Going Wireless: The New Technology Of Home Surveillance Systems

Things have changed thanks to the digital revolution -- whether this will improve or screw up things is another matter entirely. Hard wired home surveillance systems used to be the only ones available, but more and more of the wireless systems have been turning up, many nowadays operating with all those features wired systems offer at a fraction of the price.

What is the deal with wired and wireless systems? How do you know which one is better for your needs?

The Truth About Hard Wired Home Surveillance Systems

"Hard wired" means that your home surveillance system uses actual wires to send information to and from its sensors, which are powered with the electricity of your home. It's easy to hide the additional wiring and they're pretty reliable once they're installed, and since they run off your electricity there will be no chance of interference from other electrical devices.

Sounds great, right? Well, there is a negative side: though a patient individual with a do-it-yourself kind of attitude could theoretically hammer out a system with quite a bit of effort, most home surveillance systems are maintained and installed by professionals. Troubleshooting this stuff on your own is going to be risky and ridiculously time consuming.

If you choose to install a hard wired system, you're going to have to tear into your house. The best thing to do is to get a home surveillance system installed while your house is in the process of being built. If your house is already standing, you'll have to deal with the fact that your home will have scars from this experience.

The Wireless Home Surveillance Systems

Radio transmission is the mode of transport for wireless systems. The cameras and sensors communicate through the air, and the results can be very effective. Wireless systems can do anything that your hard wired can do, only without any messy install or physical harm to your home. Installation is also quite simple, and at most you'll need a manual and someone with some technical know how.

The trouble comes in when you consider the interference wireless systems constantly fight. If your system is near any electrical devices, they will inevitably fall prey to serious interference problems. They are also very sensitive, and the vibrations of a noisy car can be enough to set them off. In addition, unless you are in the habit of checking your wireless home surveillance systems religiously, then there's no possible way you're going to know if it breaks, or just runs out of batteries, for that matter.

As if those weren't enough negative sides, technology is always moving forward at light speed so there is no real guarantee you'll be able to buy the replacement parts you need if yours does die.

Hard Wired Systems Still Good For Important Safety Concerns

Wireless home surveillance systems are easy to install and operate well without any annoying wires, but the hard wired is most likely to perform over the long term, whereas there are too many troublesome variables to guarantee the wireless will be active when you actually need it.

For simple jobs, wireless systems are perfectly OK, but if you're looking for real security for your valuables and your loved ones, then hard wired is the way to go.

The future is leaning toward wireless devices, so if you're shopping for home security, look for a wireless surveillance camera to keep track of all your valuables. Home surveillance systems are getting more popular each year, so buy one today from an authentic home security dealer for the most durable gear.

December 11 2009 | home security | No Comments »

CCTV Systems Do More Than Protect Against Shoplifters

The original intent of CCTV systems was to provide store owners a measure of protection against shoplifters. This original intent has expanded and CCTV systems now provide multiple other services for business owners. The property that CCTV systems help to protect now includes physical property also.

There are few people who do not know that most businesses have CCTV systems inside of the store, office, warehouse or factory. What many people do not know is that the CCTV systems have moved outdoors and can be found in most store parking lots, watching gas pumps or providing perimeter security at factories, warehouses or truck parking areas. These outdoor cameras protect against vandalism, theft or other means of trespass.

CCTV cameras that are outdoors can often be recognized. The housing that holds the camera may be the size of a loaf of bread. Alternatively the housing can be a dome that is smoked glass or glazed silver or gold. These dome housings hang like pendants from walls and light poles. The cameras that are in the domes are often mounted to pan/tilt heads and equipped with telephoto zoom lenses. These devices permit the camera to scan the entire area around the camera and are not fixed to a single location. Should trespass be viewed by the operator, the pan/tilt head can be stopped in the location of the trespass, the camera zoomed in to the trespasser and the movements of that person followed with the pan/tilt function controlled manually. This ability allows one camera to do the function of several cameras thus reducing the overall cost of the CCTV system while increasing its effectiveness.

Exterior CCTV cameras and their housings are often subject to vandalism. This vandalism may be teens attempting to destroy something "just for the fun of it" or an actual intruder attempting to deny security their identification. Manufacturers are well aware of this problem and for areas that are or may be subject to vandalism provide ballistic rated housings. These ballistic rated housings are strong enough to withstand a bullet shot at the camera housing. More expensive than standard housings, for many areas, ballistic rated housings provide a cost savings to the owners of the property.

Personnel costs are a major budget factor for any business or company. The utilization of CCTV systems permits the owners to decrease the onsite security staff and use the CCTV system to provide the security for the area. This reduction in staff saves on payroll and the use of a CCTV system insures constant reliable surveillance of the area around and inside the plant or buildings. Additionally many insurance companies recognize the value of CCTV systems on the premises and provide lower rates for those facilities that do have CCTV system coverage.

With the growth and prevalence of the Internet, there no longer is a need for a security guard to be onsite to monitor the CCTV system. Through the use of the Internet and motion detection, a camera viewing a plant can transmit the images to a central station when motion is detected. The operators at the central station can notify the proper law enforcement offices if trespass is detected. Interior cameras in stores still protect against shoplifting. Exteriors of the building or plant are now likewise protected by CCTV systems. This protection is affordable, reliable and accurate. CCTV systems will, in future years become more prevalent and more and more businesses and even cities and towns will utilize this technology.

July 15 2009 | Security Cameras | No Comments »