Modern CCTV Kits for Home Use
I have always been an electronics hobbyist. I don't push it on other people, but sometimes there will be someone that comes along that shows an interest. I have always been interested in imaging sensors, and I was very pleased when CCTV kits became affordable. I remember the early surveillance cameras that were big and very bulky that recorded grainy black and white footage. Sometimes we still see still images on the news of a suspect wanted for robbery or burglary that is of such poor resolution that no one could make a positive ID.
Nowadays you can get CCTV kits for home use that are affordable and give such a clear picture that you could identify someone trying to conceal his or her identity. The pictures are very clear letting you see subtleties of behavior and even be able to see things such as eye color, tattoos, scars and other telltale signs that can lead to a positive ID. An example of such clear imagery is CCTV cameras used near cash registers at retail establishments and banks that not only let security see the denominations of currency being handled, but they could even zoom in and see serial numbers.
You probably don't need that type of resolution at home, but it is available. And the really cool thing is that you can get cameras that can do that that are affordable on a household security budget. I have a mix of very affordable 720p and 1080p high-definition cameras around our house that work perfectly for our home security needs. The cameras are weatherproof and record around the clock on a digital video recorder. I can store a year's worth of video surveillance footage on the DVR for each camera. Amazing! Stuff like this was unheard of just a few years ago, and now it is commonplace and affordable by your average consumer who is trying to set up a home security system.