A home camera system DVR or home camera digital video recorder could be exactly what you need to acquire the peace and comfort of twenty-four hour seven days a week security and surveillance. Technological improvements have reduced the price of Closed Circuit Television or CCTV monitoring so that not only can businesses enjoy their benefits but the average homeowner can as well. Not only is a home camera system DVR affordable, but it can also be accessed whether you are at home or on the road.
What exactly is a home camera system DVR? It is a group of individual component devices that work in tandem to provide constant monitoring of your home both inside and outside if desired, and at the same time record this monitoring for future use. A typical home camera system DVR consists of 1 to several cameras, a processor or CODEC/capture board, and a digital video recorder. There are many variations and additions available for this basic description. Let’s take a look at each device within the system and see how it can work for your home.
The first device to consider for a home camera system DVR is a security camera. There are various types of cameras with many additional functions than simply recording video. However, the basic camera is a digital, color camera that can capture still digital pictures or motion video. Security cameras have different resolutions, focal lengths, fields of view and other characteristics. To determine what functions need to be included on your cameras, talk with one of our digital security experts.
Most of today’s digital security/surveillance cameras are so sensitive that they can capture images not only in broad daylight, but in situations where there is very little available light. These cameras are called day/night cameras and they contain a very sensitive electronic chip that allows them to function in conditions with low light. On the other hand, if you need a security/surveillance camera that can “see” in total darkness, those are available too.
Infrared or IR cameras can produce black and white images in total darkness. They do this by projecting an infrared light from around the camera lens at the target area. This light is invisible to the human eye but is the equivalent of a spotlight to the IR sensor in the camera. These cameras are excellent for use in monitoring nursery rooms and other indoor rooms at night, dark driveways, garages, and other areas that have no existing light.
There are also security/surveillance cameras that have a pan, tilt, and/or zoom function. These cameras have the ability to move sideways, up and down, and telescopically zoom in on activity, all automatically if needed. These are excellent for monitoring large areas such as large yards, farm land, and other large places.
Digital video is basically many digital photographs taken within just one second. This creates the illusion of motion and this is how motion pictures are created. If you consider the size of a file for just one digital color photograph, it can be fairly large, so taking several digital photographs a second can add up to a really large file size in no time. This is where the processor, capture board, or CODECs (CODEC is an acronym for COmpression DECompression) are needed. They process the digital data sent from the camera, then compress the digital file’s size so the digital file is much smaller without sacrificing the quality of the video. CODEC is an acronym for COmpression DECompression.
Finally, the processor sends the final digital file to the DVR. A home camera system DVR or digital video recorder is actually the same thing as the hard drive on a personal computer. It stores the digital file continuously until the hard drive is full and then re-records new video from the beginning. If necessary, data can usually be copied to another device if needed for distribution.
A home camera system DVR also has the versatility of being viewed from almost anywhere in the world. Today’s systems can be networked over the internet making accessibility possible anywhere that internet accessibility is possible. This is particularly useful if you travel a lot or are away from home for an extended period of time. This can also provide you with 24/7 monitoring by a security/surveillance and alarm monitoring service.
As you can see, there is a home camera system DVR for just about any application. Talk with one of our digital security experts today to get your custom designed system.
