There are many intercoms for apartment on the market. Many of them are similar, but there are significant nuances, knowledge of which will help you choose the right intercom. And these nuances are the same for both analog and modern IP intercom systems.
Backlighting intercom panel
Backlighting is needed to illuminate the face of the person standing near the door. A useful function, especially if the corridor or place at the gate is poorly lit. Backlighting can be diode or infrared. Diode light can turn on automatically, remotely or by reacting to movement in the dark.
Infrared illumination works in the invisible spectrum, so those who come will not notice the glow. Such illumination is suitable if there is no desire to show that the area is guarded.
Memory and interfaces of the intercom
Intercoms with a memory unit can take pictures or videos of those who are near the entrance to the house or apartment. The files will be stored in the memory of the device. They can also be transferred via Wi-Fi to your phone and computer. Some models can even be controlled via the web.
In some models, you can connect motion sensors to the panel, so that the shooting starts automatically when someone approaches the camera.
Video recordings will be stored on a memory card standard SD or microSD. Some models are equipped with their own flash memory, but its volume may not be enough, so it’s better to use an additional memory card. If there is Wi-Fi, you can connect the cloud to store records there.
Models with this option are quite expensive, but will help to better protect the room.
Outdoor panel case
It is better to buy models with a vandal-resistant and waterproof housing. They will help protect the unit as much as possible from damage by intruders or breakdowns due to bad weather conditions.
Models with metal solid body are reliable and will last a long time. Tempered glass on the camera can withstand even strong impacts. With such protection particles of sand, dirt and water will not get into the body and will not ruin the device. This is especially true in places with high humidity – at sea and even more so on the ocean, in the mountains.
Panel intercom camera resolution
The most important indicator of the intercom. The intercom must transmit audio and video well. And if all known intercoms are more or less equal in audio, they are very different in video.
Most of the intercom has a camera with a resolution of 1.3 megapixels. Of course, in the picture you can recognize the person who came, but to see the details in the camera – will not work. Therefore, we strongly recommend using an intercom panel with a camera of at least 2 megapixels.