3 steps to creating the best webcam security system with Sighthound Video
Sighthound offers much greater sophistication than is common in webcam security software. Sighthound will install, find your cameras automatically, and set up intelligent surveillance in under two minutes. Best of all, you can try it for free, and be up and running today, long before that shiny new baby-cam you ordered on Amazon arrives.
Step 1: Plug in a webcam.
If you have an old webcam lying around, plug it into the USB slot of your computer. If your chosen computer has a built-in camera, you may use that. If there isn’t a webcam to hand, you will probably find that buying a new webcam is a more cost-effective solution than buying an IP camera. You can also start with a webcam and then expand it by buying IP cameras later. Because Sighthound Video is camera agnostic it can expand with you.
Step 2: Run Sighthound Video
Download Sighthound Video onto the computer you want to run your surveillance system and launch the software. Select USB webcam and you will see the video feed from your camera. That’s it!
Step 3: Select a Storage Option
By default, videos are stored on your hard drive. If you would like to save important clips off to the cloud, the Basic and Pro versions of Sighthound Video allow you to save to Dropbox, Google Drive, or other storage options.
Tips to getting the most from your free webcam security system
There is a limit to the number of webcams you can use to create your home security system. The limit is in the USB controller of your computer. Controllers can become overburdened with the throughput of video if too many cameras are connected to the same USB controller. You can try plugging the webcam into a different USB port elsewhere on the machine, or lowering its resolution. Don’t forget you’ll need a paid version of Sighthound Video to run more than one webcam.
Freedom
Sighthound Video is free for one camera, but can grow with you as you grow your system. You can start with a webcam for simple indoor video monitoring, then add the best outdoor night vision camera from one manufacturer and the best indoor dome camera from another until you have a system that meets your needs. Freedom from vendor lock-in, freedom to do what you want with your video, freedom to start small, and freedom to choose the best camera for the job.