Choosing among cameras for security or monitoring presents property owners with a wide variety of camera and sensor types. To find the best motion sensor camera for your needs, compare security product suppliers for home, office, and institutional or commercial properties; many options exist, so determine the specific requirements you need fulfilled. Cameras and other security sensors can be overt in order to dissuade criminal behavior, battery or electric powered, and even hidden, or disguised as other objects in order to catch perpetrators in the act. Consider also your most useful workflow. SD cards permit portable memory storage; some cameras can transmit video over Ethernet, archive footage to a hard drive, be operated by remote, or link with other cameras for single-screen playback.
A motion sensor camera saves memory and battery power by activating only in the presence of movement; additionally, it might follow a preset recording schedule to monitor scheduled tasks. Decide whether you will fix your camera to monitor a single field; preprogram it to pan, tilt, and zoom; or control it from the web with a laptop or smartphone. Operation can be as simple as mounting the camera and leaving it. Motion detection relies on sensitive, proven technology that is very difficult if not impossible to thwart. Viewing might require removal of the memory card for playback on a computer or over television.
A motion sensor camera sometimes contains a high-quality digital sensor chip to produce high-quality video for playback on a digital video recorder (DVR). Featuring pinhole cameras disguised as clocks, frames, books, signs, or even common motion detectors, these cameras sometimes operate covertly on rechargeable batteries. They can take snapshots or video depending on your preference. The amount of video depends on several factors, including battery life, usually measured in terms of several hours, and the size of the memory card, which allows roughly a couple of hours' video per gigabyte of memory. Wireless technology permits the transmission of signals to the user's choice of receiver.
Motion sensor camera technology serves property owners and managers concerned about security. Another popular application is to protect the safety of children with a hidden ”nanny cam." Other uses might include the recording of meetings and interviews for legal protection, or simply for creating a more natural setting and minimizing the distraction of a camera. These and other possible uses will all influence your ultimate selection of the best video motion detector or security camera for your purposes.
Motion sensor camera technology can offer other advantages to broaden the scope of surveillance and help focus your selection. Some contain built-in microphones for audio detection, while others are body-heat activated. Some rely on passive infrared (PIR) sensors to detect movement; others boast night vision for round-the-clock surveillance. Additional incentives may include video compression, time search functions, adapters, accessories, and mounting hardware. Think about the type of activity to be recorded, and whether you wish to record or prevent it; choose the technology based on your desired outcome.