Unlike webcams that you must turn on and initialize to stream video, standard surveillance cameras stream images constantly, as long as they have a power source and a device into which to feed video. While you can use a webcam to monitor an area in your home or office, a surveillance camera usually provides a much faster frame rate, albeit with lower color definition. If you have a standard surveillance camera you want to connect to and monitor with your PC, you must use a USB video capture device before you can record or stream video to the computer. Writer Bio
