Q. Why would I need a Surveillance System?
A. Surveillance systems are used for Security, Theft Prevention, Protection, Employee Monitoring and many other purposes.
For businesses, a surveillance system may be used for monitoring employees and productivity, safety of employees, documenting customer visits, preventing fraud and theft, and providing court documentation if theft were to occur.
For Homes, a surveillance system may be used for watching your children while you are at work or inside the house, watching your pets (for extreme pet lovers), monitoring your home while you are away on a trip, watching for delivery of packages, monitor a philandering spouse, or making home videos of those times when you just don't have a camera handy.
In the world today, the need for a CCTV Surveillance System is increasing. Suspicious activity can be recorded and reported immediately to the authorities. Cameras also help us catch the perpetrator or save ourselves from embarrassment of false accusations.
Q. What are the minimum computer specifications for running a DVR system on my PC?
| A. |
- Regardless of what DVR system you are installing,
- DEDICATED PC IS NEEDED FOR SURVEILLANCE!
- We recommend the very best for your convenience
- The price of computers are low these days and
- it pays to get the best. Our system features:
- Pentium IV 2.4 GHz
- 256 MB DDR RAM
- 64 or 128 MB Video Card
- Windows XP, 2000
- 17"Color 1024x768 Resolution Monitor
- 160 GB Hard Drive (larger drive = longer recording)
- CDRW (to back up on CD)
- Video/Sound/LAN/Floppy/Keyboard/Mouse
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Q. What is a Dedicated PC?
A. Dedicated PC, is a PC that is not used for any other purpose. A DVR PC constantly needs access to all of the PC's resources. Because of this, operation of any other programs, surfing the internet, or any other activity aside from running the DVR program, can cause poor performance, failure to record video properly, or system failure
Q. Should I choose Wireless or Wired Cameras for my security system?
A. The fact is wireless cameras are not secure. You ask, what are the flaws of a wireless camera system!? Number 1: Although These cameras are easy to install but they can allow a professional or even an amateur to see inside your house or business and plan the robbery from outside. This defeats the purpose of a Security Surveillance System!!! Now you never know who is watching you on your own cameras! Number 2 problem: These cameras operate on very crowded frequency bands which can be interfered with by a Mobile Phone, Wireless Access-Point, Wireless Network Card or many other wireless devices. This also demonstrates how easy it is to disable the camera system from outside of your home or business. Experience has shown that a Wired Surveillance System is the only solution!
Q. What is the difference between a CMOS and a CCD Camera?
A. To put it simply, the difference is in the quality of the image sensor. A CMOS camera has a less-expensive image sensor. The other benefits of CMOS are size, and low-power consumption. Most CMOS cameras can even be operated for several hours on a single 9-volt battery! However, the low-power consumption comes at a price however. CMOS cameras have a lower resolution and less color quality than the CCD cameras. The CCD Cameras are much more sensitive to power fluctuation, due to the fact that the CCD Sensors have 4 integrated processors compared to the one processor found on a CMOS sensor. CCD cameras usually have much better picture quality, resolution and color balance. The drawback of a CCD camera is high-power consumption and sensitivity to minute voltage changes.
Q. How should I place my cameras in order to ensure I catch video that will capture the most relevant shots?
| A. |
- Never angle a camera to look straight down.
A camera that is pointed straight down, will only catch the top of a perpetrators head. The camera will most likely miss many of the distinguishing characteristics that can be used to identify a person later if necessary.
- Always make sure to have a camera facing all entrances
It is a fact, that the best time to catch the facial features of an individual is during their entrance into the building, whether it is your home or your business. Other cameras can catch the act of someone stealing, however, without the critical entry-shot you may not be able to identify the individual
- Never allow direct sunlight to touch the lenses of the camera
Regardless of which cameras you use, make sure that the cameras are never mounted in such a way that sunlight will directly shine into the lens. This will cause the Image sensor to discolor and fail. Direct sunlight will also immediately void any warranty.
- Mount I/R Cameras within 20 ft. of subject being viewed
I/R Bulbs emit an invisible light spectrum that will illuminate a subject even in complete darkness...however, the light will only project out 20-40 ft. to illuminate the target
- Always plug cameras into a surge suppressor or Battery Back-up unit
Cameras are extremely sensitive to voltage changes and can fail prematurely. Voltage changes will also void the camera's warranty.
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Q. What is the benefit of a DVR system as opposed to a traditional time-lapse VCR CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) system?
A. A DVR (computer-based) system gives several benefits over a standard VCR-based system. First and foremost, the DVR takes the majority of human error out of the equation. With a traditional system, a staff member or person in charge of the security system would have to remember and be present at the same time each day, to change the tape in the VCR. Commonly, due to unforseen circumstances, or neglect or even simply the fact that a tape is currently being reviewed, the tapes in a traditional system do not get changed or are not always recording (due to the limitation of a VCR). Without a tape in the system, it cannot record, and therefore, anything that would happen at your home or business would not be recorded! A surveillance system is in place to constantly monitor, and keep record of all occurances. If there are gaping holes in the actual recorded time, then this leaves great chances that important information, such as cars entering or leaving the gas station, or customers walking out of your store with items they did not pay for, or an employee reaching in their pocket would not be on the tape. In the case of a DVR System, it is always running, and always recording (if configured properly). Even while you are reviewing the previously recorded video, it still continues to record the data! This provides a great advantage, as your employees, family members or customers may be able to see, while you are reviewing a pre-recorded cassette in a traditional system, and may take advantage of the momentary lapse in security.
Q. What is a LUX in the camera rating?
A. To see properly, a CCTV camera requires a certain amount of light produced by natural or artificial illumination. B/W cameras work with any type of light sources, but color cameras need lights that contain all the colors in the visible spectrum for best color imaging.
The amount of light is defined by LUX (Lumens per Square Meter). One LUX is one candle light volume at one meter distance. Followings are some examples of natural lights expressed in LUX.
Natural LUX Examples
- Full daylight: 10,000 LUX
- Very dark day: 100 LUX
- Twilight: 10 LUX
- Deep twilight: 1 LUX
- Full moon: 0.1 LUX
- Quarter moon: 0.01LUX
Q. How do I select a Camera?
A. Selection of the best camera to suit your needs should be based on where the camera is to be located, and the light conditions of the location.
Cameras that are planned for outside installation should be a weather-resistant style camera,
Dome Style Camera
Usually used in an indoor business or home environment. Usually the Dome camera's curved shell helps to disguise what direction the camera is facing.
You might see these cameras commonly in Apartment buildings, Retail Stores, Hallways, Convenience Stores, Gas Stations, and many other applications
A Dome camera can be mounted easily on the ceiling or the wall, and generally will rotate 360° during installation. The cables for the camera are generally fed through a small hole in the wall or ceiling, so no wires are visible after installation
C or CS - Mount Cameras
These cameras can be used in an indoor or outdoor environment (when outdoor enclosure is used).
These are the most common cameras for a professional installation, or an installation where Lens changes may be necessary.
C and CS - Mount cameras are generally sold without lens, as each application will require a slightly different lenses in order to capture the desired picture.
Q. What is Remote Surveillance?
A. The ability to monitor your home or business from different
location is called Remote Surveillance Capability.
With our system you can monitor your location
from a remote location through Internet . We will provide you
an IP address and show you how it can be done.
It is easy and fun. |
