CCTV Video Cameras – Effective Way to Keep a Watchful Eye on Miscreants

The CCTV video camera system is an indispensable requirement for any business establishment. A CCTV system helps a business owner to closely monitor the areas that are generally not visible as well as boost the productivity of the employees. It helps when the owner has to be away for some reason from the site of his establishment, and he has to keep a constant track over the activities of his staff. Installation of CCTV systems also helps reducing the occurrences of crimes, as these devices are known to intimidate criminals. Thus not only the owner of a shop, but even the general customers visiting the area is also bound to feel safe and secure.

Steps to choosing the ideal CCTV system, camera, and DVR

Firstly one must determine the number of cameras required to be installed. Then one must take into account the main fields of view and the recording needs. The other conditions to consider are the amount of lighting available, the areas that require live video monitoring, and the amount of time one needs to keep the video files.

Types of CCTV cameras

You will have to choose the security camera depending on its usage, location of placement, and the time of the day during which it will be used. Some variants of CCTV cameras include:

Indoor/Outdoor Dome cameras – The Indoor Dome Cameras are used for indoor applications, and are mounted on ceilings. These can be configured for day/night, standard color, or infrared. The common locations for Outdoor Dome Cameras are entry and exit points, with less amount of night lighting. The Day/Night Cameras are useful in conditions of low light. In day time, these cameras record in standard color and then switch to low–lux black and white mode during the night.

Infrared cameras – These are used in conditions where there is no available light. The camera does a black and white recording when the infrared LEDs get illuminated.

PTZ Cameras or “Pan – Tilt – Zoom” cameras – These cameras can automatically zoom in all directions. These are mounted on such a stand that these can turn a full 360 degrees in order to track the object in focus. These can also turn (or tilt) to an angle to the base for the same purpose.

Some institutions and companies go for covert or hidden cameras that are mounted inside a smoke detector. Choosing a digital video recorder is an integral part to any CCTV camera installation process. The DVRs are very advanced today, with such features as higher video resolution, faster recording speeds, and data compressing abilities. The professional DVRs provide remote monitoring or controlling of CCTV video. The DVRs should be kept in a secured location, may be in a lock box. With so many brands flooding the market, one should take time to weigh the definite pros and cons of each product before finalizing upon the purchase.