Photography Blog

Security cameras are one of the most important devices for surveillance. Security cameras are the best way to protect your home or office. They offer complete security against vandalism of property, trespassing, and more. With a wide range of cameras, ApexCCTV provides the perfect solution to meet all your security concerns. Security camera systems not only monitor but record incidents for future reference. They have a wide range of applications in places, like schools, hotels, hospitals, retail stores, and more.

Security video cameras use CMOS or CCD chips to produce quality images. Image quality depends on the size of CCD chips that are 1/4, 1/3, and 1/2 inches. Larger the chip size better will be the image quality. 1/3-inch chips are commonly used in security video cameras. Choose from infrared security cameras, dome security cameras, IP/network security cameras, or wireless security cameras and enjoy high level of security. It is extremely important to keep certain points in mind before choosing a security camera, like the location and lighting conditions. Proper placement of the hidden security camera helps to prevent many crimes. Security camera systems are also effective in monitoring babysitters.

Black and white cameras are ideal for home use, as they provide higher resolution than color cameras. Infrared cameras have the ability to switch over from black and white to color and vice versa depending on lighting conditions. Pick weatherproof cameras or bullet security cameras for outdoor use. These cameras are compact and rugged. Outdoor security cameras can deter criminals before they break in. But now-a-days, most security cameras come with features, which make them effective in both internal and external environments.

You can go for high-quality PTZ cameras to have adequate surveillance in all directions. These cameras can pan, tilt, and zoom offering maximum coverage of an area. They are versatile and can pan 360 degrees, thereby allowing you to view objects directly below them. One of these PTZ cameras is as effective as 10 fixed cameras. These cameras are suitable for law enforcement and casino applications. They can also be used in retail stores. You can place them outdoors or indoors. Dome security cameras are high-end cameras, which are extremely useful because it is very difficult to judge in which direction these cameras are pointed unless you look at them from a close range.

With network cameras, surveillance has become a breeze, as the user can manage the camera through a browser. For covert monitoring, mini spy or hidden cameras are quite effective. Wireless security cameras are highly versatile and portable. You can set them up anywhere and in no time as there are no wires to deal with. Box camera or full body cameras are highly trusted for professional security surveillance. Get incredible deals on security cameras at ApexCCTV, which is your one stop for CCTV package needs.

In the present vulnerable scenario, security seems to have become the prime concern of the common people.

All those who do not have the liberty as well as the money to keep body guards should not worry. To tackle the problem of security, various types of security camera have been launched in the technological world. Security cameras are recognised as the standard in monitoring property and detection of criminals. Surveillance video is claimed to be the most successful home monitoring device by its ways to protect oneself against theft and violence. This is because these cameras are very effective in deterring criminals, thus protecting your house against theft and violence and further help them to catch those perpetrators.

Surveillance cameras that are primarily used for monitoring but today their scope has not been restricted to government offices or banks.

Today, these CCTV cameras are applicable in houses as well. Cities such as London have installed several surveillance cameras throughout the city as a means of deterring and capturing criminals. Car theft is one arena where these cameras are extremely helpful. So much so is the advantage of security cameras that even cities like New York and Chicago are beginning to use surveillance cameras throughout the city. Though some people argue that surveillance cameras evade the privacy of people, thus stripping them of their civil rights. Critics have also charged that surveillance cameras are used more for social control than as criminal deterrents. However, with the rise in many anti social happenings, these cameras have proven to be very useful.

Initially these security cameras were analogue, but the digital phase has taken over them now.

These digital security cameras transmit their data feed via WiFi technology to the Internet. From there a digital video recorder or a computer can view the feed with a specially configured Web browser. The video recorders are thus able to store data feed to a DVD-ROM.

Apart from the digital video security cameras that are present in a variety of options in the computer hardware industry, digital still surveillance cameras are also available. These cameras are equipped with motion detectors that alert the camera to take a photo when any activity occurs. This camera is very much in methodology like the digital cameras that hold hundreds of photographs at one time.

In this world where a new technology is born everyday, there are a wide variety of options to choose from in the security cameras segment as well.

There are spy cameras that are the smallest and most powerful covert spy camera/recorder in the world. The micro hidden camera, though looks like an air freshener, is ultra-covert with 2GB of RAM for fast-action snapshot video when motion is detected. Then there is the night vision camera that capture footage even in complete darkness. This type of motion-activated wireless night vision camera has a 150 foot night vision range, which is capable of recording anywhere, anytime.

Many popular companies like Sony, today, are involved in the manufacturing of these CCTV cameras.

All one needs to do is to choose the one that suits one’s requirements. In recent times, they are used by many government branches, businesses and by private homeowners. Choose from Wireless Cameras, Hidden Cameras, Secure Recording Devices, and even Decoy Cameras to protect your home or office.

Selecting either a home security camera system, or a camera to be used for a commercial reason, can be frustrating if you don\’t know what you are looking for in protection. For instance, do you want a real or fake home security camera system, meaning, do you need a system that will actually alert the police, or do you feel that the aesthetic of having a camera visible on the premises is good enough to ward off predators? Are you interested in the way that a monitor is going to look? Do you want something that is obvious or discrete? Regardless of what your needs are, there is something that can come close to what you want. Cameras will come in three basic forms, hopefully learning the basics will help to cut down on some future decisions.

The first kind of home security camera is known as a dome camera. Obviously, this camera comes in the shape of a dome and it fits conveniently on the ceiling of your home or business. You will find the dome cameras often times in casinos where they are used to monitor the tables. You will also find home security at its most fashionable with the dome lens. There are dome cameras that can be placed outside, however, you must use a special armor type in order to do this kind of mounting. Sony carries two different types of dome security cameras and they are a leader in the industry. You can choose from the Verifocal dome camera, which has the highest resolution (420 lines) and an adjustable lens. You can also purchase Sony\’s Infrared Armor dome camera, which acts as a hidden camera and is the most durable of all of the dome cameras. Dome cameras are the most popular security cameras because they are impossible to detect which angle they are viewing unless you are at close range. They come in black or white and they all have adjustable lenses.

The second type of home security camera is the bullet camera. The lens is long and resembles a rifle, which is where the camera finds its name. Bullet cameras are easily visible and can be mounted to a wall or a ceiling. They use a 12V DC voltage, and the power cable should be included when the camera is purchased. Most of these cameras will film in color and then change their resolutions to black and white when the light levels are lower. The resolution during the day is much better with the bullet security systems, but if you have an alternate form of lighting, like a streetlight, people can sometimes be seen from up to 70 feet away. The most popular brand of bullet security cameras is the SPECO CVC-6805SX, which is color and has a fixed lens of 4mm.

Many businesses rely on a home security camera at night. However, it can be hard to see the footage when there is no light. The infrared camera has built in lights around the lens so you are able to view your taped footage with ease. However, the infrared lighting can cause a problem when it is used at a home due to the glare that is created from the windows. Some people will think that an infrared camera is the same as a night vision camera, although the night vision camera does not have built in lighting around their lens. Prices can vary on the infrared cameras, but the most affordable home security model is the QSVC422 CCD color outdoor camera made by Digital Peripheral Solutions.

Security cameras can provide a cushion of comfort for a secure home, especially when you have an investment that you want to protect. A home security camera can scare an obvious thief, and also catch an unsuspecting one if it is a strategically hidden camera. Home security cameras have become more popular with people who own second and third homes, and feel like they need an insurance policy for their property, so to speak while the business owner has been protecting his own with security cameras since the advent of the entrepreneur. Just remember that it can never hurt to be proactive about your safety.

Indoor Security Camera systems are available in several different styles. Indoor Security Camera is popular for systems where theft deterrence is a major factor. The time, when people see a camera, they are much less likely to do anything illegal or immoral in front of the eyes of camera. Visible Indoor Security Camera for home, like indoor hi-res dome cameras provide great quality video, often with wide-angle views that can be recorded to your VCR, Standalone DVR or PC-Based DVR recorder. This kind of Indoor Security Camera also come in Infrared night vision capabilities, which provide night vision even in No-Light conditions at various distances so that you can record what is happening in your home, even when you cannot see yourself at all.

Indoor Covert, hidden style Indoor Security Camera is probably the most popular type of Indoor Security Camera for home because these cameras can provide great quality video of the inside of your home, and no one will ever realize they are cameras. These types of cameras can look like virtually anything, such as a book, clock, alarm system motion detector, sprinkler or anything else. Each of these cameras record through a tiny pinhole lens, so virtually anything or object can be a camera. This Indoor Security Camera are very popular for the inside of homes because they do not stand out against your décor.

Whether you choose visible indoor dome style Indoor Security Camera or indoor covert style cameras, you have several options available to you for monitoring or recording from your cameras. For basic, low budget systems, a simple camera can be plugged into the RCA input of any television to provide basic monitoring from one security camera (cost ranges from – 0 depending on camera and cable type) or the camera can be plugged into an existing VCR for recording onto standard VHS tapes, what all option you feel is best for you.

For more advanced digital systems in Indoor Security Camera, up to 16 cameras can be plugged directly into a Standalone DVR to view all cameras at once on your TV, and record the video onto the recycling hard drive inside the DVR. These Indoor Security Camera standalone systems are very popular because it shows the cameras all up on your TV at once, and can be controlled with a standard remote control.

PC Based Systems are also an option for Indoor Security Camera, as they provide great quality recording onto the hard drive inside of the PC. These PC-Based DVR Indoor Security Camera Systems are great for budget installations, because they can use your existing Windows XP or Vista PC for recording from the cameras.

No matter what your home security needs, you can find an affordable Indoor Security Camera system to suit your needs. These Indoor Security Camera systems continue to grow in popularity, and provide great peace of mind to homeowners throughout the country already.

Home security cameras are available in a wide array of styles and features. Home and business owners can choose the camera that best fits need and budget. Wired and wireless versions make choosing the perfect fit even easier.
Home Security cameras are available in wired, wireless, daytime and night-vision types. Here are a few of the most often used types.

Fake Home Security Cameras

Fake cameras are available. These cameras look like real security cameras but aren’t cameras at all. Fake warning stickers are also available. These items give the illusion that the property is protected and someone is watching.
Intelligent Video Surveillance Home Security Cameras

Intelligent video surveillance cameras involve the use of equipment set to actively monitor areas and/or activities. Daycares and hospitals use this type of surveillance to monitor areas where there should not be anyone present.  This type of camera can also let the viewer know when something changes in the monitored area, i.e., a package is left behind.
Future intelligent cameras will have the ability to recognize features and therefore let the viewer know if someone other than an authorized person is present.

Wide-angle Home Security Cameras

Cameras featuring a wide-angle lens, usually dome shaped, produce images free of distortion and cover larger areas at a time. Some cameras can cover a field as large as 151 degrees.

Wired Home Security Cameras

Wired home security cameras send images to a recorder for viewing on computer or television. Images are sent through the wire to a recorder.

Wireless Home Security Cameras

Wireless home security cameras utilize wireless technology to send images. Cordless phones, wireless internet connections and other wireless objects can interfere with the wireless camera signal. Improved encryption of wireless technology makes preserving the integrity of a wireless connection easier.

Considering Home Security Cameras

When considering home security cameras, be sure to address the purpose of the camera, the location of the camera, and whether wireless or wired is more suitable.

Most home owners using home security cameras are using them for security purposes. They’re watching the nanny or the babysitter to make sure children and pets are cared for properly. Other uses include monitoring the behavior of other family members, such as teenagers or a spouse.

Location is a factor in camera choice. Will cameras need to be hidden? How hard will it be to get power to the camera? Will it be difficult to hide the wire running to the recorder? Will a camera that blends with surroundings be required? Where will the camera be used? Indoors or out, lighting is a factor.

Hidden Home Security Cameras

Hidden home security cameras come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. Tiny cameras can be purchased for hiding or objects can be purchased with cameras built in. Some available hidden camera items include various clock designs, DVD player designs, VCR designs, sunglasses, pens, smoke detectors, plants, air fresheners and sprinkler heads.

Night Vision Home Security Cameras

Night vision home security cameras with infrared are also good for low-light areas. The infrared allows the camera to see and record images it wouldn’t otherwise pick up.

Home security cameras are an affordable and powerful tool for home and business owners. The variety of types available make it possible to fit the right camera to the need.

While it is possible to continue sending alarm signals over a landline connection, you should understand that it can take 10-15 seconds for a signal to reach the monitoring server and valuable footage could be lost during that time. It is far more effective if you upgrade your alarm system to use a product like the popular Linksys Alarm Monitoring Solution to send signals over your Internet connection instead of over a telephone line.

Although most IP cameras come with some form of built-in motion detection, the unpredictability of this technology prevents it from being used in most applications. Using motion detection would also require that there be some way to arm and disarm the cameras so that they do not send images when people are legitimately moving around the protected premises. Due to the familiarity and simplicity of arming and disarming an alarm panel, by far the best option is to have the alarm panel trigger cameras only when it is armed. This way, images are only sent to the server in the event of an alarm activation.

The more expensive IP cameras support a full range of software commands that allow control of pan, tilt, zoom, pre and post alarm triggering and other common features. Whilst lower cost cameras do not generally offer these features, the majority of them do support jpeg snapshots at various resolutions which provides you with a good starting point for recording cameras from the Monitoring server.

The snapshot feature available in approximately 95% of IP cameras allows you to install a camera from manufacturer X alongside one from manufacturer Y and Z. This provides great flexibility as you are not tied to a specific camera manufacturer. A web based alarm and camera monitoring service like the popular Virtual Monitoring Platform, will allow you to enter basic camera parameters to determine what type of alarm events and which zone numbers should trigger the recording of individual cameras. You are also able to specify the total number of images to be recorded and the time interval between them. As IP cameras from different manufacturers require a slightly different software command to trigger them, the Monitoring platform allows you to store custom commands in order to support any brand of camera you choose.

As an example of how your alarm panel and cameras work together, we will say that Mr. Smith has an alarm system, a custom provisioned Linksys VoIP adapter and an IP camera installed at his home. The VoIP adapter and camera are plugged into his router and connected via the internet to the Virtual Monitoring platform.

His account number at the Virtual Monitoring platform is 1234 and he has setup his account so that 10 snapshot images should be recorded at 2 second intervals in the event of an alarm. When an alarm signal from account code 1234 is received, the server software checks the database to find that Mr. Smith has a camera and that images should be recorded on the server if the alarm was from zones 2,3 or 4 (zones 5,6,7 and 8 might be used to trigger a second camera). The monitoring platform sends the software commands at the appropriate intervals and the end result is that ten jpeg images are written onto the hard drive of the monitoring server and optionally attached to an email and sent out to Mr. Smith and his contacts.

Now let’s consider the prerequisites of your network and camera setup in order for you to achieve the same results. Firstly, unless you have a fixed IP address allocated to you by your internet service provider, you will need to register and setup something called a dynamic domain name. Put simply, this is a method of keeping a domain name linked to a changing IP address. Typically, when a user connects to the Internet, the user’s ISP assigns an unused IP address from a pool of IP addresses, and this address is used only for the duration of that specific connection. A dynamic DNS service provider uses a special program that runs on the user’s computer (some IP cameras also support this), contacting the DNS service each time the IP address provided by the ISP changes and subsequently updating the DNS database to reflect the change. In this way, even though a domain name’s IP address will change often, a monitoring server does not have to know the changed IP address in order to connect to your camera. There is a free service available from www.dyndns.com and there are lot’s of others to choose from.

And now for the trickiest part. Making an IP camera available for recording from a monitoring server by using port forwarding. Each of your cameras has a port number setting inside the camera and this needs to be set differently for each camera on your system. For example, if you put camera number 1 on port 8000, you will need to port forward port 8000 in your router to the internal IP address of camera 1. This is done differently for every router and not something we cover in this article.

Once you have setup your cameras and router so that each camera is accessible from the monitoring server you should then setup your account in the Virtual Monitoring platform. If you only have one camera, this could be as simple as setting up the server to record from the camera for every type of event. If you have two or more cameras, you may only want to record from a particular camera when a specific zone is activated. If you have numerous feature rich cameras, you will be able to do things like: if zone 4 is triggered, pan and tilt the camera to it’s default position. Take 5 snapshots with no interval between them and then zoom into preset position 2. Take 10 snapshots at 5 second intervals…. and so on.

I hope this article has shown how the addition of IP cameras to your existing alarm monitoring service, although technically very simple, is the most cost effective way to both reduce false alarms and increase your level of security.

Unless you buy old equipment, you are unlikely to implement a completely analog video security system today.  Digital technology has made pure analog video security technology virtually obsolete.  The digital video recorder (DVR) replaces what would have been a VCR a few years ago.  Almost all systems now include the ability to view the video from your cameras over a computer network, including the Internet.

The current debate concerns the Internet Protocol (IP) camera.   It is important to note the difference between a “web camera” and an “IP camera”.  A web camera generally connects to the USB port of a computer and utilizes the resources of the computer to function, but an IP camera is independent of a host computer, at least to a degree.

IP Cameras: Surveillance Technology of the Future

There is a certain amount of inevitability to the IP camera.  The question is when, not if, the IP camera will come to dominate the security camera market.  IP camera installation is easier because the network cabling is less expensive and much less bulky than the coaxial cable normally used for analog cameras.  There is a certain presumption that anything digital will be better than its analog alternative, but in this case, the reality is more complicated.  Like most new technologies, a certain amount of “oversell” by the IP camera companies marketing their products should be expected.   It is important to recognize the issues associated with IP cameras.     

IP Cameras:  Issues with Current Implementation

IP camera technology does have its issues.  The first problem is expense.  IP cameras with comparable image quality are still significantly more expensive than an analog alternative.  The second problem is the bandwidth to communicate the video is a challenge for conventional networks if more than one or two cameras are employed.  When making comparisons between analog and IP cameras, similar image specifications should be used, otherwise the decision will based on the novelty of the technology, not the performance.

An IP camera can be found at about the same price as an analog camera, but not if the two cameras have comparable performance.  For example, IP cameras generally have less impressive low-light sensitivity specifications (1-4 Lux typical) than analog cameras (0.001-0.8 Lux typical).  Excellent quality IP cameras are available: for example the Cisco 2500 has a sensitivity of 0.4 Lux with more than 100 dB dynamic range, but the Cisco 2500 retails for more than 0.   A comparable analog camera would sell for less than 0.

The other problem with IP cameras is the signal bandwidth needed to link the camera to the system network.  It is feasible to install an IP camera on an existing network, but the impact multiple cameras will have on your system’s network performance should be considered, especially if many cameras are to be installed.  If a dedicated star network topology (home runs) is to be installed solely for the use of the cameras, then this problem may be avoided.  

A single IP video camera with a resolution of 640×480 pixels at 30 frames per second (M-JPEG) requires about 8 Mbit/second of bandwidth.  For comparison, the Ethernet (10BASE-X) specification is 10 Mbit/s maximum.

There are two approaches to the use of IP cameras.  The first approach converts the video signal from analog to digital at the camera.  This camera will incorporate enough computational ability to function in a network environment, including an operating system stored on a small flash memory module.  The second approach is a decentralized design.  This camera includes the ability to truly operate independently.  It can store video until needed, and it has true video analytic capability (artificial intelligence).   With this artificial intelligence, if an alarm condition exists, the camera can make this determination, and contact the host.

IP Design Alternative 1:  Digitized Video

This is the more common approach currently.  With this design the digital camera captures the image, and constantly communicates the video as a digitized signal over a computer network to a video server (computer).   The server owns the responsibility for processing and storing the video.  Even though the camera must have some computation capability to communicate over a network, it has little if any on-board capability for logic functions and storage.  Remember that video will require a significant microprocessor, RAM, and video storage for even limited manipulation.

IP Design Alternative 2: Decentralized Logic

If sophisticated decentralized processing (video analytics) could be cost-effectively deployed on IP cameras, the transition to IP cameras would be dramatically accelerated.  A few companies such as  D-Link, and Linksys have introduced digital cameras that have integrated web servers so that no external computers are needed for communication, but this is different from the ability to analyze at the point of capture and store the video locally.  

On-board logic and video storage would eliminate the need for all video to be constantly communicated to the host, and would solve the bandwidth problem.  Video that needed to be reviewed could be requested by the host only when needed.   

There are cameras available with these features, but they can be very expensive.  Sometimes these functions are added in a separate module local to the camera called an “Intelligent Video Server”. An example of a design with logic and storage are some of the cameras offered by the Swedish company Axis Communications (Note:  not all cameras from Axis are suitable for a decentralized logic system).

Conclusion

When large systems of IP cameras are employed, if a dedicated star topology network is not employed, compromises will need to be made to reduce costs and bandwidth requirements.  The resolution and frame-rate are the most common compromises.  

A survey of technology professionals estimates that the IP camera will become dominant when there is less than 0 difference from the analog camera.  As the price of technology continues to drop, the IP camera will be more competitive, but it could take many years.

Hidden home security cameras come in many shapes and sizes and have many uses. The Sleuth Gear Recluse Hidden Camera and the SleuthGear Cubed Clock Radio Hidden Cameras are two of the top selling most reliable and easy to use hidden cameras on the market today. SleuthGear has done it again by just releasing as of February 3, 2010 the newest hidden camera, the SleuthGear NightOwl. What is exciting about the SleuthGear NightOwl hidden Camera is that it has Infra Red so it can see in the dark.

SleuthGear Hidden Cameras are wireless cameras, so no running cables or having to be a genius to set it up. You just place the hidden cameras where you want them throughout the house or business and turn them on and walk away. Most SleuthGear comes in two formats, color or black and white. These wireless cameras use SD cards. You know what these are they are the same type of SD card you would slide into your digital camera. Depending on the size of SD card you use you can record up to 132 hours of video. You just take the SD card out of you hidden security camera and place it in your PC SD card slot and begin to review the hidden camera video you captured. It is that simple and that is why home security cameras like SleuthGear are top sellers in the USA, for their ease of use and high quality. Now you have a hidden camera that records in the dark too.

That’s right your new Sleuth Gear NightOwl hidden camera can see up to 20 to 30 feet in complete and total darkness. So just because the lights go out doesn’t mean your hidden camera can’t capture all the action. The Sleuth Gear NightOwl will allow you to see in the dark. There have been security cameras before that could record video at night time of course. But the important thing here is that this technology has been incorporated and hidden into regular house hold items to allow for unlimited uses such as home security, a nanny camera or even to catch a cheating spouse.

Home security is a huge factor theses day and rightly so. That is why hidden cameras, home security camera systems and other home security equipment sales have risen to over 141% just in the past year. The SleuthGear NightOwl hidden security camera is perfect for home security so you can record what is going on in your home while you are not there, day or night. You can see what your kids do while you are still at work or catch a thief on video while he breaks into your home. There are many uses for this great security hidden camera for your home security needs.

Let’s not forget that the SleuthGear NightOwl hidden camera would be excellent for business security or your office and or warehouse security also. This hidden security camera will help you find out just which employee has been stealing from you day or night. You may be surprised what goes on in your office or place of business while you are not there. And since these hidden security cameras are hidden in every day ordinary house hold items like clocks and radio etc… No one will be the wiser.

Of course when it comes to needing the perfect hidden camera to place throughout the house to catch a cheating spouse the SleuthGear NightOwl hidden Camera is perfect. The SleuthGear NightOwl can see in the day and the night and it is so easy to use. These cameras are motion activated also, so no need to worry about watching hours of nothing but an empty room.

You are probably already familiar with the existing SleuthGear hidden camera premium line of products by now, with its high-resolution video recording at 1280×720, internal recording to SD card and Sony Super HAD II CCD camera lens. If not you should really check out all the SleuthGear hidden cameras.

The SleuthGear NightOwl Infra Red hidden camera has all those features and more. In normal daylight lighting, the SleuthGear NightOwl records in beautiful full-color high resolution, and switches to black and white at night. Important to note that we are not talking about just low-light recording at night. The infrared lights enable the SleuthGear NightOwl hidden security camera to record in COMPLETE and 100% TOTAL darkness, up to 30 feet.

You can use different size SD cards up to 32GB. With a 32 GB SD card you can record up to 132 hours of recording time and that is at (320×240 @ 30fps) Now that is impressive.

What more could you want. Oh Yes it’s a fully functional Cube Alarm Clock Radio.

I have researched several sites where you can purchase this awesome hidden camera and you should not pay more than 9.95 for this anywhere, and at that price you have found yourself a great buy.

When selecting the best security camera system possible for your home or business it is important to select the right cameras that fit the unique needs of your situation. There are countless options and products features available.

Many packaged systems come with general purpose security cameras. Most vendors will allow you to replace the general purpose cameras with more advanced specialized cameras if you need them. For example, you may have a situation where three entrances into your building need to be monitored with just average quality cameras and you want to cover the parking lot with a camera that can read a license plate from 50 yards away. You can get 3 of the cameras that come with the system then replace the fourth with a camera that has high powered zoom capabilities.

By walking through this security camera selection guide you will be able to identify the special features that your situation requires and determine which cameras best fit your needs. Ultimately this will allow you to most efficiently spend your money while getting the best surveillance coverage.

1) Will you need color or black and white cameras? Most packaged systems come with color cameras which are better than black and white cameras at identifying valuable details of a suspect such as clothing or hair color. Typically black and white cameras are less expensive and perform better at low light than color cameras. Color cameras actually switch over to black and white in low light environments.

2) What type of night vision capability is needed? A typical packaged color security camera will have a night vision range of between 15 and 50 feet. High powered night vision cameras can have a range of 150 feet. The main factor of determining the night vision range is the number of infrared LED’s on the camera. Most general purpose security cameras come with 15 to 30 LED’s. Remember even color cameras record in black and white in low light situations.

3) What is the lowest acceptable image quality from each location where cameras are installed? You may have different image quality requirements from each location. One camera may be installed at the front door only to buzz people in when they arrive for appointments. Another camera may be used to capture license plates of cars driving through a large parking lot. These cameras have much different image quality requirements. Generally speaking the number of TV Lines (TVL) per inch is an indicator of the image quality that is produced by the camera. General purpose packaged security cameras commonly have 400 – 420 TVLs. Cameras that have 480 – 520 TVLs will give a much better image quality. Also, CCD cameras generally produce a better image than CMOS cameras.

4) Wired vs. wireless? Understand the disadvantages of using wireless security cameras before deciding to purchase them. A lot of people fail to realize wireless security cameras still need power via a power cable. Wireless cameras use wireless technology to transmit a signal to a receiver which is connected to a DVR or monitor, but most of them use a power cable to plug into a near by outlet. There are battery operated wireless security cameras, but the batteries need to be replaced quite often. The image quality of wireless security cameras is often inadequate because of interference. The farther away a wireless camera is from the receiver and the more obstructions the signal must travel through the more the image quality is going to suffer. That being said, there are many, many applications where wireless security cameras are ideal. Many of the wired systems available have cabling that supplies both power and video (aka siamese cabling). This means all the power requirements can be managed from the same location as the DVR or monitor.

5) What elements are the security cameras going to be exposed to? Most general purpose security cameras that come in packaged systems can be used outdoors (as well as indoors) under normal conditions. If the cameras are going to be exposed to extreme conditions such as hail or very high winds or there is a high likelihood of vandalism you may want to upgrade to cameras with heavier and stronger housings and mounting brackets.

The security industry has been doing quite well in the past decade due to awareness of the products to ensure safety.

Many business entrepreneurs, who want to start on their own face many hurdles because of the extreme competition online and not enough technical knowledge on the products.

The security camera industry is constantly evolving with the addition of latest cameras and cutting-edge technology. This has propelled many technical terms associated with every device such as “frames per second”, “horizontal lines”, “images per second”, etc.

It is very important to understand the technical know-how of the terms.

This helps you be aware of the compatibility of a product and its features with your system to make an informed decision on a purchase.

So to help you out we have put together a quick guide of all the major terms you will hear within the industry.

PAL PAL or Phase Alternating Lines, is a standard video system used in the Eastern countries, which transmits 25 frames in each second. 625 individual scan lines make up one frame.

NTSC NTSC or National Television System Committee, used mostly in North and South America, transmits 30 frames each second. 525 individual scan lines make a single frame.

CCD sensor CCD or Charged Coupled Device sensors in security cameras capture images that have better quality and less noise as compared to CMOS sensors.

CMOS sensor A CMOS sensor captures images & uses less power as compared to a CCD sensor and is cheaper. It works well for wireless or for battery-powered cameras

Pinhole Camera In pinhole cameras, one of the oldest types of cameras, you can capture high-quality still images but blurred moving images.

CCTV Security Camera System In CCTV security camera technology, images can be captured & stored without using tape and can be wireless. It also records action and responds by setting off alarms, call the police and more.

720p 720p is the resolution, or quality, of the picture displayed on a monitor with high-definition resulting in sharp images. “720″ represents the number of horizontal scan lines (720) of resolution. The “p” is the progressive scanning that gives a smoother picture with 720 lines being refreshed 30 times in a second.

1080i Here “1080″ is the number of horizontal scan lines. “i” stands for interlaced scanning, a process where frames are mixed to form a smoother picture with less flicker.

LUX LUX is a method to measure the amount of light that is needed for the security camera to capture images. A lower LUX means the camera has the ability to see images more clearly in the dark. E.g. 1 LUX – good quality images in late evening, 0.5 LUX – dim lit areas at night, .05 LUX – captures images better than humans at night.

DVR A Digital Video Recorder or DVR is a general term for a device that records television data in digital format. It encodes video data in MPEG-1/ MPEG-2 formats and stores data in a hard drive and the capability to pause “live” TV and continue without missing any part of a program.

Wired Security Camera A “wired” camera is hard-wired to the monitor and recording systems. The image cables are needed to transfer the camera images, then changed to a signal and sent to monitors, where signals are decoded in to live pictures.

Wireless Security Camera Wireless cameras as the name suggests are “wire-free” and use electronic signals to relay images to the monitor/receivers and are converted to pictures.

IP Security Camera IP security cameras use Internet Protocol to transmit images and control signals over an Ethernet link. Also known as network cameras, they are primarily used for surveillance similar to analog closed-circuit television.

Super HAD CCD sensor Super HAD CCD sensor, a Sony product, provides twice the results than traditional CCD. Used in security cameras, these sensors allow cameras to be in environments for long periods of intensely bright ambient light or darkness.

RF RF stands for Radio Frequency and for security cameras; video signals must be modulated into a RF signal to be transmitted across a wireless network.

Interline CCD sensor Interline CCDs are used mainly in image sensors used for capturing moving images like security cameras. They avoid image smear because light cannot affect the masked pixel storage area and these security cameras are inexpensive.

Horizontal Definition It is the highest amount of individual picture elements recognizable in a single scanning line. The clarity and sharpness of an image produced by the camera depends on higher number of lines resulting in greater definition of images.

Angular Field of View In security cameras, AOV is defined by the field of view that the camera covers which is a few degrees above and below the angle it is pointed at. The images captured depend on the size and area covered by the camera.

Effective Distance It is measurement of how far the camera can “see”. There 2 types of effective distance: day distance and night distance. Security cameras use infrared technologies to capture details of images at a distance.

BNC Connector A BNC is a video connector usually used in a wireless security camera system. It makes use of RF to broadcast images captured by the security cameras to monitors and recording equipment.

Using the above glossary, you can educate yourself on the technical dictionary of security cameras.

You can also post it on your site to make it easier for the customer to choose the right security camera based on their needs.

Each glossary term can be a separate page with recommendations of your products with that capability alongside.

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