3 Tips for DIY Video Surveillance

According to this report, DIY video surveillance is a $1 billion market, and while I can’t vouch for the exact market size (always a difficult business, that’s what analysts are for, right?), from what we’re seeing it’s definitely growing: new start-up cloud companies are entering the market (like us!), alarm companies and ISPs are starting to offer their own services, and the number of high quality IP cameras entering the market is impressive.

So, all good stuff, and if you’re trying to figure out if this is for you, here are our 3 tips for an effective DIY Video Surveillance system.

1. Use the cloud. We’re biased on this of course, but for most people simplicity is key and a cloud service gives you that, plus lots of benefits such as off-site storage of recorded videos, better uptime, and access from anywhere.
2. Stay away from software installs. Very much related to #1, but if you’ve got to install software, go through all the configuration, etc you start to eat into the reason for going DIY in the first-place. The reality is you don’t need software for motion detection on a webcam, or many of the core features anyway, so what’s the point?
3. Don’t get locked into a specific camera hardware. The landscape is changing quickly, so buy a good brand name camera (e.g. Axis) that you can sell later on eBay if the technology changes or you simply want to get updated capabilities. Of course, one option is to just use a run-of-the-mill webcam for home monitoring… that’s a good place to start.

Follow these 3 tips, and you’ll have a simple system with minimal complexity and financial commitment. Feel free to try our service or check out other options that are out there… you’ll be surprised what kind of capabilities you can get for a reasonable price.