Watch what’s happening
at home or the office
from your Blackberry (or
most smart phones with
internet access), or from
any computer with
internet access
(password protected).
How cool is this?
What Type of Surveillance Systems Are There?
Analogue
These are the type of cameras that have
been around for years and connect
directly to recording and/or viewing
equipment via wires. They are usually
connected to a DVR (Digital Video
Recorder) which records the video on a
hard drive. They could also be
connected to a “Video In” jack on a TV.
The resolution quality is usually specified
as TVL (TV Lines) and range from about
420 TVL to 540 TVL which would be
equivalent to approx. .3 megapixel. It’s
about the same as a camcorder or the
video part of a digital camera (much
lower than the snapshot resolution). It’s
pretty easy to tell the quality of the
camera by the price. Lower cost
cameras are generally fine if there is
good lighting in the area being viewed.
But if you want to get better images in
low light or when the background is
bright, a better camera can give you a
much better picture, which culd make the
difference between a useful picture and
a useless one.
IP Cameras
Sometimes called “Network” cameras,
these digital devices are relatively new.
They connect to a computer network just
like a computer would - in fact, you treat
them just as you would any other
computer. They are assigned an IP
address on the network (just like a
computer). They have a built-in web
interface which you can access from most
browsers, and which have the look and
feel of an internet site. You can watch the
video and adjust settings from any
computer on the network (LAN) or on the
internet (WAN), if you set up your network
for internet access.
You can record video on an NVR (Network
Video Recorder) which is a device which is
also connected to the network, or you can
install software on your own computer.
Either way, you can view, record, and
playback video.
Standard IP cameras have similar
resolution and features as analogue
cameras.
Surveillance Camera Styles
What Type of Surveillance Cameras Are There?
Surveillance cameras come in a myriad of shapes, sizes,
styles, and functions. Each is made for a specific type of
application. For instance, some are for indoors only while
others can be mounted outdoors. Some only work well
when there is good lighting. Some work amazingly well
when there is little or no light in the area. Some will
automatically pan left, right, up, down to scan a parking lot.
There is a large range in resolution, and other factors that
need to be considered to make sure you get the right
system.
Below you will find a summary of the type of cameras
available and their specific applications.
Never buy a surveillance camera system over the
internet - not even from us!! Many people find a
great price and buy it from who-knows-who only
to find that the pictures are very poor or the
system is very complicated to figure out. The
system is useless! Come and talk to us or some
other professional - explain what you need the
system for and get help designing a system that
will work for you. You’ll save yourself a lot of time,
money, and aggravation.
Traditional Box Camera
A traditional box camera comes without
the lens. You then order the lens that
best suits your application. You can have
a wide angle lens, a zoom lens, or a
varifocal lens which lets you adjust the zoom, then lock it
in when you like what you see. There are auto iris lens
which will automatically adjust to a range of lighting
conditions.
They may look similar on the outside, but the insides can
be very different - from low resolution to high resolution to
megapixel resolution. Some need good lighting, and some
can see in very low lighting. They are
available with Sens-up and WDR
capabilities for very low light or background
light conditions.
For outdoors, they must go in a protected
enclosure.
Vandal & Weather Resistant Dome Camera
Suitable for indoors or outdoors where
there is a chance that vandals might try
to tamper with them, or they are
exposed to rain or snow. They can be
mounted on a ceiling, wall, or under a
sofit. Most come with a varifocal lens
(adjustable zoom). Resolution can range from low
(420 TLV) to megapixel. Some models can handle
very low light using Sens-up technology, and some
are specifically made to handle backlight conditions
using WDR technology.
Mini-dome Camera
Suitable for indoor ceiling mount
applications. Typically a less expensive
camera with either a fixed lens (usually
wide angle 3.6mm) or a varifocal lens
(you can manually adjust the zoom
during installation). Resolution can range from 420
TVL to 560 TVL. Generally they need good lighting
to get a good picture unless they are equipped with
IR illuminators - in which case they can see in total
darkness for a short distance.
Varifocal Infra-red Camera
See in total darkness. This camera is
functionally the same as the ball camera
above - just in a different body. Both types
come in a fixed wide angle lens model and
a varifocal model (with adjustable zoom).
PTZ Camera
Pan-Tilt-Zoom cameras have the
ability to pan from side to side, up
and down, and zoom in and out.
They can be programmed to follow
a pre-programmed pattern
repeatedly, or a person can
manually control them with a path. If
there is a suspicious person, you can follow them
around the store or parking lot, zoom in to get a
close up shot of a face or licence plate, then zoom
back out to get a wide angle view, etc. These
cameras are more costly and work best when there
is a person watching the monitor and directing the
camera as needed.
Covert Cameras
These cameras are disguised as other
objects to prevent people from knowing
that they are being watched. Sometimes
called spy cameras, they come in various
models such as clocks, radios, smoke
detectors, teddy bears, etc. This picture is a motion
detector from a burglar alarm system that has a
camera hidden inside which looks out through a tiny
hole.
How Important Is Resolution?
Resolution is everything. It can make the difference
between a useful image or video clip and a useless one.
This is where most people go wrong by buying a cheap
system - when they need to see what happened, the
picture quality is not good enough.
In digital (or IP) cameras, the resolution is measured in
pixels. Some common ones are 640x480 (640 pixels wide
x 480 pixels high). A common megapixel camera would be
1600 x 1200 - a much clearer picture with better detail.
In analogue cameras resolution is measured in TV lines. A
low resolution would be 380 TVL while the better cameras
would be 540 TVL. Most DVRs (a device used to record
surveillance cameras) can record up to 720 x 480 which is
roughly equivalent to 1/3 megapixel. Therefore, megapixel
cameras have a much higher resolution than analogue
cameras. It’s a very similar concept to still photo cameras -
a 10 megapixel camera will give a much clearer picture
than a 1 megapixel camera.
Advanced Camera Technology
When choosing cameras, it is helpful to know how
different cameras work so you can get the best
quality video possible. The following technologies
are used in various higher quality cameras for
special environments:
SENS-UP
This technology is used
when there will be low or
poor lighting in the area.
These cameras can adjust
to low light conditions and
still give a picture. In good
lighting you get an
excellent picture. In low
light you get a good
picture. There are various
levels of Sens-up as seen
here. There are a few
models which offer both
Sens-up and WDR.
IR (Infra-red)
These cameras have a series of little LEDs which
emit infra-red light (not visible light) to illuminate the
room or area so the camera can see even though
our eyes cannot see. Usually the image turns to
black and white mode when it gets dark. A
comparison of daytime vs. night images is shown
under “Ball Camera with Infra-Red” above.
WDR (Wide Dynamic Range)
These cameras are used when there is back lighting
- for instance when the camera is looking towards a
window and the object you are viewing is between
the camera and the window. A normal camera will
adjust to the light behind the person, and the person
will look like a grey shadow with undefined features.
With WDR technology, the camera adjusts for the
backlight and you get a much better picture of the
person and features because the camera adjusts
each area of the picture according to the lighting of
that specific area rather than the lighting level of the
entire picture.
Recording Video
A key part to any surveillance system is the ability to go
back and view what happened. This is what can make the
difference between a useful system and a useless one.
Many people go cheap on the recording device only to
find out that it is very difficult to figure out how to use it,
and the images they get are not clear. MAKE SURE YOU
SEE IT IN ACTION BEFORE YOU BUY!!!
There are basically 3 ways to record surveillance video:
DVR (Digital Video Recorder)
This is a basically a specialized computer with monitor,
keyboard and mouse that records video
on a hard drive. Typically you can get
several weeks or even months of
recording (depending on the size of the
hard drive) before the DVR starts
eliminating the oldest video to make room
for the newer video. You can go back to
review what happened and save critical
events on a CD, DVD, or memory stick. DVRs usually
have analogue cameras connected directly into the back
of the unit.
NVR (Network Video Recorder)
This is similar to a DVR except that it doesn’t have a
monitor, keyboard, or mouse. An NVR
connects to a computer network just like
any other computer, and is used to
record video from IP (network) cameras
which transmit their video over a
computer network or the internet. You
access the NVR from any computer on the network, or
over the internet to watch live or view recorded video.
Your Own Computer
You can install software on your own computer that will
make it act like an NVR to record video from IP Cameras.
It is generally recommended that you dedicate a specific
computer to record video and nothing else.
Regular
WDR
Quality vs Price
Let’s be honest - every business needs to make a
profit or they go out of business. The BBB says “if
is sounds too good to be true, it probably is!” If
something is cheaper, there is usually a reason,
and the reason is usually based on either quality,
level of service, or both.
The best advice we can give you is to:
1. Talk to an expert. Explain what you need and
expect and let him/her match the right
equipment to your needs.
2. See it before you buy. Go and visit the
showroom where a sample system is set up and
see for yourself so you understand what you will
be getting and how it will work.
3. Make sure you will get good service from the
company for when you need it, because at some
point you will. Many, many people have
purchased over the internet and had nowhere to
turn for help when something goes wrong.
DON”T BE ONE OF THEM!!
The image below is from a regular analogue
camera recorded on a DVR. The one on the
right is from a 2 Megapixel IP camera
recorded on an NVR, and had to be
reduced significantly to fit on a web page.
Comparison of an analogue camera to a Megapixel IP camera
To see our wide range
of security products and
services, click on an
item below:
Call for a FREE, NO OBLIGATION quote. We will come to your home or business,
explain what is available, make recommendations, and provide a quote. We will NOT try
to pressure you to sign up right away - we want you to have time to think about it and
make sure you are comfortable.
You can also visit our showroom.
Ball Camera with Infra-red
See in total darkness. In good lighting, the
camera gives great video in full colour. When it
gets dark, the camera switches to night mode,
turns on the infra-red illuminators which will
allow the camera to see what is happening. As
you can see from the pictures below, the night time images
are usually in black & white rather than colour, and the
image quality is not as good - but at least you see
something. The distance the camera can see in the dark is
dependant on the number and strength of the illuminators,
and usually range from about 30 ft. to 100 ft. The
illuminators do not emit visible light - they emit infra-red
light which is invisible to the human eye.
