Today, most people are away from their homes for most of the day, leaving elderly members or children at home whose safety is their utmost priority. Though people are generally safe in their homes, despite awareness about good civic behavior, inexplicable incidents happen sometimes, like someone hitting down the mailbox, or someone trying to trespass your property in your absence. Needless to say, such things can increase your stress and rob you of your peace of mind. Moreover, it can pose a risk to your loved ones’ wellbeing, who may be alone at home.
For most people, calling home frequently to enquire that their family is safe is not possible due to busy work schedules. As such, they need something that can keep a watchful eye on what’s happening inside their home or on their property in their absence. Technology comes to help them in this task by offering dedicated IP Camera Software.
An IP camera is a digital video camera that receives control data and sends images via an IP network. It is controlled by IP camera software, and you can install many IP cameras on your property and inside your home and control them with IP camera software.
Today, we take a deep dive into the world of technology to know more about this amazing piece of technology.
What is IP Camera Software?
IP camera software is an application that’s primarily used for surveillance purposes. The primary scenario where it comes into use is for family protection and the protection of commercial properties. This software can automatically detect motion and provide alerts via phone calls and instant messages. It also allows you to view live coverage as well as recorded videos of the camera feed with ease.
Why do you Need IP Camera Software?
Video surveillance has become a necessity today. Remote video monitoring allows you to protect yourself, your family, as well as your business against theft, burglaries, and dishonest employees. The presence of the Internet in our homes, offices, and smartphones makes it perfect to use IP cameras to keep a watchful eye on our homes and offices regardless of where we are.
IP camera software allows us to check live feeds or recorded clips from desktop, mobile, or any Internet-connected device with a screen. Through cameras synced with such software, we can prevent any burglary or crime from happening or help catch perpetrators by informing the police on time. The video feed can be useful to solve criminal cases with the help of video evidence.
Common features of IP Camera Software
Every IP camera software application is different and comes with varied features. While advanced features are a welcome thing and provide more bang-for-your-buck, the basic features must be sufficient to fulfill the expected functionality of the software.
Here are some common features you can expect from high-quality IP camera software:
1. Record and stream high-quality video
The quality of the camera feed video is a crucial aspect when it comes to surveillance. Good quality IP camera software can record as well as stream high-definition live feed, allowing you to see things clearly and reduce chances of confusion or false alarm.
2. Integrated video player
If such an application has an integrated video player, it makes your task of viewing live feeds and recorded videos without changing platforms much easier.
3. Support popular video formats
Your IP camera software should support popular video formats like AVI and WMV. This will ensure that the feed can be shared across other platforms and devices used by your family members or with appropriate security agencies if needed.
4. Navigate and control cameras through a list
The software should allow you to control all IP cameras installed on your residential or commercial property. It should allow you to send commands to change the camera angle remotely or zoom to get a clearer view.
5. Secure Password
It should have the option to enable a secure password so that access to the feeds and recorded content is only given to the right person. The secure password ensures no one can access or control your IP cameras in your absence without your permission.
Top 5 IP Camera Software
If you’re thinking of setting up IP cameras in your house or office, you will need software to hook them up such that they can record footage or live-stream video feed. Following is the list of handpicked IP camera software that allows you to get most of your video surveillance cameras.
1. Netcam Studio
Netcam Studio is a popular video surveillance application with advanced features. It is a useful program to keep an eye on your home and office, with which you can watch a live feed on your computer or generate HTML code for live streaming. The application has two components – a client to add your IP cameras, and a server that supports four video sources. Besides IP cameras, the application also supports web cameras or special sources that contain audio. It has a modern and highly intuitive interface that allows less tech-savvy people to use it with great ease.
Here are some key features of this software:
- Supports up to 64 cameras
- Allows you to set rules for internal and external actions
- Exchanges command with web apps like Slack, Google Drive, and Dropbox
- Comes with Windows client, web-browser client, Android, and iOS apps
2. Xeoma
Xeoma is powerful and efficient video surveillance software that’s easy to set up and comes with several advanced modules that can be used as per need. The program supports up to 100 cameras and is a favorite among security teams as it provides several useful features like video capture, motion tracking, face recognition, analytics, and AI modules. The program works on Windows as well as Macintosh computers, and you can also use its web-based version on Linux machines. It comes with an auto-detection feature for all cameras and supports most IP camera models available in the market.
Here are some key features of Xeoma:
- An intellectual motion detector that reduces false alarm events
- Motion-triggered or scheduled notification by emails or text message
- Encryption and password protection
- Shared access rights
3. Security Eye
Security Eye is a popular video surveillance application that uses webcams and IP cameras for unbeatable monitoring. It supports around 1200 models of IP cameras and almost all webcams available in the market. The software can manage video feeds from up to 64 cameras simultaneously. It comes with a motion detector feature that is based on a video frame analyzing algorithm which can protect your company and home from intruders. The motion detector and masking tools are fully customizable and enable you to prevent false alarms. It allows you to monitor live feed and record events in your shop, office, or home when you are away.
Here are some key features of Security Eye software:
- Can turn on a loud siren or send alerts via email or text message
- Records video or captures snapshots when it detects motion
- Allows you to set up motion monitoring and video recording on a specific date and time
- Watch the live stream in a browser in any part of the world
4. AnyCam
AnyCam is an IP camera software application with a clean and intuitive user interface. It offers simple functionality, and most people don’t face any problem using it even on the first run. The program supports MPEG live streams and you can arrange and organize them in thumbnail-sized tiles for simultaneous viewing. The software supports multiple modes of recording like motion recording, continuous recording, or scheduled recording. The setup is easy and most parameters are chosen by the software automatically. The video recording archive is available in a built-in calendar, and you can view any recording for a specified date quickly.
Here are some key features of AnyCam software:
- Viewing is available in four modes – single camera, one-to-many, slideshow, and video wall
- Video stream is broadcasted in MPEG
- Supports camera connection through RTSP (Real-Time Streaming Protocol)
- View video archive in the application or third-party media players
5. ContaCam
ContaCam is a video surveillance application that is simplistic and lightweight. It is compatible with most cameras like WDM and DV cameras, webcams, and IP devices. It has a simple setup and you don’t need any professional help to set it up or use it at your home and office. The program is available in six languages – English, Vietnamese, Bulgarian, German, Italian, and Russian. It features a live webcam along with history tracking and allows viewing recordings of a particular camera for a specific day. The program supports an unlimited parallel camera setup. It also comes with FreeVimager features for snapshots editing.
Here are some key features of ContaCam software:
- Supports 24 hours video recording and motion detection
- Motion detection of events available even in a thumbnail mode
- Manual records and snapshots
- Integrated web server with password protection
Conclusion
According to leading statistics, burglaries and thefts have increased in recent years and people need to adopt more security measures to protect their homes and offices. IP camera software is a feasible and economical security solution that helps you keep a watchful eye on your property, belongings, and loved ones in your house. The video surveillance keeps you informed and saves you from any nasty surprises after you go home after a tiring day.
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