I have a Nest doorbell which I set up since I already had nest thermostats and fire/smoke detectors. It works well, with good resolution. For cameras I went with Blink. They are motion activated but can be manually activated for specific functions. They have two-way audio for communication and temperature detection. The field of view and sensitivity can be adjusted to limit unwanted activation from things like street traffic. I have nearly 20 cameras, inside and out, all on one cloud account for $10 + tax per month. The cameras are often on sale, and I think I paid about $40 each. The video clips are also stored on a USB drive locally. The cloud storage is good for 60 days. We travel a lot, but I only arm the system when away from home. The lithium batteries have lasted over 2 years. They can also be set up to be powered by a USB power source. The system is sensitive enough to detect small rabbits as well as large buck deer in my back yard at night (infra-red). The system has allowed me to monitor home repairs and snow removal when away. It also allowed me to detect a fraudulent termite bait station inspection while I was in Iceland and gave me evidence for discussion and resolution with the company management when I returned home. Not possible to get within 10 ft of my house without me knowing. Not perfect but a very good system.
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