How to Set Up In-Home Surveillance on Your Computer

Motion detectors activate every time someone walks by.

Need to find out who's been stomping your marigolds every night? Perhaps you suspect the nanny is stealing the silverware? Setting up a hidden camera in your home could be costly, but it doesn't have to be. Eliminate the expenses by hooking up home surveillance using your home computer and downloadable software.

Things You'll Need

• Computer or Laptop
• PC camera or built-in Webcam

Instructions

1. Install Willing Webcam, a Webcam software package capable of capturing video or pictures with minimal setup. It uses a detection sensor to “wake” the camera when necessary. The slightest movement triggers it. Save the videos/pictures locally or publish online. In addition, Willing Webcam can be set up to send an e-mail or text message, open a program or even sound an alarm. It features live video streaming which serves as a “babysitter or nanny supplement” as you can monitor video in real time.

2. Use grabMotion, a free detector with a built-in scope Wizard that allows you to record a specific area. It is compatible with all Webcams and contains a scheduler where you can program it to shut on and off. It can send an image attached to e-mail and boasts additional tuning not found in other Webcam software. It requires Windows XP and Java version 1.4 or higher.

3. Download CyeWeb and configure User Account Management to access your surveillance videos remotely. E-mail notification is capable of placing five video snapshots within the e-mail. A video editor includes a filter to add things like de-interlacing and timestamps. Also supported are dual stream IP cameras which allows videos to be retrieved concurrently. The built-in Web server supports live video through Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Tips & Warnings

• Lower the sensitivity of the motion sensor to prevent unnecessary recording.

• Videos stored on your PC can be viewed by anyone with access to your computer. Create a password for your user account to prevent unauthorized access.

References

• Webcam Software Solutions: Willing Webcam
• Dorgem: Webcam Capturer

Resources

• Novo Sun: CyeWeb Key Features
• Brothersoft: grabMotion Download
• Dorgem 2.1.0: Download