When installing a security system, consider using cameras and lights that are activated by motion detectors as a way of saving video storage space and operational costs. Many people have installed motion sensing lighting outside their home to help ward off intruders, as well as to alert them of an exterior presence, but if they are not home the extra lighting will only allow the perpetrator better vision to get into the house or business.
Regardless of the type of the security systems recording device being used, videocassette or digital to a hard drive, there will only be so much space available on the media. Cameras that are allowed to record 24-hours a day can quickly fill the media with meaningless images that also take more time to find a video clip in the event of a security issue. For example, once a business closes and the recorders are humming along, unless the owner knows an approximate time of a break-in, they will have to review the full video to find out when the incident occurred.
Many of today security systems rely on motion detectors to activate cameras and the only thing that will be found on the recording device is after the activity started the camera recording. This will take far less time in reviewing the video for the incident and if the police are contacted to investigate, they will not be standing around waiting for the owner to find a certain clip.
The recording capabilities of the cameras equipped with motion detectors are identical to those that run forever, but the number of times videocassettes will need to be changed as well as the size of a recorder's hard drive will be greatly reduced. However, camera's are not the only components of a security system that can benefit from the use of motion detectors. While many do use them for exterior lighting, they are also available for indoor use. Very few intruders are going to stick around inside a business or private residence if bright lights suddenly come on once they get inside.
Most motion detectors turn a device on instantly, but there are some available that have an adjustable time to turn on the lights. They can be adjusted to turn the lights on as soon as motion is detected, or told to wait from 30-seconds to two-minutes before turning the light on. This can be helpful to the authorized person entering the premises as well as giving the intruder a false sense of security. The same type of motion detectors connected to cameras and also be used on recording devices so the only time they come on is when there is a need to record an event.
With many home and business security systems being operated by a computer, the cameras can be connected to have some of them activated only by motion detectors and others set to record during specific times of the day. For example, points of entry can be recorded 24-hours a day and the rest of the area can be set to record only when motion is detected.
