Right off the bat, there is certainly a big difference between webcam recording software and webcam surveillance software. Yet, most people tend to confuse these two webcam innovations. So in order to highlight their differences, this article would discuss individual features, functionalities, and learning curves.

Features

Both webcam recording software and webcam surveillance software can record, save, and broadcast videos. Both have options to change settings such as video frame rate, video size, color, and video quality. However, webcam surveillance software has security features, such as motion detection, video and audio alarms, and time-lapse recording. With motion detection, anything that moves at home while everyone is asleep is recorded and saved in your home computer. Then it alerts you via email, and with the time-lapse recording feature, you can easily rewind your surveillance video to any specific time stamp so that you will know what went on.

Functionality

Webcam recording software only lets you record and save your videos in your computer. The output video can be saved in various video formats, such as .avi and .mov, so that you can watch them using any media player. You can also send your videos, via email or FTP. Some recording software also support video chat. RCRsoft's Active Webcam and Soft29's oRipa Yahoo! Webcam Recorder are some examples.

On the other hand, webcam surveillance software is mainly used to run home security systems. It does not really take much to put up your own home security system. All you need is a home computer, Internet access, a webcam, and surveillance software, such as HomeCamera and WebCam Monitor v 4.30. Because there are certainly no security features in most webcam recording software, it only works as a key add-on to turn your home computer into a video capturing device. It is a must-have for people who have online video blogs, for those who like to chat via video, and for those who are fond of uploading their videos to websites such as YouTube and Google videos.

Learning Curve

Because it appeals to a greater number of people, webcam recording software tends to be very simple and user-friendly. Its graphical user interface (GUI) is easy to use and navigate. So it would not take you long to record videos with your webcam. However, there is a longer learning curve in webcam surveillance software because there are various technical matters to consider, especially if you are dealing with multiple-camera home security systems. You really have to be sure of what you are doing when using it because the safety of your family and your home is at stake. Because of this, you may have to talk to a professional to make sure that your home security system is working well.

Having spotted the significant differences, you now know that if you want to just record and send videos, you need to use webcam recording software. But if you want to turn your home computer into a nifty home security system, you have to use webcam surveillance software.