How to Turn a Webcam into a Security Camera

Burglaries and break-ins are now on the rise and the surveillance systems have transitioned from being a mere luxury to a big necessity.

Got a wireless security camera or PoE security camera ? Good for you. It helps ward off burglars and intruders to protect your home while you are not around.

Do not have one? Everyone knows that it costs quite a fortune to install a highly sophisticated surveillance system in your home. But not to worry, you can set up an effective but cheap webcam security camera by yourself.

Here is how to turn a webcam into a security camera, and you will learn the detailed steps to set up home surveillance with a USB-connected webcam or built-in PC/Mac webcam to protect your home when you are not there.

The following part shows you the detailed steps to set up security camera with webcam.

Turn a Webcam into a Security Camera – A Detailed Guide

So how to turn webcam into security camera with the proper software listed above? The following part shows you the detailed steps to set up security camera with webcam.

Note: To use iSpy for video surveillance, you have to keep your laptop running all the time. So you should turn off your computer's sleep function to make sure it is always on.

Step 1: Put your webcam in a place where needs video surveillance, like the front door, back door, etc. You can also use computer cameras to monitor your kids and pets.

Step 2: Prepare a long USB cable and connect your webcam to your computer.

Step 3: Install the webcam security camera software on your Windows or Mac computer. Here I take iSpy as an example.

Step 4: Add a local webcam security camera to the software, and name it. Also check the Camera Active box to turn on your webcam CCTV camera. After connecting the camera, you can begin to adjust and readjust their positions until you are satisfied with the views.

Step 5: Under the Edit Camera section, you get six options to configure the webcam security camera, including Motion Detection, Alerts, Recording, PTZ, Save Frames/FTP, YouTube, and Scheduling. You only need to select the ones you want and set them up according to your needs.

You can configure the kind of alert and notification that suits you. Moreover, there will always be motion you can opt for periodical alerts. If you are going to monitor the activities of your kids with the webcam security camera, it is better to set the alert interval – say every 15 minutes.

In Camera tab, you can also set up the Microphone and activate the built-in mic of your laptop webcam security camera.

Step 6: Go back to home screen and turn on your camera. Done! Then you can view the live videos and the captured pictures are shown at the bottom of the screen.

And that's it!

Pros & Cons of Using Webcams as Security Camera

A webcam security system is usually the best choice for people who have home security concerns but don't want to spend more on an IP camera.

To turn a webcam into a security camera, all you need is a PC, a webcam and very good surveillance software. Once you get all these, you are set. DIY enthusiasts can feel free to turn their laptop into a security camera. The cheap do-it-yourself feature makes webcam security cameras stand out.

But meanwhile, making your webcam a security camera has its downsides, compared to using IP security cameras.

ㆍImages and videos captured by webcam security cameras are a little fuzzy than that captured by IP cameras. Meanwhile, some top CCTV camera brands offer surveillance equipment with an ultra 5MP resolution, which can capture every single detail.

ㆍIP webcam home security cameras usually lack some features, like night vision, so you can't monitor what happens when it gets dark, unless you keep a light on.

ㆍYou have to leave your PC running all the time if you convert a webcam into an IP camera for video surveillance.

ㆍWebcam security cameras are limited to their monitoring locations since, generally, they are not designed for outdoor surveillance with the USB cable limitation. Some of you may consider placing the webcam security camera at the windowsill to watch the driveway for you, and that may cause some potential image issues.

ㆍUsing a computer camera as surveillance may increase the risk of getting hacked. Your daily life can be exposed to the public when you don't even realize it.

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