How to choose a Home Video Security System and Home CCTV

An option that is becoming more and more popular with people that travel frequently is home video security or home cctv. This form of home security is normally used in conjunction with a standard home alarm system and is used more for peace of mind than as a deterrent for intruders.

Home CCTV

These systems are designed much like a commercial video system with camera located in high profile areas both inside the house and viewing areas around the house. Some of the more sophisticated systems include full pan/tilt/zoom cameras. While most of these systems include a way to control the cameras within the home the real magic of these systems is the ability to view and control the cameras when you are away from the house.

Video over IP

What makes these systems so special is the system is connected into the internet. This allows the home owner to log into the system and view any camera and operate the pan/tilt and zoom controls of the camera from any location around the world as long as he has a computer with a strong internet connection.

There are two methods that can be used to store video to be played back at a later date. First an onsite DVR unit can be used to store data from multiple cameras in a compressed format. DVR units are capable of searching and playing back stored video while still recording the live cameras. The other option is to have the video stored online. Often this is accomplished by uploading digital data to an online server at regular intervals. This allows the images to be preserved even if someone manages to break in and steal the equipment.

While this may all sound expensive the advances in video technology has made this form of security well within the reach of the average home owner. The internet connection is a standard DSL or cable internet connection although in the past I’ve installed units that were even able to do a fairly good job with a dial up connection.

Home Video Security Options

There are a large number of options available ranging from relatively low cost systems to high end and very costly IP video systems. Either way there are systems available for almost every budget. Redding CCTV is one of the pioneers in home video system and has been installing systems for over 20 years (back in the dial up internet days).

It is normally in your best interest to choose someone with experience when it comes to video. Poorly designed or installed systems will perform fine in the optimum environments but when you really need them to work, which is often in changing light and low light conditions they often turn out to be a waste of money.