Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Introduction To CCTV

Whether you’re protecting a residential property, a casino, a manufacturing plant or a highly-sensitive item / area inside a building… CCTV will enhance your effectiveness and efficiency. 

Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) is a system in which the circuit is closed and all the elements are directly connected. This is different from TV where any receiver that is correctly tuned can pick up the signal from the airwaves. Directly connected in this context includes systems linked by microwave, infrared beams, etc.  Obviously the definition may change slightly with the computer and cloud technology of today… but you get the point.

The Camera

The starting point for any CCTV system must be the camera. The camera creates the picture that will be transmitted to the control officer’s position.  Most CCTV cameras are not fitted with a lens. The lens must be purchased separately and screwed onto the front of the camera. There is a standard screw thread for CCTV cameras, although there are different types of lens mounts.  A good sales rep & system designer can guide you through this process.

The Monitor

The picture created by the camera needs to be reproduced at the control position.  A CCTV monitor is virtually the same as a television receiver except that it does not have the tuning circuits.  Heck, in many control rooms today, the security department is using their computer monitors as their CCTV monitors.

The Software

There are many software options for CCTV systems.  My experience has been to keep it simple.  Only purchase what you need and definitely purchase a service warranty.  So many times the sales person has promised one thing and delivered another.  Have your legal team review any and all contracts to ensure the company you buy from is held accountable for what they say they will deliver.

-end-

Brian K. Allen, President & CEO
International Security Training, LLC
http://www.InternationalSecurityTraining.org