Camera Tips for Home CCTV Systems

If you’re planning to join the growing number of people who protect their homes with CCTV systems, there are a number of things to consider before you lay wire or buy a single CCTV camera. These tips can help you choose the right CCTV system and security camera configuration for your home and your needs.

If your budget is limited, confine yourself to CCTV systems with 4 cameras or fewer. There’s usually a very big jump in price when you go from a 4-camera system to a 5-camera system. The main reason for this is because DVRs, used to record footage from your surveillance camera, come in 4-channel, 8-channel and 16-channel configurations. If you really think you need more than 4 cameras, experts suggest using a PC-based DVR system that can be scaled upward as you can afford to purchase and add more cameras.

Choose a security camera model that can cover more area. Wider angle lenses allow you to cover more ground, but you’ll generally have less detail. If you choose security cameras with adjustable lenses, you can adjust the focus as you add cameras and need to cover less ground with each CCTV camera.

Cover each entrance to your home with a camera to give you the best view of people approaching your home. Use outdoor cameras for the entrances so that those cameras can cover your grounds as well. Position the front door camera facing away from your house so that you can see the faces of people at your door.

At the backdoor, place the security camera about 10 feet away from the door so that you can watch part of the back yard while still being able to see enough detail of people at the door.

Cover your garage door and driveway with the same camera.

Always place cameras on the side of the door that opens so that the door doesn’t block the view of what’s happening.

Choose outdoor infrared cameras for your outdoor CCTV systems. That will allow you to view what’s happening in low light. Make sure that he camera has enough range to cover the entire area you’re covering.

If you have babysitters, a nanny, house sitters or other people who work in your home, you may want to add an interior camera to your CCTV system plans, but be aware of any laws concerning surveillance cameras in your community.

CCTV systems have come down enormously in price, but do expect to pay for quality. When your family’s safety is at stake, price should not be your sole determining factor.

Choosing the Best CCTV System Cameras for Your Business

CCTV security systems are a great boon for security in business places, and new technology has made CCTV camera choices and CCTV security systems more affordable for businesses of all sizes. The drop in price has brought all sorts of manufacturers into the marketplace, offering all sorts of choices in size, scope and type of CCTV systems to buy. The sheer number of choices for your security camera alone can be overwhelming to the business owner who isn’t an expert in security systems. If you’re trying to decide on the best style of security camera for your business, drill down through your needs to figure out which cameras will best suit your needs.

Security or Surveillance?

While security and surveillance overlap and most people make no distinction between the two, there’s a subtle difference. Generally, if you want a security camera to enhance the security of your place of business, you’ll want a CCTV system with at least one visible camera to make it clear to your customers that they are being watched. Surveillance, on the other hand, implies that you want to know what happens when no one is watching. In that case, you’ll want to outfit your CCTV system with a hidden surveillance camera, which are smaller and can be concealed from view.

Daytime or Nighttime?

Will you need a CCTV camera that can transmit a viewable image in low-light conditions or in the darkness? Low-light cameras and IR cameras are more expensive than standard cameras, but if you need to view or record what’s happening in low light conditions, they’re a necessity. Budget for the best camera you can afford because it will set the level of quality for your surveillance monitoring and recording.

Fixed or Moving?

A fixed security camera is far less expensive than cameras that move, but its uses are limited to showing an image of one place at one level of detail. If you want to be able to zoom in for more detail or sweep an area, then you’ll need to budget for a PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) security camera. As a tradeoff, you’ll generally need fewer PTZ CCTV cameras than fixed security cameras to cover the same area.

Indoors or Outdoors?

Outdoor cameras are housed in weatherproof casings to protect them from the elements. This generally makes them larger and more expensive than the least expensive CCTV cameras on the market. If your camera will be located indoors, you don’t have to invest in a camera rated for use outdoors.

In addition to these basic questions, you should also know what level of detail you want to be able to retrieve so you can choose the right resolution and what type of camera will be compatible with the rest of your CCTV system. If you’re not certain which the best CCTV systems are for your business, a professional installer or dealer will be happy to answer your questions and offer you advice.