A home video surveillance system is an essential component of any modern home security system.
No longer do home security alarms alone provide the protection you need to keep your family and property safe from criminals.
However, don't go out and buy one just yet.
There are several questions you need to answer to get the maximum benefit out of your purchase.
What do you want to keep your eyes on? Are you looking for a camera just to record the coming and going of people who access your property.
Or do you also want to keep tabs on the interior of your home.
You want to be able to do both.
There are now cameras for the outside of your home as well as the inside.
The exterior cameras are great for recording the outside of your home and also provide some detterent for would be burglars.
The exterior surveillance cameras are becomiing more popular each day and people are no longer surprised to see them on a home.
Although most criminals are detered by home video surveillance the sophisticated ones know this and have developed techniques to bypass these cameras.
You still want cameras on the outside as they provide you with an early warning detection.
However, today the most effective use of cameras are on the inside of your home.
The interior cameras not only enable you to help the police catch a criminal after they have broken in and let down their guard but they also help observe vendors such as babysitters and handymen to make sure they are not doing you any harm.
Not a day goes by do you not see in the news such headlines as "Nanny Nabbed by Security Camera" What Type of Video Quality do I Need? When looking for a Home Video Surveillance system you want a system that enables you to identify enough detail to be able to identify a perpetrator.
Resolution and distance coverage required are the top two considerations with frame rate coming in third.
There are three types of resolution for security cameras the two most important for home security are:
To keep it simple, basically a 640X480 resolution VGA camera will enable you to achieve General Surveillance up to 32 feet and Forensic Detail up to 16 feet and is good enough for most home surveillance security applications.
Of course if you want better detail at longer disitances you could get a higher resolution camera but it is going to cost you big money.
Do you need to be able to see in the dark? There are cameras available with night vision capabilities.
However, a good one is on the more expensive side.
Night vision is not needed if you have the proper lighting installed around the home (ie motion detectors with exterior flood lights or you leave a light on in the interior of your home.
) Do you want to deter criminals or observe people without their knowledge? Both Visible and Hidden Surveillance Cameras are available.
For the exterior of your home it is best to have visible cameras ot deter crime.
However, on the inside of your home you want something that is either hidden or blends in with the interior.
You don't want to make guests uncomfortable by having a camera stare you in the face and you don't want a criminal to destroy the camera to hide their activities.
Whatever you do don't put a camera in the bathroom that is spying and could get you in all types of trouble.
Do you want to be able to watch your surveillance video while away? Modern home surveillance cameras usually come with a way to watch video in real time by cell phone or internet.
It is a great way to save on monitoring fees and avoid false alarm fees from your local police department.
With these cameras you know have the ability to be your own monitoring service.
With this type surveillance system if you have a alarm system which notifies you by cell phone, you can quickly see if someone is in your home or if it is a false alarm.
You will then be able to call the police yourself and direct them to the location of the criminal.
These are the basic questions you need to ask yourself before choosing a home video surveillance system.
If you follow the suggestions in this article you can not go wrong.
No longer do home security alarms alone provide the protection you need to keep your family and property safe from criminals.
However, don't go out and buy one just yet.
There are several questions you need to answer to get the maximum benefit out of your purchase.
What do you want to keep your eyes on? Are you looking for a camera just to record the coming and going of people who access your property.
Or do you also want to keep tabs on the interior of your home.
You want to be able to do both.
There are now cameras for the outside of your home as well as the inside.
The exterior cameras are great for recording the outside of your home and also provide some detterent for would be burglars.
The exterior surveillance cameras are becomiing more popular each day and people are no longer surprised to see them on a home.
Although most criminals are detered by home video surveillance the sophisticated ones know this and have developed techniques to bypass these cameras.
You still want cameras on the outside as they provide you with an early warning detection.
However, today the most effective use of cameras are on the inside of your home.
The interior cameras not only enable you to help the police catch a criminal after they have broken in and let down their guard but they also help observe vendors such as babysitters and handymen to make sure they are not doing you any harm.
Not a day goes by do you not see in the news such headlines as "Nanny Nabbed by Security Camera" What Type of Video Quality do I Need? When looking for a Home Video Surveillance system you want a system that enables you to identify enough detail to be able to identify a perpetrator.
Resolution and distance coverage required are the top two considerations with frame rate coming in third.
There are three types of resolution for security cameras the two most important for home security are:
- General Surveillance resolution which enables you to identify shapes and colors
- Forensic Detail enables you to recognize such things as faces and license plates
- High Detail enables you to identify such detail as logos on clothing and smaller writing
To keep it simple, basically a 640X480 resolution VGA camera will enable you to achieve General Surveillance up to 32 feet and Forensic Detail up to 16 feet and is good enough for most home surveillance security applications.
Of course if you want better detail at longer disitances you could get a higher resolution camera but it is going to cost you big money.
Do you need to be able to see in the dark? There are cameras available with night vision capabilities.
However, a good one is on the more expensive side.
Night vision is not needed if you have the proper lighting installed around the home (ie motion detectors with exterior flood lights or you leave a light on in the interior of your home.
) Do you want to deter criminals or observe people without their knowledge? Both Visible and Hidden Surveillance Cameras are available.
For the exterior of your home it is best to have visible cameras ot deter crime.
However, on the inside of your home you want something that is either hidden or blends in with the interior.
You don't want to make guests uncomfortable by having a camera stare you in the face and you don't want a criminal to destroy the camera to hide their activities.
Whatever you do don't put a camera in the bathroom that is spying and could get you in all types of trouble.
Do you want to be able to watch your surveillance video while away? Modern home surveillance cameras usually come with a way to watch video in real time by cell phone or internet.
It is a great way to save on monitoring fees and avoid false alarm fees from your local police department.
With these cameras you know have the ability to be your own monitoring service.
With this type surveillance system if you have a alarm system which notifies you by cell phone, you can quickly see if someone is in your home or if it is a false alarm.
You will then be able to call the police yourself and direct them to the location of the criminal.
These are the basic questions you need to ask yourself before choosing a home video surveillance system.
If you follow the suggestions in this article you can not go wrong.
SHARE
