Using a USB webcam as a security camera.
A webcam in a drawer is the cheapest possible way to find out whether camera software is worth it to you. VISEC takes ordinary USB cameras, so you can have motion recording and email alerts running in a few minutes with nothing to buy.
VISEC supports ordinary USB cameras alongside ONVIF IP cameras and analog cameras on a video server. A USB webcam gets the same treatment as any other camera: motion detection with a zone you draw, recording to your drive, an email with a snapshot when something moves, and playback afterwards.
It is a genuinely good way to test the software, and a perfectly reasonable permanent answer for one indoor spot near the PC.
- The cable decides the locationUSB is good for a couple of metres. The camera has to live next to the PC.
- No night visionWebcams have no infrared. In a dark room you get a dark recording.
- Not weatherproofIndoors only, and not near a window at night — the glass reflects the room.
- Limited by designWebcams are built for a lit face at 50 cm, not a room at 5 m. Depth of field and low-light performance are not what they are for.
The moment you want it outdoors, in the dark, or more than a couple of metres from the PC. A PoE ONVIF camera solves all three at once and is the natural next step — PoE cameras. What you learn from the webcam is exactly what you need to know first: whether the motion zones, the alerts and the recording suit how you work.
Quick answers.
Does the free license cover a webcam?
Yes. One camera free for life, whatever kind it is, with the complete program.
Can I use several webcams?
USB bandwidth and cable length both get in the way quickly. For more than one camera, IP cameras are the practical answer.
Will motion detection work on a webcam?
Yes. VISEC detects motion on the video stream, so it works the same as on any other camera.
Can it read plates from a webcam?
Technically it reads what it is given, but a webcam has no infrared and no lens control, so it is the wrong tool for a lane. See the LPR setup guide.
Find out on one camera, free.
The free license is the complete program — recording, alerts, plate recognition, QR reading and access control. It does not expire.