[SNAP]
Dan, you have such a beautiful home.
Thank you.
A nice weekend at the lake house is exactly what I need.
Well, I'm glad.
The key is over there on the bookcase.
All right.
And I think that's everything.
OK.
Thanks.
Hey, what exactly is that thing in the door?
Oh, I almost forgot.
That's the security system.
Let me show you how it works.
Oh, sure.
Makes sense that a Consumer Reports home
editor would have a self-installed system
in his house.
Yeah.
This is actually a door sensor, and there are also sensors
on the windows in the house.
Oh.
I can show you.
So this is the window sensor right here, Jack.
Oh.
So if you open up the window, the alarm will go off.
Exactly.
Ah.
By the way, you did this all by yourself?
Yeah.
It was really easy.
You just peel and stick and put the sensors
where you want them.
What are they interconnected to?
All the sensors interconnect to a base station, which
I can show you right over here.
Oh, yeah.
Sure.
So this is the base station, Dan?
Yes.
This is the brains of the security system.
Oh, OK.
OK.
And Dan says these brains connect
to your home's Wi-Fi network.
They usually feature a built-in siren as well as
backup cellular connectivity in case you lose power
or there's an internet outage.
Oh, that's a nice handy thing to have.
Yeah, definitely.
To arm or disarm the system, you just
enter the code on the keypad.
OK.
Or you use the key fob.
You can actually just arm and disarm the system with a tap.
Oh, that's it?
That easy?
Yeah, that easy.
OK.
Nice.
What else do I need to know, Dan?
So one of the great things about these new DIY systems
is they connect to your phone.
They'll actually send an alert to your phone
when the alarm goes off.
The only problem with that is if you miss a notification,
you might miss someone breaking into your house.
Oh, no.
Dan, after everything you've been telling me,
think I might want to buy one.
What do I look for?
We test a lot of these, and we find
that the most important thing to consider
is whether or not you want a system that'll
contact the authorities.
Right.
We think it's best to go for a system
where you can sign up for optional monitoring
because you will always have that option down the road
if you want to be able to have the authorities respond
for police or fire.
The other important thing you need to know
is that these systems usually only
come with a handful of motion and contact sensors,
and you often need more.
So you want to look at the prices of those
before you commit.
Most of these systems start at around 2, 3, $400.
Mm-hmm.
But in reality, you could spend over $1,000
once you add in all these sensors and security cameras
and extras.
And what's the difference between a DIY
and a professional installation?
For a professionally installed system,
there's usually upfront equipment and installation
costs as well as a recurring monthly charge of around $40
a month.
And you're usually locked into a contract for multiple years.
How easy is it to install this?
Because I'm not the handiest guy around.
It's actually really easy to install, Jack,
and the app will even walk you through all
of the instructions.
All right, Jack.
You good?
I'm good.
After everything you explained to me, I think I'm solid.
All right.
Well, I will give you this, and I hope you have a good weekend.
All right.
Hey, by the way, thank you so much for everything, again,
Dan.
Anytime.
I really appreciate it.
I'll see you in a few days.
All right.
Take it easy, Dan.
You too.
Bye, Jack.
Bye.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Ah.
And now to get this weekend started.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[SIGH]
Security alert.
[GASPING]
Security alert.
[ALARM BLARING]
Security alert.
Security--
[GASP]
Sorry, Jack.
Dan, I thought you left.
I forgot my wallet.
[SIGH]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[SNAP]