Aug 08 2008
Protecting Your Home With A Home Security Camera System
People have been protecting their homes for as long as people have owned homes. Doors afforded people privacy, and then locks allowed them to keep people out. Recently, electronics have improved home security by creating motion sensors that would alert users when intruders were detected. Surveillance cameras also began to become popular, and suddenly thieves had to worry about more than other people seeing them. After all, cameras can run continuously, recording weeks of video feed at a time. They don’t need to sleep, or eat, or ever rest, and as such, home security camera systems have become a staple in the home security market over the past decade.
A Watchful Eye
Home security camera systems help to protect your home by watching over everything that occurs. You can also install motion sensors to only activate the home security camera systems when the sensors detect movement, much in the same way that a motion sensitive light works. In this way, you’ll save money on your electricity bill while only recording anything of worth. You’ll also only have to sift through a fraction of the amount of video footage if a crime actually does occur, because the cameras will only become active after motion is detected.
A home surveillance camera is the single most important piece of a home security camera system. It’s what actually catches the thieves in the act. However, it’s not by any means the only important part. Equally important is the recording equipment. The camera might catch a video feed, but it doesn’t store it. Therefore, you need to record the video feed to either a videotape or hard drive disk in a digital video recorder (DVR). The latter is definitely the newer version, and it can record weeks of video footage depending on the model. Other than the camera and the storage equipment, some other parts of the home security camera system to look out for include the power supplies and wiring. The former is generally just a line into the electrical wiring of your house, although batteries are also available, and a hard-wired connection to a recorder is being phased out in favor of wireless models.
All in all, you won’t pay a great deal to run this equipment, and most of the costs are up front when you buy the equipment, although those costs are coming down dramatically each year. After all, people can purchase web cams for a few dollars, as the prices have slowly come down to a fraction of what they used to cost. With price no longer a restriction, it’s impossible to compare the safety that you get with home security camera systems to the price tag.
Thank you for the article. I completely agree that security cameras are a great way to protect your home and I love to see that they are so cheap and easy for the average home owner to install.
Security cameras not only play a great role in catching a criminal after a crime but they also do a great job of discouraging potential criminals from breaking into your home in the first place. Most burglars just want a quick and easy grab but when they see a security camera system on your home, they will be likely to just move on.
At the minimum, it is at least worth looking into a security camera system as well as a more comprehensive home security system.
I agree, security cameras deliver a great enhancement to a home security system for many of the reasons you detail. I would caution anyone considering a surveillance system to do their research. The right camera all depends on the specific application. You need to look at lens, light, and resolution, evaluate the environment the camera will be exposed to and exactly what you want to capture. Also, keep in mind that cameras are a target for vandalism, so make certain you either choose a impact resistance camera or hang it in an inaccessible area. You can do it on your own or you can talk to a security consultant. Again, just know your goals and priorities ahead of time.