CCTV Surveillance

Analogue cameras have been around for many years and although the technology is very stable, constant improvements are being made all the time.

Analogue Cameras come in 4 basic variants:

Dome Cameras:
These are typically installed indoors and areas where aesthetics could be important. These cameras can come in a number of models and have a number of features. See below explanation of the various features. The advantage to dome cameras is that one does always know where the camera is looking at and thus “what it can see”. Dome cameras either have a “fixed lens” or a “veri-focal lens”. The fixed lens cannot be adjusted and typically would be 4mm (fairly wide range but not much depth). A variable focus lens typically is a 3 to 9mm or 2.8 to 12mm adjustment available. The larger the mm number, the further the camera can be “zoomed” in.

Bullet Cameras:
Generally available in the same features as their dome counterparts, bullet cameras are generally used outdoors and almost always have built in Infrared (IR) illumination. Because they are very directional, it becomes quite easy to work out where there general field of view is. As with Dome cameras, bullet cameras come in either fixed or veri-focal lenses.

“Box” or CS Mount Cameras:
These are what most people understand a CCTV camera to look like. Box cameras have the advantage of fitting different type of lenses especially if the distance from the camera is quite far, a large (22 to 50mm) lens could be fitted. Box cameras don’t however have the added advantage of IR built in. This can be overcome, however, if IR illuminators are utilised. Our preference is to avoid box cameras if possible.

Pan/Tilt/Zoom or PTZ:
These usually quite large in size and more often made for outdoor applications where a large area needs to be covered and the ability to zoom in on an object / person is a requirement. As the name suggests, the camera can “Pan” i.e. rotate usually up to 360°, “Tilt” up and down and zoom in and out – the larger models typically delivering up to 36x Zoom capacity. These cameras would usually also have built-in or optionally addable Infrared (IR) illuminators.

 

Some terminology you may encounter regarding your camera selection would be:

• Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) which refers to the cameras ability to capture clear images of objects surrounded by a strong back light, while still keeping the background visible. This would be used in a variable light environment.
• CCD or CMOS – This is the sensor which captures the image onto the camera and is at the heart of the camera. The 1/3” typically referred to is size of the sensor.
• LUX Level – LUX Levels refer to the lighting conditions the camera can operate in. Here is a chart to help you understand LUX Levels

.0001 LUX	Poor Starlight	5 LUX	Average street light
0.001 LUX	Normal Starlight	10 LUX	Sunset
0.1 LUX	Normal Moonlight	15 LUX	Good street lighting
0.3 LUX	Full Moonlight	300 LUX	Minimum requirement for easy reading
1 LUX	Twilight	500 LUX	Well lit room
2 LUX	General minimum lighting for security	5000 LUX	Overcast Day

• IR (Infrared) – Most cameras would typically be equipped with IR illumination. This gives a camera the ability to work in near zero lighting conditions. Bear in mind, when a camera switches to “black and white”
• DN – Day / Night camera. This is if a camera either has IR or can work in very low lighting conditions.
• IP65 (or other number) – This refers to the “Ingress Protection” of a camera or device. Typically an “outdoor” product will be rated at IP65. The 6 being dust-proof and the 5 being waterproof to sprays of water. 66 would be heavy jets of water, 67 is partial submersion in water and 68 being permanent submersion in water. Click here to view this handy IP Chart.
• “x”mm lense: Typically “fixed” lenses will have just one number – generally 4 or 6mm. This means the camera lens cannot be adjusted and what you see is what you see. If a lens however has a range (typically 3 to 9mm or 2.8 to 12mm adjustment is available. The larger the mm number, the further the camera can be “zoomed” in.)
• “x” TVL or TV Lines: This refers to both cameras (typically analogue) and monitors resolution ability. A “standard” analogue camera will typically have around 400TVL while a better quality camera will have 800TVL.
• Auto Iris: If a camera has auto-iris, this means it can adjust the amount of light being let in and would typically be used where there are variable lighting conditions which e.g. a petrol station with cars pulling up with headlights or a camera that pointed in the direction of the sunrise / sunset.

Some manufactures have managed to get Megapixel quality over an analogue signal. Currently they have managed to achieve up to 2 Megapixel quality. The advantage to the customer is that if you have existing analogue cables in place, you can simply upgrade your cameras and recording unit to achieve better resolution. The other advantage to HDCVI (from Dahua) or DHTVI (multiple manufactures) is that you can get long range transmission (up to 500 meters) on an analogue camera and get Megapixel quality but at similar pricing to analogue cameras.

This type of technology is, for now, going to become a dominant force in the world of digital surveillance.

Similarly to “normal” Analogue, HD Analogue Cameras also come in 4 basic variants:

Dome Cameras:
These are typically installed indoors and areas where aesthetics could be important. These cameras can come in a number of models and have a number of features. See below explanation of the various features. The advantage to dome cameras is that one does always know where the camera is looking at and thus “what it can see”. Dome cameras either have a “fixed lens” or a “veri-focal lens”. The fixed lens cannot be adjusted and typically would be 4mm (fairly wide range but not much depth). A variable focus lens typically is a 3 to 9mm or 2.8 to 12mm adjustment available. The larger the mm number, the further the camera can be “zoomed” in.

Bullet Cameras:
Generally available in the same features as their dome counterparts, bullet cameras are generally used outdoors and almost always have built in Infrared (IR) illumination. Because they are very directional, it becomes quite easy to work out where there general field of view is. As with Dome cameras, bullet cameras come in either fixed or veri-focal lenses.

“Box” or CS Mount Cameras:
These are what most people understand a CCTV camera to look like. Box cameras have the advantage of fitting different type of lenses especially if the distance from the camera is quite far, a large (22 to 50mm) lens could be fitted. Box cameras don’t however have the added advantage of IR built in. This can be overcome, however, if IR illuminators are utilised. Our preference is to avoid box cameras if possible.

Pan/Tilt/Zoom or PTZ:
These usually quite large in size and more often made for outdoor applications where a large area needs to be covered and the ability to zoom in on an object / person is a requirement. As the name suggests, the camera can “Pan” i.e. rotate usually up to 360°, “Tilt” up and down and zoom in and out – the larger models typically delivering up to 36x Zoom capacity. These cameras would usually also have built-in or optionally addable Infrared (IR) illuminators.

 

Some terminology you may encounter regarding your camera selection would be:

• Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) which refers to the cameras ability to capture clear images of objects surrounded by a strong back light, while still keeping the background visible. This would be used in a variable light environment.
• CCD or CMOS – This is the sensor which captures the image onto the camera and is at the heart of the camera. The 1/3” typically referred to is size of the sensor.
• LUX Level – LUX Levels refer to the lighting conditions the camera can operate in. Here is a chart to help you understand LUX Levels

.0001 LUX	Poor Starlight	5 LUX	Average street light
0.001 LUX	Normal Starlight	10 LUX	Sunset
0.1 LUX	Normal Moonlight	15 LUX	Good street lighting
0.3 LUX	Full Moonlight	300 LUX	Minimum requirement for easy reading
1 LUX	Twilight	500 LUX	Well lit room
2 LUX	General minimum lighting for security	5000 LUX	Overcast Day

• IR (Infrared) – Most cameras would typically be equipped with IR illumination. This gives a camera the ability to work in near zero lighting conditions. Bear in mind, when a camera switches to “black and white
• DN – Day / Night camera. This is if a camera either has IR or can work in very low lighting conditions.
• IP65 (or other number) – This refers to the “Ingress Protection” of a camera or device. Typically an “outdoor” product will be rated at IP65. The 6 being dust-proof and the 5 being waterproof to sprays of water. 66 would be heavy jets of water, 67 is partial submersion in water and 68 being permanent submersion in water. Click here to view this handy IP Chart.
• “x”mm lense: Typically “fixed” lenses will have just one number – generally 4 or 6mm. This means the camera lens cannot be adjusted and what you see is what you see. If a lens however has a range (typically 3 to 9mm or 2.8 to 12mm adjustment is available. The larger the mm number, the further the camera can be “zoomed” in.)
• “x” TVL or TV Lines: This refers to both cameras (typically analogue) and monitors resolution ability. A “standard” analogue camera will typically have around 400TVL while a better quality camera will have 800TVL.
• Auto Iris: If a camera has auto-iris, this means it can adjust the amount of light being let in and would typically be used where there are variable lighting conditions which e.g. a petrol station with cars pulling up with headlights or a camera that pointed in the direction of the sunrise / sunset.

For clients who require maximum quality images from their CCTV cameras, the only option really is megapixel cameras. Some manufactures such as aVIGILon have managed to bring out cameras which have 29 Megapixels but expect to pay a high price for this camera. Most megapixel camera installations range from 1 to 5 Megapixels. It is important to note that on the larger MP cameras, more processing power is required by your PC / Server and more bandwidth is required over the network so careful design methodologies need to be taken into consideration when designing a multi-megapixel system.

This is an area where a company with little experience can go horribly wrong and you end up with a system which either does not function properly or costing you a lot more than you originally budgeted on.

With years of experience in this field, we can confidently guide our customers through this process to ensure the best product to suite your needs and budget are catered for.

Similarly to Analogue and HD Analogue, IP and Megapixle Cameras also come in 4 basic variants:

Dome Cameras:
These are typically installed indoors and areas where aesthetics could be important. These cameras can come in a number of models and have a number of features. See below explanation of the various features. The advantage to dome cameras is that one does always know where the camera is looking at and thus “what it can see”. Dome cameras either have a “fixed lens” or a “veri-focal lens”. The fixed lens cannot be adjusted and typically would be 4mm (fairly wide range but not much depth). A variable focus lens typically is a 3 to 9mm or 2.8 to 12mm adjustment available. The larger the mm number, the further the camera can be “zoomed” in.

Bullet Cameras:
Generally available in the same features as their dome counterparts, bullet cameras are generally used outdoors and almost always have built in Infrared (IR) illumination. Because they are very directional, it becomes quite easy to work out where there general field of view is. As with Dome cameras, bullet cameras come in either fixed or veri-focal lenses.

“Box” or CS Mount Cameras:
These are what most people understand a CCTV camera to look like. Box cameras have the advantage of fitting different type of lenses especially if the distance from the camera is quite far, a large (22 to 50mm) lens could be fitted. Box cameras don’t however have the added advantage of IR built in. This can be overcome, however, if IR illuminators are utilised. Our preference is to avoid box cameras if possible.

Pan/Tilt/Zoom or PTZ:
These usually quite large in size and more often made for outdoor applications where a large area needs to be covered and the ability to zoom in on an object / person is a requirement. As the name suggests, the camera can “Pan” i.e. rotate usually up to 360°, “Tilt” up and down and zoom in and out – the larger models typically delivering up to 36x Zoom capacity. These cameras would usually also have built-in or optionally addable Infrared (IR) illuminators.

 

Some terminology you may encounter regarding your camera selection would be:

• Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) which refers to the cameras ability to capture clear images of objects surrounded by a strong back light, while still keeping the background visible. This would be used in a variable light environment.
• CCD or CMOS – This is the sensor which captures the image onto the camera and is at the heart of the camera. The 1/3” typically referred to is size of the sensor.
• LUX Level – LUX Levels refer to the lighting conditions the camera can operate in. Here is a chart to help you understand LUX Levels

.0001 LUX	Poor Starlight	5 LUX	Average street light
0.001 LUX	Normal Starlight	10 LUX	Sunset
0.1 LUX	Normal Moonlight	15 LUX	Good street lighting
0.3 LUX	Full Moonlight	300 LUX	Minimum requirement for easy reading
1 LUX	Twilight	500 LUX	Well lit room
2 LUX	General minimum lighting for security	5000 LUX	Overcast Day

• IR (Infrared) – Most cameras would typically be equipped with IR illumination. This gives a camera the ability to work in near zero lighting conditions. Bear in mind, when a camera switches to “black and white
• DN – Day / Night camera. This is if a camera either has IR or can work in very low lighting conditions.
• IP65 (or other number) – This refers to the “Ingress Protection” of a camera or device. Typically an “outdoor” product will be rated at IP65. The 6 being dust-proof and the 5 being waterproof to sprays of water. 66 would be heavy jets of water, 67 is partial submersion in water and 68 being permanent submersion in water. Click here to view this handy IP Chart.
• “x”mm lense: Typically “fixed” lenses will have just one number – generally 4 or 6mm. This means the camera lens cannot be adjusted and what you see is what you see. If a lens however has a range (typically 3 to 9mm or 2.8 to 12mm adjustment is available. The larger the mm number, the further the camera can be “zoomed” in.)
• “x” TVL or TV Lines: This refers to both cameras (typically analogue) and monitors resolution ability. A “standard” analogue camera will typically have around 400TVL while a better quality camera will have 800TVL.
• Auto Iris: If a camera has auto-iris, this means it can adjust the amount of light being let in and would typically be used where there are variable lighting conditions which e.g. a petrol station with cars pulling up with headlights or a camera that pointed in the direction of the sunrise / sunset.

Recording and/ or monitoring of surveillance footage is done through a device known as a DVR (Digital Video Recorder) in the case of Analogue and HD Analogue CCTV or an NVR (Network Video Recorder) in the case of an IP based CCTV Solution.

Analogue devices typically are “embedded” DVRs meaning you purchase a recording machine manufactured by the suppliers. These embedded machines come in 4, 8, 16 and 32 Channels i.e. 1 channel per camera.

Network Video Recorders (NVR) can either be embedded recorders with their own software or PC / Server Based typically using 3rd party software.

Currently embedded NVRs are available in the following sizes – 8, 16, 32 and 64 Channels. Embedded NVRs do however have their limitations in terms of processing power and analytical functionality but they generally work out considerably less than a PC/server based machine with 3 rd party software.

Typical terminology you would encounter on both a DVR and an NVR would include:

• FPS (Frames Per Second) or IPS (Images Per Second)- “Real Time” is generally considered 25 FPS. For example the typical 8 Channel DVR would be 200FPS. This is the total frame rate of recording available on the machine thus 200 frames over 8 channels = 25 FPS per camera or “real time”. If an 8 Chanel DVR only had 100 FPS, the maximum recording if all 8 channels were populated, would be only 12.5 FPS. It is quite uncommon these days to find a DVR that cannot record at the full frame rate across all channels.
• I/O – Input Output Board: If a DVR has I/O available then the DVR can be utilised to trigger actions or be triggered if an action occurs e.g. if the intruder detection system is triggered, start recording all channels.
• Motion Detection: Most CCTV Cameras either on the camera or DVR (or both) have motion detection technology built in. What this means is that the DVR will only record if motion is detected. This greatly reduces the storage requirements of your system and thus the overall cost of the solution.
• H.264 or MPEG-4: is a video compression format that is currently one of the most commonly used formats for the recording, compression, and distribution of video content.
• POE: Power Over Ethernet – Some embedded NVRs do come with some built-in POE on board the machine. At present, the average ratio is 50% of the ports are POE.
• SATA Hard Drive(HD): This simply refers to the hard drives which are installed in the NVR or DVR to record the CCTV footage.
• Hybrid – Some manufactures have brought out “hybrid” recorders which can record both analogue and IP cameras concurrently. The average Hybrid machine is a 32 Channel machine which is able to record up to a maximum of 16 Analogue cameras and the balance IP cameras. However, if only 10 analogue cameras are on the system, you would be able to add 22 IP cameras.

Thermal Imaging technology is fantastic when dealing with wide open areas, complete dark areas, perimeter protection and areas which experience high frequencies of fog.

Not to be confused with Infrared illumination, the disadvantages of thermal cameras is that the images that you see are simply in black and white and no distinctive facial features or vehicle brand would be recognised.

Thermal network cameras create images based on the heat that always radiates from any object, vehicle or person. A thermal camera is less sensitive to problems with light conditions, such as shadows, backlight, darkness and even camouflaged objects; and delivers images that allow operators to detect and act on suspicious activity.

Some of the Thermal cameras have built-in Video Analytics such as intruder detection. The installation and design principals which apply to normal IP cameras, apply to thermal cameras and are often used on the same infrastructure as the CCTV.

Brands which we supply, install and support include:

License Plate Recognition or simply LPR software captures images from a vehicle’s number plate and “recognises” the letters and numbers with a fair amount of accuracy and stores it in a log file.

Depending on the application, LPR is generally used at security estates and business complexes to accurately capture the number plates of vehicles entering and exiting their sites.

Suspicious or “flagged” number plates can also be entered into certain systems and if that number plate comes up, an alert can be flagged.

Proper LPR Software and hardware does come at a price though and to accurately capture driver and/ or full vehicle details, it would be better to use a Visitor management system – if you security personnel manning your entrance.

It’s always advisable to have a camera installed in such a way that it can read a number plates regardless of LPR software but if the volumes of vehicles entering your site is large enough to mitigate risk, LPR software would always be advisable. Do note that you would require a fairly high resolution camera for this application though.

Offsite monitoring is a term which can be quite loosely interpreted. It can take on a few forms i.e.:

• A control room located off site which will dial into a CCTV system if an alarm or event is triggered to verify whether the alarm is because there is an intruder or eliminate potential false alarms. This could, in turn, reduce your overall monthly spend as armed reaction contractors who would not be responding to false alarms.

There is usually a monthly fee attached to this and is based on the number of cameras and expected alarms which would need to be “remotely investigated”.

• Dial in yourself: Most modern-day recorders will provide (usually at no charge) software for dialing in remotely to your CCTV system. This gives you great access to view current and recorded footage from anywhere in the world (as long as you have an internet connection). Most recorders will also come with an input/output board and if it does, you can use your phone, laptop or whatever you’re dialing in with to switch on / off lights or other devices or receive alerts if you want it programmed as such.

There is no monthly costs associated to this format other than your bandwidth consumption.