Home Alarms Systems

Here Are Some Great Low Cost Security Camera Ideas

Web Cam security system

Like choosing the right home alarm system, deciding what type of security camera you need and what type of recording method you use, depends on your needs and budget.

If you’re worried about your house being broken into, your pets being harmed by a fire or an intruder or maybe you want to keep an eye on a housekeeper or babysitter, there are quite a few options available to you that do not cost alot of money.

A very effective and least expensive option is to use a webcam as a security camera. If you don’t already own one, you can purchase a webcam for as low as $20.00. However you get what you pay for. The video quality on the least expensive webcam will be poor and will not function
well in poorly lit areas. However it can still do the job. If you choose to go this route, I recommend purchasing a slightly higher quality webcam with higher resolution and one that comes equipped with light adjusting software.

There are a few ways to set up your webcam as a security camera. Once you have your webcam  hooked to your

Low cost web cam security camera

computer, you can download a free open source software called Dorgem. (Just look it up on Google) Although the software program has been discontinued, you can still download the program from the site and it is still functional.

The great thing about this software is that you can set it up for motion detection capability. Basically how it works is that once it detects a moving object in its scope it will trigger the software to take a snap shot or series of snapshots depending how you configure the program and stores them into a file on your computer.

You may be asking yourself, ‘What happens if someone takes my computer?’ Well another really great thing is that you can set up what is called a FTP or File transfer protocol. What this does is that it will upload the snap shots online and store them onto a secured server . You may have to check with your IP providor for more info about that.

For details please visit: http://www.simplehelp.net/2006/09/27/how-to-use-your-pc-and-webcam-as-a-motion-detecting-and-recording-security-camera/

Web Cam Security Software

Another really innovative way to make your webcam into a security camera for Linux based users is to download a free software called ‘Motion’ and use it in conjunction with a’ Twitter’ account. This way you will be able to log into your Twitter account while your at work for example and
check for realtime updates from home, you can even receive text messages/sms on your phone.

For those interested you can go to http://tech.shantanugoel.com/2008/05/14/keep-tab-on-home-security-with-a-webcam-and-twitter.html for the complete installation method.

These are some great ways to detect intruders or  if your house keeper or baby sitter is rummaging through things in a room where they shouldn’t be . You can also set up multiple webcams and place them in different areas of the house. However this would require a more complex set up and multiple computers. In this case you would be better off with

Low Cost Web Cam Security System

an actual security camera set up.

These two low cost security camera ideas can be very effective in monitoring your home for very little money, yet can provide a better sense of home security and peace of mind when you are away.

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