How to Make Your Home Safer - And Why FakeTV Makes a Break-In Less Likely
Most burglars will not risk prison by breaking into an occupied house. So when a prowler sees that flickering (yet random pattern) glow that means that someone is home watching television, or playing video games, or watching video on a computer; he knows to move on to an easier target. But now you can outsmart him with a FakeTV. FakeTV simulates the light output of a real television / computer display. When you are away, this conveys the impression of "alive" far more than a lamp on a timer ever could. Buy a FakeTV and make your home an unappealing choice for a break-in.
FakeTV-- Because there are Real Burglars!
FakeTV makes it look like someone is home watching television
The effects of scene changes, fades, swells, flicks, on-screen motion, and color changes and more are faithfully reproduced, and look just they came from a real TV
Computer controlled, super-bright multi-color LED light output equivalent to a typical 27" HDTV LCD television
Environmentally friendly. FakeTV consumes fifty times less power than a real TV; i.e. 3W when functioning / 1.8W during standby!
AC adapter included
Most televisions do not work with timers-- they turn on with push buttons manually. Burglars know this, making FakeTV very effective.
Built in light sensor and timer.
Perfect for:
Vacations & travel
During snow storm, ice storm
Persons living in neighborhoods targeted by criminals
Vacant houses -- makes them look lived in!
Shift work, or some other reason you might be gone each evening
Frequent travelers
Vulnerable people living alone-- make the prowler wonder who might be in the next room watching TV
Lake place or vacation home.
Gift for that safety-minded individual who is hard to buy for
Why You Need More than a Light on a Timer
A light on a timer is a great idea, and we still recommend that you use one. It can be seen from the street, and gives a good first impression. But timers are commonplace, and burglars know this, so a timer is not enough. Worse, lights are static. But the light from a television is something entirely different. It is constantly changing, and gives the impression of "alive & in." FakeTV recreates that light, and recreates that impression.
So why not just put a television on a timer? It will not work! Modern televisions turn on with push-buttons, so they will not turn on from an external timer. So why not just leave a television on whenever you are away? Well, aside from consuming a lot of power needlessly, televisions get gradually dimmer with time. Does it make sense to use up the life of an expensive TV when nobody is watching it?
The Solution is FakeTV
Using FakeTV could not be simpler. Place FakeTV where it will light up a room, but you cannot see the FakeTV unit itself. A second floor room is ideal, but a first floor room with translucent shades or blinds works fine, too. Then, each evening at dusk FakeTV's built-in light sensor will turn the unit on. FakeTV turns off automatically after a switch-selectable time.
Burglars will almost always circle a home once before entering. They are looking for the easiest way in, and looking for signs of life. FakeTV gives them just those signs! Few burglars will enter a home that they think is occupied.
Video Clip #1 (lower right corner) - This gives you an idea of what the FakeTV itself looks like, but not really the effect. To see that, you want to look at the room that FakeTV is illuminating. To know what that looks like, just turn on your television in a dark room, and look at the wall opposite the TV. To get an idea of the impression that FakeTV gives, step outside your home at night with the television on. The very characteristic light from the TV triggers mental cues that you associate with "people home". See this for yourself -- the psychological effect is far more powerful than we can can describe here.
For this clip, we chose a short time when the FakeTV unit happened to be very active. Other times, and just like a real television, FakeTV is relatively static. We allowed no telltale signs that would permit the bad guy tell whether or not this was the real thing, even if he was looking for it.
Quality in Every Detail
FakeTV is extraordinarily simple to use and well thought-out. The highest quality components are assembled to produce a quality product that you will enjoy for years to come. FakeTV becomes part of your home, and we have designed it as such. Yes, it is highly functional, but it is also attractive. The opalescent diffuser lens gives a pretty glow, and the optical illusion formed by the LEDs on the screen is frankly fascinating to watch. (Although we discourage you from doing so-- it is never healthy to look at any bright light source for an extended period of time.)
Outstanding Value
Superbright LEDs are a new technology, and real LED lighting is real expensive. Sure, battery-operated, landfill-ready LED lighting is really cheap, but essentially useless. FakeTV costs only about double the cost of a plug-in LED lamp of equivalent light output. For such a modest cost difference you get not just a lamp, but a computer-controlled television simulator, and all of the peace of mind that comes with knowing it looks like someone is at home.
What if I Already Have a Burglar Alarm System?
You have an alarm system -- great! You reduce your odds of a break-in by roughly 2/3. What about the remaining 1/3? Thieves can still cause you much misery in a "smash and grab" robbery. You still want to make your home look occupied, and FakeTV goes a long way to creating the "somebody is home" impression.
Neither FakeTV nor even an elaborate and expensive occupation simulation system (such things exist!) can guarantee you will not have a break in. We do want to give the impression that you should ever slack off your security precautions. But, you can make your home look occupied, and thus improve your odds, for a remarkably modest price, and with no hassle at all.