A security camera is really expensive and full of complexity. Moreover, it can only serve a specific purpose. Nowadays, people are more interested in using a camcorder as a security camera. As it is cheap, it doesn’t require much knowledge about installation, portable, and you can use it to record your family video too in your free time!
Why should you turn your camcorder into a security camera?
A camcorder always serves the recording facility to its owner. However, most of the time, we do not use it, and after a few days, the device starts to get damaged. It’s better to use it for another purpose, such as using it as a security camera. In this article, we will let you know about the steps of using a camcorder as a security camera. In addition, you will also get the pros & cons of using it.
Things you will need to turn your camcorder as a security camera
Camcorders aren’t built for recording videos 24/7. However, you can modify your camcorder in a security camera. All you need to grab some software and hardware which will help you to make it.
Software that you need
Generally, a camcorder doesn’t come with motion detector software. You have to install the software externally. Install a motion detector software from your closest tech shop, or you can install it by yourself with the help of the instructions which are given in the manuals. You need to install video capture software to capture the video in the camcorder.
Other hardware you need
- Video card or TV tuner
- USB cable
- USB driver
Steps of setting a camcorder as a security camera by using USB streaming
Most of the brands are likely to let the owner use USB streaming in order to use the camcorder as a security camera. These are the following steps you must have to follow:
Step- One
Eject the SD card or the memory card from your camcorder and turn on the camera
Step- Two
Turn on the USB streaming mode from your camcorder. For this, you need to go to the menu and select the USB streaming mode.
Step – Three
Install the USB driver into your camera by following the instructions which have given in the manual.
Step- Four
Connect your camera to the computer with the help of the USB driver
Step – Five
Turn on the video capturing software and find the video source from your camcorder. The camcorder itself will locate the video source.
Step – Six
Generally, for security cameras, you don’t need to capture the video in ultra HD resolution. You should lower the resolution, which will be going to help you to save up more space for your computer.
Step – Seven
Choose the format and start recording from the camcorder. There are many formats you may find in the camcorder, such as WMV, MP4, or AVI. Choose the format which is eligible to you and click on the record button,
And now, your camcorder is ready to work as a security camera. You can place it anywhere in your office or home to get the surveillance video at any moment.
Pros of turning camcorder as a security camera
- It comes at a very cheap rate, and you don’t have to think about monthly servicing as you can yourself clean and check all the details.
- Easy to use anywhere and any time.
- You don’t have to pay the service charge to the mechanic where you can yourself install it.
- Turning a camcorder into a security camera is very easy.
- You can multi-task with your camcorder.
Cons of turning camcorder in a security camera
The one and only and the biggest cons of turning a camcorder in a security camera is you need a lot of space to keep the video recording. SD cards or memory cards have very limited space. That’s why for a certain period of time, your storage will be full.
Solution
There is a solution to this problem. And that is, eject the SD card or memory card from your camcorder and connect it with the computer. Now, you can record all of your footage without worrying about the space.
Conclusion
Using a security camera at your office, warehouse, or home is really important. However, many of us can’t afford a security camera as they are very expensive and need an expert to install them. By following the steps which are mentioned above, anyone can turn a camcorder into a security camera.
