The one exception I make to this is for the Video Doorbell v2. I like the status light ring around the button and want it to attract attention to encourage visitors to use it. Other cameras have the status lights off, though.
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A visible camera is like a lock on the door. These keep honest people honest. Concealed cameras are for those people that are not fazed by visual warnings and want to get in.
It is also more visually appealing as @Sam_Bam has illustrated. The wrong people could easily beat down a camera with a broom stick. If the box looks like a catv box, why mess with it?
Personally, I am too lazy for concealment. I placed my cams on the inside of my windows with the status light off. And in some places, I can turn off the âvisibleâ infra red. I thought visible infra red was an oxymoron but learned differently with my Wyze cams.
The extra effort of concealment looks more pleasing, even sitting inside a window sill, but the cams are offered more protection from the environment.
Luckily opinions vary as does the options to conceal or not.
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I donât mind the questions from this group. But in an era of people not knowing how to mind their own business, I can; so I do; avoid having to explain myself to my neighbors.
I have not thought through a more tactful answer for anyone beyond the âmust be part of the cable systemâ. I would not purposely be rude, but I likely would not answer their question. I donât have to answer, and not providing an answer would give them less to work with against me once they start telling their neighbors trying rally more villagers within their pitchforks.
But I didnât answer the - why conceal them question. I think of my property in three groups or areas. Inside my home, and I can do what I do. Second, the immediate outside my door/windows areas. Anyone that would (and they can if they look up) see several cameras, Wyze, Blink and Tapo. And third, the edge of my property, the outer ring where two more steps puts me off my physical property. There - where the public can walk by, they would likely not have thought of the consequences of taking that broomstick and knocking down a camera they can see.
And then it starts. There would be one, at first. We can predict how this goes, but the end results in just different versions making people around here mad, mad at me, or each other, because some will see my side and more likely will not agree.
Do, I confront them? We can see the confrontation and it would not be good. Me: Why did you break my camera? Them: Why are you filming me? Me: Its not film. Them: I donât care, you donât have my permission. Me: I donât need your permission, you are in public. Them: I will sue you. Me: Good luck. And likely the next day or so, I will have âfilmedâ Them, knocking down another just before they give me that one-finger salute. Would you expect this to be any different that what I am guessing? Is it worth not hiding?
Then there is question, do I involve law enforcement? I donât call the popo for anything. Why? If the police donât have something on your when they talk to you, they are working on having something on you.
After all this and after trying to avoid the stuff that my neighbor might say or do, I think all around concealment is the better move. I think the real question is, do I owe to anyone not to conceal them? I could - if I wanted to risk all this stink I described above, I could always dig around in my broke-box and find an old Wyze cam that doesnât work and mount it as a decoy, couldnât I?
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Just so we are clear, I asked the question purely out of curiosity, not as judgment or anything else. Thank you for the honest answer.
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Here is another thread on hiding your cameras. Mine are in plain view and I am actually thinking about getting a âVideo Surveillanceâ sign near my porch.
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Understood. I donât keep a score card, but I donât remember any of your prior comments or questions to me or anyone to be nothing more than curious or helping out. 
We are good. I often start typing and donât know when to stop.
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Lots of great explanations in here.
My wife was on some neighborhood group on social media at or last house and some lady kept ranting to the rest of the neighborhood that she knows that the only people who ever get video doorbells only get them so they can creep on kids walking past their house and she would tell everyone that you can never trust anyone who gets a video doorbell because theyâre for sure an evil person, and will kidnap your kids, and on and on. And that was just for video doorbells, not to mention what she thought other security camerasâŚI mostly mention her thoughts on VDBâs because I think 99% of all people can agree that sheâs being totally ridiculous about those Since theyâre so common. And yet, there are still plenty of people like her that are probably even our own neighbors And just say these things more privately and not around us who have cameras.
On the other hand, my daughter recently backed into one of my neighbors cars, and I sent him the video of it so he could send it the insurance. And he was really excited. He didnât even know my floodlight Pro was a camera. He was really excited that it protected our little cul-de-sac area. How crazy is that that one of my neighbors didnât even know I had cameras. 
For those Not familiar, I have over 50, 50 and somehow this neighbor right across from me on the opposite side of the cul-de-sac didnât even know I had any. 
And Iâm not hiding them or anything. But I do try to make sure theyâre not annoyingly flashy (uh⌠Figuratively speaking⌠Obviously flood lights are kind of flashy⌠Floodlight Pros kind of look like normal flood lights)
IMO itâs Because of weirdos like that lady, that totally justifies anyone who ever chooses to camouflage or hide their cameras just to avoid confrontation, harassment, vandalism, gossip, or making enemies unnecessarily.
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I think if someone wants to rob your house, and they see that you have external cameras, they will simply cover their faces and break / steal the cameras. Thus, you will not be able to identify them, and will have to buy new cameras.
If they donât see your external cameras, maybe they will not cover their faces, and certainly wonât break / steal them.
So I always try to conceal my external cameras.
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That speaks volumes about her behavior. I think sheâs talking about herself. Remember she did admit âshe knowsâ.
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