- Is a camera system the same as a CCTV system?
- FYI CCTV recording and storage information.
- How much will a CCTV system cost?
- What happens if we lose power?
- Should I get a black and white system or color?
- Why spend money on a camera system?
-
|
Q: Is a camera system the same as a CCTV system?
A: Yes, camera systems or closed circuit television systems are often referred to as CCTV systems.
Back to top |
Q: How do I record and store information?
A: You may or may not choose to record what you see. Many CCTV systems installed are used for viewing purposes only and do not require a recording device. However, most systems are designed to record activities in public areas and businesses. Today you have a selection of methods to record your video including digital recorders, analog recorders, and PC-based recording. However, todays digital technology provides the greatest number of features with the best viewing options using the least amount of storage space. This is why we recommend either digital or PC-based recording.
First, the information on digital recorders.
- Fast access, automated searches
Unlike tape-based systems, digital recorders capture surveillance video directly to high-capacity hard drives that can store far more video in a given space. In addition, digital recording allows you to instantly access any video, without fast-forwarding or re-winding tapes. Better still, you can use the built-in software to quickly search through stored images, instead of scanning hours and hours of tape. And in networked security systems, you can easily transmit any digitally stored video to remote monitors or locations.
- Digital recording systems also allow for archiving of images on multiple media, including DVD-RAM, CD-R, and flash card.
- More durable, easier to maintain
Digital recorders are much like computers and servers, with far fewer mechanical parts - which improves service life and reduces maintenance.
- New Compression Techniques
Selected digital recorders feature a propriety compression technology that allows you to store approximately twice as much video per gigabyte of disk space than with conventional compression algorithms. For example, the Panasonic 1/30 Super Compression results in less noise and distortion, delivering high-quality images for archiving, playback, and storage.
- Video Motion Detection
In addition to searching stored images by time and date, by camera, and by recorded events, high end recorders allow you to search images for various types of motion in the images - selectable by area of the screen, duration of the motion, or even direction of the motion.
- Intuitive, easy-to-learn interfaces
Many digital recorders are designed with simple, easy-to-understand controls and software interfaces, to simplify learning curves for operations staff, and to streamline set-up and configuration.
Next, PC-based recorders which share many of the features of digital recorders
- Easy Setup and Administration
Allows you to define camera views, scheduling, archiving preferences, e-mail alerting, user rights, and depending on the system, you may also have sensor alerts.
- Flexible Monitoring
Multiple cameras may be viewed or played back. PC-based versions featuring high speed database recording technology holding JPEG images and MPEG4 video streams with resolutions will be dependent entirely on the IP cameras and the capabilities of the video server.
- Remote Access
Systems are available that provide a built in web server for access from remote locations to recorded images and live video in quad view configurations. These systems also allow remote access logging information displaying time, date, users, and IP-addresses. Control PTZ cameras, view alarm summaries remotely and even activate output relays for remote control of gates or other automated access control systems.
- Motion Detection
Some systems can be set to speed up the number of frames when motion is detected or an event occurs, like the activation of an external sensor. Active alerting can be sent transmitted via email, sound or SMS.
- Pan/Tilt/Zoom Control
Again, depending on the number and type of bells and whistles you're looking for, you may want to be able to have PTZ (pan/tilt/zoom) controls.
We will mention analog recorders because they have been around for so many years and had been the workhorse of the industry for so long. Today the only feature that makes this type of system attractive is the price. There are so many other features that digital recorders offer that we no longer recommend the analog systems. Analog tapes are bulky and it's much more time consuming to find an incident during a recorded period.
Back to top |
Q: How much will a CCTV system cost?
A: The cost of CCTV systems vary greatly. Factors affecting the cost include the options you choose and the installation environment, which includes the the type of hardware used with the system and the type and length of wire runs involved with the installation. Because of these variables, a survey is required in order to determine the actual cost of the system.
Back to top |
Q: What happens if we lose power?
A: Unless you have a UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) system you will not have use of your CCTV system until power is restored. We recommend you have at a minimum a UPS system for the DVR (digital video recorder) to maintain the systems programming.
Back to top |
Q: Should I get a black and white system or color?
A: We see in color. Color CCTV systems are the way to go if you want full use of the system. How often have you seen on TV a clip of "the bad guy" on videotape and not been able to distinguish features that would help identify the person? Isn't the point of the surveillance system to provide a method with which to catch the bad guy? Black & white CCTV systems are less likely to do that. You can't identify the color of a jacket or a hat or different skin tones. You can't even indentify the color of a vehicle if need be.
Our recommendation is to go with a color system. Black & white is cheaper, but there is more value in a color sytem that you are truly able to use.
Back to top |
Q: Why spend money on a camera system?
Back to top |
Back to top |
|
|
