Are you worried about the security of your home when you are not at home? Having a surveillance system can help you identify potential problems and you can have it by converting your PC's WebCam into a surveillance camera.
Applications to transform the WebCam into a surveillance camera
1 Contacam
It is free software that you can use for create a security camera system. With Contacam, record the images and videos obtained on your PC.
Monitor live everything that happens in your home via your mobile and you receive notifications on your email when an irregularity occurs. One of the most interesting features of Contacam is the FTP sending.
Use this tool with 1 or 8 cameras, it works as a complex surveillance system. You can even use traditional IP security cameras.
2 Netcam Studio
If you are an inexperienced user, the Netcam Studio application is for you. It is an easy to set up video surveillance application, it is paid, but it has a perfect free version to have a home surveillance system.
Install the server version and install one webcam on the PC to use it. To monitor the camera remotely, access a web browser from any device.
Includes motion detection and audio for capture irregularities local. You can record your recordings locally, on Dropbox or Google Drive.
3 Safety eye
A free video surveillance application that is also compatible with older versions of Windows such as XP. Set the surveillance camera to activate when detects any movement.
All recordings can be stored locally or in the cloud (Dropbox or Google Drive). Like most surveillance applications, you will receive an email in case of any eventuality.
4 ZoneMinder
It is an application OpenSource used to create a home or professional surveillance system. You can connect a large number of webcams and have access to various places in your home or office.
You can see the cameras in real time from your mobile device with internet access. Receive email notifications to receive image information and access recordings via time codes.
ZoneMinder is currently only available for Linux versions like Debian, Ubuntu and Gentoo. There are no versions for Windows or Mac yet.
Use the webcam as a surveillance camera with Contacam
We will do a small test on the use of Contacam as it is the most popular software for surveillance systems. Although it has to play the role of a spy application, its installation and configuration is simple.
Download and install
- Download the application from its official page.
- Double-click the executable file to start the installation.
- Accept the terms of use and press the button Agree and Next.
- Choose the components to install and click Next.
- Select the installation path. You can leave the found one by default.
- Push the button Install.
- Click Finish to complete the download process.
Initial configuration
- Open the application from boot menu or from the desktop icon.
- Choose the surveillance camera from the Capture menu. A list of available cameras is displayed.
- Enable the motion stop on the camera by right-clicking on the image and selecting Show Detections. Now every time the camera is in operation the LED will light up.
Watch the videos of the surveillance system
All camcorder recordings are located in the folder C:/ContCam, if you have not changed the path during the installation process. The files will be sorted by acquisition date and in MP4 format.
