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Many Turning To Alternative Home Security Products

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Monthly subscriptions for home security can be costly, which may be why some are turning to alternative products to guard their home.

Some products, like Piper, have a one-time cost and leave you in charge of monitoring your home security. Piper has motion and sound detection, an intruder alarm, and can be managed through an app on your phone.

If any noise or movement is detected, you'll also get an alert sent to your phone. Piper costs about $199-$279.

There are also several items on the market aimed at warding off would-be intruders with a loud dog bark. They're called bark alarms and as soon as motion is detected, a loud barking noise is generated, giving the impression that a large dog is in the home.

"If somebody went to a home and they heard a dog barking inside, I think that would be a definite deterrent," Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Steve Limani said. "In general, people could be afraid of a dog, especially if they think the dog has the ability to protect the home."

Trooper Limani said something like this can make your home appear safe.

"Perception is reality as we all agree with. The first thing we need to do is to make our home look like it's a safe place," he said.

Different bark alarms offer different features and can also vary in price. Many were available online for under $100.

Another product that is hugely popular is Ring.

It's a high-tech doorbell equipped with a camera. It uses the home's Wi-Fi system. You'll get notifications when someone gets within range of the motion sensors and be able to view and talk to the person outside.

Trooper Limani said this is a great tool since many people open the front door without ever knowing who's outside.

"You should be able to engage the person in conversation. So, if there's a device that allows you to see this person, that's a great tool right from the very beginning," he said.

Ring is $200-$250 depending on the device you choose.

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