Home Security - Looking for a needle in a hay stack as always

[Alfisti]

Why is everything so damn difficult all the time?

Any help here would be appreciated. I am looking for a combination flood light and camera that saves locally and NOT TO A CLOUD (someone elses computer) but also allows me to view my shit on an app.

The only one I can find is EUFY but a) they only come in white (I really need brown on black) and b) EUFY is owned by the Chinese ffs so I am not sure if they can tap in from the mothership if I just save locally to the SD card? I suspect they can because it needs to use the app.

Philips has one in black https://www.philips-hue.com/en-ca/p/...aw.ds#overview seems only saves to the cloud. Same with Arlo https://www.arlo.com/en-us/light/arl...ht-camera.html

Is there anything else out there or am I stuck with the above? I am prepared to go more old school but want to be able to view things on my phone not just a PC.

[bagekko]

I think the Swann or Defender POE systems have floodlight devices in addition to their cameras. The wifi cameras can be added to the wired PoE systems. I wish Ring would provide some sort of local storage at least if wifi is down. In my next home I might go with a more robust PoE system, but Ring makes it tough when doorbell, locks, alarm components, cameras, smoke, etc all in one app.

https://us.swann.com/

[Alfisti]

Thanks! On paper Swann work, they have a flood/camera/wired product that saves locally and has an app! Great right?

Then............

Swann was initially founded in Melbourne, Australia until purchased by an American/Chinese company called Infinova. The majority stakeholder for Infinova is a Chinese company

IS ANYTHING NOT CHINESE?

[omega2733]

Good luck, unless you go to a NVR everything else is either chinese or to the cloud. There's no money for them to make in local NVR storage compared to cloud services.

Eufy had a huge issue where everything saved locally was still being uploaded to external servers. Not to mention the open API issue that let anyone view anything basically.

[Alfisti]

Urrrggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. So if I went NVR, I can only view on my monitors attached to the NVR, there's no apps?

Sorry for the dumb questions but it's brutal trying to find answers. I have tried to talk to two recommended "security" guys but they both work with only one line of products and think very narrowly.

[bagekko]

I briefly read the about, and it was TL, lost focus, and missed that blerb. Yeah tough to find and so many companies make it difficult to determine where manufactured and owned by whom.

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Thanks! On paper Swann work, they have a flood/camera/wired product that saves locally and has an app! Great right?

Then............

Swann was initially founded in Melbourne, Australia until purchased by an American/Chinese company called Infinova. The majority stakeholder for Infinova is a Chinese company

IS ANYTHING NOT CHINESE?

[omega2733]

Some of them do some of them don't. I use a unifi NVR with a local setup which allows me to access it via an app and also via the internet outside of my local network.

However, everything is stored locally, accessible via an app and notifications happen in real-time.

The downside is expense is high, especially up-front compared to a cloud type device.

You can also look at something like a Synology NAS and run their surveillance software with a few cameras (they have huge camera support). Some of them are wifi cams (probably what you want, akin to a cloud type camera), a lot of these though are power over ethernet needing wiring.

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by omega2733

You can also look at something like a Synology NAS and run their surveillance software with a few cameras (they have huge camera support). Some of them are wifi cams (probably what you want, akin to a cloud type camera), a lot of these though are power over ethernet needing wiring.

Synology is ...........Chinese! I have an Asuster NAS and yeah, CHINESE! I am prepared to bin it if I need to.

This is a fucking nightmare.

[omega2733]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Synology is ...........Chinese! I have an Asuster NAS and yeah, CHINESE! I am prepared to bin it if I need to.

This is a fucking nightmare.

Check out Unifi, but it's expensive, however american.

I've been noticing that a lot of companies are now owned by a majority Chinese shareholder or otherwise has a huge investment stake.

It's clear this is a trend that's increasing in velocity and only becoming more prevalent.

[M_Six]

Synology is Taiwanese, not Chinese. If that makes any difference. I run Amcrest cameras on my Synology NAS (actually two NAS boxes). There are ways to keep the cams from phoning home. I don't worry about it too much since all my cams are exterior. If someone in China or wherever wants to watch raccoons eating the cat food or deer frolicking around my yard, so be it. But I seriously doubt anyone is watching. It's boring AF.

There always Eve. They tout their privacy and it works with Apple Homekit Secure Video if you have an Apple TV box or a Home Pod. It's even available in black.

https://www.evehome.com/en-us/eve-outdoor-cam

[Addbuyer]

Reolink

[Mason Hatcher]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Why is everything so damn difficult all the time?

Any help here would be appreciated. I am looking for a combination flood light and camera that saves locally and NOT TO A CLOUD (someone elses computer) but also allows me to view my shit on an app.

The only one I can find is EUFY but a) they only come in white (I really need brown on black) and b) EUFY is owned by the Chinese ffs so I am not sure if they can tap in from the mothership if I just save locally to the SD card? I suspect they can because it needs to use the app.

Philips has one in black https://www.philips-hue.com/en-ca/p/...aw.ds#overview seems only saves to the cloud. Same with Arlo https://www.arlo.com/en-us/light/arl...ht-camera.html

Is there anything else out there or am I stuck with the above? I am prepared to go more old school but want to be able to view things on my phone not just a PC.

Arlo saves to the could, but you can also do local storage.

[zx10guy]

LTS Security.

Their cameras are Hikvision cameras with their own firmware. LTS Security is a US based company. You can use their cameras with a NVR or have local storage via SD card installed in the camera. I'm running Hikvision cameras in my primary home now with their NVR. Hikvision also has a mobile app to view live streams or recorded video on their NVR. The Hikvision equipment I own is at least 10 years old and still running.

When I get around to it, I'll be getting a full LTS Security system and moving the existing Hikvision system to my vacation home.

I've also heard good things about Reolink which is also an option I'm considering when I finally pull the trigger to buy the new equipment.

[zx10guy]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Urrrggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. So if I went NVR, I can only view on my monitors attached to the NVR, there's no apps?

Sorry for the dumb questions but it's brutal trying to find answers. I have tried to talk to two recommended "security" guys but they both work with only one line of products and think very narrowly.

The Hikvision NVR I'm using allows me to run a web browser to access live streams and recorded video. I can also do the same with their mobile app.

[Alfisti]

Hikvision is Chinese

[dreamingat30fps]

Bro, just learn Chinese and accept it.

[zx10guy]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Hikvision is Chinese

But I said LTS Security is not.

[cooolone2]

Oh boy... Chinese, used to be Japan, whatever! It's not like you're securing Fort Knox so take a breath...

Unless you put in a wired system, you've already failed! Battery power Backup as well for both the system and your router! POE is the easiest way to wire the system today and you can get decent systems and equipment in POE as well. But if you want a tight system it's too much to discuss here... But for the average homeowner, any packaged system will suffice!

Good Luck!