There are many different types of home security cameras available, they all work differently and range in price so you can be sure you will find one to suit your needs and budget fairly easily. Our team at Goliath Security & Electrical have put together this guide to help you make an informed decision about what home security camera will best suit your security needs.
Types Of Home Security Camera
Wired Home Security Cameras
These are the cheapest and most common type of camera; they use a wired connection directly from the monitor to the camera. If you don’t know what you’re doing, they can be difficult to install as there are lots of wires, connectors and sometimes extension cables involved. If you wish to have one of these cameras installed it would be advised, you seek the help of a professional security company.
Wireless Home Security Cameras
These cameras work by transmitting images directly to your computer, mobile phone or tablet. This is made possible by using either analogue or digital technology, it will differ in different cameras. Most smart security cameras available on the market have an app they are linked to in which you can monitor any activity at your home while you are out and about.
Digital cameras tend to be much higher quality however they are also often more expensive.
A downside to wireless cameras would be that they can sometimes suffer interference from other devices such as microwaves, cordless phones and routers. If you lose internet connection, your filming may also be interrupted.
IP CCTV System
These cameras use your network, known as internet portal, to send images to your computer’s router, this means that you will be able to access the footage via the internet from remote locations.
Outdoor Home CCTV Cameras
If you want to use a CCTV camera outside, then you must ensure that it is weatherproof and that it also has the recommended IP rating of 66. There are wireless cameras available however you will still have to have a cable running from the outside that will need to be connected to a power source. It is important that outdoor cameras are positioned in a place they can not be tampered with but can still be easily accessed for maintenance and cleaning. There are vandal proof cameras available however they do cost more.
Indoor Home CCTV Cameras
There are three types of indoor CCTV Cameras: wireless, wired and powerline networked (these work by transmitting images to a storage device via your electrical sockets.) Wireless cameras are not always recommended for use inside the home unless they can be encrypted, this is because anyone with a suitable receiver within range would be able to view the images.
Home Security Camera Footage Resolution
The resolution of a CCTV camera is measured in lines, the higher this is the better the image will be. The size and type of chip used by the camera is also plays a role in the image quality. In simple terms smaller CMOS chips are poorer quality than larger CCD chips.
House Security Camera Features
Storing CCTV Images
A PC hard drive or standalone digital video recorder (DVR) is used in most home systems. PC connected systems often come with software to view the images some DVR systems also come with this. It is important that you ensure that your system will allow you to store images in a commonly used format such as Mpeg.
This will mean the images can be easily downloaded and viewed on other systems such as one used by the police.
Remote Access
IP home CCTV systems along with a few others allow you to check the images via the internet by using a smart phone or PC. There are other options for viewing the images such as email and text notifications when cameras have been activated.
Night Vision
Black and white (Monochrome) CCTV cameras tend to be most effective in low light especially when used with integral infrared illumination, which is a feature that can be found on some cameras. Some cameras have the ability to film in colour during the day and switch to black and white when it gets dark.
Motion Detection
Some CCTV cameras have the ability to detect movement via a sensor which automatically turns them on. This is useful when you want to limit the amount of footage you are storing.
CCTV and Privacy
There are privacy laws in place when it comes to having CCTV in place outside of your home, so it is important that you comply with them. This means that you have to ensure that your cameras aren’t pointed towards public places or neighbors’ homes or gardens.
It is always worth discussing CCTV with your neighbors as you may find they would like to share a system with you which would help towards bring the costs down. If you need more information about home security cameras or wish to have one installed, then contact Goliath Security & Electrical today - 0151 662 0208