The CCTV Blog

In this video a thief is caught on tape stealing a car from a parking lot. The quality of the video isn’t great, but imagine if this business owner had installed Megapixel IP Cameras. There’s a good chance they would have been able to identify this guy using the zoom capabilities of a megapixel security camera. Regardless, this is one of many reasons your parking lot should be monitored just as much as the inside of your store or business.

Learn more about Megapixel IP Cameras.

One of the first things I hear when beginning a conversation about using IP cameras on an existing network is “Will it eat up all my bandwidth and slow everything way down?” The answer, not unless you’re using extremely high resolution cameras, but using cameras with 1-megapixel of resolution or less should have little effect on bandwidth and still provide high quality images.

One of the first things to do when discussing sharing a network with a potential customer is to find out what they mean by sharing the network. Do they mean sharing the physical cable plant or just switches and infrastructure? As some of you might know, it is possible to share a single network switch without the networks interfering with each other, as long as the switch has the right capabilities.

Some people will recommend completely different networks for security systems, which is not usually necessary, unless of course, the network must be tightly controlled, which in most cases is not necessary. The most important part to remember when determining whether or not to share the network, or parts of it, is how much bandwidth the cameras will take up. One thing to keep in mind here is that megapixel cameras use a lot more bandwidth than a standard resolution camera. Older models of IP cameras that used MPEG4 with 30ips and a CIF of 640 X 480 would produce between 2 and 5 megabits per second (Mbps), depending on the brand. But now with H.264 we are seeing 2-megapixel cameras at 30ips producing up to 6Mbs, again depending on the brand. That is a huge difference when you are using several IP cameras on your system!

Just remember if you are using 1-megapixel cameras or less and have no more than 16 cameras on the system, bandwidth is not something to worry about too much. Cameras with higher resolution will take more consideration in the load your network can handle. Don’t be afraid to ask an expert.

When choosing the correct camera to see in the dark you need to look at a few options not just at an IR (infrared) camera.  You may have an application that requires a low LUX or low light camera and not every dark location needs IR.  For instance, if you have a restaurant or night club that has low light but is not completely dark in the area where you need detailed video an IR camera will only give you a black and white image.  Another location where a low light camera will be a best fit is if you have lighting outside as you might not need an IR camera to capture quality images in this space.  The best time to use IR is when you are trying to provide a light source where there is none and you wish to have a visible image at night.  IR can also be used to make your cameras harder for others to see, while still enabling you to see what you want.

Something else to remember when using a camera with IR lighting is that these cameras will require more power, so be sure that you plan for this when designing your system.   Although, the camera may work great during the day time, at night there will be a greater chance that your camera will shut down due to insufficient power.  Additionally, if you already have a system in place and your DVR is set to record on motion and your footage looks dark or black, then you need to check your camera lens.  IR lighting will attract bugs just like your porch light causing spiders and other insects to drape in front of your camera.  This can result in confusing the camera into thinking there is motion and cause it to record the bug rather than the area you intended to view.  Cleaning your equipment on a fairly regular basis will help you prevent contaminated recordings.

License Plate Recognition is opening a new chapter in law enforcement, turning street poles, stop lights, and squad cars into surveillance platforms. In the past most people would rush through a yellow light without a second thought. However, statistics over the last five years show that accidents caused by running red lights have dropped by as much as 36%. Results like these have led city officials to buckle down and put more focus safety for their communities.

At one time, when police officers needed to run a license plate they would have to call a dispatch officer and then wait for dispatch to respond to their request. As a result the process was slow and drawn out. Today, new technology allows officers to use a camera that can scan thousands of plates by capturing passing vehicles and reference back to a pre-loaded database. Great tool for the officer! Bad luck for the offender!

Another way that LPR is being put to use is at toll stations. Many of us have been too busy to stop and pay that 75 cent toll and decided to just drive through the booth. Well, city officials have started to crack down by placing LPR systems at tollbooths. Cities are now able to collect tolls by capturing license plate images and cross-referencing them with the toll authority’s database. Drivers then receive bills and fines at the address where their vehicle is registered.

As License Plate Recognition software and technologies advance, we will see many more of these systems being used on both private and public properties. Currently, there are several companies that pay employees to take down license plate information for a small fee. They ask workers to copy a certain number of plate numbers down per month and the details about the location of the vehicle at the time the information was recorded. This information is then sold to large companies who use the data to track down vehicles for various reasons, one in particular, auto loans in default. In the future we may see LPR being used in the same way to automatically record this type of data into a national database.

There are several reasons why many customers want to move from there current DVR and analog systems into the world of network security. Better picture quality and the ease of merging into the IP world, are just a couple of reasons. One of the reasons the conversion to IP cameras and network security is so appealing is the ease of installation. In the past when you wanted to add a camera to a system you had several things to consider. One of the most important was how to get power to that device.

In the past cameras required two cables, one for data and one for power. With security camera systems constantly expanding, the demand for using only one cable to manage both data and power increased. The solution to this problem is Power over Ethernet (PoE). PoE is the ability to power a device through an Ethernet cable.

There are a couple of things that you will need to know about PoE, if you don’t already. First of all, not all network switches provide PoE, but they are becoming more popular and far more cost effective. PoE switches come in a variety of sizes and prices to fit your security budget. Some switches offer power through all ports, while others only offer power from a few ports.

When purchasing a PoE switch be sure you know what you need and what you are getting. Some switches have limitations, which could conflict with the goals you have for your security system. If you happen to have a switch that does not provide power to your device, all is not lost. These devices can have an injector put in-line to provide power. PoE injectors come in single port and multi-port configurations just as a switch does. Injectors will add cost to your project so be certain that they are required.

As with any project, planning is everything. If you are using PoE be sure to make sure the cameras are PoE compliant and then determine if your switch will be providing that power or if you will need injectors for your project. Installation time can be greatly reduced when using PoE devices, but these same devices can cost quite a bit more than a standard analog systems. Take some time to do the proper research before you commit to a security system and you might save yourself time, money, and a few unnecessary headaches.

Many people have asked the question, “Can you have too much surveillance?” The answer to this question depends on the application of the system. For example, a convenient store may only have one camera watching the register, but a department store like Dillard’s has dozens of security cameras covering registers, clothing racks, entrances, and exits. In a store like that, you may even feel like you’re being watched when you go into the restroom. The simple reason for so many cameras is placement and visibility. When you’re in the middle of a small convenient store with two isles having two cameras for coverage makes sense. However, in a large department store there are so many areas where merchandise, employees, or customers can be that a few cameras just won’t do the job.

Now back to the question at hand “Can you have too much surveillance?” The answer is yes. If your security system is not designed correctly, you may be using more cameras than necessary. You should have a seamless flow of video footage, allowing you to follow a subject from one camera to the next throughout the coverage area. Another way to make your cameras work together is by using a GeoVision DVR to capture the footage. These DVRs offer a panoramic feature that will allow you to tie multiple images together to create one image of a large area.

The amount of surveillance you need will always depend on the area you want to cover. Usually, the only patrons threatened by high security are those who have ill intentions to begin with.

When I started work as a salesman in the security industry I prayed for the customer new to security to call and place his order while asking for my suggestions and opinions. I dreaded the thought of speaking with the so called expert. Often times when I did receive a call from a security veteran, I could not make the sale or even keep up with the lingo thrown at me. This customer always haggled over those few extra dollars and I was left feeling frustrated by the fact that I just got my tail whipped on the phone.

As a salesman we’ve all had a customer like this. My security knowledge has progressed immensely since those early days, but I still had to learn the hard way that it’s a “dog eat dog” type of industry and that you have to step up to the plate or you’re going to strike out.

I began by learning my product and my niche as it pertains to my market base. Coming from a company that has incredible pricing upfront and a strong customer support base I felt like that’s where I needed to make my stand. So many times salesmen forget to drive the value of their product and support, which can make a good sales call go south quickly. To avoid this situation, focus on what makes you or your company unique. Customers need you to tell them what separates you from the competitors and should close the conversation or deal feeling positive about what they are receiving.

We’ve all had the customer that haggles with us, beats us down, or complains about the few extra dollars they may be spending. We’ve also had the customer who I consider to be far too technical for their own good. With both types of customers, I have found qualifying these guys early in the conversation is a must.

Tips for identifying your customer:

1. Ask for their goals.
2. Test their knowledge.
3. Ask for prior experiences.

I have found that knowing your product, driving your value, and providing a twist that others don’t have can give you the upper hand when dealing with strong willed customers. Confidence is key.

Alarm systems have been a part of security since the beginning. We all know that when an alarm goes off, police are called to respond, but how many of those alarms are false? To just one person or business it seems reasonable for police to respond to even the false alarms, but multiply that by hundreds and thousands of businesses in each city and imagine all the false alarms police are required to respond to each day. Unfortunately, police cannot respond to every alarm call within a fair amount of time. Staffing, policies, and priorities often conflict with these calls. With no way of knowing whether the alarm is real or fake, police have to make a best effort, which sometimes results in the real crimes remaining unsolved.

Today systems are being designed to allow video verification of alarms. This means that when an alarm is tripped a monitoring company is alerted and begins remote viewing the facility through installed CCTV security cameras. The monitoring company can then verify if a crime is occurring. Police departments respond faster to a crime in progress rather than an unknown situation. What does this mean to security customers? Well, it will require a higher monthly premium for monitoring your alarm system. With the higher price comes a quicker response rate from local police. In additional, customers with video verification systems will also have the peace of mind in knowing that even when they are unable to, there is someone watching over their property.

Many cities require fees to be paid for false alarm calls. Recently in Glendale, Arizona the city passed an ordinance that requires citizens to pay steep fines when police respond to false alarms. These fines range from $100 to $400 depending on the amount of previous false alarm calls received.

The equipment for a video verification system can be costly, but for some customers the price is worth the result. When you compare the potential loss of property if police are unable to respond in time to a real call or the increased risk of fines for false alarm calls, the setup and maintenance fees are well worth the investment.

This video is a continuation of Part 1, 2, and 3 in the series. This tutorial will help you learn how to install and configure your AVTECH 16 Channel NVR.

Watch Part 1
Watch Part 2
Watch Part 3

Learn more about AVTECH IP Cameras.
See all AVTECH NVR Video Tutorials.

We all know it takes a lot of effort to keep up with technology changes in the security industry. Over the last decade we’ve seen storage devices shift from the VCR to the DVR and now to the network video recorder. For those of us in this fast paced industry, we’ve had to do our fair share of homework just to remain educated about emerging security technologies.

To survive as the owner of a security company you not only have to know the technology side of the industry, but you must also have a firm knowledge of the business side. If you have weathered the storm of this unpredictable economy so far, then you’re clearly doing something right. However, if you are going to hold steady through the rest of the storm, you must be prepared for the changes occurring on the business side of the industry.

Just like all the advancements we have seen take place for recording data, there are just as many, or maybe even more taking place on the business side. Take the tax laws for example. Are you getting the maximum benefit you are entitled to as a business owner? If you do your own taxes, but are unaware of the recent changes to these laws, it might be wise to educate yourself in this area. Even if you have an accountant handling your taxes each quarter or year, do you know enough information about the tax laws in this business to ask the right questions? If not, you could be losing money. If you’d like to learn more about taxation and preparation, I suggest contacting local tax firms. Often these firms offer seminars on tax preparation, which can help you learn what documents to save and collect to reduce your tax liability.

If you’re new to the business arena, there are many resources available to you in your local community. Most metropolitan areas have affordable community colleges that offer night and weekend courses in business management. If you’re not close to one of these schools, but have an internet connection you may be able to participate in these same courses via the web. If all else fails, there are many business owners willing to give you advice, so find a good mentor to learn from. Remember to learn about all aspects of your business and establish a plan of continuing education. This industry is not going to stop evolving and we must prepare to change along with it.