A camera mounted on a window can help protect property near your home from theft and vandalism. In many cases, wrongdoers think twice about breaking the law under a recording camera's watch. And if an offense does happen, you'll have solid evidence to bring to the police — the footage itself.

The most important thing when setting up window video surveillance is choosing and installing the right camera. That's what this article is about.

Why Do You Need a Camera on Your Window?

Every day, drivers battle it out over free parking spots and access in courtyards. It's not uncommon to find dents, scratches, or missing items from the car's interior in the morning. In situations like this, you naturally want to find the culprit and hold them accountable. But how do you do that if there are no witnesses?

This is where a window-mounted camera comes in. If you can't move your car to a parking lot or garage, the device will:

  • •         Monitor what's happening inside the car (helping prevent theft)
  • •         Keep an eye on what's going on in the yard around the car

4 Key Selection Criteria

For the camera to deliver the results you expect, you need to approach the selection process thoughtfully. Buying the cheapest device available isn't the best solution.

The essential minimum for a camera mounted on an apartment window:

  • •         High light sensitivity or built-in IR illumination
  • •         High recording resolution — that is, the ability to recognize faces and license plates
  • •         A wide field of view
  • •         A durable housing
  • •         Remote monitoring and the ability to receive phone notifications

That's why we recommend using modern cloud video surveillance systems. They're cost-effective, portable, and easy to use.

Sensor Sensitivity

The size of the sensor determines the quality of the footage at night. If sensitivity is low, you'll need to add illumination — but the image quality will still suffer.

To avoid problems with evening and nighttime footage, choose models with:

  • •         Built-in illumination
  • •         A sensor sensitivity of 0 lux
  • •         A “Day/Night” mode

A camera like this will switch to night mode automatically, so image quality won't be affected.

Resolution

A camera's resolution determines the level of detail and image sharpness. A low-resolution device won't work well for monitoring things from a distance. If you need a clear picture along with facial recognition and fine detail, it's better to choose a camera with a resolution of at least 500 px/m.

Lens Functionality

Every camera comes with a lens, but it's best to select the optics based on your specific needs. For example:

  • •         If you need to monitor a vehicle right next to the window, a narrow focus will be enough
  • •         If you need to identify a person's face and/or the vehicle is parked far from the window, it's better to choose broader optical capabilities

If you need a versatile, all-purpose solution, a varifocal lens is a good fit.

Housing

The camera is installed on the outside of the window. You need to factor in how precipitation and low temperatures affect the device's performance, as well as the possibility of physical tampering by wrongdoers. A camera with a vandal-resistant housing will last and maintain its image quality for years.

Faceter as an Alternative

The HIKVISION brand rose to popularity several years ago thanks to mass production of its models in China and aggressive marketing. Leading countries are now moving away from using these models, replacing them with more reliable and secure alternatives.

We recommend the Faceter cloud service. With it, there's no need to buy expensive equipment or additional accessories for video surveillance.

All you need is an IP camera and a regular smartphone to use as your monitor — one that's always with you and will notify you if something unusual happens.

Advantages of the Faceter cloud service:

  • •         Real-time monitoring of what's happening
  • •         Facial and license plate recognition capability
  • •         Simple equipment setup and window installation
  • •         A high level of data protection in the cloud, since all information is compressed and encrypted

The cost of cloud video surveillance includes a monthly payment for internet access and your plan, plus a one-time camera purchase.

Conclusion

Choosing equipment for outdoor video surveillance is always a challenge: you want to save money without sacrificing quality. The best and most popular video surveillance option in 2021 is cloud services, which securely protect and store information. They also don't require major financial outlay, are easy to install, and run 24/7 without interruptions. Faceter is a service that meets all of these criteria.