People often wonder whether outdoor cameras are necessary at all. If you think about it, the same result can be achieved by simply placing an indoor camera next to the window, pointing it at the garden or front yard. Doing so not only spares you from messy installation – outdoor cameras need to be screwed to a wall or an object – but devices indoors are exposed to less dirt and therefore easier to clean and maintain. You won’t need to worry about any extreme weather conditions either. Unfortunately, this clever solution isn’t as simple as it might first seem and recklessly setting up a camera without forethought will only lead to dismal results.
Potential problems when using cameras behind windows
Mounting a filming device next to the window or a glassy surface will immediately lower the expected video quality since there will be an extra layer between the lens and the target. This would be an acceptable loss if it weren’t for the flare effect that totally ruins the footage. Window glare comes from multiple sources such as the sharp headlights of a nearby car, ambient differences between the brightly lit room and the dark garden, or the infrared LED light of the camera itself that creates a reflection on the glass. This effect resembles a solar hot spot that covers half of the screen in bright orange light, effectively obscuring any actions happening in that area.
Glass flare isn’t the only nuisance you will have to deal with. Window panels also threaten the camera’s motion sensing ability. Old-fashioned recorders with passive infrared sensors cannot be expected to work reliably due to these above-mentioned reasons, though advanced models that use software to measure changes in the footage should still work fine from behind glass.
How to make the most out of this solution
If you are hell-bent on monitoring your home’s perimeter from the inside, there are a few tips to help negate any common hiccups. First of all, make sure the camera is placed as close to window as possible. For this purpose consider purchasing a suction cup mount. Secondly, try to prevent glare from happening by turning off the camera’s IR lights or installing special infrared illuminators outside, although this would defeat the whole point of not having expensive electronic devices outdoors. In addition, ensure that the interior’s lights won’t create a reflection by placing the recorder in a black box or by covering it with a towel. And a final note: wash the windows regularly!