of prompt engineering to get a sensible message, and it still thinks my wife drives a Black Mercedes every now and then (instead of a dark blue Jetta). But it's generally quite impressive - even recognized a contractor's "white bakkie"!
 
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You mean like the description for the motorcycle?
Google Generative AI Conversation - Home Assistant (home-assistant.io)

with the recently launched Gemini Pro api (which you can then give it both an image and a prompt). What's even better is that you get 60 queries per minute for free - making it perfect for cameras. Frigate does the first detection (look for a person / car in my case), then an automation grabs the snapshot, saves it, submits it to the Generative AI service with a prompt. When the description comes back, combine it all into a notification and send it on.

Takes a bit of prompt engineering to get a sensible message, and it still thinks my wife drives a Black Mercedes every now and then (instead of a dark blue Jetta). But it's generally quite impressive - even recognized a contractor's "white bakkie"!

That's very cool, thank you, I will play around with it a bit
 
16 channel dvr with a bunch of cameras around the house and in the yard. Mostly use them to see what noise happened at night or which direction the errant shirt flew when it was blown off the line.

Have watched some scumbags try break into my garage after breaking my front gate and managed to see the moment my son broke his collar bone.
 
No.

Firstly, I can see outside because we don't have a 10 foot wall all around our perimeter. I think a lot of people build the wall and then it's human nature to get anxious because you can't see any more. Now you have a control centre in your kitchen instead of just being able to look out the window.

I'm skeptical that cameras have any effect on security. How is it supposed to work? Every time I've ever seen a crook on a camera it's the same thing - a guy wearing a hoodie, looking suspicious. B/M or a C/M, who knows, it's dark. What are you going to do with that? Tell your neighbourhood watch to be on the lookout for suspicious males? Lol. Now maybe if there's a proper crime like murder that someone might actually do some detective work on, some CCTV could be useful, but not on my house specifically.

As for deterrent effect, I think that's counteracted by the fact you've dropped 10s of grand on your perimeter in the first place. That just tells the professional housebreaking gang that you have some multiple of that worth going inside for. They can probably calculate it within a few Rand based on your very obvious signals. Then they go in with your wife in her car, on camera.
Which country you are living in?

It's definitely not South Africa
 
No.

Firstly, I can see outside because we don't have a 10 foot wall all around our perimeter. I think a lot of people build the wall and then it's human nature to get anxious because you can't see any more. Now you have a control centre in your kitchen instead of just being able to look out the window.
Palisade walls are a thing.
I'm skeptical that cameras have any effect on security. How is it supposed to work? Every time I've ever seen a crook on a camera it's the same thing - a guy wearing a hoodie, looking suspicious. B/M or a C/M, who knows, it's dark. What are you going to do with that? Tell your neighbourhood watch to be on the lookout for suspicious males? Lol. Now maybe if there's a proper crime like murder that someone might actually do some detective work on, some CCTV could be useful, but not on my house specifically.
Cameras deter criminals from entering your property. There are plenty of options if you're skeptical. Try a tracking camera with spotlight built in. Also, getting an audible buzz in your home when a person is detected on your property is a fantastic advance warning. What you do with that is up to you - call the cops, call the neighbourhood watch, swear at them out the window.... or just ignore them.
As for deterrent effect, I think that's counteracted by the fact you've dropped 10s of grand on your perimeter in the first place. That just tells the professional housebreaking gang that you have some multiple of that worth going inside for. They can probably calculate it within a few Rand based on your very obvious signals. Then they go in with your wife in her car, on camera.
Uh, no, there are a couple of types of criminals, the most common being opportunistic criminals who go for soft targets without obvious security. Your home and suburb are a dead giveaway, but that doesn't deter criminals from stealing from shackdwellers.
 
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