Finding Surveillance Camera Systems That Do The Job

I began looking around for surveillance camera systems because I notice surveillance cameras everywhere I look these days. I imagine I could walk into a governmental building without being watched by multiple surveillance camera systems. It occurred to me that there might be a good reason for all of these electronic eyes, and that I might want a set of them for myself and my home. Admittedly, the idea of installing one of these “all-seeing” eyes is not one I relish, but given the state of things these days, especially in urban areas, I decided there were plenty of reason to do an evaluation of what is out there in terms of a video surveillance system that would work for me, my security goals and my personal budget requirements. The simple fact of the matter is that these days peep holes in doors don’t work very well when you are dealing with an experienced criminal. Without attempting to be overdramatic, it is reasonable to say that once you crack the door, they are in and upon you. Further, it would be really great to know family members are home while I am away, and it of paramount importance for me to know if my child is safe at home while I am work or while I am out shopping at the mall. Then there is the issue of knowing my home is same when I travel. When I travel, and I travel frequently both in the United States and abroad, I want to know if some stranger has not moved in, and there are security systems and surveillance that will allow me the option of using a common web browser to actually see live video of the inside of my home when I am not there to see it with my natural eyes. I do not want to rely on neighbors or public institutions such as the police, as good as they certainly are these days. No, I have made up my mind that the only way to have real security is to install a video surveillance security system, but what kind of surveillance cameras systems are on the market?

As the saying goes, it only cost a nickel more to go first class, and the PREMIER 8 Color Infrared Sony SuperHAD CCD Camera System is certainly first class from its description. This video surveillance system comes with H.264 DVR capabilities and a 16 channel DVR burner, which will give me the optional ability of creating a storable record of all activity in my home on inexpensive and easy to purchase DVD discs. This video record of the contents or my home and my home itself might come in handy in the event of burglary or damage from natural disaster such as a hurricane or tornado. Additionally, this package comes with the capability of remotely viewing the interior of my home by simply logging onto the Internet and firing up a web browser on my laptop.  As impressive as those technical specifications are to a layman like myself, the fact that this the DVR offers a H.264 Compression, which means it can store data three time longer that the previous model, the MPEG4 DVR, is even more impressive because the longer I think about the idea of continuously recording video of the interior and exterior of my house, the more I realized I would need a good deal of hard drive space on which to place the footage so I could review it at my leisure. Just speaking for myself, I’m all for any uptick in technological innovation and graduating digital sophistication, of the addition of a ready-to-go, pre-formatted 500GB hard drive, which comes installed in the core unit, providing  an easy three or four continuous months of video storage makes me positively giddy with anticipation of days upon days of viewing.  Naturally, all of this security video must be captured by a camera, and this particular package includes eight Sony Super HAD CCD Infrared Cameras that captures a full five hundred lines of color resolution, and given the cameras ability to “see” a distance of 100 feet in total darkness makes for a very impressive performance. Naturally, the lenses of these Sony cameras have a wide angle giving me a very broad angle both inside and outside my domain. The final sterling aspect of the DVR is that it provides a time and date stamp along with motion detection, and--check this out--a crystal clear digital water-mark. If this was not enough for anyone seeking a video surveillance system, the crowing element, and the one which just might push me to into the buy position is built in processor unit which gives me the opportunity to select a view of one camera or multiple cameras at one time and display the views in a variety of screen arrangements. Granted, this entire package is quite on the high side in terms of price, but what you get on the receiving end, this video surveillance system will do the job right.

If the previous surveillance camera system is too rich for your blood, which it just might be for mine, do not sneer lightly at the Sanyo system with four high resolutions color cameras. This cctv surveillance systems arrangement includes a pretty nice 520TVL and a four channel 30 fps real time DVR.  Also included are dedicated micros recorders, a digital quad package with Ethernet and color Quad system to keep an eye on places around my home where it is difficult to set up a standard camera. The specifications indicate you can also attach the receiver to a VCR or DVR to record the video files, which is nice because I already own both of these items. The receiver can support up to 4 wireless cameras (at 4 different frequency channels) and will allow you to manually view them one at a time. It can receive signals from the cameras from a distance of up one hundred feet. Pros wireless systems allow you up to 300 feet line of sight. It has an audio receiver so that I can hear as well as see what is happening in my living spaces, and the audio feature is definitely a plus. According to current thinking, if I do not want to spring for the entire set up, I can have a Geovision DVR card which offers a inexpensive yet professional path for building up my computer as a high performance DVR system which will offer additional security for my home. These add on cards, which off TV quality production in many cases, enable  remote access and powerful ethernet capabilities. These features make GeoVision cards quite reliable and affordable for people like me who are seeking a solution for network surveillance of my environment. As with the more expensive units, I can use a web browser or one of the growing number of smart phones to view my areas. In many cases, these GeoVision cards are brought on board for commercial areas where constant video and audio surveillance is extremely mission-critical, but I digress because I am more interested in home security systems.

Obviously, with home video surveillance systems my goal is to  feel more secure in my home when I am home, and to rest more easily when I am away from home by knowing I can actually see inside and outside the dwelling that houses my loved ones and my possessions. Literally, with a state of the art home security system I will know who or what is on the other side of the door. I will be able to remotely visit my children and wife as I work away from home and travel the globe. In the end, the relatively high price, and in some cases these surveillance camera systems can cost multiple thousands of dollars, and technical skill set required to operate them is a sound investment in safety. Know that my material possessions and my family members are surrounded by the best personal safety and security available is, well, priceless. My ultimate recommendation for those who are interested in surveillance camera systems is to take the time and make the effort to gather the information and make an informed choice.