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Home > Top 5 questions and answers to consider when implementing a nanny camera system within your home
March 09, 2010
By: Lynn Bryant
Nanny camera systems can be an excellent way to keep a
watchful eye over your children. Many parents use them in
their child's nursery as a way to monitor a sleeping infant.
Others install covert cameras throughout their home as a way
to monitor their children and the caregivers they employ to
work within their home. Either way, they can be excellent
tools not only to improve safety, but also to improve the
well-being of both parent and child.
The purpose of this article is to provide you with a
simple reference guide to nanny surveillance technology.
Having a general understanding of the technology itself can
be helpful in deciding whether to implement a system within
your home. Should you decide to move forward, knowledge of
the specific components required could be very beneficial in
deciding which equipment and configurations are appropriate
for your particular circumstances. Following is a list of
five questions and answers that will help as you begin
building your knowledge base of nanny surveillance
technology.
1. What is covert video surveillance?
A covert surveillance system is designed to capture video
of a specific area, while remaining completely undetectable.
Covert surveillance systems can be used for a number of
different applications within the home from simple intrusion
monitoring to remote surveillance, even behavior and
activity monitoring of workers within your home.
Covert surveillance systems are comprised of special
components that differ somewhat from regular surveillance
equipment. Due to the required hidden nature of covert
systems, components must be relatively small in size, noise
free, and easily concealable. That said, there are a wide
array of products and styles available within the covert
surveillance product market. Equipment should be carefully
chosen based on your specific surveillance needs. We will
explore some of the important things to consider when
selecting equipment in further detail below.
2. Is their anything unique about a nanny camera
surveillance system?
The term nanny surveillance is often used synonymously
with covert surveillance. They are essentially the same
thing. Surveillance systems that are designed specifically
for nanny surveillance, however, often come with additional
cameras and components that are more conducive for active
monitoring of your entire home. For example, many newer
nanny camera systems come equipped with remote surveillance
capabilities, which allow parents log in to monitor their
children throughout the day.
Another important feature to consider is the quality of
the camera included within the system itself. Picture
quality is extremely important, as distorted and delayed
images can be difficult to distinguish. A high quality
surveillance system designed specifically for nanny
surveillance will be designed with these features in mind.
3. Are wired or wireless systems better?
Most nanny camera systems are wireless simply because
wireless models are much easier to install and conceal then
wired versions. Being wireless however is not a requirement
of nanny surveillance systems. You can still find many
quality nanny surveillance systems that are wired. Is one
version better than the other though? Functionality is
generally equivalent across both styles of systems, but
wireless systems can be much easier to install and offer
comparable video quality to traditional wired systems. In
addition, technological advancements to wireless technology
have made wireless transmission much more secure.
4. What is remote video surveillance?
This refers to the ability to access and view video feeds
from your surveillance network of cameras from an off-site
location. Many surveillance systems with remote
accessibility even allow for remote camera control, which
can increase the viewable area. Remote surveillance
functionality is a great feature to have on a nanny
surveillance system because it gives you the ability to
obtain live updates of your family anytime you want
throughout the day. Older systems required you to sift
through hours of video surveillance recordings, which
increased the likelihood that questionable events could be
overlooked. With remote surveillance, you can get a much
more accurate picture of what the environment is like for
your child.
5. Are their any special features that should be
considered?
There are many quality nanny surveillance systems
available on the market that do a very good job of discrete
monitoring. However, there are a few important factors you
might want to consider that will increase the effectiveness
of your system. These include:
- Picture quality -- The quality of the
captured video image itself can play a very critical
part in the overall effectiveness of your surveillance
efforts. Viewing a distorted image that is constantly,
skipping can make it very difficult to detect what is
actually taking place. If you are going to be investing
money in a nanny surveillance system, invest in some
quality cameras that will provide you with clear images
and smooth video playback. For real-time, full-motion
video playback you will need a camera with 30 frames per
second capability. If you are looking for further image
clarity, invest in high-resolution cameras with 480
lines of resolution or greater.
- Outdoor surveillance -- This is certainly not
a necessity, but it can increase the reach of your
surveillance network if you incorporate cameras
specifically designed for outdoor surveillance.
- Camera housings -- While the housings
themselves do not determine the quality of the image
being captured, they do have an impact on the overall
effectiveness of your system. The covert nature of nanny
surveillance systems is part of what makes them such an
effective tool. Choosing housings that keep your cameras
hidden should be a priority for you. Nevertheless, it is
easy to get carried away with the wide array of unique
camera housings available to choose from. It is best to
stick with simple objects that blend well with their
surroundings. In addition, consider objects that can be
permanently positioned in a specific area without
seeming out of place.
Choosing whether or not to incorporate a nanny
surveillance system in your home can be a very important,
yet difficult decision to make. Once the decision is made,
it can be even harder trying to determine which equipment is
appropriate to select. Having a basic understanding of some
of the critical aspects to consider should help in your
selection process.
About the Author
Lynn Bryant is a successful freelance writer and
contributor to Video-Surveillance-Guide.com. Your
definitive guide to video surveillance equipment, CCTV
cameras and wireless security systems for home and business.
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