by Joelle McWilliams

You and your family have booked that perfect beach vacation, which will allow you to be miles away from reality. But as you walk out the door with dreams of sipping margaritas, you feel your stomach turn with concern. You will be gone for days with no idea about the safety and welfare of your home.

Imagine the possibility of being able to check on things while you are miles away, even out of the country. With advancements in technology, you can record all that is going on at your home or business—even tune in to watch it live! All of this is possible through the power of your DVR and the Internet.

Why would you want to record the inside of your home or business? Maybe it is to know, for certain, what schedule your new babysitter actually keeps your youngster on while you are away. Perhaps you are more interested in the comings and goings of friends when your teenagers are home alone after school. Business owners can observe employees and transactions while conducting business away from the office. DVR technology combined with closed-circuit cameras can ensure peace of mind to business owners and homeowners alike.

“Since implementing our surveillance system, I’ve seen a great improvement in productivity in our employees,” says Jeff Tamborrino, general manager of Hammond Suzuki. “Things have stopped disappearing and I have less stress, knowing ‘someone else’ is watching my assets when I can’t be.”

Beverly McQuaid, owner of Planet Kids Academy and Preschool, also touts the benefits of closed-circuit television recording at her schools. “Our web cam system is phenomenal! It has been so exciting for parents, as it reassures them that their children are in the best of hands and having a fantastic time. We are able to conveniently digitally record every area of the building 24 hours a day.” She explains that parents and grandparents are able to watch their little ones exploring their environment daily, as monitors provide continuous surveillance of every classroom and main areas of the school buildings. “Of course, extensive security measures are taken, as the monitors are Internet accessible only to families of enrolled students.”

DVRs were introduced as the next generation of the VCR, and they are great at recording our favorite television shows. But the capacity of the average DVR system is much greater than that. Most of the units come equipped to view and record four, eight or 16 pieces of input at a time. In a security environment, that input comes from cameras and closed-circuit television. The DVR records onto computer hard drives or CDs, taking the digital video signals from the CCTV cameras and embedding them onto the recording device. Depending on the number of cameras recording at any given time, some of the larger hard drives can store up to a few weeks of activity for review.

On most DVRs, there is an alarm input that will connect directly to your home alarm system. By selecting the motion sensor option, the DVR can turn on if there is even the slightest movement in front of any of your cameras. When the DVR turns on, it will trigger the alarm, providing an added insurance. Another great feature is that the cameras that drive this new technology don’t have to look like the ones you see mounted to the wall in your bank lobby. It can be as small as a tube of lipstick, perfect for concealing your recording ability.

Whether your security situation prompts you to consider a surveillance system now, it’s good to know that, if you need it, the technology exists for you to “have eyes in the back of your head,” after all!