There are 2 very compelling advantages of using a Motion Activated security system:

1) Since they only transmit video when they are activated by motion, Motion Activated cameras can save over 90% of the disk space normally required for video storage.

2) If you are using a wireless security system, many times they are powered by batteries. The batteries will last much longer, since the camera is only recording when it is activated by motion.

Let me explain further.

Many people use security cameras “passively” as opposed to “actively”. Motion activated security cameras really make most sense for the passive use of a surveillance system. Passive use means you are recording activity in an area on to a DVR, but no one is constantly watching the activity. If you want to see what happened in that area, you would go back and view the recording from a specific date and time. Active use is when someone is constantly watching activity, usually on a closed caption TV.

A typical surveillance camera records continuously (24 x 7). Continuous recording uses up a lot of storage space on the recording device. A motion activated security camera will only record when there is activity in the area.

There are many examples where this would be a huge advantage. One of our customers had a motion activated system monitoring a back parking lot recording onto a DVR. They kind of forgot about the surveillance system. Several months went by and one night someone vandalized some property in the back of the building. The next morning they reviewed the recording and clearly watched the perpetrators in action. The recording was turned over to the police and there was an arrest within a few days.

Many wireless cameras on the market today are battery powered. Battery powered monitoring devices offer several wonderful benefits such as ease of installation and fewer limitations on the installation location. The main disadvantage is that batteries run out of power and they need to be replaced. The more the camera is in use the sooner the batteries will run out of power. If your camera is installed in a hard to reach location, replacing the battery can be a big hassle.

With motion activated battery powered cameras the battery will last longer because the vast majority of the power is used when the camera is activated and recording. Again there are many examples where this can be a huge advantage. Many of our customers use motion activated security systems for their second homes. They may only visit their second home once a month or so, but the batteries don’t run out of power during that time.

Motion activated security cameras can save time, money and headaches. SecurityCamerasandMore.com has a great selection of security products.

F. William Davis is a security expert with many years experience in surveillance consulting, personal security contracting and security system design. He has recommended security cameras to 100’s of individuals and businesses.