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Consumer surveillance equipment in the smart home

The consumer and DIY video surveillance equipment market includes all equipment sold through in-store and online retail channels. In 2014, the global market size will top $1 billion USD for the first time with the US accounting for almost 65% of total revenue.

The world market is still fairly evenly split between analogue and network technologies. A large portion of end-users still choose to protect their homes or small businesses by purchasing an analogue video surveillance bundle consisting of cameras and a DVR purchased from a retailer. Now, high-resolution alternatives using HD TVI, HD CVI and AHD technologies are becoming available, offering up to full 1080p resolution.

These will prove very popular in the consumer market. Unit shipments are forecast to grow rapidly over the next two years as this equipment is increasingly selected in preference to standard definition analogue bundles. However, standard definition analogue bundles will not disappear entirely as many price-conscious consumers will continue to prefer analogue bundles as an entry level system.

The biggest story in the consumer video surveillance market is the growth in demand for network equipment. According to the latest forecasts from IHS Technology over 11 million consumer and DIY network cameras will be shipped worldwide in 2015.

The vast majority of consumer network cameras are what IHS terms standalone network cameras. These cameras are designed for consumers to operate the camera as a standalone surveillance system without the need for separate recording hardware by using cloud or edge storage. In the future we will see a greater proportion of cameras shipped offering smart home functionality with the potential to connect with third-party or same branded smart home systems. IHS expects smart home capable cameras sold both separately and as part of a larger smart home package to be a major driver in the consumer video surveillance market.

Increasingly the traditional suppliers to the consumer video surveillance market are diversifying with security and smart home product lines.

Video surveillance cameras in the home are not just for recording break-ins. Remote viewing functionalities make them great for general monitoring. Most systems are motion alert capable and end-users can watch the live or recorded video on their smartphone or tablet, checking if the kids are home from school, or whether their pets are okay. The peace of mind this technology offers is one of its real selling points.

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