When a technology product enters the everyday vocabulary, you know there's a demand for it. Take the case of the nanny cam. Everyone knows what the product is - a camera to monitor the quality of care the nanny is providing to a child. The need came about due to the shocking stories of abuse of children by their caregivers. The surveillance and security companies answered this need by providing affordable and easy to install cameras for the average family. Still, there's a lot of fancy words out there confusing the user in what to look for in a nanny cam. This article serves to explain the different types of nanny cams available.

First off, when it comes to buying surveillance technology, you have to ask yourself whether it is necessary to be covert or not. That is, hidden or out in the open. Most people think surveillance is spying technology and there is some aspect of that, but having a camera out in the open will deter wrong doing as well.

Along the same lines of whether you want your nanny camera to be out in the open or hidden, you have to ask yourself if you want a wired or wireless connection between the video transmitter and the receiver. A wired surveillance system offers better image quality than a wireless connection due to signal interferance. However, it stands to reason that with a wireless model, chances are that it will stand a greater chance of it being hidden. There will be no tell tale wires giving away the location - other than the AC power supply. That is why wireless cameras are usually powered by batteries or a rechargable battery pack. Look for how long the power supply is expected to last and whether or not it meets your needs.

The preference for recording nowadays is for digital video recording over analog recording. This is in large part due to the superior image quality and multiple options in storing and playback. Should you decide on a wireless nanny cam with digital video recording, this opens up other considerations as well.

The hidden nanny cam has a wireless transmitter that sends signals to the receiver. The receiver is then plugged into a digigal recording device for encoding and storage. This can be your computer or a stand alone DVR. The choice is up to you amongst the different models available but for better image quality and to comply with FCC regulations, look for wireless nanny cams that transmit signals at a 2.4GHz frequency encompassing the distance you require for monitoring.

Perhaps one of the most practical features that some DVR nanny cams offer is the ability to watch video over the Internet. That is another consideration to take into account if it is important for you to spot check your nanny throughout the day while you are at work.

As you can see, there are many things to consider when buying a nanny cam. The trick is finding the options and features that suits your needs.