How Home Video Surveillance Works

When they were first introduced, video surveillance systems were mostly used with medium to large businesses. These days however, they are becoming more and more common in homes. Video surveillance security systems are also known as Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) and are used to monitor certain areas around the home and help to protect it from burglars and thieves.

The monitor is a key aspect to the video surveillance setup. The monitor will feed the video from the cameras that make up the system. The monitors are normally black and white and feature a higher resolution than that of a standard television set.  Monitors vary in size and resolution, although the standard resolution is between 500 and 1000 lines.

Cameras are also important. When setting up the home video surveillance system, the cameras are placed strategically around the outside of the home, in the most vulnerable areas. They should be set up in areas where they are nearly impossible to see. The cameras are always working, sending the video transmissions to the monitors on a frequent basis.

Coaxial cables are also a must have for video surveillance systems. The coaxial cables are what transfers the video signals from the camera to the monitor. The cables are available in a variety of sizes. You can find them at a local electronics store in your area. Your home video surveillance system will come with coaxial cables, although you may need more depending on where you plan to set the cameras up at.

Home video surveillance systems also use switchers. Switchers allow you to run multiple camera feeds to one monitor. Normally, a switcher will cycle through feeds unless it detects movement going on around a camera. When the switcher detects any type of movement, it will automatically lock in to the camera that has detected the movement.

There are some video surveillance systems that you can get for the home that make full use of VCRs.  These systems will use the VCR to record any live video feed that you program. This can come in handy if you travel a lot, as the VCR can capture a break in as it happens. If you end up going to court or to the police, you can use the video tape as evidence. VCRs can catch burglars in the act – especially if you set the camera up to a location that is hard to see.

By utilizing the combination of a monitor and video camera, home video surveillance systems can easily catch burglaries and break-ins. They are very affordable these days, and used in thousands of homes throughout North America.  If you’ve been looking for the ideal way to protect your home – a home video surveillance system is something you should look into immediately.

Read more >>>

The Internet and Home Surveillance

In the past, many have often wondered how they can keep check on things at home while they were on a trip or vacation – hundreds of thousands of miles away. These days however, keeping tabs on your home while you’re away is quite possible.  With the Internet and today’s technology – you can keep watch on your home no matter how far away you may be.

Although the technology may sound a bit out there at first, this day and age it certainly isn’t out of reach. The hardware used for surveillance is inexpensive these days, and ready to use all over the world. All it takes is someone with a bit of common sense and the curiosity to try new and exciting technology.

To use these types of equipment, you’ll need a reliable connection the Internet. The Internet is the heart and soul of distance surveillance equipment, enabling you to keep a check on your home from hundreds of thousands of miles away. If you are planning to invest in an Internet powered surveillance system, you should first make sure that you can get a high speed Internet connection to your home. Dial-up isn’t recommended, as the speeds are far to slow to broadcast video.

There are two solutions that you can choose from, each one varying in features and complexity.  The first solution utilizes a personal computer.  Several home surveillance cameras are connected together to a system that will survey their areas and record what they see at either a set rate per second, or going by movement they detect.  Depending on the system you get, you may or may not be able to adjust these settings.

The computer will play back the video via the monitor, and record the video to the HDD, or hard disk drive. You’ll need to connect the computer to the Internet through an ISP (Internet Service Provider), in order to watch the video from a distance. To watch the video while you are away from home you will need to log into the computer with a unique username and password. You can log in at any time, and to operate the computer or watch the video images that the computer surveillance system has recorded.

The other solution you have available is much easier. Normally, this solution is used to check on a home through a single surveillance camera. Setting things up this way will allow you to use a single camera through your IP (Internet Protocol) address. By setting it up through your IP, all you need to do is check on things is to link directly to your IP.  Once you have brought up your IP address, you can see live views through the camera. This method works similar to a webcam, in the sense that it streams video around the clock.

No matter which solution you choose, both are somewhat easy to use. Of course the second solution is much easier to use and setup, although it does have it’s downsides as well. Both have great things to offer you as well, including the ability to log in at any time. You can check video any time you wish, even chance your preferences based on what you need.

Anytime you need to monitor your home from far away, home surveillance and the Internet is all you need. The Internet is a common commodity these days, capable of doing far more than anyone ever thought possible. By investing in a surveillance system that utilizes the Internet – you’ll be able to keep a watchful eye on your home from wherever the road takes you.

Read more >>>

The Cons Of Home Intruder Alarms

Although home intruder alarms are thought of being an integral aspect of home security, research has shown that these alarms aren’t difficult at all for professional burglars. The reason for this is due to the fact that most homeowners tend to forget to set the alarm or fails to lock up the windows and doors like they should. Although the technology behind home intruder alarms is great, the technology can’t really do anything for you unless you use it properly.

Even though you may set your alarms when you leave, there is always that one chance that you may forget. On that very day that you forget a burglar can easily cash in on your mistake and break into your home. Most professional burglars are very familiar with home intruder alarms and know exactly how to deal with them. Even though you may have the most expensive alarm on the market today, it won’t be able to do anything if you forget to program it.

Almost all home intruder alarms need to have the windows and doors properly shut before they are activated. When you enter or leave your home, you’ll need to enter a password into the control panel to activate or deactivate the alarm. If you arrive home and forget to deactivate the system, it could go off on you. This can be very embarrassing, especially if the alarm sounds and the police show up – only to find that you are trying to “break in” to your own home!

Most burglars out there can rob a home in as little as 15 minutes. Although some burglars choose to work with others, most prefer to work along. The experienced burglars almost always do their research first, and go from there. A professional burglar will never enter a home he isn’t familiar with, for the simple fact that he could get caught. Instead, he will spend a lot of time studying the home and the family. If there is a home intruder alarm present, the burglar will watch from the shadows until he has learned how the system works.  Once he sees that you have failed to input your password or activate the system, he will make his move.  Once the burglar is inside the house and the alarm is off – he can be nearly impossible to catch.

If the alarm is set and the burglar happens to trip it, he will immediately flee from the area and move on to a different home. Home intruder alarms can be very loud, with most contacting the police or other law enforcement agency the second they notice a break in. Even though they may have their faults – home intruder alarms are still great to use with home security as long as you remember to activate them before you leave your house.

Read more >>>