New house came with DSC infrastructure, looking to upgrade to something more "smart" with professional monitoring

I’m located in Canada. I bought my house a couple years ago, and it came with a DSC panel, along with motion, door and window sensors. There are 4 outdoor wired cameras are connected to an NVR in the basement, along with a computer monitor displaying the camera feeds. They’re not currently being monitored. I tried to have the feed connected to my phone/computer, but the app was clunky and borderline unusable.

I’d like to upgrade my system to have 24/7 pro monitoring as well as easy and smooth access to the camera feeds. I would prefer wired cameras to make use of the current wiring, with wifi & a cellular backup. I use Apple products which means HomeKit compatibility is important. I currently have a Google doorbell that integrates *okay* with HomeKit via a Starling hub, but I don’t mind switching it out.

What are my options?

  • Can my existing infrastructure be upgraded to fit my needs, or will I need to replace everything?
  • Will security monitoring companies allow me to use my own “DIY” cameras (ie Arlo, Google, etc) or will they all require I use their proprietary equipment?
  • What systems/monitoring companies should I be looking at?

Thank you in advance!

submitted by /u/daandman
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August 3, 2023
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