Webcam Motion Detector

Webcam Motion Detector allows you to use video cameras for surveillance purposes. It supports not only webcams directly connected to your computer but also remote IP cameras.

The tool works by triggering various types of alerts when motion is detected in a given region at a specific time period. The program has a nicely designed interface, although at times I feel that there are too many different options cramped in each window. Perhaps, a wizard is needed by inexperienced users.

For each of the cameras being monitored, you can specify different conditions under which an alarm event is generated. One of them is time. In this respect, the tool lets you schedule surveillance hours. Luckily, it also allows you to configure exactly various parameters related to what should be considered an alarm event. Thus, you can adjust motion-sensitive areas and set a threshold global motion ratio, which is calculated taking into account the number of cells affected. Likewise, it is possible to exclude specific areas from the field of view in order to avoid false alarms.

In the event of motion detection, the tool can generate various types of alerts. For instance, it can play a given sound or send a message directly to your cell phone. Similarly, it can automatically take a series of photos or record a video as well as upload the footage to an FTP site or save it on a local disk. Luckily, it can do so by compressing the resulting files, which saves a lot of storage space and bandwidth.

All in all, Webcam Motion Detector has the main advantage that you can configure multiple parameters, which truly helps you avoid false alarms. The product is shareware and its trial version can be used for a limited period of time. Fortunately, it is an effective alternative to more expensive alarm systems.