Things to Consider for Home or Office CCTV Security System
Closed circuit television, better known as CCTV, is technology designed for visual surveillance. Its purpose is to monitor activities in a number of environments. It works by way of a dedicated communication link between a monitor and cameras (also known as a fixed link.)
Up until a decade ago CCTV didn’t get much notice. Now it’s use has grown exponentially. The UK stands out as an all-time high user of CCTV, finding the monitoring systems useful for public facilities, residential subdivisions, and parking lots. The budget for its annual use runs into the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Many thousands of CCTV cameras, commissioned by public safety organizations, and neighborhood watch or homeowners associations, help reduce safety issues in areas such as buses and terminals, taxis and stands, trains and train stations, phone booths, vending machines and ATM locations. The cities and towns themselves are protecting their major thoroughfares and business districts with CCTV equipment that includes camera capacity for zooming, full tilting, panning and even infrared for night viewing. Hospitals are starting to use closed circuit television products to keep an eye on the interactions between hospitalized children and visiting parents or family members they suspect of molesting or otherwise abusing them.
While the technology was first seen in Britain as a deterrent and watchdog for major crime prevention, its use has increasingly come into play to catch in the act of, or deter from the act, of considerably lesser crimes. Which may or may not be seen as a good thing. The concern here is whether or not “big brother” will start watching. Just how far will they take it?
Where they’ve taken it from is from the prevention of physical assault crime and serious but lesser life threatening crimes such as burglary and car jacking to a current preponderance of smaller infraction oversight and prevention. In the UK, it’s not uncommon for CCTV to catch in the act someone whose crime is an attempt to commit a traffic violation, urinate in public, be publicly intoxicated and – horrible of horribles – fail to feed the parking meter. Underage smoking and drinking, use of illegal substances and occasions of sexual and racial harassment have also been exposed through closed circuit television wizardry.
Whether this British CCTV craze has really been a significant crime deterrent is hard to say.
Some public safety authorities claim reduction of violent and other crimes as high as 75 percent, stating CCTV as the reason behind this. Others dispute the statistics, stating that the results are flawed due to inept reporting and interpretation. One conjecture is that, because CCTV is much more prevalent in more affluent areas, criminals have merely moved down the road to those lower income areas whose residents and administrators cannot afford the costly CCTV system.
One result of CCTV’s capturing crimes in action is that a preponderance of alleged perpetrators, faced with the knowledge that their criminal actions have been captured on TV, are opting to plead guilty, saving taxpayers the cost of a lengthy trial. While this may be a good thing at first glance, the jury is really still out on whether this is justice served to the “innocent until proven guilty” or not.
Things to Consider First for Home or Office CCTV security system
Are you thinking of installing a home or office CCTV security system? Don’t rush it. Take the time to shop for the latest gadgets and choose a system that’ll work well for you. This is an investment worth your money, time, and effort.
CCTV Cameras and Lenses
For your home and business security, you cannot afford to scrimp on your CCTV cameras. If you are after performance, shell out extra cash to get a better performing system.
Brand name cameras are a bit pricey, depending on the features: higher resolution, larger formats, and better sensitivity. If you want those decent cameras that can be cleverly hidden, you’ll be spending $150-$250.
A Pan-tilt camera (PTZ) that has angling flexibility and wider coverage fetches a hefty $1,500 to $5,000. This comes with a controller so you must have a worker to operate the camera.
After the CCTV cameras, you’ll need lenses because you’d be buying cameras without these. Lenses with fixed focal lengths are cheaper.
You will require camera housing to protect it from the elements and possible vandalism. Perhaps the dome tinted cover is best for your indoor camera if don’t want the subjects detecting camera direction.
Your CCTV Monitors
After you have decided on the CCTV cameras, choose the appropriate monitors. The monitor should be able to go on for 24 hours daily. You may have a TV but perhaps this is not built for a non-stop daily grind.
Choose a flat panel LCD because these generate less heat, take up less space, and are known for their exceptional resolution. Be sure that the monitor complement your CCTV system. Buy color monitors if you want colored security cameras.
Don’t go overboard with more than a 15-inch monitor if your purpose is to merge multiple images from different cameras into one monitor. For a smaller system, a 9-inch monitor will do as long as the operator keeps a close watch.
Before Your Purchase
Before you rush to the store, take a look at the area where you want constant surveillance. If you have a grocery store, you might want all aisles monitored. You want to see what customers are picking up and plopping into the cart.
Do you want to see who is getting in and going out of your store, or who is getting off the car at the entrance? Do you want to see crowds, merchandise, and faces? Do you want good face shots? At home, do you want to know who is at the door? Do you want to watch the baby in the crib, or your teens in their band practice in the basement? The answers to these questions can help you pick the right CCTV cameras.
Having decided on what you want will make it easier for you to choose your CCTV component and system. Also consider if you need an operator to control the system or not. Quality will come next in your shopping agenda – detailed images and speed of frame rate.
Knowing your security needs will delight the supplier and eliminate post purchase problems. The supplier will make sure that you get what suits your needs for home or business security.
