Turning your old smartphone into a security camera might sound like a tech experiment, but with the right tools, it becomes a powerful and completely budget-friendly way to build a real surveillance system. One of the best ways to do this is by using the RTSP Camera app in combination with free CCTV software like SmartVision. This setup allows anyone - from a tech-savvy homeowner to a cautious shop owner - to create a professional-grade video surveillance system without spending a dime on new hardware or hiring CCTV installation services. With SmartVision, you can connect your smartphone acting as an IP camera directly to your PC and start monitoring live feeds in just a few clicks. The software is designed to automatically detect RTSP streams, making the setup process smooth and user-friendly. Old Android phones that were gathering dust in drawers can suddenly find a second life as eyes for your DIY surveillance system. What's more, this approach is not only eco-friendly by reducing electronic waste, but also incredibly practical and scalable. Traditional CCTV systems often rely on basic motion detection algorithms that trigger on any change in the video frame - whether it's sunlight peeking through the window or a gust of wind rustling a curtain. These pixel-based detections result in a flood of false alarms and hours of useless footage. SmartVision's free CCTV software goes beyond this old-school logic. By implementing object-based detection, it identifies relevant motion - such as a human figure, a vehicle, or even an animal - minimizing noise and maximizing efficiency. One major issue faced by all surveillance setups is storage. Continuous recording demands enormous hard drive space, and unless you're running a data center at home, that becomes a problem quickly. SmartVision solves this with multiple intelligent recording modes, including event-based recording and time-lapse. This drastically reduces the amount of stored data while still ensuring you never miss important events. And when even local storage runs low, cloud integration steps in. SmartVision offers cloud-based storage solutions that let you upload and store only the most critical footage. Not only does this save local disk space, but it also ensures your footage is secure and accessible from anywhere in the world. A thief may break your computer, but they can't erase your data from the cloud. Cloud access also changes how you interact with your surveillance system. It's not just about recording anymore - it's about rapid response. With mobile and web access to your live feed and recorded events, you can react to incidents in real time, receive alerts when something important happens, and share clips instantly with others if needed. This capability transforms your system from a silent witness into an active participant in your security strategy. Choosing a free CCTV software solution like SmartVision empowers users to build reliable, intelligent, and efficient surveillance networks using devices they already own. It brings smart features like object detection, motion alerts, and cloud backups into the hands of everyone, without the need for high budgets or technical specialists. In today's world, where security threats are unpredictable and privacy matters more than ever, having a system that's not just free, but also flexible, smart, and future-ready, is a winning combination. With a bit of creativity, a spare phone, and SmartVision, you can achieve security that competes with commercial-grade systems - and you don't even have to open your wallet.