There are many kinds of CCTV Security Systems with different kinds of functionality available in online stores today. But, not all of them are best and appropriate for your use. Before you make a purchase, consider asking yourself important questions like:
- How many places do I want covered?
- Where should I install the cameras?
- Where shall I set up the central recording device?
- Shall I monitor the cameras live or can I just get a playback option?
- How are the lighting systems in areas where the cameras are to be installed?
- Do I need to physically protect the cameras?
- For how long shall I store the recordings of the cameras?
With these asked and answered, here are some essential tips that can help you choose the best CCTV Security System for your property:
Identify the Camera Specifications
CCTV Camera systems have specifications, which are appropriate for specific purposes. The format of lens and camera is one of these features you need to identify. Camera formats of 1/4” and 1/3” are the most famous cameras used for security purposes, which should do the job for you as well. These formats have corresponding lens that should perfectly match and work well for the camera.
Determine the Horizontal TV Lines (TVL) Measurements
The low-end quality is 380 and 420 is recommended for security work but if you want higher end you can go for 480 and 540. If you are very particular about the capture’s details, try upgrading to higher resolution.
Make sure that every single gadget that you have can handle the resolution you have chosen for your camera. It is no use having 540 TVL cameras yet your monitor’s resolution only has 420.
Get to know the CCD
Many older versions of CCTV security system come in black and white so they can save money since color camera versions are more expensive. However today, you can hardly notice any difference in the price at all so color cameras are far better in identifying suspicious people and identifying problems. The only advantage left for black and white cameras is they work even in low-light circumstances. But, since color cameras today can be switched to black and white so it accommodates low light, the significance remains the same.
Find more details about Lenses
A lot of video monitoring cameras are mounted in one particular area permanently. In this case, you need fixed-focus lens to improve its functionality. If you want to customize the camera or move it, you can go for varied focal lens, which are adjustable and can let you customize the field of view during the camera’s reset.
Try Cameras with ‘Remote Handling’ features
There are cameras that can be controlled remotely. In this case, you need the PTZ or the pan/tilt/zoom cameras. When it comes to the price, it is 10 times more than the traditional fixed camera so make sure this is really what you need before you make a purchase.
Consider ‘Physically Protecting’ your Cameras
This means getting housing for your cameras. This will protect your camera from vandalism and external elements like weather and the likes. The positioning of your camera will identify what is the best housing. If the camera is mounted interiorly and out of reach, you don’t need housing at all but those that are mounted exteriorly you need to have impact-resistant shell and in some cases – heaters.
Check whether it has the DVR Capacity
DVRs or digital video recorders are more popular nowadays than VCRs especially in the field of video monitoring industry. While they are relatively expensive compared to VCRs, the benefits are undeniable.
- DVRs have the capacity to adjust to what they capture. If they are capturing a static image like the warehouse interiors during nighttime, the DVRs adjust to capture only a single frame for every 5-10 seconds. However, when it detects movement, it can switch directly to full video monitoring thus capturing any suspicious movement.
DVRs store recorded videos or images on hard drives thus allowing you to immediately watch feeds at any specific time you wanted. There is no need for you to fast-forward or rewind as you search any specific activity. You can also jump directly to ‘events’ which are circumstances when the picture feed changes. Also, bear in mind that it doesn’t have tapes so you don’t have to be concerned about capture storage or deterioration of the tapes.
Credit: Article provided by AUCOM Surveillance