Most people would treat surveillance equipment such as hidden cameras as luxuries or required only for places of business. They couldn’t be more wrong. When personal security and safety is a rising concern, surveillance equipment has become the requisite gadget not just in business establishments but also in residential homes. If you need a good surveillance gadget that could monitor and record activities, you might want to begin with a self-recording DVR hidden camera. Here are tips on how to use one:
Determine the areas you want to monitor
The self-recording DVR hidden camera can monitor a limited area, so find out how wide the gadget’s viewing angle is. A 70- to 90-degree stationary viewing angle will usually work well for most uses.
Next, determine which places in the home, office or warehouse you need to have a camera installed. Depending on your needs, you might have to install more than one unit in order to cover wider areas or multiple locations. Make sure to plan this carefully because you could spend more on cameras you might not actually need.
The second consideration you need to know when using a self-recording DVR hidden camera is power source. Most units run on AC power, so you need a source of electricity to run the gadget. Since the unit is meant to be hidden from plain sight, this could be an issue in certain areas where an outlet is not readily available. If so, you will have to make the necessary adjustments to ensure that power is provided.
Self-recording DVR hidden cameras come in different designs, something that should give you enough flexibility in terms of placement. Units are provided with a user manual you can refer to for basic installation instructions and correct usage.
Choose the appropriate specs
If you will be using the hidden camera in low light areas, you might want to purchase a unit that is capable of recording in semi-darkness. This feature is usually indicated in terms of ‘lux’. A low lux rating of 1lux or 2lux, for example, is excellent for use in low light conditions.
Units often come with pre-installed SD cards where the digital images will be kept. An SD card will usually hold 8Gb of memory. The resolution of the camera is also key to ensuring that it captures clear images. Higher resolutions mean that it can record sharper images you can view later. Remember that the resolution for still shots is usually higher than those that will be used for video.
Plug and play or installation blues?
Most self-recording DVR hidden cameras available in the market these days do not really require professional assistance to install. All you need to do is find a power source, plug the unit and let it run. However, you might need to make a few extra steps to ensure that the unit is located where you need it to be, particularly if you want to ensure it is in a discreet area.
Consider the number of hours of recording time
Self-recording DVR hidden cameras can record activities for a minimum of 8 hours, which should be enough to provide for minimum surveillance needs. Currently, the longest recording hours for a DVR hidden camera of this type is 144 hours. This hidden camera can potentially record continuously for 6 days, perfect if you will be away for extended periods of time.
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