Simplisafe one of the leaders in the DIY home security market have announced at last that they are adding home surveillance cameras to their roster. Not only have they made great changes to their initial security system with the relaunch of Simplisafe 2. But now they have completed the circuit with the next logical step to take, adding a camera system.

No doubt it will be able to hook up to the central alarm system. Simplisafe already integrate flood, fire and gas alerts into their wireless systems, so we can only see them connecting the cameras as well. So not only will you be able to check which alarm zone caused a warning alert, you will now be able to check the live feed footage from the cameras as well.

There are several systems that already allow for this, so it will only add another string to the bow of Simplisafe and make them more competitive for anyone who wants a complete alarm and surveillance system. – Be sure to check out our indepth simplisafe review which discusses all their home security system options.

Does Simplisafe Have The Money

Simplisafe got $57 million in funding last year from Sequoia Capital so it seems that they have taken the step to pump some of this into the research and design of a new CCTV system. The cameras have not hit the market just yet, but Simplisafe have announced that a product launch is coming soon.

Let’s hope they take that cutting edge 3G tamper proof technology with inexpensive monitoring fees and also apply it to the new cameras.

One of the reasons Simplisafe do so well is the breath of features offered for the price. You no longer need to pay expensive monitoring charges with their products. You can if you wish pay for a monitoring solution, but it is not a necessity, you can self monitor.

Simplisafe Cameras Update

update as of 14th April 2016 – yet again Simplisafe have postponed the launch of their new security cameras. The interest is getting intense which leaves many people wondering are they perfecting their cameras for market domination giving their standing in the home security market?

There has been some pre-release details about the camera specs. They are touted to be 720p and have 2 way voice communication. Although given the slow release time they may need to be upgraded to 4K but the time they make it onto the market! Auto night vision and motion heat detection is also reported.

We would here at Personal Sec liked to have seen a 1080p resolution camera. But perhaps that’s what they are going back to the lab to work on. There is certainly stiff competition in the market and brands like Arlo are sleek and have a lot going for them that initially Simplisafe has not even tried to match (magnetic mounts, sleek design, 130 degree viewing angle).

Simplisafe have a massive market share in home security and one of the most attractive features has been their low costs. So perhaps this is where they will forge a victorious march into the CCTV domain. They also have to option to package their cameras in with their home security systems. Could be very appealing for the DIY no monitoring fee market.

It seems puzzling indeed that a giant in the home security market cannot get their act together and finally push the launch button.

Or could it be the build up to something very special, and not just hype……only time (more, yawn) will tell….

Simplifying the playback of complex video feeds from a multitude of cameras has always been a problem. I’m talking about street level CCTV security or large corporation security whereby you would have a control room with an army of monitors streaming live footage from a multitude of locations. Usually due to analogue technology you’d run into these problems.

Inefficient Analogue Technology

Simplifying the display of multiple cameras from multiple sources has always been a challenge. Early analogue system used multiplexers and matrix switches coupled with many monitors. This created great complexity and cost. Control rooms were very large areas that required many operators. Energy to operate these control rooms was very high. Today, modern technology has enabled the simplification of the control room and the display of video sources along with other vital information. – courtesy of Source Security

So what’s the solution?

Splicing video walls normally use LCD screens (LED backlight) with a very slim physical bezel, which is quite important when displaying an image across several monitors. The most common bezel in the market is around 5.5 millimetres. Dahua is proud to offer industry leading bezel sizes from 3.5mm. Dahua video wall monitors are available in 46” and 55” panel sizes. The displays have brightness levels from 500 nits to 700 nits to ensure a good view in all ambient light settings. All of the display panels are designed for 24/7 operation.

The surveillance industry requirement for video splicing walls far exceeds the requirements of digital signage applications. The surveillance application requires many types of inputs from devices including: IPCs, DVRs, NVRs; local HDMI/DVI/VGA video signals; and the number of the channels are often above 200. The ability to view many inputs with a single output or arrange inputs and outputs to meet the specific requirement can be challenging. Read more here.

Sounds like a plan. Now that 4k has arrived monitors need to be upgraded to cope and display all the footage that security personnel need to keep an eye on. When they are doing it live for the security forces or police, it will make spotting potential offenders much easier and it will also be useful for convictions, as the resolution will be a lot higher.

These upgrades might take a while before they drop down in price for the average consumer to be able to instal them. 4K monitors are not really a necessity for the home market just yet, unless you like everything to be high end and can afford to pay for it. A lot of people use the smaller screens of their smart phones for monitoring only when they get a motion alert, or after a crime has happened. Not many homeowners need a dedicated control room yet,unless they also have to hire a close protection operative due to the nature of their work, title or accrued fame. That means not a very large lot of us.

Apple have announced they are getting into home security with SIRI. Now you know how fond we are of Z Wave Devices being used for home security, but seriously SIRI can you trust it? Ask Jimmy Kimmel:

[p1vc-video]

Now with Amazon set to stock these controllable devices the sky is the limit as the ever gregarious Google gets in on a multi-billion dollar industry. Here’s the deal-breaker action straight from the Philly Inquirer.

On Tuesday, Siri’s corporate parent, Apple Inc., unveiled the first wave of home automation products sporting a “Works with Apple HomeKit” logo. Among them are light dimmers from Lutron, Elgato air and security monitors, an Ecobee thermostat, iHome SmartPlugs, and an Insteon smart home hub.Apple HomeKit features product compatibility with a new Apple-tuned communications and control platform built on the iOS 8 operating system for tablets and phones, plus a special chip in each HomeKit-branded device.

“But voice control is what really sets HomeKit apart,” said Matt Swatsky, product development manager for Lutron, the global giant in lighting control based in Coopersburg, and a participant in the HomeKit product launch.

“If you’ve activated the ‘Hey, Siri’ alert function on your Apple phone or tablet, you don’t even have to press the home button on the device, let alone open an app. A phone sitting on your night table will wake up and react to your voice when you say ‘Hey, Siri, turn off the downstairs lights.’ ”

That feat is achievable with Lutron’s “generation 2” Caseta Wireless dimmers, lamp dimmers and control bridge debuting this week in Apple stores – Lutron’s first products sold there.

“And with third-party apps on the way, you’ll be able to trigger several actions at once. Say, issue a ‘go to sleep’ command that also turns down a thermostat and makes sure all the doors and windows are closed,” Swatsky said.

During arecent HomeKit audition, the voice-activated Caseta light switching seemed instantaneous, even though the command “goes up to the cloud and back again,” Swatsky said. “It’s also possible to send HomeKit commands from a location out of the house, but to do so you’ll need a third-generation Apple TV to receive, then relay the messages.”

Meanwhile, Malvern product developer Zonoff, the brains behind the Staples Connect-branded home-control system, was not a party to the Apple HomeKit launch Tuesday. Still, Zonoff’s chief marketing officer, Kevin Garton, thinks heightened consumer awareness that Apple and other big players are bringing will help even the rivals and especially Zonoff’s “works with-almost-everybody” control system strategy.

“Last week, Google announced Project Brillo, a light, Android-based control system that could be cost effective for installing in small appliances,” Garton said. “Amazon and Microsoft will have announcements in the next few months. When large technology players get involved in a market, it’s ready for mass adoption. They’re not interested in a hundred million business. They’re interested in a billion dollar business.”

 

Are You Google Happy

So another venture into a potentailly lucrative market for Google then. Home security is all about security. Are you sure you would be happy sending all your personal data to Google’s servers? Everything Google does is about capturing data- for market research. Then they use that data to sell you products, to sell advertising space to their clients, for Google Adwords, the sponsored search results. Google are not an advertiser, they are the world’s biggest advertiser. They may sell products, they may have launched the watch, the failed Google glasses, and hope to push forward the future with the driverless car. Now home security.

I’m not so sure i would like all my personal data, pin codes, security codes and all that entails floating about in “encrypted cyber space”. Think i’ll keep my dog in active service duty as well as my alarm systems. Won’t be moving to a cyber dog any time too soon.