How to choose a video peephole (door peephole with a video camera)

Are you afraid for the safety of your home, a child or wife are afraid to open doors without seeing who is behind her? All these problems will go away if you install a video peephole for the front door. Depending on the model, this can be a device that simply transmits an image to a monitor, takes notes or pictures, serves as an intercom, and even sends photographs of visitors to your phone. In general, a peephole (or video call) can be helpful.

What is a video peephole and its purpose

A video peephole for an entrance door in its simplest form is a miniature video camera, next to which an infrared LED is mounted. The camera is connected to a small indoor monitor. The signal from the camera goes to the monitor, so you can see the visitors on the screen. There are many varieties with different functionality, but the simplest option is just that.

One of the options (not quite simple)

A video peephole is needed in order to know who you are opening doors to. An ordinary peephole in this regard does not always save. First, if you stand to the side of the door, even large-format devices will not see anyone. Secondly, the clarity of the image is very low, especially in poor lighting, and in the dark you will not see anything at all. The camcorder gives a wider viewing angle (from 90 to 180 °), it can be equipped with a backlight. Thirdly, it is possible to record, take photos, send notifications to the phone. In general, a video peephole for an entrance door can have a wide range of functions.

Power supply for the video eye

There are many varieties of this equipment. The first thing to pay attention to is nutrition. It can be submitted from:

• a converter included in 220 V;
• batteries built into the device;
• built-in rechargeable batteries;
• external batteries

It seems difficult to pull wires to the door. It is necessary to make the transition of the cable from the wall to the door leaf, extend the cable to the video device. Troubled, but batteries do not last very long (you can forget to change), and good rechargeable batteries, although they provide several months of operation, are expensive. If you need a budget model, a 200 V front door peephole will cost less with the same camera parameters.

When powered from 220 V, a flexible transition must be made from the side of the loops

So it turns out that the best option is power supply through a converter from 220 V. But, in this case, there is no light - the video eye does not work. If you want to have a video peephole for the front door that works under any conditions, it makes sense to look for an option with a redundant power supply (220V + batteries or rechargeable batteries).

Inclusion methods

The simpler options for video door peepers start working after you receive the doorbell. In such models, the call button is usually built into the same panel where the camera's peephole is. When installing such a device, you will not be aware of the visitors who are door bell did not call. This type of device is also called "video call". This is because often the camera is activated after pressing the bell button.

The doorbell button is usually located on the same panel as the video camera

Another type of video eye has built-in motion detectors. It starts to work when moving objects appear in the area of ​​the sensor. By installing such a device, you will know about all the visitors. True, the question remains open: whether some kind of alarm is needed or not.If there is no alarm, in a situation where the person does not call, you will only know that someone is standing under the door if you look at the monitor. If the audible alarm is turned on, it can be annoying in case of false alarms (they are not excluded). A video signal can be considered a compromise - a lighting bulb, for example.

How the signal is transmitted

Next, you need to choose where and in what way the signal from the video camera will be output. There are two options here:

• wire transmission;
• wireless Wi-Fi transmission.

Wired models of video eyes transmit the signal from the video camera via an optical cable to the monitor. Many initially assume the installation of a monitor on the inside of the door. You can see who called your door only by going to the door. Not very convenient.

You can generally buy only a video eyelet without monitors and connect it to the existing ones

In most models, the image can be displayed on another screen without using additional equipment (modern TV, for example). If desired, you can place the monitor at some distance from the door. Also, the video signal can be output to two or more video devices. All this is more convenient, but you have to lay cables.

You can output the signal to a monitor with a common input

Models transmitting images via Wi-Fi are more convenient in this regard. The video signal is not transmitted via cables, but using a coded radio signal. The distance is limited only by the transmitter power. The disadvantage of a wireless video eye is the high price (in the region of $ 150-200), since it is a more complex system that processes signals. In fact, it is a digital device with its own control module and memory. On our market there are i-Corder Radio, iHome 4 (Rollup i4), Black Fortress. The listed models are powered by internal rechargeable batteries, a charger is included. There is a cheaper SITITEK Eye, which is indistinguishable from a regular eye. It costs half as much, transmits a signal wirelessly, but does not record.

Wireless models can be distinguished by the presence of an antenna

But the wireless WiFi video peephole for the front door has broader functionality: for example, it can send photos of visitors to your phone, no matter where you are, and will provide some other bonuses.

With or without recording

You also need to decide whether you need a visitor record or not. The cheapest wired models of video eyes do not have this feature. If you want to see who came to you while you were not at home, look for a video peephole for the front door with a recording. They work on the principle of video recorders, they have a built-in motion sensor. An object appeared in the field of view, recording started.

A record is needed if there are concerns about the safety of your home

Recording can be made to the internal memory (you can view it only by connecting it with a cable to an electronic device) or to a memory card. But it is worth remembering that after the free memory is used, the new information is stored over the old. That is, it is only available for viewing for a certain period of time. The duration of this period depends on the volume of the medium on which the information is written and on the frequency of visits.

Additional features

One interesting option is a peephole with a video camera and built-in microphone / speakers. Such devices allow you to negotiate with visitors without opening the door. In some models (with recording), the visitor can leave an audio message. Some models allow you to zoom in on an object that is displayed on the screen. This will allow people with poor eyesight to better see the visitor.

Send photos of visitors to your phone, tablet

There is a video peephole for the entrance door with a GSM module. It is they who can send photos of visitors to the phone in real time (if your mobile device is online).In addition, if you have a microphone and speakers, you can talk to the visitor via mobile communication. At the same time, he will not understand that you are not at home. This option will allow you not to miss an important visitor, even if you are forced to leave home. Examples are SITITEK i8, WiFi / GSM Proline PR-iHome4. i-Corder Sensor GSM. The cost of this equipment is different - from $ 70 to $ 250. The point is the quality of cameras, the availability of additional functions and equipment. Not all of these devices come with monitors. Since the picture can be transmitted to a TV or mobile device, it is not always necessary to have a monitor near the front door.

There is an IP video peephole for the front door. It differs in that, in addition to writing information to a memory card, it can send it to cloud storage (to YandexDisk or GoogleDisk, any other similar storage).

Technical specifications

Since the video peephole for the front door is a technical device, it is worth choosing it according to its parameters and characteristics. Moreover, the characteristics of the peephole and the screen can be considered separately, since there is only a video peephole on sale without a monitor, but you can find models with the same peephole / camera parameters and with different screens.

When choosing, you need to look at the technical characteristics.

Cameras

The first thing to pay attention to is the color of the transmitted image. If desired, you can find cameras that transmit black and white images. These are the most inexpensive models. The second selection parameter is the angle of view of the camera. They come in two categories:

• Normal view: range 90-120 °. They should be installed if the entrance to the room is at the end of a long corridor.
• Wide view - coverage angle 160-180 °. Wide-angle (video cameras give a practical full overview, are installed on the entrance doors of private houses, apartments with direct access to the staircase.

Peephole cameras with a wide viewing angle are much more expensive. If your apartment is located at the end of a long and narrow corridor, there is no point in contemplating two sections of adjoining walls. In addition, optics with a smaller viewing angle give a clear image from a distance of 3 meters, panoramic - from 2 meters.

One example of a panel with a video camera, bell, speaker / microphone, LED backlight

Next, you need to decide on the length of the case of the door video eye. It shouldn't be less than the thickness of your door. For an ordinary non-insulated metal or wooden door, standard options are suitable. The slight difference in the thickness of the entrance door (3-4 cm) is compensated for by the fact that the body usually consists of two parts, connected by means of a thread. For very thick doors, look for special models that have a long body length.

It is worth paying attention to the range of the camera. It depends on the power of the backlight and on the quality of the camera itself. The maximum range is declared to be up to 5 meters, you can actually see people's faces at a distance of 2-3 meters. By the way, black and white have better low light sensitivity.

Monitor / Display

If we talk about the characteristics of the display / monitor, then the main thing is its size and the number of pixels in the matrix. A clear image is obtained at a monitor resolution of 1280 * 720. The smaller one will give a more blurry picture, and the larger one is useless - you are not going to play.

Connection is simple

The video call monitor can be ordinary or touch. If the matrix is ​​normal, the control is mechanical. These are small buttons that are on the side or bottom. If the monitor is touch-sensitive, control is like on a smartphone - using icons and pop-up menus.

Choices: intercom with video camera, video camera or video peephole

Sometimes it is not entirely clear why an intercom with a built-in camera and a home monitor is cheaper than a peephole with a camera and a monitor. The point is in the components. Intercoms usually use the cheapest video cameras, with a small viewing angle - no more than 90 °.In addition, they have a very short range. Most of it can give a more or less clear picture at a distance of 0.4-0.6 meters from the camera's eye. Everything that is outside is not subject to identification, you simply will not see who is standing there. Therefore, the difference in price is understandable.

Crisp images over long distances are essential

Another point: in the case of an intercom, there is no way to record. Perhaps there are such models of intercoms, but it is difficult to find them, since the cost is high.

If we compare a video eyelet with a video camera, then the cameras seem to have more advantages:

• The camera can be placed where it is difficult to reach. The video peephole is simply closed with chewing gum, sticker, paint.
• You can position the camera so that the desired zones are in the visibility zone.

But there is one thing: in Russia, Ukraine, individuals are prohibited from using covert video surveillance. This action is a criminal offense (in Russia 138 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Installing a miniature camera without announcing surveillance is covered by this article. Installing a video peephole - no.