Houston Hidden Cameras

There are a variety of cameras available on the market today. Most are wireless and can be hidden in almost any type of household item from a plant to a stuffed animal. And the prices vary too from about $100 for a basic camera offering remote computer access to more than $500 for digital systems, which can send video images live via computer or cell phone.

A hidden camera is a still or video camera that is used to record people without their knowledge. The term “hidden camera” is commonly used in reality TV shows, sometimes when subjects are unaware that they’re being recorded, and sometimes with their knowledge and consent.

The camera may be "hidden" because it’s not visible to the subject being filmed, or is disguised as another object. Such a camera may not be visible to the subject, especially when it is fitted with a long-focus lens and located beyond the view of the subject, or located, say, behind a two-way mirror. Hidden cameras can also be built-in to commonly used objects like TV sets, smoke detectors, ball caps, plants, and even mobile phones. They may be used for household surveillance and may also be used commercially or industrially as security cameras. The proliferation and lower costs of video recording devices has led to an increase in the use of hidden cameras for legitimate surveillance need, as well as for entertainment and other purposes.

A hidden camera can be wired or wireless. A wired hidden cam can be connected by cable to a viewing or recording device, like a TV, VCR, network video recorder (NVR), digital video recorder (DVR), memory card or other data storage medium; whereas a wireless hidden camera can transmit a video signal to a receiver within a small radius, where the images may be viewed or recorded. Hidden cameras may also have an audio capability. A hidden camera may be activated manually, by remote control or be connected to a motion detector.

Pros and Cons
Hidden cameras have pros and cons, depending on your purpose. Each option has its benefits and drawbacks, which are important to weigh when making a decision about whether you should use visible or hidden cameras.

Pros
Below are several positive sides of using a hidden camera.

• Hidden cameras work well to capture bad behavior from people who aren’t expecting to be filmed. They can be used to peek in on employees, relatives, or people visiting your home or business.
• They are small or compact in size and can be easily carried around from one place to another. Because of their size, they can be easily hidden under shelves or anywhere that you deem fit.
• There’s no need to pay much attention to maintenance costs since there are no wires involved.
• They can be easily concealed anywhere, which allows you to observe people carefully, without them knowing about it.

Cons
Even though hidden cameras are very useful, they also have a few disadvantages.

• There’s a tendency to use hidden camera in a wrong way. Because they aren’t noticeable at all, some people tend to use them for the wrong reasons.
• Another disadvantage would be intruding the privacy. If you’re using such a camera without letting people know that they’re being watched, you’re actually invading their privacies.
• The biggest con of hidden cameras is the questionable legality of using them. In Canada, hidden cameras can be considered an infringement on the expectation of privacy, so it is important to ensure you are within your legal rights to use them.

Uses and Applications:

- It is very useful in enforcing law for traffic surveillance. It helps in catching people who over-speed and who beat the red traffic light. It’s commonly used at traffic signals where the traffic is very heavy.

- Security in offices, banks, hotels, train stations and airports is very important since these are places where many people tend to visit. Thus, it’s necessary that these places have a good surveillance and that is where hidden cams are very useful.

- It can be used in offices to improve the performance of employees. Their work can be recorded to show how they can improve. It can also be used in training rooms to observe how employees are doing.

- Hidden cameras are used by private investigators to spy on people when they’re investigating cases such as murder, theft, infidelity, etc.

- Having a hidden camera adds value to the property when it is sold, as the people feel more secure.

- It is very useful in homes to ensure that the house is safe and secured against theft/robbery. A hidden cam can be installed inside the home, or at the front and back entrance of the house.

- It is found useful in ensuring the safety of babies and even small children who are in the care of a nanny; to monitor her is she’s doing her duties. It’s also used to monitor older children and their activities inside the house.

- It can also be used to check on a spouse for infidelity.

- It can also be used in nursing homes and in other long term care facilities to monitor how the services are being rendered.

Now, if you’re wondering where you can place your hidden camera, don’t worry because it can be installed in many things. You can place it in a wall clock to have continuous monitoring or in stuffed toys. There’s even the pinhole camera which is very small and can be even kept in a tissue paper box or even a keychain. Moreover, you can find cameras that can record even in the dark. Those cameras can be used for recording pictures outdoors especially at night. You’ll be amazed that most of the pictures are fairly good.