A Starter Guide To Cctvs

By Author: Emily Robinson
Total Articles: 45
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CCTV, or ‘Closed Circuit Television', is a great way to monitor and record the goings on in your business and is offered by many manufacturers such as Hikvision, Samsung Techwin and Bosch Security Systems. This has almost endless uses for almost any business; protecting assets, materials, supplies, products and profits and so proving a practical investment to help save money and protect employees and clients. Many private homes are now also utilising CCTV to help prevent crime and keep families safe.

The term ‘closed circuit television' refers to the fact that such a system uses many on-site cameras that are linked and played back in the same place - unlike ‘normal' television which utilises an aerial to receive a signal from somewhere else (although today that's something of a misnomer and as we'll see, some forms of CCTV do allow transmission). Today there are multiple types of CCTV however, meaning that it's no longer a simple matter to choose the solution that will work best for you.

There are many things to consider when choosing a CCTV system, but the first and most obvious option is picking ...
... between either digital or analogue camera systems which work in notably different ways. While an analogue system will record through a television straight onto a VHS, a digital option such as a Hikvision DVR (DVR standing for ‘Digital Video Recorder') will save a digital video file in MPEG or H.264 to allow you to view the file through computers or to store them on a CD or memory card. This also means that the files can be sent across a network or online to view remotely, and means that an individual can monitor their home or business while away from work or even while on holiday. Digital systems also allow the user to tweak variables such as the spatial and temporal resolution (the latter referring to the frame rate) so that you can edit the file size to record in better quality or alternatively keep the file size down. When choosing the type of DVR you should also consider what encoding method your system uses, and it's important to note that H.264 is capable of better quality while keeping the file size smaller. Most DVRs from Hikvision, Samsung Techwin or Bosch Security Systems etc will now utilise this type of encoding. DVR can also be programmed to record at certain times or only during movement.

Analogue security systems however rely on older techniques whereby the footage is recorded through a VHS. This means that in most systems only one camera is recorded at a time meaning it's possible to miss vital moments. However they do have advantages and won't crash or freeze and you will never lose your footage as a result. Furthermore it can be simpler to operate and cheaper to install, making it a good option for smaller businesses (particularly where any angle can record the entire office/work floor) and for older users. Make sure that you system conforms to the ONVIF global standard to ensure quality either way. The above mentioned makes such as Bosch Security Systems all should.

With CCTV there are also one or two legal issues to consider. Firstly in most countries and states you can only place CCTV in areas pointing at your own property or the immediate area (otherwise it's spying).

Author is an expert on CCTV and DVR technology; he recommends Hikvision DVR and Samsung Techwin products.