Does Somfy Not Offer 24/7 Recording? Understanding Your Camera
If you've recently installed a Somfy security camera, you might be looking for the option to enable continuous, 24/7 recording. It's a feature many users associate with security systems, so it can be confusing to find that it's not available.
This guide explains why Somfy cameras are designed to work differently, focusing on event-based recording rather than constant filming. We'll explore the benefits of this approach and show you how to get the most out of your camera's smart detection features to ensure your home remains secure.
The Reason Behind No 24/7 Recording
The decision to omit 24/7 continuous recording in Somfy cameras is a deliberate design choice, not an oversight. This approach is common among modern smart security cameras and is based on several key principles.
- Focus on Important Events: The primary goal of a security camera is to alert you to specific, noteworthy events, such as a person approaching your door or a car entering your driveway. By only recording when motion is detected, the system ensures you are notified of what matters, without you having to sift through hours of empty footage.
- Battery and Power Conservation: For battery-powered models like the Somfy Outdoor Camera, continuous recording would drain the battery in a matter of hours, making it impractical. The event-based system allows the camera to remain in a low-power state until it's needed, enabling months of operation on a single charge.
- Reduced Bandwidth and Cloud Storage: Constantly uploading high-definition video to the cloud would consume a significant amount of your home's internet bandwidth. An event-based system uses data only when necessary, leading to a smoother experience for all your connected devices and reducing the costs associated with cloud storage.
Getting the Most Out of Event-Based Recording
Just because your camera doesn't record everything, it doesn't mean it's less effective. The key is to optimise its settings to ensure it captures exactly what you need it to.
How to Optimise Your Somfy Camera
- Adjust Motion Sensitivity: In the Somfy Protect app, you can fine-tune the sensitivity of the motion detector. If you find the camera is missing events, try increasing the sensitivity. If it's being triggered by irrelevant things like swaying trees, decrease it.
- Define Smart Activation Zones: A crucial feature is the ability to define specific zones for detection. You can draw areas on the camera's view where you want it to look for motion (e.g., a pathway) and ignore others (e.g., a busy street). This dramatically improves the accuracy of alerts.
- Leverage Smart Detection: Many Somfy cameras can differentiate between people, vehicles, and animals. By enabling these smart detection features, you can choose to only be notified and record when, for example, a person is detected, ignoring passing animals.
- Understand Recording Length: When your camera detects motion, it will record a video clip of the event. These clips are stored in the cloud and are easily accessible in your event timeline within the app. The camera records for the duration of the motion, ensuring the entire event is captured.
The Benefits of a Smarter Approach
While it might seem like a limitation at first, the lack of 24/7 recording is part of a smarter, more efficient approach to home security.
- Relevant Notifications: You are only alerted when something actually happens, reducing the number of false alarms and notification fatigue.
- Easy-to-Review Timeline: Finding a specific event from Tuesday afternoon is as simple as scrolling to that time in your event list, rather than scrubbing through hours of footage.
- Longer Battery Life: Enjoy the flexibility of placing your camera anywhere without worrying about constant recharging.
By understanding and utilising the powerful event-based features of your Somfy camera, you can create a highly effective and efficient security setup for your home.