Things to Consider Before Purchasing a License Plate Camera
Filed under: Beginning CCTV, CCTV Articles, CCTV Camera, General Technology, Guides, IP Cameras, Security Camera
Being a consultant in the security camera industry, I get a phone call everyday asking, “Will this security camera be
able to capture a license plate?” or, “I bought this camera the other day and it doesn’t work right – it won’t pick up license plates.” It’s important to consider that not just any security camera can do that job, but rest assured you won’t have to spend an arm and a leg on one that can. Here are a couple of pointers to keep in mind when shopping for a license plate camera.
Pick the Right Camera
What a lot of people do not recognize is that if you want to capture a license plate with a camera, you’re going to have to purchase one that is used strictly for nothing but catching license plates. Unfortunately, it’s not quite as easy as getting any camera, setting the lens so the picture is wide, and then expecting to capture great detail. The best starting point is to look at box cameras. Box cameras themselves are small, but once you put them inside an outdoor housing, they become bulky but ideal solutions. Box cameras usually allow swappable lenses, so with the correct zoom lens, the camera can easily be pointed and manually zoomed to the right location for license plate sightings. Believe it or not, the picture in the upper right hand corner was taken at 100ft away. We used an IP camera and added a 5 – 50mm lens and were able to catch this view 100 feet away (and really could have gotten it further). 
Although that is an impressive plate caught with an IP camera, you can get the same result with an analog camera (sometimes even better). This picture in all black and white, was taken by a License Plate Recognition Camera, and believe it or not, it’s an analog.
Pick a Good Spot for the Camera
A decision that is just as important as picking the right camera is picking a spot for the camera, or picking a spot so the camera can see the spot that is ideal for catching license plates. There are a few situations that are just absolutely ideal for catching plates, such as directly before a speed bump, in front of a stop sign, or even at the driveway where cars will be pulling in and out. You will greatly increase your chances of capturing a license plate if you pick the spot in your parking lot where the cars are forced to slow or stop.
Illumination Range
Unless the area you are trying to capture license plates is very well lit 24/7, you will have to consider the illumination range. Illumination range is the distance the IR lights will reflect so the camera can see in the dark. If you use a box camera, you may have to use an IR illuminator (which will add IR to any camera) if your camera lacks infrared options. Be mindful that the particular license plate camera will not need to see to the end of the parking lot, just to the area where you are hoping to see the plate.
Catching license plates is something that isn’t very hard if you know what camera to buy, what lens to put on that camera, where to point the camera, and have sufficient lighting. While this may involve moving the camera around a few times to acquire an optimal position, it’s ultimately an easy and worthwhile use of time.
Retail Loss Prevention, Before and After Security Cameras
Filed under: CCTV Articles, General Technology, Security Camera
Most all retail business owners at some point or another have considered purchasing security cameras to protect their investments. Sometimes this consideration may be because of customer theft (shop lifting) or protection against shrinkage caused by their own employees, which can be a terrible threat. But, do security cameras actually reduce product loss, do they actually work?
According to the latest National Retail Security Survey reports, here are the major culprits of retail shrinkage.
| Inventory Shrinkage Sources | % Loss | Loss in Dollars ($) |
| Employee Theft | 48.5% | $15.1 Billion |
| Shoplifting | 31.7% | $9.7 Billion |
| Administrative Error | 15.3% | $4.8 billion |
| Vendor Fraud | 5.4% | $1.7 billion |
| TOTAL | $31.3 billion |
Source: National Retail Security Survey
The major thing that I left out of this chart is that these are the statistics for the year 2002. Returning to the same retail location year after year here are the newer reports:
By studying the charts, you can see that between the years 2009 and 2010 there was actually a decrease in the number of thefts. That is the first time in a decade that number has gone down. Not only has the number of thefts gone down, but it has gone down in the middle of one of the worst recessions the US has ever seen.
What has caused this decrease? Although people are not willing to directly give security cameras the credit for this decrease, between 2009 and 2010, security camera sales have gone up 200%, and experts say between 2010 and 2012 sales are projected to increase another 200%. This increase in sales seems to be a good clue for the reason thefts are down.
As a business owner, before you run out and purchase the first security camera system you see, there are a few things that need to be planned out first. How many security cameras do you need, indoor and outdoor (because they are different)? Where are you going to place them and how far is this placement away from the DVR? Are they going to need to be able to see in the dark? And be mindful of the chart. It is a very unfortunate thing but most of the thefts come from your own employees. So, do you have enough coverage watching them as well?
While planning out the cctv camera system, you may want to call into a sales representative because well, that’s what they do. They can also offer some great insight on what some of these camera systems are capable of. Like, you can actually hook up your cash register to your camera system and have everything the operator rings up pop on the security camera screen. Therefore, with a good enough camera you can see what bill is taken, what change is given, and see the amount of money that was suppose to be given.
Whether you truly desire to catch someone in the act of stealing from you or you just desire to have a great deterrence system, you can not go wrong with cctv cameras. Believe it or not, by buying cameras, you will actually save money.
IP Cameras in the Home…Do You Need That?
Filed under: CCTV Articles, CCTV Camera, General Technology, IP Cameras, Security Camera
As someone that is in the industry, I get this question on a daily basis. “Do I need IP or Analog cameras for my home?” The answer to this question is quite simple, “How important is your stuff?” There is one major truth about IP cameras that some people find hard to swallow and I am going to be very blunt about it, “Yes, they are more expensive”.
They are more expensive BUT the Cost vs. Price analysis shows that they are in essence less expensive when considering what you actually get with the IP camera solution. So what do you get, Clarity is the huge one. With the right IP camera you can catch such great detail that you can not only see and describe who is walking up to the door, but the camera system can recognize the face, store it, and give you the exact time the person walked up to the door. While the camera system is doing this it also has the capability to catch the make, model and license plate of the car s/he drove up in. And if that wasn’t enough, the camera system can count the number of people that walk up to the door, pull into the drive way, or even walk by the house. And believe it or not, the system will even send you an email if someone walks up to the door after hours. The system can alert you if the UPS man walks up and leaves a package, or it can alert you if you have something on the porch and it suddenly walks off.
Can you get this type of clarity with an analog camera system? Maybe? On a clear day? The honest answer: probably not. Can you get these extra features like facial detection with an analog camera system? That answers easy, NO.
So now I ask the same question that I asked above, “How important is your stuff?” or the real question is “How important is your safety?”.
Is Facial Detection and Facial Recognition that same thing?
Filed under: Access Control, CCTV Camera, General Technology
Facial Detection is really an awesome thing and can come in very handy, but I think that people may be confused about what that might actually be. Facial Detection is an option that comes with a lot of DVR/NVR systems. That feature is usually written in the software and can detect faces that pop on the screen, and certain software can actually pull these faces and store them so you have a copy of everyone’s face that walk by the camera. This is accomplished by being able to recognize certain shapes that the software is looking for. Like a triangular nose, two lateral eyes, a mouth, and an oval shaped head. So in cases like security surveillance, the NVR/DVR is always searching for these shapes. This comes in handy in buildings that are prone to robbery like Gas Stations. You will get a picture of EVERYONES face and know what time they entered the building. I guess you can get away with not being recognized if you don’t have a nose, or a mouth.
Facial Recognition is facial detection with a little twist. Facial recognition systems have the software to identify a certain person. So if you have a photo or video of an individual and input that into the computers software, it will search for not only faces (like facial detection) but will search for specific faces. This is done by literally measuring the size of the nose, measuring the distance the nose is from the mouth, the shape of the eyes, and a whole host of measurements. It is very similar to fingerprinting technology, but used on faces. You would have to go through major surgery to get by this one.
So whenever search for camera systems, be mindful of the different terms that are used regarding Facial technology, They sound the same, and are both nice to have, but are used for completely different applications.
Choosing between CCD Security Cameras and CMOS Cameras
Filed under: CCTV Security Camera Lenses, Comparisons, Security Camera, Security Camera Packages, Security Camera System
While searching for the right security camera, it will not take you long before you come across the CCD or the CMOS acronym. What the heck is that? It must be important because one of those terms is mentioned on EVERY camera that you see, some even have it in the name of the camera. CCD, CMOS, Huh?
CCD (charge coupled device) and CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor). These image sensors are two different technologies used for capturing images digitally. Each has positives and negatives giving advantages in different applications. Neither is better than the other, although manufacturers always think theirs is better. In the last five years a lot has changed with both devices but, the current outlook for both chips is pretty good.
Both CCDs and CMOS chips can provide a great image. It used to be that CCD cameras have provided better image quality but they make a large sized camera and use a lot of voltage. CMOS chips offer more integration (more functions on the chip), and can be used in a smaller camera size, but they required tradeoffs between picture clarity and price. But today, there is not much different between the types of uses each can serve. Over time CMOS designers have devoted great efforts to get high picture clarity, and CCD designers have lowered their power consumption and camera sizes. So now, you can find CCDs in cellphone cameras and CMOS sensors in clarity critical areas.
So what does that mean? Unless you are working for NASA taking pictures of aliens 10 light years away, it really doesn’t matter.
Feature and Performance Comparison
Feature CCD CMOS
Signal out of pixel Electron packet Voltage
Signal out of chip Voltage (analog) Bits (digital)
Signal out of camera Bits (digital) Bits (digital)
Fill factor High Moderate
Amplifier mismatch N/A Moderate
System Noise Low Moderate
System Complexity High Low
Sensor Complexity Low High
Camera components Sensor + multiple support chips + lens Sensor + lens possible, but additional support chips common
ccd security camera
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Is it worth it?
Filed under: CCTV Articles, CCTV Camera, General Technology, Security Camera, Security Camera Packages, Security Camera System, Security DVR, Software
How many of us have hired someone to provide a service and they turned out to be less than professional. Or, they had a very professional demeanor and they were very nice but their knowledge was less than satisfactory. At what point do you decide to hire a professional.
If done right, security cameras are not exactly cheap. The equipment cost for a nice 4 Channel IP Security Camera Package could cost around $3,500. Do you want the kid across the street to install this for you, or Johnny One Truck to pull up in his 1980’s van with the tacky curtains over the windows to do the installation?
The industry average is $1,400 per camera installed. So, a four camera system will cost around $5,600. So staying with the nice IP Camera Package we spoke about earlier, it is $2,100 to install that bad boy. Do you need a college degree to install cameras? No. Do you need to know what you are doing? Absolutely! Sometimes these cameras can be very temperamental, or if you hook them up wrong, even the first time, they could be ruined.
Please keep in mind when ordering security cameras and you get the installation price, would you call an electrician to fix the toilet? Would you call a dentist to prescribe you eye glasses? Would you call a carpenter to neuter your dog? Probably not. Security camera technician have been trained to be just that, be security camera technicians.
The Facts! Quality vs. Price for Security Camera Systems
Filed under: Security Camera, Security Camera Packages, Security Camera System, Security DVR
We have all seen it, every day. When was the last time you were in a store and noticed on the overhead TV that they had you on camera? And on that TV you noticed that the resolution and clarity was so poor that you they could not possibly recognize anyone in the store. So you start staking the place out, looking at what you could get. Or you’re watching the local news and some gas station has caught a robbery on video but the video was so bad you wouldn’t even know if that was your mom robbing the place.
Being in the CCTV industry, we see this all the time. The customer wants the cheapest most affordable camera deal out there. The normal sales person does not want to belittle the customer’s decision, speak poorly about your low end products, or lose the sale, so they make sly comments like: “yeah, that’s a great camera” knowing that they are not going to see much with THAT thing.
Security cameras are not cheap, who thinks that they are? This devise captures video, converts that into a signal, transfers that signal to a “box” that can convert that signal back into video and displays it on a television. But its more than that, in most cases that “box” can convert that video back into a signal, sends that signal to a satellite in outer space, that signal comes back from outer space and down into your cell phone so you can watch your cameras while eating your lunch 100 miles away from the office. Does that sound like something you should be spending $99.95 on?
Let’s be very realistic, what are you trying to watch? Your home? Your business? Your Family? Your employees? These are all things that are very important to you and if something happens, you are going to want to know who, what, where, and how. The average camera installed is about $1,200, so a 4 camera system could cost you almost $5,000.00. Is your family, your business, your home worth that. The fact is you will save 10x’s that by avoiding your first robbery. Last year retail theft was estimated at around $33 billion, that’s a 33 with 9 zeros behind it! After Home Depot added security cameras to their stores, they saved an estimated of $170 thousand PER STORE in products that would have otherwise been stolen. That called a great ROI, Return On Investment. But………. They don’t have $99 camera system.
What is a Privacy Mask?
A privacy mask is a setting that is on certain cameras that will allow you distorted or completely block out a certain portion of the picture. This becomes especially handy in areas that needs surveillance but provides privacy as well. By selecting certain areas of the picture frame you can add complete privacy to sensitive items in peoples lives.
This function becomes very cool in PTZ cameras. When the camera is panned, tilted or zoomed, the mask is repositioned and re-sized so that it continues to cover the original masked area. This ensures the same object is always hidden from view regardless of PTZ position.
White Balance….What is that supposed to mean huh?
White balance means the camera is capable of removing unrealistic colors, so that objects which appear white in person are made white in your photo. Proper camera white balance takes into account the “color temperature” of a light source, which refers to the shades of white the picture has in it. Our eyes are very good at seeing white under different light sources, but security cameras sometimes have a hard time with understanding what shade of white the object in the picture actually is and can sometimes turn the white into: blue, orange, or green.
White Balance…Huh?
IK10+…What?
Filed under: CCTV Articles, CCTV Camera, CCTV Glossary, Security Camera
Have you ever seen “IK10+” in the description of a security camera and wondered what on earth that means? More importantly have you ever wondered, “Is there a certain criteria that a camera has to meet before it is considered vandal resistant?”
The term “IK10+” provides a means of specifying the capacity of an enclosure’s ability to protect its contents from external impacts. The rating was invented in England in 1995 to measure the strictness of enclosures that protect electronic equipment. Not to be confused with IP66, which defines how well the enclosure can keep objects out, IK10+ describes how well that enclosure can take a hit.
At the moment, it appears that most of the GeoVision vandal resistant cameras have this rating, and according to the chart below, these cameras can take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’.
| Impact test characteristics | |||||||
| IK code | IK00 | IK01 to IK05 | IK06 | IK07 | IK08 | IK09 | IK10 |
| Impact energy (joules) | * | <1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 20 |
| Rmm (radius of striking element) | * | 10 | 10 | 25 | 25 | 50 | 50 |
| Material | * | polyamide1 | polyamide2 | steel2 | steel2 | steel2 | steel2 |
| Mass kg | * | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 5 | 5 |
| Pendulum hammer | * | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Spring hammer | * | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Free fall hammer | * | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
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