Most consumers buy the video doorbells and security cameras for the people who come to the door and snatch delivery packages.
There's more reasons though, such as seeing kids grab all the Halloween candy out of the bin in one big swoop. Another reason could be figuring out how that dent got in the bumper of the family minivan.
"I think it’s the all-knowing type feeling people have. They know every time someone comes down the street or walks up to the door," said Jonathan Lawless of Home Depot.
Lawless is a video camera guru. Not only does he sell them but he has them all over his home and checks the video feed all day.
"I was sitting on a beach on vacation with my wife. I got a notification [and noticed], 'Hey something is not right.' I contacted my mother-in-law and she contacted police," he said.
One Dallas family had a camera indoors which alerted them when burglars came inside. They scared the crooks off by talking to them through a speaker built into the camera.
The indoor versions can also help day-to-day.
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"The kids can be running around playing, you can say, 'Hey don’t do that,' if they’re jumping on the couch," Lawless said.
The devices are simple to set up by plugging in the camera and downloading an app.
There are downsides. Your phone can ring and ding every time a bug flies by or a car goes down the street. As with any technology, it could make you vulnerable to hacks.
Some police departments even working with neighbors to use them when solving crimes.
"It's a ring of protection throughout the neighborhood from house-to-house, neighbor-to-neighbor. Talk about bringing neighbors together," Lawless said.
