Motion Activated Security Camera

Motion activated security cameras are great if you don't want to store 24/7 video footage. By using a motion activated security camera, you will only record when movement is detected. This way you will save lots of storage space. Since all modern security systems are using hard drives to store the video data, by using motion detection security cameras you will be able to archive a longer period of time on the same storage device.

Considering areas where movement is a sign of danger or intrusion, you will sometimes reduce the disk usage to as low as 10%.Using such a system, you can afford to store high quality images or videos and not be afraid you will fill your storage device. If you take periodic backups on DVD or magnetic tapes, you don't have to think of a new backup that often.

Types of motion activated security cameras

Most motion activated security cameras are IP cameras. That is because a certain amount of computing is needed and only IP cameras are advanced enough to handle the task.
The actual movement trigger can be accomplished using two methods:
l A standard optical sensor (like those used in classic security systems) will signal the camera when to start recording, based on its input.
l The IP Camera's software constantly compares recorded frames and only starts the recording when two consecutive frames are different (e.g. something moved). The recording will stop when two consecutive frames are identical (nothing is moving anymore)


Motion tracking

Some motion activated security cameras have a great additional feature: motion tracking. The camera is mounted on stepper motors that provide tilt and pan features. A software component in the camera detects movement targets and sends electrical commands to the motors so that the camera will follow the movement target. This feature is only available on advanced cameras, but it might be very useful if you are monitoring an important target.


What to do if you need the feature but don't have a motion activated security camera

If you have a standard security system that is eating away all your disk space with useless recordings, there's still hope. You just need to change the software on the computer that is recording everything.

Or, if you're not using a computer, just replace your current storage device with a standard computer. You will find software like motion or Zoneminder that will handle the entire motion detection feature even if you have standard security cameras. These computer programs even allow the user to ignore certain areas, like the window facing a busy street, that aren't important movement events.

If you want to setup a good security system, you certainly need motion detection. You will use a lot less disk space for video recordings and you will clearly identify movement events.

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