How to Buy a Video Security System
Whether you are thinking about your home or your office, a home video security system might be what you have decided you need. There are two main types of security you might want to consider. First, there is exterior surveillance. These cameras which are often clearly visible, allow you to record or watch what is happening on your property outside your home or in certain parts of the interior. The second type is the interior spy camera. This would be invisible and would provide a record of what happens within the range of the camera. This might be used to monitor caregivers in the home.
Video security system technology becomes a little better each year. The quality of the lenses and the recording equipment has come a very long way in recent years. If you believe you need any type of video security system, you will want the very best quality image and recording you can find. Unfortunately, you will get exactly what you pay for.
The question you will need to answer first is "What do I need to monitor?" Do you want to know what is happening outside your home, or inside? Do you want to record an intruder? Are you trying to prevent vandalism or break-ins? Do you want a record of what happens between a babysitter and your children or a caregiver and your parent? Answering these questions will determine the type of video security system you need.
The next decisions about your video security system will determine the kind of cameras and lenses you will need. Cameras, often with interchangeable lenses, are available in a wide range of prices, styles, and types. Do you want a spy camera hidden in a clock? Do you want a surveillance camera that allows you to see who is at the door? Do you want your system hard-wired or wireless? Do you need fixed angles of vision, or do you want to be able to scan and move the lens?
Then you will need to decide how you will monitor and record what the cameras in your video security system see. Will you connect a single spy camera to a VCR/DVR machine? Will you record from multiple cameras when they are activated by movement? Will you record only when the cameras are activated, or will you record 24/7? Will you store tapes or DVDs, or will you store the recordings on your PC's hard drive?
Interior video security systems can be motion activated or sound activated. They can be set on timers or they can run 24/7. These cameras can be visible or they can be spy cameras that are virtually undetectable. The camera might be hidden in a anything from a clock to a tiny pinhole in the wall or ceiling. Cameras can be hidden in sensors and monitors that provide other functions in your security system.
Video security systems are complex. Particularly if you choose a hard-wired system, you will certainly want to get professional advice on creating the system, interfacing with the rest of your security system, and choosing the best equipment you can afford.
Installation is as important as the equipment. If it is important to have video surveillance, it will probably be worth the cost to you to know that the system is properly installed.
About the author: Todd Cavanaugh is the 10-year owner of Protech Security Systems, a video security system installation company. Protech also specializes in home and business monitored security systems, fire alarm systems, access control systems and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Visit his business web site for his recommendations on video security systems.
