In any given city, home burglars have thousands of homes from which to choose a target. Given the huge selection, they generally look for the easiest option, knowing that, amongst all of those homes, it will be easy to find one with open windows, poor lighting, a covered entry point, or even expensive items lying around outside. With easy options aplenty, it generally takes very little to make your home one that thieves will pass on. Having said that, obvious security is better security, and in terms of obvious it’s hard to beat a video camera.
Video cameras not only deter would-be thieves by raising the possibility of being identified, but by adding an air of high-security that indicates the presence of a well-planned and seriously effective home security system. The options for home security systems involving video cameras are endless, so it helps to get an idea for basic options before taking the plunge into video security.
Filming options
Home video camera systems can film in black and white, full color, or infrared. The principal function of a camera system is to deter merely by its existence, so it may not make sense to spend lots of money on a camera that simply films in color. Given that most burglaries occur at night, you will want to make sure that, if you do fall victim to a break-in, you can actually use the captured film to help identify the intruder, clarify what was stolen, and understand how the thief got into the house. It may, then, make sense to look for a camera that can film in infrared, or “night vision.” These types of cameras have ultra sensitive filters that magnify ambient, “invisible” light to make visibility possible in the dark. Thankfully, the decreasing cost of high-technology has made night-vision cameras much more affordable.
Connectivity options
Home video cameras can be often be installed as part of a complete home alarm system. This allows you to set the camera to only record if the alarm is triggered. Some systems also allow a central monitoring service to view live feed video of your house in the event of an emergency.
Other cameras can be connected to your computer, either directly or through a wireless network system.
Motion-activated
Video cameras use electricity and have a limited amount of data storage or tape, so it makes sense to look for a system that allows motion-sensor activation. As with a motion-activated light, the camera will activate and begin recording only when a certain sensor is tripped, allowing you to save electricity and avoid having to change tape or erase footage frequently.
Placement
If you are using video cameras purely as a deterrent, make sure to place them in conspicuous locations, such as the front corners of the roof, or in the eaves of porches above front doors. If you are actually concerned with capturing potential intruders on film, make sure they are close enough to the most vulnerable entry points to record faces clearly, and that they either have a sufficient source of light nearby or are of night-vision quality.
Look for an adt home alarm system that includes video monitoring. A complete home security plan will include cameras as well as an alarm.
