Here’s the thing:

With so many surveillance cameras to choose from, it can be a daunting task to find the right one for your home. A lot of them have long lists of specs that can be difficult to understand- particularly if you’re not that into tech stuff.

That is exactly where Guardzilla stands out. It’s an all-in-one home surveillance camera that offers a budget-friendly solution to your security concerns.

Cool things to know about Guardzilla:

• It’s available in two color options: black and white.
• It comes with a one-year limited warranty.
• Guardzilla has a removable lens that can either be clear or tinted.
• It has a built-in speaker and microphone which you can use for two-way communication.
• It’s a self-monitored system.
• It’s wedge-shaped and stands 5.5 inches tall.

How To Install Guardzilla

Its installation should be easy as it shouldn’t take you more than 5 minutes. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Download Guardzilla’s companion app. It works on both Android and iOS devices.
2. Plug the power cable of the camera and connect it to a power source.
3. Place the unit in your target area. Ideally, it should be 10 to 20 feet away from direct sunlight.
4. Use your phone to connect to Guardzilla’s Wi-Fi SSID.
5. Open the app to create an account.
6. Connect the camera to your home Wi-Fi.
7. The app will notify you once installation is successful.

How Guardzilla Works

Guardzilla is very direct. When an intruder triggers its motion sensor, it will send you a push notification to your mobile. It can also send you an alert through text or email.

At the same time you’re alerted, it will also ring an alarm which is at 100dB. You can view its camera through the app to verify the nature of the alarm. You can also use its microphone and speaker to scare off intruders from your home.

One important thing to keep in mind with the device is that it doesn’t offer images and recordings as crisp as other cameras. However, for its price, you get what you pay for. Although it may not be crystal clear, it’s still pretty sharp and faces are still recognizable. Even its black and white video is good, too.

There are two ways to activate the device. You can manually trigger it or use its geofencing feature. The last choice is actually very helpful if you’re the type of person who frequently forgets to set the alarm whenever you’re leaving.

Recordings and Storage

If Guardzilla senses any movement, it will take a series of three photos. These images get stored directly in your app. Aside from that, every motion event it captures gets stored for two days- for free. You can save your 5-minute recordings for a longer period of time through its Cloud storage option.

You can also save your recordings locally on your SD card. Here are some of the things you need to keep in mind:

• You can set the device to record continuously or whenever your alarm is triggered.
• Although there is the option to save files locally, you have to eject the SD card and use another device to view them.
• You have to buy your own SD card.

The App

Guardzilla’s app can be downloaded on both iOS and Android devices. Unfortunately, however, it has no available Web browser support.

In managing the app, you actually won’t have a hard time figuring out what each button does. Aside from that they are colorful, the buttons are also large. The Armed/Disarmed button, for example, uses green and red icons to show the status of your device.

The App also features a list of events that are arranged chronologically. You can view when the system was armed, the last time it was triggered and the images taken during the event. The app also lets you view a live video window.

Other things you can do with the app:

•  Enable the pet immunity feature so that your pets won’t accidentally trigger an alert
• Adjust the picture quality
• Set how long the siren should alarm
• Enable night vision
• Set your preferred alarm delay
• Select how you’d like to get notified
• Enable the Auto-Arm feature

There’s really no limit to the number of Guardzilla you can add to the same Wi-Fi network. You can use the Camera lists to add and modify the existing units you have.

Should You Buy Guardzilla?

If you are looking for a security camera that can do more than just stream and record videos, Guardzilla makes a great investment. You can buy it here. You don’t need to pay for its installation or monitoring which is great if you are on a tight budget.

Aside from this product, Guardzilla offers an Indoor-Outdoor Wireless HD Camera. It offers better resolution, AC-DC power and wide angle lens for a more comprehensive security. But, in case you’re looking for a reliable and complete home security system, we have a review of the best system in the market today- Frontpoint.

THE CHECKLIST:

Guardzilla is easy to set app- no hub required.
It very affordable compared with other all-in-one surveillance cameras.
Video recordings and images are relatively decent.
It has no Web browser support.
Its camera can’t pan or tilt.
You can add as many Guardzilla units as you like.
It comes with pet immunity feature.