Understanding Recording Options on Your Honeywell Camera
If you've been searching through the settings on your Honeywell Home or Resideo smart camera for a 'continuous video recording' (CVR) option, you may be wondering why you can't find it. The simple reason is that the majority of these consumer security cameras are not designed for 24/7 recording. This guide explains how they work and how to get the most out of their recording features.
## Event-Based Recording vs. Continuous Recording
It's important to understand the fundamental difference between two types of recording.
- Continuous Video Recording (CVR): This is when a camera records 24/7 without stopping. This method captures everything but requires a huge amount of storage space and bandwidth, and is typically found on more traditional, professional CCTV systems.
- Event-Based Recording: This is the method used by Honeywell and many other modern smart cameras. The camera remains in a low-power monitoring state and only begins to record a video clip when it detects an event, such as motion or sound.
Honeywell cameras are event-based recorders. They are designed this way to be more efficient, using less internet bandwidth and making it easier for you to find important moments without searching through hours of empty footage.
## How Your Honeywell Camera Records and Stores Video
When your camera detects motion or sound, it 'wakes up' and records a video clip of the event. This clip is then encrypted and uploaded to your secure cloud storage account.
- No SD Card: These cameras do not have a microSD card slot. All recordings are stored in the cloud. This ensures that your footage is safe even if the camera is stolen or damaged.
- Subscription Plans: The length of the recorded clips and how long they are stored in the cloud is determined by your subscription plan.
- Free Plan: Typically offers a rolling 24-hour history of clips.
- Paid Plans: Offer longer storage periods, often 14 to 30 days, allowing you more time to review and save important videos.
## How to Maximise Your Camera's Effectiveness
Since you can't enable continuous recording, the key is to fine-tune the event detection settings to ensure you capture everything that matters.
- Adjust Sensitivity Levels: In the Honeywell Home (or Resideo) app, go to your camera's settings. You will find options for Motion Sensitivity and Sound Sensitivity. If you feel the camera is missing events, try increasing the sensitivity. If you are getting too many alerts for trivial things (like shadows), try decreasing the sensitivity.
- Set Up Motion Zones: Many Honeywell models allow you to create 'motion detection zones'. This lets you select specific parts of the camera's view to monitor. For example, you can draw a zone over your doorway and garden path, while ignoring a busy street to avoid unnecessary recordings.
- Review and Download Clips: Get into the habit of checking your event timeline. If you see an important clip, be sure to download it to your phone for permanent storage, especially if you are on a plan with a shorter video history.
While your Honeywell camera doesn't offer continuous recording, its smart, event-based system is a powerful and efficient way to monitor your home. By customising the detection settings, you can create a reliable security setup that alerts you to the moments that truly matter.