Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Do You Know Which Security Camera System Is Right For You?

By Zoe Staniszewska


Your circumstances have changed and you are now considering the purchase of a security camera system. Maybe crime has been on the rise in your neighborhood or near your place of business. You want to protect your newly established retail store. Perhaps shrinkage in your existing business is increasing. The CCTV system you installed years ago is no longer providing you with acceptable quality and you want to upgrade to a more featured system. Whatever the reason you're considering to purchase a video surveillance solution, you will have to figure out which camera system will meet your requirements. Before you buy, take the following into consideration:

Security Camera System For Your Home or Business. Do you need a surveillance system for your home or place of business? Seems like an obvious question , but most camera systems for the home need outdoor cameras, where businesses typically use both indoor and outdoor cameras. Even if you do require an indoor security camera for your home, your lighting requirements may differ greatly from that of your business.

Area That Needs To Be Monitored. The quality of the video, light sensitivity and lens type are determined based on the area that you want to monitor. Is the area indoors, outdoors, daytime, night, some or all of the above? Camera placement (ceiling, wall, roof, pole) and lens type (wide angle? telephoto?) are determined based on how far away the area is from the camera. The camera angle and the type of camera are determined based on how narrow or wide the area to be covered is.

Coverage. A fixed camera will work well if the area needs normal coverage. (A fixed camera or fixed focus camera is one where once focused, the lens of the camera remains fixed on the area. It does not zoom or change according to light conditions.) If the area requires a wider coverage, then a PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) camera is a good choice. Fully understand the lighting conditions of the areas that you want to monitor so you can determine whether you need cameras that will automatically adjust for lighting, or cameras that produce color images during the day, and black and white images at night.

Viewing Video Surveillance Footage. Is your viewing requirement a local one where you'll be present to view activity on a CCTV monitor? Would you rather have a system installed that lets you view activity over the Internet on your PC, tablet or smartphone while you're away? Do you want to be notified when activity is taking place? Answers to these questions helps to determine what type of solution you require: analog security cameras with a DVR (digital video recorder), analog security cameras with an NVR (network video recorder), an IP video solution or a Hybrid, which is a combination of Analog and IP. How often do you need to record? Whether you need to record every day, 24 hours a day, or only after hours Monday through Friday, defining this helps to determine what type of recording hardware (PC, DVR, NVR) and video management software you require and how much storage you will need.

Security Camera System Install. Installing a video surveillance solution can be as simple as running a single cable from the camera to a PC or it can be more complex. It could involve pulling Ethernet cable or coax cable above ceilings, through walls or even through the ground. If your requirement is large solution, such as a securing a school campus, or a parking garage, or an historic building, it can be quite expensive, but considering a wireless security camera system could keep those costs down while still achieving the required video security quality.




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