Well, I can recognize a car in my driveway, or a cat in the yard, when the dog starts barking, so I don't have to go to a window to see what the fuss is all about. I can recognize which neighbor comes over and steals my free local newspaper... But I don't really need high detail for most things. The daytime images are better detail. Fortunately, I don't live in a high crime area, and just have the cameras out, is deterrent enough. You get what you pay for, but for $25 these aren't completely useless.