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Home > Exploring the benefits of utilizing wireless security cameras with two-way audio functionality
July 22, 2008
By: Lynn Bryant
Incorporating a wireless surveillance camera with audio
functionality into your home security system can provide
some practical benefits you might want to consider. As the
trend becomes more popular among homeowners, more
manufacturers are choosing to incorporate this functionality
into their camera offerings. We will seek to review some of
the wireless security cameras with two-way audio
functionality that are currently available on the market. We
will also consider some of the practical benefits of this
technology and briefly touch on some of the potential side
effects to consider.
First, let us look at two unique surveillance cameras
currently being offered on the market that incorporate a
two-way audio feature.
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4XEM IPCAMWLPTZ Wireless PTZ IP Network Camera
-- This camera features MPEG 4 video compression,
pan/tilt movement, 10x optical zoom, microphone, and
connections for external speakers. This camera also
contains a built-in web server, which gives you the
ability to remotely control camera settings and movement
through a web browser. Integrated motion detection
functionality provides an extra level of security that
can be set up to automatically trigger video recording
as well as the generation of an email alert.
-
Panasonic BB-HCM371A Outdoor Wireless Network Camera
with 2-Way Audio -- This wireless camera is
designed for outdoor operation and comes with a built in
web server which allows for remote access through any
standard web browser. The camera communicates wirelessly
with any standard 802.11b or 802.11g wireless device,
which allows you to operate the cameras without needing
to run network wires.
This camera also comes with some powerful security
features such as SSID filtering and 64/128/152 bit WEP
Encryption, which protect your system from unauthorized
access. It is equipped with a built-in microphone, and
connections for an external amplified speaker, which
enables two-way voice communication. You can also
incorporate an SD Memory Card, which can simplify image
video recording if you desire. While this camera does
provide two-way audio functionality, it does not allow
for the recording of audio sounds.
Incorporating a two-way audio feature into a surveillance
camera will give you the ability not only to hear the sounds
picked up by the camera, but also to communicate verbally
through the camera as well. This will allow you to
communicate directly to anyone that is in the direct
vicinity of the camera itself. This would be a good feature
to have if you had to monitor an entrance point to a
building or other sensitive areas.
In some instances, audio functionality can actually
increase the effectiveness of the security system itself.
Surveillance microphones can be set to activate
automatically when a noise is detected, potentially
notifying of a security event before a motion trigger is
ever activated. In addition to this benefit, some security
system actually incorporate two-way audio as a way for an
alarm monitoring service to communicate directly with the
homeowner to obtain feedback as to whether the alarm event
is a false alarm or not.
While incorporating two-way audio functionality into
surveillance equipment is not a new concept, it is just
beginning to increase in popularity among homeowners. It is
important to note that special care does need to be taken to
ensure you are not violating any privacy laws. Recording
audio conversations is expressly illegal in many states
without the consent of one, sometimes both parties. For this
reason, many of the surveillance cameras sold that contain
audio functionality, do not allow for the actual recording
of audio sounds.
In any event, if you decide to incorporate surveillance
cameras that utilize audio functionality in your home, be
sure you do your own research as to the specific laws that
govern your state.
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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