DIY CCTV for the Home

History

• In the 1960s and '70s, closed circuit television (CCTV) was expensive and clunky. The cameras were low-quality black and white, with barely discernible images. The situation improved marginally in the 1980s as the hardware matured. The advent of VCR cameras and recorders gave small businesses and consumers a glimpse of how easy and productive CCTV might evolve into with time. By the turn of the millennium the possibilities became reality with digital equipment and networked cameras.

Costs

• Expense was the determining factor that kept CCTV from homes in the early 2000s. A single camera could cost well over $400 and a wireless transmitter sold then for $1,500. Putting together a complete digital package with four cameras would run past $4,000 if the homeowner wanted a digital recording of what the cameras saw. By 2005 CCTV became more reasonable for home installations, and by 2011 the price had dropped well below $500 for a similar package.

Packages and Equipment

• A networked camera, a router and a computer are all that are needed for a do-it-yourself CCTV home system. Packages come complete with the cameras, recorder and monitor, or you can mix and match your own choices of equipment. Systems requiring Ethernet cable hookup are less expensive than wireless systems. Wireless cameras are dependent on being by a 110V power supply where Ethernet cameras provide their own power, but must be connected by cable to the recorder/computer.

Considerations

• Considerations before installing a CCTV for the home include how many indoor and outdoor cameras you'll need, where you will place them if you wish to record the activity, voice recording and security -- who gets to view and monitor the cameras and recording. With 2011 technology, hooking the system into the Internet is only a matter of minutes, allowing anyone with the correct password to view what the camera sees from around the world.