What do you need from your security system? Surveillance can help you identify successful thieves while deterring the more fearful opportunists that test your property's security. Alarm systems can warn and authorities you while frightening off certain intruders, while silent alarms may be better to catch the intruder by surprise. With every option comes a few opportunities to add more nuanced control, and a few of these security customization points can help you make the right changes.
Computer Systems For Security Support
Security systems that include surveillance cameras will usually come with a recording or control deck. These decks were originally just to record video from the cameras while providing a place to connect a monitor, but like everything else enhanced by the computer and internet advancements of the past few decades, they can do so much more.
Modern recording decks are personal computers in their own right, equipped with the ability to give you an organized, easier way to click and type your way through the recording system. While better than a system with no interface at all, it's still a bit limited for a world where the current living elderly have at least some computer experience--and especially when the upcoming middle-aged people grew up with computers.
You can augment that recording deck by connecting it to a computer. The computer could be a laptop or a desktop, or even a smartphone if you have the right connections. The easiest way to connect a recording deck is to buy a security system that advertises being computer friendly, as it will have cables to make the connection without much action on your part.
Without those standard connections, you're going to connect the cameras to the computer. There will usually be a set of input (the cameras to the recording deck) and output (the recording deck to the monitor) ports. Your computer needs to have a video input port, which can be added with an expansion card called a video capture or TV tuner card.
Video capture cards come with software to record the video as files that you can easily open, move, and even edit. If there is no software, there are multiple recording programs such as Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) that can do the job for free.
Security Concerns When Making Modifications
The above changes involve adding additional cables and creating an addition stop or hop to security setup. It's important to note that any exposed cables present a potential risk whether you make changes or not, and you need to get a security professional's advice when arranging your new setup.
In addition to creating a computer system that can record from your security system, you can do the same with your motion sensors to send alerts to your phone or email, and alarm systems can notify extra sources in the same way. When you add these systems to your own custom layout, make sure that you're not creating an easy way for intruders to disconnect your security.
A security professional will create a plan for either hiding or shielding exposed wires. Many devices may also have internet-enabled flaws such as having default passwords that anyone can look up. Getting into an internet-enabled camera or alarm system can give people the tools to spy on your or disable your systems, and fixing the problem is as simple as changing the password or removing the device's ability to connect to networks.
Contact a security systems professional, such as at American Wireless Alarm Inc, to discuss safe and efficient ways to customize your security.
Share7 February 2018
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