6 Things to Consider Before Installing CCTV Cameras at Home
With growing crime incidents, the need for installing CCTV cameras, even at home, has become essential nowadays. Research indicates there are 770 million cameras globally which help prevent the alarming crime rates.
Quite often, people think of completing this task themselves. However, it is recommended to seek professional support for installing any Home Security System as there are multiple factors into play.
Why do you need Home Security Systems?
Home Security Systems have become crucial these days. You may be on long periods of vacation or somewhere outside, and your home may be subjected to threats such as gas leaks or even a fire outbreak. In other cases, thefts and home invasions might occur.
We could safeguard ourselves better from such incidents by installing surveillance systems.
6 Things to Consider Before Installing CCTV Cameras at Home
- Coverage :
- How large is your home?
- Which areas do you prefer covering, if not the entire house?
- Do you want your cameras to act as visual deterrents or prefer hiding them?
- Types of Cameras:
- Technical Aspects:
- Legal Aspects:
- Permissions:
- Budget:
The first and foremost aspect to consider is the extent of coverage required. Ponder over a few questions:
While some might consider the entire house for coverage, others focus on specific areas - say, garden or garage?
Depending on your response, the next question to answer would be how many cameras would be needed?
Accordingly, the appropriate locations and how many cameras are required to be mounted can be determined. You also need to consider if you would prefer your camera to act as a visual deterrent and shoo away the burglars once they see them. Alternatively, you may think of continuing recording the footage, in which case your camera is hidden.
Once you have decided on the areas of coverage, the next is to consider the type of cameras. Wireless cameras are the most commonly used, as they eliminate the need for wires and are easy to handle.
Besides, there are other types, such as the bullet camera, pointing in only one direction, and dome cameras mainly used for surveillance in malls and large buildings.
The type of cameras required would typically depend on the areas of coverage.
The modern cameras come with various features and serve diverse functions. It’s advisable to have cameras that record HD videos. The equipment generally includes recording and storage devices.
Storage is crucial when it comes to surveillance. As these cameras keep on recording footage, storage becomes important. While you continue recording, the older footage gets deleted. Additionally, you would also want visual quality to be superior. This, in turn, increases the storage space.
First, you may go for hard disks, similar to those on computers and laptops. The CCTV storage hard disks have higher capacity and operate continuously. This means they have to be replaced periodically. You need to take a call on the duration you want to keep the older footage for - maybe a couple of months or so.
Second, you could go for cloud storage and keep your video recording online. Otherwise, go for a remote control and access the camera and operate it even when traveling.
Besides, the cameras have various emerging technology features embedded, such as AI-enabled cameras, which support computer vision technology and facial recognition. And there are IoT-powered cameras that connect to home devices for enhanced security.
There’s also a legal side to keep in mind while installing home security systems. In case of installation at home, it is a legal requirement to notify verbally to any workers or visitors, including the maid, who might be coming every day. Besides, one cannot install these devices in private places such as bathrooms. It would be a serious offense.
To install cameras covering some outer sections of your home, you may have to seek permission from relevant authorities if it covers a part of a neighbor’s house or a nearby shop. In cases of residential complexes, you might be required to take permission from a civic body or a Residents’ Welfare Association before making an installation.
Finally, you need to fix your budget considering the above pointers, particularly the coverage and technicalities. For example, if you are looking for advanced security mechanisms for covering a larger area, you may have to opt for AI-based, IoT-enabled, or such high-end systems. Besides, if you need sharper visual quality and want to retain the footage longer, you will need more storage space. So consider your priorities and invest accordingly!
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Summing Up
To summarize; there are several methods by which you can recover deleted CCTV footage. These can range from simple methods like retrieving the files from the backup folder to more complex methods like using Command Prompt. But in case you are unfamiliar with the underlying technology, it's best to avoid trying to recover the deleted CCTV footage by yourself. Instead, you can get an expert to do it on your behalf to minimize chances of data corruption or loss.