Closed Circuit Television is a television system that operates on a ‘closed loop’ basis. CCTV pictures are only available to those directly connected to the loop, which consists mainly of fibre optic cable that transmits the picture from the camera to a monitor. CCTV systems are used to monitor and or record the activities in an area for the purpose of safety and protection of property.

CCTV helps to protect your business and staff; it is a visible deterrent against theft and vandalism. CCTV can also be useful in home security to monitor and protect the interior and exterior of properties. CCTV footage can be invaluable in the identification and prosecution of the perpetrators of crimes.
DVR means Digital Video Recorder. This is the recording device that replaced the old video records that uses HDD. A (DVR) Digital Video Recorder is in simplistic form, a PC which acts like a VCR in that it has the ability to record and playback video images. The DVR takes the feed from a camera and records it into a digital format on a storage device which is most commonly the hard drive.
The basic requirements for a CCTV system to be developed are; a camera placed appropriate to the subject of monitoring, a monitor, something to record the pictures, and something to view them on. Equipment can vary greatly in cost dependent upon the needs of the user.
The main features of any CCTV system are surveillance, recording and playback. CCTV surveillance enables the viewing of footage from cameras via one or more CCTV monitors. CCTV recording is the process of storing footage from cameras on a Digital Video Recorder, PC or other storage media for instant or future playback and or back up.

The type of system should be designed with the purpose in mind along with environmental conditions. Surveyors are trained to match the correct equipment to your system’s needs.

There are many types of cameras. Some cameras are:

  1. Dome cameras – These are usually placed inside a dark dome, and can’t be seen from outside, so the thief will not know whether the camera is pointing his way or not. These cameras may turn or may be fixed, but what is important is that when looking at it, no one can tell.
  2. Wall cameras – These are big visible cameras. They maybe simple, or have a lot of options, such as a water-proof or bullet-proof shell, infrared light, or zoom.
  3. Hidden cameras – These small and covert cameras are hidden inside other objects and are not easilydetectable.
  4. PTZ Cameras – These cameras are visible. They allow for auto tour of a Site / premises. Allow the user to follow and zoom in on a subject. Allow for clear images to be stored. Can be used remotely.
CCTV scenarios can vary greatly from major supermarkets/departmental stores wanting to enhance their present security system to small businesses which want to monitor their property. The only stipulation is that Data Protection and Human Rights legislation is adhered to. It is best practice to draw up an Operational Requirement.
The short answer is as long as you want. All data is recorded to a built in hard drive, the bigger the hard drive, the longer your images will be saved. A 1TB hard drive should record four cameras (depending on frame rates) for one month. Therefore, it will record one camera for over four weeks.
Nothing. Your Digital Video Recorder will record over old images when the hard drive is full. So if you have capacity to record for 30 days, on day 31, day 1 recordings will be deleted to make room on the hard drive for day 31 recordings.
Yes, you can switch on motion detection so that your Digital Video Recorder records only when motion is detected. In a normal domestic situation, using motion detection could add weeks to your storage time, but there’s a price to pay. You’ll need to have the sensitivity on your motion detection quite high to ensure that you don’t miss anything. Increasing the sensitivity will mean that you will also record rain and possibly wind, especially if your cameras point to anything that moves in the wind.
Remote Viewing or Remote CCTV allows you to view CCTV cameras from anywhere in the world via your home broadband connection. You can view the images though your mobile phone or via a laptop or PC.
In simple terms you have the Sender (your house) and the Receiver (your laptop/phone etc.) The Sender comprises of one or more cameras connected to a video streamer. The video streamer literarily streams the video signals over either a local network or the internet. In order for the receiver to be able to find the Sender it is allocated a unique IP address (72.157.23.59) or a URL (web address).

This can be caused by a lack of Operational Requirement being carried out before purchase of a system. It may be possible to use a greater focal length lens, which will increase the size of the targets. Alternatively it may be necessary to install other cameras to the system or to re-site the existing ones.

This is one of the main features that are now being offered by most DVR’s. You can record from wherever you are viewing, while continuing to record on the DVR. One does not interfere with the other. This is advantageous if during a robbery or burglary the intelligent criminal searches for the videotape or machine when they see a camera. The remote DVR software works with any Microsoft Windows Operating system.
This problem applies to the focusing set on the camera and not the zoom. The way to solve this problem would be to set the lighting levels at low light, i.e. night. The manual of the camera will show how to set the focus.
The most common basis of poor picture quality of footage is offered from analogue systems with frequent use of videotapes. Analogue tapes suffer degradation very easily and it is often when footage needs to be called upon that the user discovers the problem. The only way to combat this problem is to discard tapes after certain amounts of time.
There is a very simple rule: NO LIGHT = NO IMAGE. Even the most advanced and sophisticated Day/Night cameras WILL NOT function in pitch dark, or even in very dark conditions. IR illuminator or white light is necessary to aid the camera to produce images usable for security applications.
  • Use Infrared or White Light illuminator
  • Make sure your camera is equipped with an infrared corrected lens. It solves the problem of focus-shift between night and daylight
  • Match the angle of the IR illuminator to the camera’s field of view
The IR correct lens was designed to eliminate the problem of the focus shift, which caused the image to be out of focus, this is because light of different wavelengths has different focal points. The IR corrected lens optimizes camera performance under all lighting conditions and delivers the best possible image quality
Consider Functionality First The first thing to do is make sure your equipment really is perfectly functional. CCTV cameras are an excellent example. There may be an older camera that looks great but really doesn’t do what it’s supposed to. Look carefully: Does it provide a sharp, clear picture in all of the lighting conditions? Is it reliable? Sometimes, an outdated camera is like an old pair of glasses: Everything looked great before, but when you put on new glasses, you are amazed by what you were missing. Cameras, monitors, card readers and other “forgotten” devices often make their inadequacies clear when compared with a newer model. If you believe a switch would be nice but not necessary, consider getting a sample of a newer unit and swapping it temporarily just to see how big a difference it will make. Chances are you’ll be surprised.
A UPS or Uninterruptible Power Supply can be installed as part of the CCTV system. This battery back-up makes sure the security cameras can keep running if there is a power cut. It also acts as a surge protector and regulates power supply to the hardware reducing the risk of damage from electrical spikes. A UPS is a cost effective addition to your CCTV set-up.
It depends on the kind of problem you have and type of system you are thinking of installing. CCTV has been reported to decrease the number of robberies or burglaries in cities, but there is not much evidence about other types of crimes. You have to think first whether your business is likely to be burglarized in the first place, and whether the cost of installing a complicated CCTV system is worth it.
A local electrician can help you with this or may know of CCTV installers in your area, but for the most part you will not need one. With the electricians help, instruction manuals, and our help, you will be able to install any system.