In what ways can you store footage with an IP camera?

A camera with cloud doesn't store the footage locally, but sends them to the cloud. This is a kind of online storage space. Examples of well-known cloud services are Dropbox and Google Drive. The manufacturer often has their own cloud service. Because you watch the videos online, you can access them anywhere. Even when you're not near the camera. The only thing you need is an internet connection.

• You can watch footage in the cloud anytime, anywhere on your smartphone or tablet.

• Usually, you need a paid subscription for cloud storage.

An IP camera doesn't have a hard drive. You do have to place a memory card in some cameras. That way, you can store footage locally instead of online. That means you don't need an extra subscription. You can watch the footage via the app or by placing the SD card in your laptop, smartphone, or tablet.

• Because you store the footage locally, you don't need a cloud subscription.

• You can usually store less footage on an SD card than in the cloud.

With a NAS, you can set up your kind of cloud service. With this, you can store all your files via the internet. That way, you can always watch them via your smartphone or tablet. You can also store days worth of image material on a NAS. You do need some technical knowledge before you set the NAS up.

• You can view your footage anywhere via the internet.

• The price of the NAS is much higher than that of the SD card or cloud subscription.

Would you prefer not to connect your security footage to the internet because of privacy concerns? Use your PC or laptop to save the recordings instead. The computer will be connected to your camera via your own network.

• Because you're storing the security footage on your PC, they'll remain within your safe network environment.

• In order to store the footage, your PC has to be on day and night.