Which Analog Security Camera Resolution Should I Choose?

When considering the type of resolution necessary for your surveillance system, it’s necessary to ask yourself what is most important to view.  If you are wondering things like, “Is someone at the door?”; “Has someone tried to get into my home or business?”; “Is someone out messing with cars in the driveway?”; “Did my dog knock over the magazine rack or was it that no-good son of mine?”,   then you may not require more than a simple 420-480 TV Line (TVL) analog camera to do the trick.  Also, it’s usually fine to use a fixed lens camera with a wider field of view (a common size is a 3.6mm).

In a case where you need to see more detailed information, other questions may arise:  “What was that car’s license plate number?”; “Whose face was that?”; “Was an employee dipping into our register?”  It then becomes necessary to get a higher resolution camera with 600 or 700 TVL.   It’s also helpful to have a varifocal lens which allows you to zoom in on a specific location to help get the better quality picture.  Note that a manual varifocal lens should not be confused with pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) camera.  It is usually manually set and then left alone, whereas a PTZ camera will allow remote lens maneuverability.

Wireless Security Cameras = Future Company Growth

Some companies take on change while others resist it.  Does anyone remember Eckerd’s drug stores?  If not, I don’t blame you.  Resistance to change is what ended Eckerd’s run as a strong force in the drug store market.  Meanwhile, taking on change helped keep Walgreens alive, with the addition of the drive through pharmacy, among many other things.  The point is, change is inevitable.  Simply put:

You can either change and progress, or resist change and fade away.

source: www.activerain.com

One area that is often discussed in the security camera market is wired vs. wireless security cameras.  Customers want wireless.  Installers want wireless.  Dealers want wireless. 

Question: What are RELIABLE and COST-EFFECTIVE wireless solutions?

Short answer: Hard to find.

They are becoming more readily available with time, but this is a change that WILL happen.  It’s not a matter of IF, but WHEN.

Being in the security camera industry for almost 6 years, I have not been too pleased with the variety of QUALITY wireless solutions available, analog or IP, until the past year.  This area promises significant growth in the coming years, since we are continually moving towards a wireless world.  Could you imagine your iPhone, Android device, Blackberry, or iPad being wired to another device?  Basically, NOT wireless?  Absolutely not!  This is the mindset that most end users are thinking with, as we are becoming a more wireless society.  On the dealer and installer side, there are some significant profit advantages to wireless security camera solutions, as well, such as ease of installation, increased range and reduced human resources.

Ease of Installation: Wireless solutions offer an ease of installation, when compared to wired solutions.  This can reduce the amount of time that installers are on the premises, making for less interruptions and a happier customer.

Increased Range: Wireless camera solutions offer an increased range, when compared to wired solutions. This can allow you to cover larger premises that previous wired solutions may not have been able to handle.  The increased range of wireless will allow installers to handle 30-40 foot ceilings, cement walls and multi-tenant installs, among many others.

Reduced Human Resources: Wireless solutions require a reduced amount of human resources, when compared to wired solutions.  Since there is no cable pulling, line testing, etc., this will allow installation companies to have more installers at more sites.

Here’s to wishing you a Happy New Year and continued success in 2012!

Turn the Holiday Frown Upside Down with Security Cameras

Well believe it or not the fall and winter Holidays are just around the corner and for most people, this reminds them of Family, Friends, Great Food and Gifts Galore. But for others this reminds them of the best opportunity to steal from those overcrowded stores. With some many Holiday Specials and traffic increasing tenfold, the opportunity for theft most certainly increases.

This especially within the retail business, has them ramping up holiday hires in hopes of maintaining the traffic and minimizing the lost inventory. But eyes on the ground can only do so much and many times with the amount of traffic that increase around these holidays it’s not even enough.

So it only makes sense to get ahead of the Black Fridays and Christmas Eve Savings and invest in a security system that will provide the eyes in the air and allow your associates to focus on all the Holiday Shoppers at hand. Many retail stores lose a ton of money on stolen merchandise especially during these holidays, so having Cameras can also work as deterrent and keep those pesky shop lifters at bay.

Lasting Effects of 9-11

In a post 9-11 world, almost every aspect of our lives have changed or been modified to some extent.  The security industry is no exception.  Whether we talk about more stringent fire codes, a better access control solution, or a more robust CCTV security system – 9-11 has encouraged our industry to offer our clients what they’re really looking for – peace of mind and a sense of personal security.

I am proud to be a small part of this ever-changing tech-savvy industry that makes our country feel a bit safer.

One security camera instead of 4? It can be done! Our fisheye camera offers a 360 degree view

Fisheye security camera lens

The 360 view or source image is ideal for several applications:  retail stores, office settings and hotel lobbies.

The Fisheye camera has many features that can allow full coverage of approximately 1000 sq. feet mounted on 10 foot ceilings.

Some features to keep in mind are no mechanical moving parts, electronic PTZ, built-in web server, Auto pan function, privacy mask, micro SD and tampering alarm

You can purchase this and other security camera equipment from Virtual Surveillance

Big Solutions for Small Companies – Access Controls

Obstacles have always been present with small or midsized businesses, When you think of access control you think of multi-level buildings with restricted areas such as hospitals and police stations, while these are great candidates for access the small business find themselves no in the need to spend 10k or more on restricting just 1-2 rooms.

Access has come a long way in short period of time it has become more affordable and easier to install. The average system for larger applications can run near 5k a door, with the new network based card readers and locks the system has been cut nearly in half, not to mention the installation has become so easy anyone with any networking experience can now implement these systems. With the new Access system being network capable you there is no need for running cables all over your building everything can tie into the card reader while the reader is tied into the network that is already throughout your entire building.

With the new advances in the CCTV industry Access Control can also be implemented with you surveillance camera solution, making it more useful than ever. Being able to let someone enter a door remotely from home while being able to view them on the camera at the same time to ensure it is the correct person. Businesses like Veterinarian clinics, Pharmacies, and HR department know have the ability to secure their medicines, prescriptions and employee records with spending any more than necessary.

Are you Proactive or Reactive?

When is it that most businesses decide to get a security system? Why does it take a break in, robbery, missing inventory, or vandalism for business owners to decide they need something other than a yard dog?

I think most business owners understand that it is not a matter of if something nefarious will happen, but a matter of when. In this day in age there is absolutely no reason to be reactive instead of proactive. According to the NCVC (National Center for Victims of Crimes) the average cost of a robbery or break in to a business is $19,200 and that monetary loss does not speak about the emotional costs that are added.

Last year the average cost per security camera was $1,200, installed. So in essence, you can have 8 cameras professionally installed for $9,600, and save almost $10,000 not to mention the feeling of security and protection. You can also add a control access system to three doors for $4,200 (national average). So, with a little forward thinking, you can save $5,000 by avoiding a break in. With the control access system and a security camera system you can not only see who is trying to break in but stop that person from getting in. Also, don’t forget about the other perks of a complete security system that can save you money like: inventory control, keeping employees honest and productive, always having control of who is in the building and what time they are allowed access.

The fact of the matter is, you can save money by installing a Surveillance Camera system and by using professionals like Virtual Surveillance you can get a “top of the product” and beat the national average that was mentioned above. You know it’s going to happen, let be smart and be Proactive instead of Reactive.

H.264 – Tomorrow’s Codec Today

H.264 is a next-generation video compression format. H.264 was evolved from MPEG-4 ASC. Developed for use in high definition systems such as HDTV, Blu-ray and HD DVD as well as low resolution portable devices such as Apple’s iPod, H.264 offers better quality at lower file sizes than both MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 ASP (DivX or XviD).

Apple has officially adopted H.264 as the format for QuickTime. It is also one of the formats chosen to be supported by both high definition DVD standards, and is destined to be the future standard format for Blu-ray.

This company carries several choices for H.264 DVR systems.

http://www.vs-us.com/dvrs.html

H.264 is sometimes referred (erroneously) as x264 – x264 is the name of a popular freeware encoder for the H.264 format. H.264 is also sometimes referred to as MP4, again this is technically incorrect. MP4 is a container format much like AVI or MKV and it can be used to “house” many different types of compression codecs, not just H.264. It is true though that MP4 is a very popular choice for the H.264 format. MP4 should not be confused with MPEG-4 video either.

One Size Does Not Fit All

If you are thinking about investing in a CCTV system for your home or business, don’t be fooled into thinking that one size fits all. It is just not the case. With lots of systems being bought over the internet now, you will want to be sure that you are educated about the system prior to shopping so when the salesperson starts asking you questions, you will know what he is talking about. It will also be beneficial if you get one of those salespeople that just want to sell you a system and get on to the next customer. Here are a few things to know prior to starting your search for the right system.

1. What am I trying to cover- Before you start shopping, you will need to think about what you are trying to accomplish with this system. Am I just trying to cover entries into my home/business, or am I trying to cover outlying areas too. If you are trying to cover outlying areas, that is going to be very important to give the person assisting you. Take a look around and try thinking like a thief. Where would I hide, how would I approach the door, etc. This will help make sure you have all your bases covered.

2. The next thing is where my focal point? Find a distance you think would give you the best coverage and measure that distance to give you a reference to choose lens sizes.

3. Next would be resolution- The higher the number of TV lines on an analog camera, the better the picture will appear on your recording. Also take into account how much lighting is available at night. The more light you have available, the better picture you are going to get. It might just be worth adding some landscape lights to maintain that color picture all through the night instead of having the picture turn black and white.

4. Another thing to consider is leave room for expansion. When most people set their system up and running they realize that they missed an area or wish that they could add just one more camera. Thinking ahead will help with this but having the capability to add another camera or two down the road could really help you achieve your final goal

Determining Your Security Needs

Determining your security needs on a complete solution basis is crucial. A good question to ask yourself is one of: “Is my security system up to homeland security standards”? Often times we run into poorly outfitted applications and an upset end user. Let’s talk about this…

Best place to start is locating a vendor or manufacture that has a software/hardware solution that meets the applications challenges. For instance if you are covering a lot of distance a wireless solution may be the best solution. One thing to keep in mind when looking at hardware and software from a vendor is to establish a relationship with them. Get a feel for them as a company and even take it as far as checking references.
Outfitting after a vendor is selected can be tricky. I recommend always trying to keep it simple while leaving the ability for upgrades or expansion. There is almost little to no disadvantages of using PTZ cameras outside of cost.
Installation needs to be considered when setting all of this up. I always recommend using an outside source or someone your supplier recommends. Typically these guys have a vast knowledge of the capabilities and industry.