Security Advantage

Do personal security cameras at home work?

Neighbors are talking about installing personal security cameras at their single family residences. Is that practical? The average video tape is no more than 6 hours. Is there a way to continuously save all footage digitally on a 100GB hard drive for long vacations? But that also means computers must be left on the entire time so the electricity bill must run the computer, camera, and any other peripheral continuously on long vacations. If the power goes out briefly, then it's This question assumes the camera is not aimed at other neighbor's homes so no privacy issues are violated.

Public Comments

1. Best deals on this kind of security equipment http://www.x10.com I've been using x10 cameras and equipment for 7 years and they are great.. You can get a vhs vcr that will record 1300 hours of stop frame video on a t-160 tape from http://www.northerntool.com
2. OVC and the Spy shop both sell systems that record to Dvds. Some systems are motion detection activated, so you are only recording when the unit picks up something moving. Electricity in our area to run the system is about 5 cents an hour when it is in operation. If you have the type of system you are speaking about, use a backup battery and turn the monitor off and it is not that expensive.
3. Hey Slayer dude-- all of your concerns have been easily laid to rest by modern technology---yes these systems work and work very well---first off--a security system can be set up to do just almost anything required of it---and there can be systems installed with almost any configuration---I myself have a four camera set-up on my property here in Texas and even though I do not have it running 24 / 7 it could be---I have two monitors set up in two seperate places in my home (the place is kinda large) and so I can access the system easily from either end of the house---it has a sweep mode that continually brings shots from each camera to full frame every so often ( the duration of the shots can be set at any number of time settings) and the shots can be brought up in any order ----cam 1--2--3--4--1-- or 1--4--3--2--1-- ect ----if I choose to video tape the shots from the system I can choose to do any number of settings as well where the system tapes only a brief clip every so many seconds etc-------so and so forth--------also---these systems come with emergency power backup and you can set them to relay the shots from the system to any place of earth by way of the computer---I can be on the beach in Miami with my wireless laptop and access my system in Texas---even change the settings and choose camera view and duration--so--the geek guys got you covered from all sides here dude---AND as far as the next door thing with the privacy--this is pretty much understood that if you're installing a security system it is not being installed to spy on anyone---in my case there would be nothing all that exciting to spy on anyway---most exciting thing ever happens at any of these places is when my 86 year old neighbor lady across the street backs her Rolls down her driveway 5 times a week to retrieve her mail