With the growing interest in home security, smart devices have become an integral part of our daily lives. I chose to use Roku’s Smart Security service to protect my home, and I found it to be an effective and easy-to-use solution. The service is distinguished by its seamless integration with other home devices, providing continuous monitoring and peace of mind.
I will share my experience with Roku smart security products and explain the benefits that make them a great choice for anyone looking for a reliable and easy-to-install security system. Check out the things to consider before purchasing a smart home security system.
There are a lot of Roku products that are designed for the smart home.
One of the biggest problems many smart home brands face is that they don’t offer enough, well-rounded products. For example, the Apple Homepod is a compelling buy, but the fact that Apple only makes a handful of smart products is a deterrent for some.
This isn’t necessarily a drawback, but having multiple different brands can clutter your phone with proprietary apps and make it difficult to optimize your smart home integration. The Roku lineup includes all the basics, including an expandable home monitoring system.
Roku devices use the Roku Smart Home app, which I have no major complaints about. The app works well, and most of the important features are available for free. Other features, like advanced event detection, require an additional subscription.
Affordable Roku Products
Beyond the subscription, Roku’s various products themselves are also affordable. The Roku doorbell and chime combo costs just $79 for the wired version and $99 for the battery-powered version, both easily comparable to the Ring doorbell ($50 wired and $99 wireless, excluding the chime).
The best entry-level device in the Roku smart home ecosystem is the Roku Indoor Camera. More powerful devices are still affordable—for example, the battery-powered Roku Outdoor Camera costs just $65.
Setting up home surveillance with Roku is easy.
While the Roku Smart Home app isn’t easy to set up, it quickly proves itself as a great way to monitor your home. Once you’ve installed your new smart devices, adding them to your app is as simple as scanning your Wi-Fi network and hitting the setup button.
You can set specific schedules or triggers for events through the Roku app. If you have a Roku SE home monitoring system, you can also pay for live professional monitoring. In my case, I found it unnecessary because the entry sensors already provide a wealth of information.
The only major flaw I found with Roku cameras relates to motion detection. Specifically, I found that my indoor cameras seemed to be particularly good at detecting some things (like moving shadows of leaves) and failed to detect others (like birds).
Premium devices, like the Roku doorbell camera, don't seem to have the same issues. My doorbell camera consistently detected packages, visitors, passersby, and other events.
Roku Home Monitors Are Reliable
Another benefit of Roku smart devices is that they’re reliable. Even the cameras, which cost just $27, last for years — and if the cable breaks, replacing it is as simple as unplugging it and buying a new one. Reliability is one of the things to consider when buying a smart home security camera.
Roku fills the gap between more expensive third-party smart home products and leading-edge brands, offering the same reliability as the latter while being more expensive. Depending on who you buy your Roku devices from, you may also be able to get a warranty.
Roku products support amazing smart automation.
Setting up schedules or playback events in the Roku app is simple. You can create a new automation by clicking Add a base On the Roku Smart Home app home page.
Once you open the Rule Creation menu, you can select whether you want to create a shortcut, schedule, device trigger, or location-based trigger. Using these four options, you can create rules to turn on all lights at once, turn off cameras when you arrive home, and more.
Is Roku's home security and protection system worth considering?
Overall, I found Roku’s smart security products to be well worth the cost. The standalone devices offer all the basics you might want from a smart home, like smoke alarm detection and smart schedules. If you want extra features, Roku’s subscription is affordable.
Unlike cheap smart home devices, I’ve also found that Roku devices last a long time. Over long periods of time, the fact that you won’t need to replace Roku cameras or motion sensors will help you stretch your budget — effectively saving money while enjoying better products. Here’s how to avoid the biggest smart home pitfalls.
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