Having followed this thread for a while, thought I'd de-lurk and post a few lines....
I have 2 cctv cameras mounted on the house, one pointing down the drive (to record the number plates of any vehicle getting close enough to the house), the other pointing at the door of a 'summer house' which contains my home cinema setup, and doubles as the dogs sleeping accomodation. (Pedigree goldlen retrievers)
The lot is connected to a motion sensitive DVD recorder, which in turn is internet accessible, and also pumps images to an offsite server (in case the perps decided to nick it)
All works well for me, as the alarm system only calls me when the alarm is activated, not when the postie delivers the mail when I'm out.
As to the question of admissible evidence, the local police have told me that in almost all cases the images won't help with a prosecution, but if the images are good enough, they'll be able to identify the perps and that in turns gives them a much greater chance of recovering the stolen items. Speaking from experience, getting your stuff back is a much higher priority than seeing some low-life teenager getting a community service order.......
Just my thoughts....if anyone wants more details of the exact kit I'd be happy to post it
Tim