2009 December 10

Are IP Cameras the best investment for your Home Surveillance?

If you heard already of IP Cameras, there is a chance that you consider if their use is what you need for your Home Surveillance. But then you should know when and why it is advisable to operate them and what may be their advantages and limitations.

An IP Camera is essentially a stand alone camera with a computer on a chip included.
That means miniature onboard processors and web server software as needed for assuring complete operability.

The presence of such features provides the IP Camera with the capability to be connected directly to the Internet (the World Wide Web), to be made capable of transmitting the observed views, without having to route them through a dedicated personal computer.

A network or IP camera immediately digitizes the images so that the video stream is ready to be sent over any computer network available.

Then it becomes possible to observe full motion video, transmitted by such a camera, from anywhere in the world, around the block or around the globe, on a computer network

The whole gamut of selection is open to your choice as far as it involves the features of the camera itself. You know the elements of a camera and what it takes to satisfy your requirements. And if you don’t remember exactly, you can easily search which of the features you would consider essential for a useful service.

It is affirmed that IP Cameras are enjoying increasingly large popularity and that there diffusion is expected to grow, at least in the coming years.

It is contended also that, with respect to older Surveillance solutions, they present certain advantages that should be considered by prospective users.

Among these one lists simpler and more economic cabling, improved scalability or the faculty of adding new single cameras at any moment without upsetting the system, universally recognized and accepted standards, capability of managing and recording from anywhere on the net, not necessarily near the source.

Furthermore equipment from many sources can be matched and mixed, no need to remain bound to a single supplier for the whole system, with better competition and better prices available. Motion detection triggering to initiate recording is almost a standard feature with IP Cameras, to save hours of viewing when nothing happens.

The most common limitation is the need to get help from a knowledgeable person for the first time connection to the Service provider, because of the specialized nature of communication technology that may be too hard to master for sporadic use.

In conclusion, although there are simpler and more recommended systems for do-it-yourself first applications, one should consider seriously network video cameras and IP cameras, as they and their systems are possibly the state of the art of this rapidly developing technology for Home Surveillance

By: Elia Levi

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Many homeowners desire to have a home video surveillance camera system to protect their home, but don’t because of the cost involved in purchasing and installing one. However, no home should be without one because of how effective they are at safeguarding your possessions, and much more importantly, your family. Making your own home video surveillance camera system is a great option. It is very easy and inexpensive to do. Here’s how.

First, go out and purchase a decent web cam. You can buy them at a variety of electronic and computer stores, and a good one shouldn’t set you back more than forty dollars. Make sure the webcam you buy is compatible with your home computer.

Mount the webcam in a place that you anticipate potential intruders targeting for their entry point to your home. Make sure to mount it at the correct height and angle to view the desired area. You can make the webcam visible to intruders in an attempt to deter them from trying to gain entry into your home or you can hide the unit. The choice is yours. Many security experts and policemen believe that it is most effective to make the camera visible but again, the choice is yours.

Last, find free software online that allows you to view the feed that your webcam provides from anywhere in the world. You can set it up to use from different computers, and you can also set it up to view the feeds from your cell phone, if it has the capabilities.

While making your own home video surveillance camera system can be very effective, it does have some limitations compared to the systems you can purchase.

By: Jennifer Lynn Hanson

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