CCTV Camera Important Buying Tips

The role of CCTV cameras is becoming increasingly important in the investigation of various criminal incidents. Awareness about this is increasing among common people. Many people now choose CC cameras to ensure the security of their home or office. The sale of CCTV cameras is also increasing. Already, CCTVs and alarms have been installed to ensure the security of large residences. Be it flats, shops or cyber cafes, there are no pairs of CCTVs to monitor. At present, the sales of CCTV cameras have increased by about 30 to 40 percent in the markets of Dhaka. CCTV camera is available in Bangladesh by spending a minimum of 1,100 taka. By connecting with TV or computer screen, monitoring can be carried out from any place. If CCTV camera footage is to be retained, there is a separate recording system for that.

How do CCTV Cameras Work?

Most CCTV or closed circuit TV cameras used for home security are solid-state electronic devices connected to a central recorder. So it broadcasts at a fixed location and hence it is called a closed circuit camera.

What Kind of CC Camera to Buy?

Bullet Camera: These cameras are bullet shaped in appearance and suitable for indoor and outdoor use.

Dome Camera: Dome cameras are small in size and best for indoor use. It is difficult to understand which direction these cameras are pointing.

360 degrees: 360 degrees camera can capture video from all angles.

PTZ Camera: This PTZ Camera can be panned right, left, up, down and zoomed with the help of the lens. As a result multiple cameras are not required.

Mini cameras: These are small in size and run on batteries.

How Far can be Recorded with CC Camera?

Most CC cameras come with a 2.8mm lens that can record well up to 10 feet and the longer the distance the less clear it will be. The 3.8mm lens, on the other hand, can easily record up to 20 feet. But its distance will be less at night.

How to Connect the Camera?

Cameras can be connected in different ways such as:

Coaxial Cable: These cameras are widely used in Bangladesh and are quite cheap in price. They can be connected by dish or coaxial cable.

Internet Cable: These are called IP camera and are gaining popularity in Bangladesh as they can be easily connected with internet cable.

WiFi: Some IP cameras have WiFi and do not require any kind of cable, but should not be used in serious installations as a cable connection is best for recording.

How can Data be Captured?

These cameras require a video recorder and at least as many channels of recorders as the number of cameras needed simultaneously. But thinking about the future, it is better to buy a little more channels. There are also some low-budget CCTV cameras that are capable of recording data on their own. These are sufficient for small shops or homes.

What is IR?

Infrared vision is called IR and can capture black-and-white video in the dark. However, some CC cameras today can capture full color even in low light.

How to Remotely Monitor the CCTV Camera?

Buy IP cameras and easily view live video or recording from anywhere with internet.

What Else to Consider when Buying a CCTV Camera?

• Choosing the Right Lens - The job of the lens is to gather light for the sensor. Whatever the user sees or whatever is recorded on the DVR is through the lens. How far a car number plate can be worn and someone's face can be recognized is determined by the lens because the lens controls focus. In many cases a lens is more efficient than a higher output resolution because the output is always limited by the input and the lens is the input system. Moreover, zoom lenses are also available in the market. Some CCTV cameras have digital zoom and others have optical zoom which is controlled by the lens. Buyers should prefer optical zoom over digital zoom whenever possible. The problem with digital zoom is that it cannot add any theory to the original image.
• Choosing the Right Sensor – Not all digital sensors are created equal. There are two things to consider when checking the sensor specifications of a CCTV camera, namely sensor type and sensor size. Most sensors are CMOS, not CCD. Both performance and sensitivity of CMOS are less than CCD. As a result it cannot capture a clear image. Hence CMOS should not be used for identity detection. But the advantage of CMOS is its lower cost than CCD. CMOS based sensors require a lot of signal processing to capture a clear image. The larger the sensor size, the more light it can process and capture better quality images. Most sensors are 1/4 inch or 1/3 inch in size. 1/4 inch measures 3.2 by 2.44 mm and 1/3 inch measures 4.8 by 3.6 mm. The larger sensor not only captures a wider range of light, but also gives the DSP additional data to work with, which is helpful for low-powered budget cameras.
• Choosing the Right Output Resolution – A common specification for CCTV cameras is the number of flat lines of TV resolution, or TVL. Its range is up to 700TVL. 380TVL and 540TVL are also available with different cameras. Although experts consider 420TVL as the minimum, it is not applicable in all cases. The output depends on the input. So if the lens and sensor can't match the output resolution (as determined by the DSP) the extra resolution is all for naught. So the important thing is to have enough resolution to clearly display the image captured by the camera.