The security camera is one of the best inventions of technology. With increasing incidents of crime and other anti-social elements flocking the city, CCTV cameras can be of a great help.

CCTV installation is more common in offices and shops, but recent times have seen a rise in home CCTV installations as well. Despite their popularity, people still seek advice on how to install CCTV cameras. In any case, we always recommend that you avoid a DIY job. While it is possible to set up a security camera system all by yourself but it is quite time-consuming. More importantly, you are likely to make mistakes during a CCTV installation, resulting in poor coverage, unoptimized storage, and insufficient control. Hiring professionals will eliminate these problems and you can be assured that you have the best setup possible for your needs.

There are still some things that you need to take care of when you hire a professional CCTV installation professional. Here, we have listed some of the basic but crucial things that you need to consider while installing CCTV cameras in your home or office.

1. Coverage

You will have to determine which areas are most vulnerable and need to be covered. The CCTV installation firm will send an analyst to help figure out the best possible location to mount cameras and get optimal coverage. You can also let the professional know if there is any specific area you need the camera to cover.

2. Types of CCTV Cameras

Wireless CCTV cameras are the most commonly used ones nowadays. They eliminate the need to install wires. Moreover, these cameras can be easily controlled. But not all CCTV cameras are the same. The traditional directional camera, also called a bullet camera, is generally fixed and points only in one direction. On the other hand, dome cameras, commonly seen in malls and corporate offices, provide 360-degree coverage around them. Cameras need to be chosen based on the kind of coverage you need and the type of quality they can provide.

3. Locations

This point is related to what we discussed earlier regarding coverage. You should not forget about areas that are potentially vulnerable. This also means using different types of cameras based on their location. The camera that you place outside your garage door will not be the same as an indoor camera. Which brings us to the next point – do not ignore indoor coverage. Thieves and burglars are getting better at avoiding outdoor cameras and even total area coverage can be defeated by masked intruders. What these miscreants do not expect is the indoor camera. Placing a low-light capable dome camera indoors can save you a lot of trouble down the line.

4. Declaration and Legality

The law requires that you let people know that they are being recorded. This is especially important for public areas like a store or office. In both cases, signs stating that there are CCTV cameras installed will serve your purpose. For a home CCTV installation, you must notify any workers who come to your home. If you want to monitor your maid (or visitors outside the door), they must be informed verbally. Another important thing to note is that it is absolutely illegal to install CCTV cameras in private areas like bathrooms. You can go to jail for such an offense.

5. Permissions

Depending on where you will be doing a CCTV installation, you may need to get official permission from relevant authorities. Even when it is not legally required, it is a form of courtesy. If you are installing CCTV cameras outside your home or shop, chances are that they cover a portion of a neighbor’s home or store. Do let them know and change the angle if they are uncomfortable. Most residential colonies require that you inform the local civic society or body (e.g. RWA) before installation. Home CCTV installation in apartment blocks usually requires permission too.

6. Technical Aspects

You will need to figure out some technical details about your security system. First, ensure that your cameras can record HD videos. Next, consider the additional equipment you need. Most CCTV installation is accompanied by their recording and storage hardware. Some also offer the option of cloud storage, which means storing the recorded video online. Local storage is done on a hard disk, just like on a computer or laptop. The difference between the hard disk of a camera system and your laptop is that the camera of your hard disk is of higher capacity and capable of running continuously for a much longer period. That said, they also need to be replaced from time to time. Hence, you must also decide the duration for which you want to store any reordered video. You can choose anything from one day to three months or maybe even more if you have the storage capacity. Finally, opt for a system that offers remote control and access. This will let you monitor and control the CCTV camera even when you are traveling.

Hopefully, the points discussed here will clarify most of your doubts on how to install a CCTV camera.

Thinking about making the switch to IP cameras? Here’s what to consider.

If you’re thinking about upgrading your analog cameras to IP, there are a variety of factors to think about. While the price gap between the two is getting smaller, there are advantages and disadvantages to both and what you choose ultimately depends on your organization’s specific needs.

Benefits of Analog Cameras

• Cost: The most obvious reason to stick with your analog system is the price tag. Analog cameras tend to be significantly cheaper, especially as your camera count increases.
• Larger pool of installers and vendors: Since analog cameras have been around for years and because they are fairly simple to install, you may have an easier time finding an installer, as well as a vendor.
• Simplicity: Analog cameras are fairly easy to run, sending recordings to a digital video recorder (DVR), which then converts the analog to digital and stores it. DVRs are also simple to set up and run.
• The technology is getting better: “High definition (HD) analog has tremendously increased the picture quality and the resolution. You can get four and five megapixel cameras that are HD analog, and that’s impressive. However, when you compare apples for apples on your resolution, there are many more benefits to an IP camera.

Disadvantages of Analog Cameras

• Frame rate and image quality: The frame rate of analog cameras is lower than that of IP, so they’re not ideal for areas that have a lot of motion or that need to be seen in high detail. Images are not as sharp and may appear grainy or blurry. You also can’t digitally zoom in like you can with IP cameras. However, for certain situations or areas, image quality may not be a crucial factor. “Depending on the application, there are plenty of circumstances where a high frame rate isn’t necessary,” says Sutton.
• Less coverage: It may take more analog cameras to cover the same amount of area as it would take one IP camera.
• More cables: You need a power cable, plus a DVR cable, whereas you only need one cable with IP cameras.
• No encryption: A lack of encryption means a hacker could potentially access your information or replace your signal with an outside one.

Benefits of IP Cameras

• Multiple sensors: IP cameras have the ability to contain three or four cameras in one, which can cover an area that may normally take multiple cameras to cover. They actually go in as one signal through one cable to your system, and it only costs one license too.
• Costs have gone down: Like any piece of technology, IP cameras have less sticker shock than they used to, You can still spend some money if you’re really trying to, but you can get some really good entry-level IP-based cameras for a reasonable amount of money, Additionally, you may need fewer IP cameras to do the same job as analog cameras, so your IP investment could be a wash.
• Ease of installation: Whereas an analog camera takes two wires, an IP camera only takes one for both data and power that connects to a network switch, so you don’t need power at the camera site. You can also focus and zoom in remotely, Once it’s installed, as long as you’ve got it angled at what you want to angle it at, you can control the focus remotely from your workstation.
• Resolution: Resolution in cameras just keeps getting better and better, and IP cameras have superior image quality to that of analogs. You can get cameras with different resolutions and aspect ratios customized to your needs.
• Intelligence and analytics: IP cameras are basically small computers that compress and store video, plus they can be programmed to provide all sorts of analytics. They can detect motion or smoke, count people, track certain colors, sense when something disappears, and set off alarms. You can draw a trip line where if something crosses that line. That’s not analog cameras. All that fancy stuff comes from IP cameras.”
• Security: Video is encrypted and authenticated so transmission is secure.
• Less equipment: Whereas with an analog camera you need to have an encoder or decoder, there’s no need for that with IP.
• Open platform: You can use an IP camera with anything, for the most part. They’re universal. This makes it easier to add new functions to your system.

Disadvantages of IP Cameras

• Cost of initial set-up: It may cost more to initially set up your IP camera system if you’re making the switch from analog; however, once you have it set up, it’s much easier to tailor and scale your system as needed.
• Storage: IP cameras are higher resolution, so they generate larger files than analog. You’ll need to adjust your storage space accordingly.
  Learning curve: With IP cameras, there’s a user interface. A lot of it is pretty intuitive once you get going, but there is a certain level of technicality that needs to be learned by the end user.

Making the Switch to IP Cameras?
Here’s some advice to consider before you move to an IP system:

• Bring in an independent consultant. The expectations you have for your cameras may not fit their capabilities, so having an impartial party at the table to help you see the realities of what you need and want is crucial. The biggest thing that I’ve seen in camera projects that have failed is expectations, what you want the system to be able to do when you’re done.
• Replace as you can. If your budget is unlimited, switch out all your analog cameras with IP, advises Sutton. In the more likely event that you’re on a limited budget, consider replacing a few cameras at a time instead. Run what’s called a hybrid system, it would keep analogs if you couldn’t afford to do them all, replace the ones that are the most important, and then build a plan to switch them all over to IP as the analogs die.
• Find an installer and/or vendor who specializes in IP systems.. You really want to deal with someone who understands the technology, understands the networking, who understands what it’s capable of doing and how it needs to be set up to make sure that’s what you’re going to get, You need a certain level of vendor.
• Discuss what you really need. IP cameras come with all sorts of capabilities, but just because you’re excited about the potential bells and whistles doesn’t mean you need them. What do you really need? What do you want to accomplish? What’s a realistic budget? Then, how do we get you there?” The goal is to get the property to where you want to be that’s within your budget with an analytic system that’s usable and has longevity to it.”
  Revisit your security plan. Switching from analog to IP creates a perfect opportunity to revisit your plans with what you’re trying to accomplish, reevaluate your risk and your vulnerabilities, and see where you’re going to need to replace cameras.
• Build your system for future growth potential. That he’s never been to a property where after installing a new video system people wanted fewer cameras. When people see how good the technology is and how versatile it is and what they can get from it, they want more cameras. When he works with organizations to install new systems, he typically makes sure there’s room for growth in the design.
• Think about lighting. Light is one of the most important things to consider in designing a camera system, and people overlook it all the time, There’s really no one camera that can do everything. You need to have the right camera for the right application.
• Have a clear, written policy. Issues such as camera maintenance, budget, length of time to store images, conditions under which to release images, if and when to let others view video, goals of the system, and method of storage need to be clearly defined and written down. You’re going to do some maintenance. You’re going to have some licensing costs in all cases. The reality is, as soon as you put a piece of equipment in place, you need to be thinking about replacement.