Can a Wireless Video Doorbell Really Make Me Safer?
By now, you have probably seen the commercials advertising video doorbells that you can install to help prevent burglaries. The good news is that here at Uxari we carry these devices along with numerous other pieces you can choose from to build a customized security system for your home. Having said that, a question frequently heard from security customers is whether a wireless video doorbell really makes things any safer. In a word, yes.
At first glance, it may seem like adding a DIY security camera to a doorbell is just a way for equipment companies to sell more products. But it’s not. When you step back and take the time to learn how burglars go about their business, a video doorbell is actually quite ingenious.
Burglars Are Careful Criminals
TV and movies often portray burglars using one of two extremes. They are portrayed as either highly scheming criminals that case neighborhoods for weeks or months before selecting their victims, or they are portrayed as bumbling fools whose hapless attempts at crime easily land them in jail. Neither portrayal is accurate.
The average burglar does spend a minimal amount of time casing neighborhoods. He/she is looking for houses that appear to be unoccupied, with parents off to work and children at school. He/she is also looking for houses that appear to have careless owners who do not take the necessary steps to protect against burglary. But, before attempting to enter even the easiest looking target, your average burglar will try to determine if anyone is home. Ringing the front doorbell is the most common and effective way of doing this.
If a burglar rings a doorbell and no one answers, he/she assumes the house is vacant. Should someone come to the door, the burglar poses as a salesperson and then goes on his/her way to the next home. A video doorbell gives homeowners the advantage because burglars never know whether someone truly is home or not. They can be as careful as possible and still be left clueless.
How the Video Doorbell Works
The video doorbell is a piece of technology combining a traditional wireless doorbell with a DIY security camera that can be accessed via the internet. These doorbells are very easy to install with a minimal amount of time and just a few tools. Once installed, users can log on and set up their devices using a computer or mobile device.
When someone approaches the front door and rings the doorbell, the wireless device sends some kind of alert to the homeowner via smartphone. This can be a text, e-mail or push notification. The owner can then bring up the associated app complete with a video feed. The owner can also communicate with the person at the front door through the wireless internet connection between them.
How does this help? Because the homeowner can make it appear that he or she is home even if that is not the case. The person at the front door does not have the luxury of seeing a video feed; only the voice is heard over a built-in loudspeaker. A potential burglar has no way of knowing whether the voice he/she is hearing is just on the other side of the door or thousands of miles away.
The key to defeating burglars is to put a seed of doubt in their minds. If the amount of risk they face in burglarizing your home is enough to cause them concern, they will find another target. The video doorbell with a built-in DIY security camera accomplishes this nicely.
