Suck it up and pay the sub – security cameras are probably cheaper and better this way!

I know a lot about smart home security cameras. I've literally written the book on the smart home. No, really. It was published by Hachette, one of the biggest publishing companies in the world. But, curiously, I think my extensive research might have made me a little narrow-minded about most people's needs. Sometimes I've ended up offering the wrong advice, albeit for the best of reasons. Allow me to explain.

The thing is, many home security cameras are now sold by brands into 'ecosystems', so if you buy a security camera you're more or less stuck buying additional cameras from the same brand. And many of those don't deliver all their features unless you use the associated cloud service.

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A cloud service means your security cameras will connect to the internet and to a remote computer using your home internet connection, possibly wirelessly, possibly using wires. Wireless is the easiest to install but carries the downside that there will be batteries, so recharging/replacement is needed.

Maintaining that remote computer – and doing so securely – is also a cost for the company that supplies your camera, and it will definitely seek to not only cover that cost but make a profit from a subscription fee. Guiding people against this kind of subscription was my stock in trade because those costs can really mount up, especially when you have multiple cameras.

Most companies, like Ring, charge a certain amount for the first camera, and then more if you have multiple cameras and different levels of recording of data – ($4.99 to $19.99 a month in the USA, or £4.99 to £19.99 per month in the UK, depending on the features – but at least 9.99 needed for more than one camera).

Now that isn't free. But it does make the cameras a lot cheaper. Especially the ones from Ring during Amazon Prime (assuming, that is, you're an Amazon Prime member). Why? Well, if you didn't know already, Ring is an Amazon-owned company.

Now I don't know for sure, but I suspect that Amazon has some incentive to promote sales, and when you see the discounts available during events like Prime there does seem to be some evidence to that effect. Compare and contrast the price of the Ring Pan Tilt cam to some other retailers...

So the hardware – never that expensive – is suddenly very inexpensive. But the software

it also comes with a month of the app with all the features so you can decide whether you want them and this, ultimately, is the thing I have changed my mind on.

Don't get me wrong, I still strongly see the merits of building your own system with your own. recording device, but – for just $10 / £10 a month – it'll actually take quite a long time to pay for the equivalent of a NVR (Network Video Recorder), the kind of recording device you'd need for a proper CCTV system.

Moreover, in reality, video stored remotely and securely is, well, probably more secure than something physically on your property that can be accessed and damaged.

I came to this conclusion from personal experience. I had tested the Ring system on numerous occasions as a journalist, using the 30 days (which is open to anyone who buys a Ring device from Amazon).

A few months back, though, I moved in with my girlfriend and installed the Ring app and made more use of the system. I was impressed that she was able to connect me to the cameras to give me some access (but not the same as hers as the owner of the system). I was also impressed with the convenience and usability that she and I found with the cameras – remotely or at home.

Everything seemed a lot easier, the features more extensive, and, in practice, the cost premium was not as high (for a long time it's actually lower) than I sometimes estimated. I can now understand the advantages of living with Ring.

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