Techniques for performing low-fidelity always-on A/V monitoring are provided. In one embodiment, an always-on A/V monitoring system can record audio or video footage of an area of interest on a continuous basis while operating in a low-fidelity recording mode, where the recorded audio or video footage has a quality level that is sufficient to detect one or more events that have meaning to the system or a user, but is insufficient to recognize details with respect to the area of interest that would be considered private to an individual appearing in, or associated with, the recorded audio or video footage.