An audio intercom lets you talk to whoever is at the gate. A video intercom adds a camera at the gate and a screen inside, so you see who is there before you answer or open. For most homes the video option is the safer choice; audio still makes sense where the budget is tight or the gate is only used by people you already know.
Audio intercoms
An audio system is a gate station with a speaker and a button, and one or more handsets inside. It is simple, reliable and easy to repair. The limitation is obvious: you are deciding whether to open the gate based on a voice.
Video intercoms
A video system adds a camera to the gate station and a monitor inside the house. Many units record a snapshot or clip when the button is pressed, which gives you a record of who came to the gate while you were out. Some can also show the image on your phone.
What decides it for most homes
- Cabling. Video needs suitable cable from the gate to the monitor. If an old audio cable is already in place, it may or may not carry video, and we test it before quoting.
- Distance and light. A gate camera needs light at night to show a face. A gate lamp or infrared camera makes the difference.
- Who answers. If you want to answer from your phone when you are away, choose a unit that supports it, or consider a GSM intercom.
Linking the intercom to the gate
Either type can be wired to your gate motor so the handset or monitor opens the gate. If the motor is due for replacement, it is worth doing both together so the wiring is planned once. See our gate automation page for motors.
If your current intercom only lets you hear visitors, upgrading to video is often a matter of replacing the gate station and the handset on the existing cable. Tell us the make you have and how far the gate is from the house, and we will check whether the cable can carry video and quote in writing.