Wireless surveillance cameras - use, laws and ethics. | Do You Really Need a Wireless Surveillance Camera?

Not the least of your questions when looking into the purchase of a wireless surveillance camera should be whether or not you really need one. As mentioned in my post - My Wireless Surveillance Camera - these things are not generally inexpensive. Fair warning…, if you’re looking at one that is inexpensive, be prepared for a big disappointment when you’ve set it up and reviewed the quality of your first images.

The good news is that you might, with two relatively inexpensive purchases, be able to meet your needs without having to go all out and buy a legitimate home surveillance camera. All you may need is your home computer, an inexpensive web camera (they practically give these things away these days) and a piece of software (often available as freeware) to operate it.

Using a Webcam for Security

If you think a webcam attached to your computer will meet your needs (you may need to buy an extension USB cable and allow for lower quality resolution) then it’s just a matter of finding software that has some security options built in. This is readily available with just a simple search. You want software that will allow you to run your webcam in a motion-capture mode.

The way the software works is that it simply analyzes one captured image to the next. If you were monitoring your living room, for example, nothing is going to change from one frame to the next. As such, the camera doesn’t bother to record the image. If your dog walks into the room, however, the image has suddenly changed and the camera recognizes the difference from the last frame and the frame in which a big furry head suddenly appears in the lower right hand corner. It begins recording.

As your dog moves through the living room, each subsequent frame looks different than the last one so the camera continues recording. Eventually your dog leaves the room. In one frame, the tip of your dog’s tail is about to leave the room and the camera records that frame. In the next frame, there is no longer a dog in the room. Because that’s different from the last frame (in which the dog was in the room) the camera also records that image. In the very next frame, however, nothing has changed. This last frame looks just like the one before it so the camera stops recording.

Known as comparative image recording, this feature is also available on much more expensive, high-end wireless surveillance cameras. But if you’re willing to sacrifice the additional features they offer and just want to know when somebody is walking through a room or into your office to mess with your stuff, a cheap USB camera and some freeware may be the most practical solution for you.

Sacrificing the Benefits of Wireless Hidden Cameras? Not Really.

If you find yourself balking at using a USB camera because you are more interested in the untethered freedom of wireless hidden cameras, think again. Yes, wireless hidden cameras aren’t tethered to your network or recording equipment in the same way a cctv security camera would be, it still has to get its power from somewhere. In other words, you’ll still be tethered by a cord.

Real Savings with a Fake Security Camera

Of course you could also elect to forgo the benefits of real recording all together. Fake security cameras represent an inexpensive method for providing some security benefits. Of course, they won’t do you any good if your home is actually burglarized, but if they are properly installed to appear as authentic as possible, they may do a good job of deterring criminals.

Making them look authentic is key. You can read more about fake security cameras by clicking the link.