A CCTV camera is a device that is used for an effective security and surveillance system. It is used all throughout the globe to prevent any forms of illegal activity, or crimes. Captured footage can be used as a form of evidence too. CCTV cameras are an effective tool to keep track of any activity in an area. It captures a stream of videos from a camera to a TV screen for monitoring and recording. You can usually find it on trains and bus stations, malls, airport, public places and other establishments or companies. Now, it’s getting popular too among home owners for additional security in their homes. But with the range of different types and brands of CCTVs to choose from, finding the right one to buy can be a pain. Here’s what you need to know before purchasing one that will fit your need.

Some things that you should keep in mind before you purchase a security camera are the types of output it gives, the location where you plan to place it, and its controls. Knowing these will lessen the list of CCTVs to choose from.

There are two types of signal that a CCTV sends to the monitor: digital and analog. Analog CCTV relays video through coaxial cables while digital CCTV camera uses twisted pair cables to transmit the video. Most digital CCTV cameras usually have an internet protocol (IP) so that it can be networked. This is mostly used on large buildings or homes that are most likely to be targeted by burglars. You will have a large coverage of the surrounding area.

Now think where you want to place your CCTV. Do you want to put it inside your home or building, or outside? Some cameras and standard box cameras are popular for indoor use. But when you decide to place a camera outdoors, you should choose one that could stand whatever the weather is. They usually have an enclosure or covering that could protect them from snow, rain, dust, and super high or low temperature. Maybe you have seen one already like outside government offices. The most common one is called bullet CCTV camera. It is waterproof and has an infrared feature to it.

There are also some factors like minimum illumination that you need to take into account so that a CCTV can capture a video properly. How clear your output is depends on where you place your camera and how illuminated the area is. You might as well buy one that has a higher resolution. CCTV cameras and security alarms are really an effective tool to ward off potential thieves and muggers. If crime is committed in an area where there is a CCTV camera, there will be an evidence of the crime committed which will hopefully identify the perpetrator. This will keep your home safe and your neighbourhood as well. So it’s better to be secure by installing one in your own home.

Installing a CCTV camera can sometimes be difficult and sometimes be easy. It is the difficult situation that counts a lot. The cabling is the most common issue that people face and we will be addressing this issue here. Some important tips have been explained in detail below.

1. Plan ahead thinking of future

As you will be installing a very large system of CCTV cameras, there will be some inconvenience with respect to the length of the cable. Thus you will need to make a plan for providing good provision for your cables. Thus think ahead and plan for the exact procedure.

2. Choose an appropriate cable

While you are in the process of selecting a cable, you need to use a cable that is of highest quality so that it will last long. Also make sure that your cable matches with the environment and it suitable for the environment whether indoors or outdoors.

3. Prepare your home for installation

It is obviously impractical and expensive to monitor each and every inch of your home. Thus you will have to prioritize your locations and prepare your home in specific locations for installation of CCTV cameras. Some locations may include the front and back door, the off- street windows, common areas, driveway, porches and stairways.

4. Set up a monitor and a recording device

A recording device and a monitor will enable you to store and also view all footage that is recorded in the DVR or the digital video recorder. This device can receive all the feeds of video and can then broadcast these feeds to your monitor. DVRs can have a variety of capacities when it comes to their memory and you need to use this memory in an efficient manner.

5. Mount your camera on to the wall

This is important in order to make good use of the camera. A wall mounting camera can be bought along with a sticky pad in order to fix it on to the wall. You can also screw your camera on to the wall as it is more desirable and safe. Place it in a desired location for which you require continuous feed and monitoring. It is one of the important things to remember.

The above tips must be noted in order to install a CCTV camera efficiently. These cameras can obviously keep you safe if you learn how to install them correctly.

Securing your property is one of the growing domestic issues in the UK today. Some research suggests that at least one home is broken into every minute. Therefore, protecting homes and properties has become a priority and the advent of Closed Circuit Televisions or CCTVs is timely to say the least and can be employed for this purpose.

What is CCTV exactly? CCTV is a surveillance technology used initially to monitor commercial properties and public places, but has been adapted to the residential property to help home security. It is basically a camera, or a network of linked cameras, that produce viewable and recordable images. It would be quite unusual for a comprehensive security system to be without CCTV. The cameras can interface with other systems such as alarms i.e. the cameras can start recording when an alarm is triggered either automatically or by human intervention. Nowadays, wireless CCTVs systems are gaining popularity as they obviously do away with wiring systems and they are also easier to operate and maintain. They are also easier to protect from being compromised. The wireless cameras also allow for more flexibility and mobility, as it is much easier to install wireless cameras, even in the most inaccessible areas.

Another important development is that CCTV also facilitate remote monitoring i.e. you do not have to be on site to view the images. So it is possible to view real time images of what is happening back home from your work place or on holiday, you need to type in the URL of the server that controls the wireless cameras from any browser. You can see these images just as easily on your mobile phone. Some security companies will also provide a service that monitors the premises for you, so you effectively are renting the equipment. That way you can keep up with any major technical advances.

Speaking of advances in technology, CCTVs now provide a new level of sophistication, such as infrared night vision. The ability to monitor in the dark is obviously fundamental to a comprehensive home security system. Another development is the Passive Infrared motion detection facilities and Pan Tilt Zoom cameras. These cameras are able to rotate horiszontally through 360 degrees, vertically through 900 and have zoom lenses capable of giving more than ten times the current optical zoom.

Adding a further level of security are the covert CCTV cameras available in the market. Also known as miniature cameras, these CCTV cameras are very small or easy to disguise thus enabling so called covert surveillance. Normal CCTV cameras still prove effective, but are vulnerable to tampering and damage by any would be offender. These hidden or mini CCTVs offer an extra level of security to your property.

Apart from the obvious merit of monitoring your home and valuables while away from your home, CCTV Images have also been used as evidence and so offer a greater chance of catching the culprit should any offence take place. These cameras provide the visual evidence of the offender’s crimes. Once people know they have been videotaped there is little, they admit to the offense immediately. Such benefits, advance technology and easy availability make CCTVs the most widely used and relied upon security measure used in not only homes but also banks, offices, hospitals and other commercial enterprises.

For the employers, CCTV is a very useful instrument for many reasons. Some of them are obvious: preventing crimes like thefts, helping the police and watching the employees.

Nevertheless, there are numerous aspects and elements making CCTV not only useful, but even invaluable. If you consider all the advantages, you will realize that CCTV is a system that every manager should employ. Below you can find a few of the hidden advantages for employer to own CCTV.

• CCTV can protect employees. In lots of jobs the employees are vulnerable to either physical or verbal attacks from the public. Often, in stressful situations, customers may lash out at a company representative. If the employee knows they are being watched by CCTV camera, he or she will try to minimize these cases and stay calmly deal. Moreover, it is able to protect the employees against false allegations that might be common in some areas of business.

• CCTV helps prevent crime, of course. The hidden cameras are able to help investigators to identify how a crime happened and to spot it in action. However, they are more likely to prevent the crime from occurring simply by letting everyone know they are being watched.

• The cameras can also help prevent employee theft. It won’t occur if customers or members of public pocket goods: in fact, often it’s employees themselves who are stealing. According to statistics gathered by focus groups, most usually the reason for this is not need but rather opportunity. So, if your personnel know they are being watched that can make it far less likely.

• Then CCTV can help employee satisfaction – if you do experience a fair amount of employee theft, this may be because your staff isn’t happy with the work and lashes out at the company in such a way. Watching CCTV recordings may give you an idea of how to streamline your business and ensure your employees enjoy their work.

• As it was said above, CCTV can help settle disputes. In some cases, when a customer has a complaint about your service, there are some doubts and you are not sure who’s in the wrong. For instance, the clients like claiming that they have been short-changed or purposefully sold bad goods. In addition, they may try to claim that an accident which occurred on your premises happened because of a breach in health and safety regulations. Although it is actually hard to identify the cases where it’s true and where it’s fabricated, sometimes just mentioning that you have a record on CCTV may make the con artists back down.

• The cameras are effective in placing blame. It means that in the event of a serious mistake or theft, it may appear that the employees need to be reprimanded or pointed in the right direction.