{"id":1885,"date":"2012-11-09T11:00:40","date_gmt":"2012-11-09T16:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/?p=1885"},"modified":"2013-05-04T08:14:31","modified_gmt":"2013-05-04T12:14:31","slug":"how-to-choose-a-do-it-yourself-video-surveillance-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/how-to-choose-a-do-it-yourself-video-surveillance-system\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Choose a Do-it-Yourself Video Surveillance System"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>If you want to protect your home, business or property against theft and vandalism, a do-it-yourself video surveillance system is an affordable and effective line of defense.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Today\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s DIY video surveillance systems are easy to set up and easy to operate.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Many systems offer advanced features like instant email alerts, anytime viewing from a smartphone or computer, and months and months of recording storage.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Prices on video surveillance systems have come way down in recent years, making a DIY kit an attractive choice for many homeowners and businesses.<\/p>\n<p>This brief questionnaire is designed to help you pinpoint the best video surveillance system for your location.<a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/c-212-video-surveillance-kits.aspx?manufacturerid=433&amp;pagesize=30&amp;order=6&amp;list=0');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/c-212-video-surveillance-kits.aspx?manufacturerid=433&amp;pagesize=30&amp;order=6&amp;list=0\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright  wp-image-1889\" style=\"margin: 10px;\" title=\"DIY Video Sureveillance\" alt=\"DIY Video Sureveillance\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/SVAT-image.jpg\" width=\"223\" height=\"199\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h5><strong>1) \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Do you want to monitor indoor or outdoor activity?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>For outdoor surveillance, cameras clad in weather-resistant housing are a must.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Note that outdoor cameras work equally well indoors, but cameras designed to be used only indoors cannot withstand rain, snow and ice.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Your best bet is to choose cameras rated for outdoors or indoor\/outdoor usage so you have the option of placing them anywhere.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 To ensure crisp and detailed video, choose cameras with high-resolution night vision that are able to record in complete darkness.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<h5><strong>2) \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Wireless or wired?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Although wireless cameras are easier to set up and generally less expensive, wired cameras are usually superior in quality and more tamper-resistant.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 <a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/c-288-night-vision-cameras.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/c-288-night-vision-cameras.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">Wired cameras<\/a> also generally outperform wireless when it comes to software-based motion-detected recording (that is, the system only records when it senses motion to conserve storage space on the hard drive). \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Wired cameras also ensure better performance because they are not affected by radio signals the way wireless cameras are.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 For outdoor use, wired cameras are always recommended because they tend to be more durable and weather-resistant.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 They are also best for applications where 24-hour monitoring is required.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h5><strong><a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-7708-svat-11025-8ch-500gb-smartphone-compatible-dvr-w-8-hi-res-outdoor-100ft-night-vision-cams.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-7708-svat-11025-8ch-500gb-smartphone-compatible-dvr-w-8-hi-res-outdoor-100ft-night-vision-cams.aspx\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" style=\"margin: 10px; border: 1px solid black;\" title=\"SVAT 8 camera video surveillance kit\" alt=\"SVAT 8 camera video surveillance kit\" src=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/images\/Product\/medium\/7708.jpg\" width=\"180\" height=\"180\" \/><\/a>3)\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0How many cameras will you need?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>To determine how many cameras you will need, survey your building or property and figure out the best places to mount cameras to get optimum coverage.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Cameras with a 75-foot or 100-foot range will allow you to monitor a larger area with fewer cameras.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 The number of channels on a DIY video surveillance system determines how many cameras it can accept.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Many kits come with <a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-7702-svat-11020-4ch-500gb-smartphone-compatible-dvr-with-4-outdoor-75ft-night-vision-cams.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-7702-svat-11020-4ch-500gb-smartphone-compatible-dvr-with-4-outdoor-75ft-night-vision-cams.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">4 cameras<\/a> or <a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-7708-svat-11025-8ch-500gb-smartphone-compatible-dvr-w-8-hi-res-outdoor-100ft-night-vision-cams.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-7708-svat-11025-8ch-500gb-smartphone-compatible-dvr-w-8-hi-res-outdoor-100ft-night-vision-cams.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">8 cameras<\/a>.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 <a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-7705-svat-11024-8ch-500gb-smartphone-compatible-dvr-w-4-hi-res-outdoor-100ft-night-vision-cams.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-7705-svat-11024-8ch-500gb-smartphone-compatible-dvr-w-4-hi-res-outdoor-100ft-night-vision-cams.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">Some kits have extra channels<\/a> so additional cameras can be added later on. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Or, you can get a kit that comes with <a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-7981-svat-11045-16ch-smart-security-dvr-with-16-hi-res-outdoor-surveillance-cameras.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-7981-svat-11045-16ch-smart-security-dvr-with-16-hi-res-outdoor-surveillance-cameras.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">16 cameras<\/a>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0so you can monitor all around your property.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h5><strong>4) \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Viewing Options:\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Do you want to view activity remotely (in real-time or playback) via a computer or smartphone?\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Or, do you only want to record and view activity or footage locally?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>A web-enabled DIY video surveillance system will allow you to view live action or recorded footage from anywhere at anytime on a computer or smartphone.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Choose a <a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/c-212-video-surveillance-kits.aspx?pagesize=30&amp;order=3&amp;vectorids=27&amp;list=0');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/c-212-video-surveillance-kits.aspx?pagesize=30&amp;order=3&amp;vectorids=27&amp;list=0\" target=\"_blank\"><em>complete<\/em> video surveillance system that includes a DVR<\/a><em>.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 <\/em>The DVR will record activity and store the footage on a hard drive (which can be very useful later for identifying suspects). \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Note, however, that \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0<strong>you&#8217;ll need\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0a 24\/7 Internet connection<\/strong> for real-time remote viewing.<\/p>\n<p>If you have an Internet-connected computer on the premises that is always on, you have the option of installing a <a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-6728-securityman-icamdvr-usb-internet-camera-and-dvr-convertor-box.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-6728-securityman-icamdvr-usb-internet-camera-and-dvr-convertor-box.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">USB DVR convertor box<\/a> that turns your computer into a DVR recorder so you don&#8217;t need an additional DVR. \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0You can store video right on your hard drive and view it remotely through the Internet.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<h5><strong><a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/c-212-video-surveillance-kits.aspx?manufacturerid=433&amp;pagesize=30&amp;order=6&amp;list=0');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/c-212-video-surveillance-kits.aspx?manufacturerid=433&amp;pagesize=30&amp;order=6&amp;list=0\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-1892\" style=\"margin: 10px; border: 1px solid black;\" title=\"Receive email alerts of activity at your home\" alt=\"Receive email alerts of activity at your home\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/SVAT-email2.jpg\" width=\"199\" height=\"190\" \/><\/a>5) \u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0Would you like to receive email alerts when the video surveillance system senses activity?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>One of the most popular features of a web-enabled DIY video surveillance system is the ability to send email alerts to your computer or smartphone when a trespasser is on your property.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 If instant notification is a feature you want, remember that you\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2ll have to provide 24\/7 Internet access at the location you are monitoring.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Today\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s do-it-yourself video surveillance systems are as easy to operate as a computer and much more affordable than professionally installed equipment.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 A smartphone-compatible system with 4 high-res night vision cameras by SVAT Electronics, for instance, can be purchased for <a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-7702-svat-11020-4ch-500gb-smartphone-compatible-dvr-with-4-outdoor-75ft-night-vision-cams.aspx');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.diycontrols.com\/p-7702-svat-11020-4ch-500gb-smartphone-compatible-dvr-with-4-outdoor-75ft-night-vision-cams.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">under $350<\/a>.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 For information on installing security cameras, take a look at <a onclick=\"javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('\/outgoing\/www.svat.com\/pdf\/installTips.pdf');\"  href=\"http:\/\/www.svat.com\/pdf\/installTips.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">this handy tip sheet<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you want to protect your home, business or property against theft and vandalism, a do-it-yourself video surveillance system is an affordable and effective line of defense.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Today\u00c3\u00a2\u00e2\u201a\u00ac\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s DIY video surveillance systems are easy to set up and easy to operate.\u00c3\u201a\u00c2\u00a0 Many systems offer advanced&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/how-to-choose-a-do-it-yourself-video-surveillance-system\/\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1889,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[372,341,22],"class_list":["post-1885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-home-monitoring-security","tag-dvr","tag-video-surveillance-cameras","tag-video-surveillance-kits","clearfix"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1885"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1885\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1907,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1885\/revisions\/1907"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1889"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.diycontrols.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}