Monthly Archive: July 2016

Tips for Understanding how Security Cameras Work


Before buying or investing in security cameras, it pays to understand how they work. In this regard, it is important to understand that the actual camera is not the most important item. The DVR, or Digital Video Recorder, is the most important item. The DVR is where all the images that the camera captures are stored. In fact, the images are inside the HDD located on the DVR. In the days gone by, most DVRs had the MPEG and MPEG4 compression systems. However, these are not very common in the market today. The market standards demand for the use of H.264 compression, which has the capacity of storing thrice what the older systems could.

The first step involves the selection of the actual gear. The second step involves doing the actual connections. It is common for people to prefer doing their own installations. In fact, DIY installations have become very common. Before connecting the system, ensure that there is enough cables or wires to run from the DVR to the actual camera. At this point, it would also be prudent find a single place for putting up the DVR and monitor. Have a designated location for the DVR and Monitor. It would be wise to designate these tasks to a professional to avoid making mistakes that might prove very costly later or having to redo the work.

Next, do not forget about the power. Look for a safe power source or outlet. After doing all the warning and ensuring that the surveillance camera is now ready to start working, plug it in. Look for the coax cables on the Siamese power or video and connect them to the camera. Each camera requires power and video cables. It would be wrong to install home security cameras without making provisions for monitors. The monitors are important since they provide the platform through which to review the images that the cameras captured and were stored in the HDD. Without the monitors, it would not be possible to tell if the cameras are functioning properly.

Make a decision regarding the number of monitors that would suffice for the system. Do not throw all the money into buying the monitors not to leave some funds for the purchase of Bosch alarm system. It would be imprudent not to have a high speed and very stable Internet connection. However, this option is one that many people would choose not to throw any of their money into. If the homeowner desires to monitor the system online, then he would need the Internet connection. For this to work, one would need his own website, which he can use to access the system after entering his user ID and the appropriate password.

Finally, remember that the cameras are not the same. Some cameras are good for outdoors while others work very well indoors. Some of the cameras have the capability of offering excellent infrared features. For outdoor surveillance, choose cameras with infrared capabilities. For indoor surveillance, go for the dome cameras. Choose cameras that enjoy high ratings from installers and customers alike. Look for cameras with high resolutions, since they capture images of excellent quality.