What is a Surveillance Systems?
A Surveillance Security System usually consist of several analog or digital cameras connected to a digital video recorder (DVR) or network video recorder (NVR), this recorder then shows all the cameras on a monitor. The cameras can be connected with a network cable or wirelessly depending on the situation and budget.
Things to consider when designing a Surveillance Security System:
How much coverage do you need?
The viewing angle of the camera determines how much space the camera will cover, it doesn’t matter if this is interior or outdoor use. Some wide angle cameras help you reduce the amount of cameras you need to install to cover your building or office or house.
Do you need High-Definition resolution video?
The higher the video resolution of the camera, the easier is going to be to distinguish small little details on your video or images. A high-definition camera usually is anything above 1080p resolution and it will need to be connected to a compatible recorder. The higher the resolution the more space the DVR/NVR needs in order to keep your videos for longer periods of time.
Do you need Night Vision ?
Having night vision is almost a must have nowadays but it doesn’t mean that ALL your cameras need to have Night Vision capabilities. We would recommend outdoor cameras, cameras located in specific points of your building or office like: main entrances, emergency exits, server rooms, safe rooms, etc.
Does your recorder have enough recording capacity?
Depending on the amount of hard drives or hard drive capacity on your video recorder, that’s the amount of days you will be able to record on it. Depending on your specific needs, we would recommend how much capacity you need. Some video recorders will allow you to offload their recordings to backup devices in case you need to keep those recordings for compliance or other uses.
Do you need cameras with Pan/Tilt/Zoom (PTZ) features?
Some cameras can be controlled from the DVR/NVR or even remotely to change the Pan, Tilt or zoom of it. These cameras are usually more expensive but provide coverage to larger areas and allow you to get the best angle without having to physically reposition the camera.
Do you need access to your cameras remotely ?
Many brands offer the option for you to be able to watch and sometimes listen, to your cameras remotely or from a mobile device. The system and network has to be configured for this feature to work correctly but it worth it to do it since it could be one of the most valuable features you will have. Some of these features require a monthly or annual fee so make sure you select the best brand for your specific needs.
