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Aside from the classic CCTV cameras and IP cameras, there is another cheaper alternative which is perfect for a home or a small business security system : USB security camera. Although most usb cameras are quite fast and reliable, the quality of the images are not very good as these cameras are often used as a webcam. But if the quality of the images is not of importance, then you can easily set up a useful and cheap security system using this USB cameras.

Advantages When You Use USB Cameras

One of the most obvious advantage is that the USB camera is a common hardware tool that most people already have. Most people already possessed them because they often use the usb cameras with Yahoo Messenger or NetMeeting types of applications to chat online with friends and family. Thus you can easily use that same usb camera with a specialized surveillance software and you are good to go! No need to get any additional hardware. Furthermore, you can also find a number of nice software packages for free, like Zoneminder. Such software usually have in built motion triggered video recording as well as nice security archive management.

So you don't already own a web cam? Not to worry! You can easily buy one at an affordable price starting from $10. Of course, such low priced web cams do not have high image quality but this may not be an important factor since you really need it just to monitor your home or office just to ensure everything is fine. But do note that even those more expensive usb cameras which often are of better resolution do not perform well under low light conditions.

Disadvantages When You Use USB Cameras

One of the most undesirable factor is the required cabling to the USB cameras. Since they can only work with USB cables, they are limited by the cable lengths which are often only a few meters long. Thus the USB camera need to be kept as close to the PC as possible. Another minus point is that your USB camera cannot work without the appropriate software installed on a PC compared to the regular CCTV or IP cameras which can work just by plugging them to a monitor or a VCR.

Basically, if you just need an entry point security system without the need of high quality images or video recordings, using USB camera coupled with a PC may just be the perfect cost effective solution for you!

Bonus Tip : If you found this article to be useful, you can visit Security Camera FAQ for more comprehensive information, articles and tips about security cameras. You should understand what are the different types of security cameras available in the market in order to make the best decision for your home or office security.

// posted by wgvx @ 11:07 PM