Wireless Security Cameras are fast gaining popularity. They are chosen above the common house surveillance cameras because they do away with the cluster of wires and are therefore easy to install and administer. Wireless security cameras can be used for almost anything, from common home surveillance like keeping an eye on the nanny or adding security to the office or warehouse. Wireless video surveillance camera systems are therefore, much more opted for than wired security systems.

The unique selling point of wireless security cameras is that they can be installed almost anywhere and everywhere, and the amount of secrecy is higher due to the non-existence of any kinds of wires. Wireless cameras are made up of a camera with a transmitter fitted inside and a receiver. Other than these, it comes with a 12 volt DC power supply, an antenna and a cable to connect the receiver to the monitoring equipment. Some wireless camera systems come with a recorder. This feature is needed only when the user requires to record the surveillance videos.

The receiver can be connected to a television, computer screen or a VCR. The network between the receiver and the transmitters of wireless surveillance systems are very strong, with the distance between them being anywhere between five hundred feet to ten miles.

Wireless camera systems have receivers which can penetrate up to eight walls, depending on the quality of the camera. Also, these cameras routinely penetrate glass, wood, plastic and other metals. The image quality of the wireless camera images depends on where the camera is placed.

Sometimes, the camera has to be moved a bit for crystal clear image quality. The signal between the receiver and transmitter will be as weak as the material it has to transmit to is dense. The receiver must be placed at a higher height than the camera for the best range and image quality. The usage of wireless security devices being better over hardwired security devices is debatable. One of the major reasons is the longevity of the wireless security systems. While hard-wired security systems work long, the wireless security system depends entirely on the transmission strength between the receiver and the transmitter.

Some recent upgraded wireless security cameras have a number of features that make them a good buy. Many of them now have pan, tilt and zoom functions in-built in them. They have up to 4x zoom. When used with a computer, some cameras have advanced MPEG-4 video compression for images with high quality and high frame rate. The video stream can be up to 640x480 resolution. Wireless security systems have an IR filter cut. This allows the users to see the images in either low or no light environment, using the IR lamp. The snapshot feature allows one to take a snapshot via the wireless security camera. Wireless cameras can also be accessed via remote locations. Some wireless cameras have a special 'security mode’; using which the camera can send a short video with a message attached to three to five e-mail addresses simultaneously.

Also, wireless security cameras are said to be a technology in progress, and therefore there are constant upgrades, which results in support and spares and repairing of a wireless security system bought some ten years ago could get difficult.

There are various wireless security cameras available in the market. However, one needs to go through the various details and the features of the wireless camera. One also has to decide which type of camera they should opt for, depending on their needs and the features of the wireless camera. The internet is a great place to find out more information about the wireless camera one is about to buy. Some companies offer their portfolios for free, browsing through which one can get a general idea of the best wireless camera

Roy D'Silva : Buzzle.com