How do you choose home security cameras?

Answer 1

It's going to depend on your specific needs and area of coverage. If you need to cover three areas that are far apart, you might need three cameras. If you need to cover those same three areas and they're all beside each other, you may only need one. After you know your areas of coverage, which for most people are: entrances and exits. It's going to come down to the environment the camera will be in and the time of day it will be operating. You can get some good security cameras for cheap on amazon, ebay or southern circuits. Good luck.

Answer 2

Today’s high tech digital age has made home security systems affordable for average home owners. Years ago, video surveillance equipment was out of the budget of many home owners, and it was mostly available through security companies. Now, for only a few hundred dollars, there are great security cameras available in many local electronics retailers or stores specializing in home security.

A DVR (Digital Video Recorder) is one of the most important components of any security camera system. A DVR is the recording medium where the videos are stored. If you have HDTV, then you are probably familiar with DVR boxes, which are additions to traditional cable boxes. The basic purpose of a DVR is to record the surveillance videos, and then play it back on video sources such as TVs and computers.

On the front of a DVR of a security camera system, you will find the control buttons, just like on a DVD or Blu ray disc player. There are reverse, fast forward, pause, and play buttons. There are also one touch record buttons, which activate the remote security cameras. A menu button brings up a list of options for recording and playback. There should also be indicator lights for the DVR power and HDD (hard drive), which tell you that the system is working properly.

A very important feature of a security camera DVR is the channel inputs. A channel is simply a connection for a single security camera. For example, a 4 channel DVR supports up to 4 cameras, while a single channel is compatible with only one camera. The channel inputs, which is where you connect the security cameras, are on the back of the DVR. Typically, 50 foot BNC cables are used to connect security cameras and DVRs. There are even some wireless systems that do no require wired connections.

On the back of the DVR there should be a video output source which allows for connections to a TV. Some systems may even have an ethernet, which connects to a router and computer. This allows for viewing videos on the computer, as well as over the internet.

A very important specification of a security camera DVR is the memory. The storage capacity can range anywhere between 2 GB to over 500GB. For example, a 500GB DVR can record nonstop video footage for more than a year. A few GBs will record only a few hours worth of videos.