I read a lot of computer and home-automation blogs. I have discovered something interesting: posts that discuss repurposing old computer components for security make it sound so easy. One example is turning an old webcam into a security camera. Is it possible? Yes. Is it easy? Not necessarily.
Webcams are designed for computers. They are not the same thing as the camera built into your phone. So the first problem that comes to mind is how you are going to deploy it. Will you add it to an existing home automation system or start from scratch?
Prepackaged vs. DIY Security
Harnessing an old webcam for security purposes is probably a no-go if you’re using a pre-packaged system with proprietary protection. Imagine you have a system from Vivint Home Security. It’s not likely your Vivint hub has a USB port to accommodate a webcam. Any USB port it might have is probably designed to support a Z-Wave or Zigbee dongle.
Another consideration is system compatibility. Maybe you have a hub from another proprietary vendor, like Google or Amazon. Does the software that comes with the hub support webcams? It’s not likely. It is always possible, but proprietary platforms are very protective by nature. You can’t just plug in any device and expect it to work.
On the other hand, building a DIY system using an old laptop and an open-source platform changes everything. By their nature, computers are designed to accept webcams. It is what they do. So now you are looking at an open-source platform that offers USB webcam integration.
Setting in Up Requires Some Knowhow
Finding a usable open-source platform really is not an issue. There are plenty of great options to choose from. What you really need to be concerned about is how easy the setup is. Does your platform of choice include webcam integration, or will you have to hack it?
My open-source platform did not include a built-in integration, but I found one that worked just fine. I use Home Assistant with the motionEye integration. motionEye is a nifty piece of software that will let you use any UVC camera as a security device.
Speaking of UVC cameras, that’s the next thing to consider. A UVC camera relies on a universal protocol for utilizing video data. Most webcams are UVC cameras. However, there are a small number that are not. If your webcam isn’t, you are probably going to be out of luck.
Built-In Cameras Are Next to Impossible
One last thing to consider is the built-in cameras that come with laptops. I’ve seen more than one post explaining how you can just take a camera out of an old laptop and connect it to your home automation system. But guess what? Doing so is a lot easier said than done.
A built-in camera doesn’t have a USB plug. So even if you manage to take it out of an old laptop without damaging it, you probably have no way to connect it to your system. The interface is completely separate from anything else you’ve ever used. So unless you know how to hard-wire it, it will not work.
Here is the bottom line: a USB webcam can work as a security camera if you have a home automation platform that supports it. A camera you’ve ripped out of an old laptop isn’t going to be usable. If you don’t want the trouble of trying to figure it all out, you’re better off buying a pre-packaged system from a provider like Vivint or SimpliSafe. All the cameras they sell will work with their systems.