Because of its multiple advantages, the car cam, also known as a dashboard camera, has grown in popularity in recent years. Simply explained, this is a camera that is fixed on your car's dashboard and is used to record sounds and images while you are driving. The secret of its popularity could lie in its dual use as a home video security camera.

The dash cam's objective is to meticulously record every detail that occurs both on and off the road, and it can be used for a variety of purposes. So why not use its cheap security function as a video security cam?

How To Use Your Dash-Cam in The House

Car cams were never designed to run 24/7 so how long can you run one for in the home as a security cam? Will it run for a week while you are on holiday or away on business? What power source should you use? As car cams typically run off engine power, the first thing you would need to think about, if you want to utilise it for long usage, is consider a constant power source as battery Life will not suffice. Would it overheat from being on for a week? Or would it be better used as security at night.

Going On Holiday?

So, your flights are booked and you are wondering if you can bring the car cam in from out in the cold and use it for surveillance. Where do you mount your car security cam? How do you power it?  Your SD card needs to be big enough if you are going away for more than a weekend and the power supply needs to be close to where you are mounting it. A phone charger can be used as the power supply.

What are Dash Cam limitations?

Car cams primary use is for providing safety when driving, but many people are unaware that they can also be useful when you have parked your car. When you leave your vehicle alone, some car cams have the ability to operate as car security cameras, providing you with film in the event that it is broken into, vandalized, or stolen.These automobile security cameras don't just roll while you're standing still; they also work as your personal record keeper, recording everything that happens on the road while you're going.

However, not all dash cams operate as automobile security cameras, and finding the right dash cam to match your home needs will take some investigation. Many dash cams start filming when the car moves, but just a few stay recording after you park it and leave the area. So the switch to a home static camera shouldn't be too much of a problem if you have one of these dash cams.

Video Storage vs Quality

To provide continual recording in the home, you will need to reduce the video quality. It's really hard to find a good dash cam with high video quality and large storage capacity. The problem is that if you buy a dash cam with big storage then its going to take a lot of space. If you buy a dash cam that has small storage capacity then you'll end up recording less videos.

So how can you resolve these issues? Well, there are some ways to increase the size of the storage without compromising on the video quality. One way is by using external SD cards. SD cards can be between 32 GB to 2 TB, so be prepared for some extra cost. 

Is 32 GB Enough For Dash Cam?

If you are looking for a smaller option, then you should consider buying a 32GB or 64GB memory card. This is more than enough space for any dash cam.

Dash cams with SD cards are much cheaper than those with micro SD cards. The difference between them is very minimal. So, if you are looking for a cheap dash cam, then you may want to stick with SD cards.

Can I use Motion Detection On Storage?

As I have previously mentioned in this piece, some dash cams work off motion detection when your vehicle is parked, this makes them suitable for home use. This could be a good replacement for those cheap fake security cameras you bought from e-bay.

Motion Detection is a feature that saves videos when there is movement detected. This is useful if you want to keep track of your kids or pets. But it won't help much with storing data because the amount of space used by each frame is pretty small.

If you are looking for a good dash cam that topples fake security cams, I recommend you to check out a review of the X4S. It has a built-in GPS system to automatically detect speed and direction. If you want to catch anything happening, you need to record first. This means that you need to setup a timer to turn on the camera automatically.

I recommend setting up a Raspberry Pi with a web server to serve as a dashboard. It will allow you to access the live stream from anywhere in the world. You can even set up a password protected area so only those who are invited can see the live feed.

Record Before it Happens

If you want to record before anything happens, you can always use a WiFi enabled dash cam. This way you can just turn on the dash cam whenever you feel like it and it will automatically upload the footage to your computer.

But there are some downsides to this approach as well. First off, you would need to pay for the data plan. Secondly, the WiFi connection may not work properly depending on how far away from the router you are.

A standard dash cam with motion detect might enough if you do not require coverage of the entire house/apartment.