We walk you through the purchase
process to help you get the Video Surveillance Equipment you need.
Before you start talking to vendors, ask yourself
these questions:
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How many locations do I want to watch?
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Where will you mount the cameras?
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Where will the central recording device be set
up?
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Will the cameras be monitored live, or only
played back if there's been a problem?
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What is the lighting like in your target areas?
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Do you need physical protection for the cameras?
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How long do you need to save your recordings for?
Ready to buy video surveillance equipment for your
business or home? We can help.
Video camera specs
One of the most basic specifications of CCTV systems
is the format of the camera and lenses. 1/4" and 1/3" cameras are by far
the most popular for security work – and they should do the job for you,
too. Make sure the lenses you get match the format of the camera.
Another important spec is resolution. Ask for
measurements of horizontal TV lines, or TVL. 300 is low-end, 400 is good
for security work, 500 is very high quality. If you're going to want to
see detail, upgrading to a higher resolution is a good choice.
Do make sure that all of your equipment can handle
the resolution your cameras put out, though: it's no good having a 500
TVL camera if your monitor only displays 400.
Black and white or color?
Older CCTV systems were often black and white to save
money: color cameras were more expensive. These days, there's hardly any
price difference, and color video is far more effective for identifying
suspects and pinpointing problems. The one remaining advantage of black
and white cameras – that they work better in low-light situations – is
negated by newer color cameras that switch to a black and white mode in
low light to improve results. Our advice? Buy color.
CCTV Lenses
Most video surveillance cameras are installed in one
location permanently. For this case, fixed-focus lenses
are the most cost-effective. If you want to be able to move your camera,
variable focus lenses are adjustable, letting you
change your field of view when you reposition the camera.
If you want to be able to move the camera remotely,
you'll need a pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) camera. They can cost 10 times as much
as a standard fixed camera, though, so make sure you really need one
before spending the money.
Housings
There are two main reasons to get housings for your
cameras: protection from vandalism, and protection from the elements.
The placement of the camera will determine what you need: if your
cameras will be mounted indoors and far out of reach, you may not need
any housings at all, while outdoor cameras may need impact-resistant
coverings and heaters.
Recording devices
Digital video recorders (DVRs) have replaced VCRs as
the workhorses of the video surveillance industry. While they are still
somewhat more expensive than VCRs, their advantages are immense.
One of the most significant is their ability to
adjust to what they see: if they're recording a static image, such as
the inside of a warehouse at night, they may only record 1 frame every 5
or 10 seconds. But when they detect movement, they can instantly switch
to full video to capture any suspicious activity.
Because they record to hard drives, you can instantly
watch any specific time – no lengthy fast-forwarding and searching for
the right moment. They also let you jump to 'events' – situations where
the picture changed. And don't overlook the fact that they don't have
tapes: you won't have to worry about storage or tapes deteriorating.
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