CCTV – How does it work?

CCTV has become one of the fastest growing security products in recent years; everywhere you go you are being watched. Whether it is via a video doorbell unit, a wireless battery-operated camera, or the more traditional hard wired cable systems.

Currently the two main types of CCTV systems that Invicta Security Ltd offer are the more traditional hard wired cable systems. The first system we would install would be the HD TVI system and this would be used in a domestic environment due to the lower price and the required installation locations. Secondly an IP camera system would be installed but we would generally reserve this for use in commercial environments where existing network cables are available. What you would like the camera to look, where you would want to view the pictures and your overall budget will influence what sort of system you require.

Let’s start with the basics of a CCTV system, firstly you will need a recorder, this is commonly called a DVR or NVR (digital video recorder or network video recorder) and this is where all the video images you record are stored, gone are the days of tapes and VCRs thankfully! The recorder is usually small in size and so it can be hidden in a cupboard out of the way, but some people opt to put it near a TV or a PC monitor, so they don’t have to buy an additional monitor to view the images when required. All the images you record are stored on a hard drive which can come in different sizes but are usually between 1TB to 8TB. Remember each time you add a camera to a recorder the amount of hard drive space required to record the images increases so always let us know how long you would like to record for, typically we try to aim for 31 days of continuous recording.

Next are the cameras, the most common cameras we install are Day/Night Dome cameras. They are small and discreet and come in two colours to suit most applications (white or graphite grey). The cameras record colour in the daytime and switch to black and white view at night and have either a 2.8mm or are vari-focal zoom lens cameras. Each camera will also be equipped with infra-red LEDs that will help the camera see in the night; the domes we use have an infra-red range of between 20 and 40 metres. We also have an option now to use cameras that stay colour during the day and night, these are called Colour VU cameras. This style of cameras has a very bright white LED module built into the front of the camera and during times of darkness the LED modules will come on and illuminate the immediate area, generally about 5 to 10 metres in front of the camera.

In addition to the cameras and the recorder you have all the parts that link the system together, cables, connectors and power supply units and a monitor. These are not that exciting but are an essential part of the system and without them you just have a blank screen! The CCTV recorder can be connected to your home internet allowing you to log in and view the images from anywhere in the world via your mobile phone or tablet (if you have a good Wi-Fi or data connection). We have put together a CCTV deal below that should be sufficient for 95% of our customers. This will give you a good starting point with scope to add cameras in the future.

Please mention that you wish to take advantage of the deal when we arrive to carry out the survey.