Webcams are everywhere these days, including on a computer or mobile device that you are likely using to read this. If you have an old device in your home, you can turn that webcam into a surveillance tool for your home or business. Otherwise, you may be able to find an old webcam that no one uses, or buy one from a major store for less than $ 50.
There are many free apps that can help you turn this webcam into a tool to help you keep track of your property when you are not at home. If your camera has the appropriate sensors, you can even find solutions that support motion detection.
Here are some of the best to consider.
Ivideon Video Surveillance
Whether you just want to keep an eye on your pets or want a full-fledged recording, Ivideon Video Surveillance is one of the best solutions. You can even set up cameras in multiple locations and view them all on one screen. Your footage is archived in the Ivideon cloud, which means you can access it later if an incident occurs.
Short videos of events are recorded and stored for one day in the free version, with full recordings of all events and longer storage available with a paid monthly subscription. You can adjust the camera’s sensitivity to motion to reduce false positives.
iSpy
Windows PC owners can use an open source tool called iSpy to view their webcams from a smartphone or tablet. You can record video streams to your desktop and also upload any videos you want to save to YouTube or the cloud.
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One of the best features of iSpy is that you can connect an unlimited number of microphones and cameras to the program and record audio and video throughout your property. There are also special additional features such as improved license plate recognition and barcode scanning.
NetCam Studio
In the free version of NetCam Studio, you can connect up to two video sources and remotely control the audio using your computer or mobile device. NetCam Studio not only detects motion, but also plays sound for even more security than other free software.
If, while monitoring, you see something that you want to save for later, you can record it remotely and then return to viewing in the saved media section.
Yawcam
Short for yet another webcam software, Yawcam is geared towards Windows computers and is not limited to security purposes. You can use it to record video and sound during video calls, or to share live video with your social media followers.
But as an observation tool, it can act both at the beginning and at the stop of the movement. It also comes with a built-in web server for video storage. You will probably notice that the interface is outdated, but its simplicity also makes it easy to use.
Keeping an eye on your property when you’re gone has never been easier. All you need is a webcam and the right software, and you can set up your equipment to capture everything that happens in your home when you are not at home. Experiment with a few tools and choose the one that suits your preference.
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