Five Tips for Adding Video Surveillance to Your Business or Home Security Solutions

Why would a business owner invest in IP video surveillance? They do it to reduce expense, improve customer service and productivity and increase the company revenues. These added "eyes and ears" give them an additional tool to manage and control their business and service. Homeowners will add video surveillance to be able to watch their home while they are away on vacation or even at work.  It brings them peace of mind knowing they can see who is at their front door. Often your insurance company will give you a discount for the added protection which can help offset the initial cost of the system. 



Here are five considerations when adding video surveillance to any security system:

1. Bandwidth A LAN with 100 Mbps or Gigabit Ethernet connections will get you started. Performance if best when you have a fast Internet service and cameras with MPEG4 compression.

2. Router and Switch You'll use an Internet router and a LAN switch or wireless access point to connect the cameras. This is standard in most  wireless configurations.

3. Computer for Managing the System

• A Windows PC with at least 1 GB RAM and a dedicated video graphics card is required for the video management system that controls the security cameras, recording, and monitoring (review the VMS capabilities and requirements).

4. Viewing the Video

• The PC will allow you to monitor video streams from multiple video cameras.
• To deter crime, it is helpful to  display monitors prominently where anyone will see them.
• Remote viewing can be done through a multitude of devices, including laptops and PCs, Wi-Fi phones, and 3G smartphones.

5. Video Storage

• You'll collect video feeds on disk drives. The capacity required depends on several factors such as how long you want to store the video (how many days until it records over the top of the oldest recording) and the resolution. Storage can be as simple as an SD card but in typical professional setups a DVR is required.
• Scheduled or event-triggered recording, such as motion detection, reduces the quantity of camera feeds and demand for bandwidth and disk storage. For example, recording all feeds for 24 hours from the single camera streaming high-quality MJPEG video would require 112 GB of storage space. If you limited the recording to motion-detected capture and that totaled 6 hours, it would require 28 GB of storage.
• On-disk data encryption provides security protection.
• Network Attached System lets you centralize the video feed storage with the same kind of efficient access and protection that other business data has.

When you begin budgeting for video surveillance, you'll find that prices for cameras start at just a few hundred dollars. In total, the cost for a small business to purchase and have an IP video surveillance system installed typically ranges from a few thousand to several thousand dollars. For businesses this is a small price to pay for complete management of your business and staff. For homeowners it is great peace of mind knowing you have added that extra layer of security.  Keep in mind that quite often your insurance company will give you a discount for the added protection. Hiring a professional to install video cameras and manage your video surveillance solutions will save you time and money in the long run.  The IP configuration can be confusing and is best left to an expert.  It is recommended that you look for a local company that has been in the business for a number of years, is locally owned and operated and will be there for you in the years to come.  

Analog vs. IP Security Cameras

ANALOG (CCTV) VS IP CAMERAS

Analog

Analog or CCTV (closed circuit television cameras) such as those typically used in video surveillance, transmit a signal to a specific place on a limited set of monitors. They have been a trusted and reliable solution for both homes and businesses for many years. Analog cameras are convenient, easy to install, cost effective and reliable.

CCTV systems can typically be set up to record continuously or can be motion activated, recording only when the sensor sees movement.  Analog cameras can be set to record straight to a Digital Video Recorder (DVR), which allows it to record analog signals as pictures. The DVR designed for CCTV purposes is connected to the camera through point-to-point coaxial cables which convert the signal from analog to digital and then record it on a hard drive.  The DVR and video recording software allow recording and playback of the video with a range of options in playback.

Upgrading a current analog system can be done with the latest in analog technology, HD-SDI (high definition serial digital interface) cameras.  This high definition analog based CCTV technology provide high quality HD video images with exceptional resolution and detail. Prior to the development of HD-SDI cameras the only way to get this type of resolution was through a megapixel IP camera.  This new technology offers a low cost solution to those wanting greater detail and many extras. The signal is still sent over coaxial cable, is point to point and plug and play.

IP CAMERAS

IP Cameras, or the Internet Protocol Camera is a type of cameraIP cameras are truly digital.  Whereas an analog camera transmits the signal via the coaxial cable to a DVR which then coverts the signal, an IP camera itself takes on the role of the DVR for compression, video motion detection and image adjustments.  It is then transmitted back to the NVR as a fully digital stream. The software in an IP camera offers some additional features but the camera does most of the work.

IP camera systems are able to offer higher resolution megapixel cameras than analog cameras.  They can be wired or run through your wireless network.  Megapixel cameras allow you to zoom in on a specific area with minimal loss of definition. You are able to capture important details such as a license plate or even a specific transaction on a cash register. For those with several locations, multi-site management is easy with IP cameras as everything can be viewed on the internet.  Replacing an existing analog camera with IP cameras may not be as expensive as you think.  For example, only one megapixel camera may be needed where there were four analog cameras.

More and more IP cameras are being used for their “intelligence” and not just recording incidents.  They are able to record and count customers and customer patterns. They can also be used in monitoring customer service, alerting and monitoring for deliveries, monitoring employees and register transactions and much more.  IP cameras are a necessary tool for complete management of your business and employees.

Higher resolution IP cameras do require a lot of bandwidth so plan accordingly.  There are ways to set up a system to reduce the required bandwidth, such as cropping out he unnecessary parts of the field of view, so having an experienced and trained technician with a reputable company is important. Higher resolution and the demands of an IP camera do require more memory, so when choosing a DVR or cloud storage, do not skimp on memory. This is one area to be more safe than sorry.

Conclusion

There are many considerations to make in choosing between an analog system and IP solution.  The cost of an analog system is typically less expensive but you will often sacrifice image quality and features.  The convenience and ease of set up in an IP system is a bonus but the required bandwidth and memory can be detrimental. Other considerations include simplicity, resolution, cabling, scalability and flexibility, pricing and intelligence.  It can be a big decision for businesses and homeowners on which video monitoring solution is best for them.  Working with a company trained and active with video surveillance installations is the first and most important step in your decision making process.  They can help guide you through the process, placement and options available. As in many instances, a DIY solution is not always the best or least expensive option.

The Internet of Things

Whatever your opinion on the subject may be, there is no denying the fact that we are entering a time that billions of wireless personal electronic devices are soon going to be connected to the Internet of Things.

We choose to embrace the concept. There are guaranteed to be hurdles to jump through, but you can’t stop progress, and we have shown an incredible love for our personal electronic devices (PED).

The Internet of Things

Can you imagine not having your phone? The answer is no. I can’t be without mine, and I’m nowhere near the PED geek that most folks have become.

Also, we think it is exciting. Technology is fun and stimulating if you don’t take it to seriously, and use it as a tool to make this  crazy world a little easier to navigate.

Our company started to take The Internet of Things and Home Automation serious when I realized as a rental property owner that having a bunch of keys to operate access to my properties, while averaging a new tenant every two years, was pretty stupid. With new access Keylocks, I could install a protected code entry for the new tenant, delete the last tenant out of the system in five seconds, and Presto! No weird rental property stories, no big expense of time and money to re-key everything, and peace of mind for the new tenant. The continued use of keys is on the road to oblivion. Think about the last time you checked into a hotel. No keys.

So, with the advent of new access control systems for doors, the ability to control the temperature of your home or business from a PED, light control, total control of your security system, then the merging of video surveillance into the mix so that you can remote view your house from anywhere, and it was game on.

Bandwidth is the way of the world. Inner connectivity is going to drive new technology. Climb aboard for the journey, it will be quite a ride. I guess you can embrace it or reject it.  Moore Security Solutions has decided we want to be a part of it.

Moore Security Solutions

2432 E. Broadway Blvd

Tucson, AZ 85719

(520) 881-2885

"Everyone Needs Moore Security"