CCTV and Surveillance Systems
 

We have had a lot of interest recently with our customers requesting information on types of residential CCTV (closed circuit television) systems or surveillance system for their home. Here is some of our info to help with others interested in the matter:

-As with anything, you get what you pay for. Just because it's onsale at a big box store and much less than a local installer....there are reasons.1)low quality and resolution cameras 2)under powered and minimum storage DVRs. 3)wireless doesn't mean "fully wireless", still need power to them, and wireless signal isn't always great in some construction types.

-Two types of cameras/systems: 1)Analog, which is the tried & true of the industry, needs power and also a RJ49 (cable TV style) cable. Provides average quality picture, and highly reduced when zoomed. System will use a DVR (digital video recorder) 2) Network or IP camera system which is the up and coming technology replacing analog. X3-4 quality of an analog picture off the bat, with good zoom in quality. Cameras can be powered via POE (power over Ethernet) which means the cameras send data and power over inexpensive Cat5e/6 cable. One cable to do it all. Video can be sent directly to a web-based service to view/save video or to an NVR (network video recorder). The recommended choice of systems for a new install.

-Both systems have simple web-based software able to view/record/review video off any internet enable device (computer, tablet, smartphone) anywhere!

-Many styles of cameras and systems for all applications, highly recommend contacting a local service for a quote and install. Discreet, weatherproof, PTZ (pan,tilt,zoom) controlled cameras, night vision, ect.

-PROS: watch your property from anywhere, check the lakes weather, boats in the docks?, kids home from school?, who is in the driveway?, elderly family all right?. Just a few of the many options. Do you have issues with vandalism, theft, or multiple contractors onsite at once working? So many great applications to use CCTV if done properly. The biggest thing to remember is you are installing to see what is going on when you NEED to. don't have your systems poor quality be the deciding factor in being able to see or not.

Call us or any other proud lakes region security provider for more information today. Its not too late to protect yourself

Analog uses RG-59 or RG-6 cable.
RJ49 is a telecom wiring pinout for twisted-pair cabling.

Analog video isn't tried and true, it's dead. IP has long since overtaken analog for any new install, it's not up and coming.

If anything the up-and-coming alternative to analog would be HD-SDI or HD-CVI , which lets you usually reuse those old analog cables to make a closed-circuit digital camera system with resolutions that match the lower-end of the common IP camera range (720p or 1080p).

Web-based recording isn't feasible for any decent resolution or frame-rate for real time recording, but it can be used for snapshots or offsite backup of *selected* portions of video.