Surveillance How to Choose the Right Surveillance System a Must in Tough Economic Times!
Choosing the correct surveillance system for your security needs can be a difficult task. If you plan on going it alone, here are a few tips from the Surveillance Professionals at PCSurveillance.
DVR dvr-pc-val16-2
-How many surveillance cameras do you plan on initially installing? Do you anticipate future needs to add additional cameras? Customers who do not plan upfront pay more in the end!
-What type of video quality do you need? Real time video is 30 frames per second, however your eyes and brain can only comprehend about 24 frames per second. Video playback does not start to get “choppy” until it reaches around 7.5 frames per second.
-How long do you need to store your video? Video storage can add up quick if you are recording 24/7. We advise customers to use motion recording when possible to save on storage costs. There is no correct answer when it comes to video storage, each project must be looked at independently.
-Hardware compression vs. Software compression DVR Cards? Hardware boards are more expensive, however they do not strain the CPU as much because all of the compression is done on the DVR card. Software compression although less expensive, relies on the CPU to compress video. Hardware DVR cards also offer more channels of audio.
Cameras cm-sb550dv-2t
-Outside surveillance cameras. Do you need LED (infrared cameras)? Are you in an area with cold weather, you may need to consider a heated housing? What distance do you need to see? Should you consider a License Plate Camera? Are the cameras within reach of the public, then you may want to make sure you have a vandal proof camera.
-Inside surveillance cameras. If you have low light situations, consider a day/night, low lux (.01 or lower), or LED surveillance camera. For areas with bright light or glare choose a WDR (wide dynamic range) camera. The WDR camera will eliminate glare allowing you to see a clear picture.
-Lens options need to be taken into consideration also. Think through the distance you want to see and will that view ever change? If so think about purchasing a camera with a vari-focal lens.
Wire cb-sc100-1
-How long will your wire runs be? If you have long runs of wire (1,000’ plus), you might want to consider going with cat5. However you will need to run power separate or Poe (Power over Ethernet) into a Poe switch. If you have shorter runs of wire going with Siamese Coax Cable will be more effective.
Power Supply pw-12v16hp-11
-There are several ways to power your surveillance cameras. Traditionally most applications use a Power Supply Box that can power multiple surveillance cameras or will use individual Power Supplies plugged in at each camera. If you are use IP (internet protocol) cameras you can run Poe (Power over Ethernet) into a Poe enabled switch. Whatever you use, think about the location of the power supply.
Don’t get stuck with a surveillance system that doesn’t work. The key when purchasing surveillance equipment is preparation and asking the right questions at the beginning of the process. If you can’t use your surveillance system to prosecute a theft or crime, then your system has failed!
Ryan Temple is the Director of Operations for PC Surveillance.net. PC Surveillance has been serving integrators and manufacturing customized Surveillance Systems throughout the US since 2002. You can read more of Ryan’s articles at http://blog.pcsurveillance.net/ Ryan can be reached at ryan@pcsurveillance.net
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