They Oughta be in Pictures

If you’re looking for a home security video system you have many options. You might choose, for example, black and white or color home security video monitors, cameras that are fitted with night vision capability (or you can make any camera night vision enabled with the purchase of an adaptor), infrared equipped illuminators, cameras with pan tilt zoom features, network video recording devices or IP cameras, or wireless cameras. Your home security video system might include a digital video recording device, monitoring from a remote location or a videocassette recorder (VCR) with a time-lapse feature.

The most important part of your home security video system is choosing the right camera. Let’s look at your various options.

Your first decision in your choice of camera for your home security video system is whether you want to view in black and white or in color. A black and white camera is, of course, less expensive, but it also gives you better visibility if lighting is low. This is probably more important for some service or retail businesses such as bars and restaurants with low wattage mood lighting than it is for your home security video system. A color camera helps you identify a suspect by color of wardrobe, hair color and so forth.

You’ll next decide how much area it is that your home security video system must monitor and the time of day or lighting and climate conditions under which it will be monitoring. Some lighting systems are best used in daytime or lighted conditions and some are better for indoor than outdoor, or vice versa. There are those that will work either inside or out. You can also purchase cameras that are called day/night cameras because they can still take pictures with a high degree of visibility at night without lighting. The range of home security video monitoring for these is generally a low of six feet to a high of 50 feet.

If you know that there is one specific area in or outside of your home that you especially want your home security video system focusing on you’ll want to choose a camera with a zoom feature - either optical or digital.

If you have chosen to purchase a digital video recorder you’ll be able to use a pan/tilt/zoom camera, which will let you control the view the camera gives you.

If you think quick human response is important, you may want to choose a home security video system with accessory cameras and an observation system, as these are audio enabled as well.

While wired camera systems will work indoors you may determine that the wires are too difficult to install, too unsightly or unsafe. You might want to opt for a wireless home security video system instead.

Keep in mind as you choose outdoor cameras that just because they are labeled outdoor doesn’t mean that they will work well in the rain or at below freezing temperature. Often outdoor cameras are weather resistant when what you really should be looking for is waterproof and especially designed to withstand being directly exposed to snow and rain.

Sources:

http://www.surveillance-video.com/1camerasystem.html

http://www.youdoitsecurity.com/images-oldsites/guide%20to%20choosing%20the%20right%20lorex%20camera%20for%20your%20application.pdf

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