Closed Circuit Security Camera

The closed circuit security camera has been used for decades. But when the digital world began to affect the digital video security and surveillance world, it opened up numerous new features never available before that made this type of system versatile, powerful, and simple and easy to use.

In addition, digital cameras became lighter, circuitry came on very small Integrated Circuit Chips (IC chips), and all of these things contributed to driving prices down so that systems were much more affordable for individuals and not just big corporations or the incredibly wealthy.

Closed circuit security camera systems also known as Closed Circuit TeleVision or CCTV have evolved over the years and have come a long way technologically speaking. Older analog system cameras were pretty large and bulky, but today’s cameras are so small they can be hidden in the head of a Phillips screw!

Let take a look at the evolution of closed circuit security cameras and some of the features and options they offer today.

The original closed circuit security cameras were direct spin-offs from the television studio camera.   In the studio, the camera captured a video image, processed it somewhat, and passed it along to the editing room where any necessary changes could be made or added.  The signal was then sent through amplifiers that increased the signal’s power tremendously and sent it through a huge outdoor antenna.

Once the signal made it to the antenna it was “broadcasted” as far as the strength of the signal could go.  Anyone with a receiver, in this case a television, could “pick-up” these video transmissions and watch was being recorded.  Since the signal was just emitted in any direction and to any person wishing to view or hear it, the system was referred to as an open broadcast system (those of us that didn’t care to get too technical just called it “TV”).

CCTV or closed circuit security cameras worked on the same premise.  A video camera would capture a video image and then send it along a video transmission cable.  However, this is where the similarity ends because CCTV typically did not “broadcast” their video using an antenna.

Instead, cabling was used and was where the video image signal remained.   In order to see the video that was being captured an individual or video recorder would have to be connected to that cable.  Since all the components of the system were connected in one way or another, usually via the video transmission cable, this was referred to as a “closed circuit” hence the name “Closed Circuit TeleVision” or “CCTV” or specifically in the security industry, closed circuit security camera.

Granted, there are wireless cameras that have their own transmitter and antenna built right into the camera, but these cameras are on a special frequency and cannot be picked up with an ordinary TV.  So in essence, even though we still may broadcast security camera signals, these signals are only meant for the people that are designated to use the system.  Therefore we can “stretch” the meaning of the phrase “Closed Circuit Security Camera” to include even these cameras, since their transmitters and receivers still maintain a somewhat “closed circuit.”

In addition to wireless technology, here are just a few of the features available today with close circuit security camera:

- Night time Infrared technology.  The sensor chip in the camera is inherently sensitive to near infrared radiation as well as visible light.  These cameras can be used in conjunction with InfraRed Light Emitting Diodes or IR LEDs.  The human eye cannot see the IR LED light source, but the camera can.
- Pan-Tilt-Zoom or PTZ cameras.  These cameras can move horizontally or vertically and also zoom in on objects.
- Hidden or disguised cameras.   We sell a product (our product# HC-SCREW-W) as small as a Phillips head screw that contains a camera.
- IP ready (Internet Protocol) cameras contain their own web server technology and can be accessed by almost any computer or smartphone connected to the internet.
- Cameras with two-way audio.
- Object tracking or following.   Some PTZ cameras have the technology built right in to the camera to track or follow objects or people.

http://www.iptecworld.com
Source : http:// www. security cameraking .com/ securityinfo /

Construction Surveillance

It’s not always easy to hire an agency to provide 24 hour 7 days a week construction surveillance.  However, the need still arises because construction locations are prime targets for vandalism and theft, especially at night when the work has stopped and no one else is around.

No one particular state or city is immune.  Although most plumbing systems installed to day are plastic, there still exists some new install using copper pipe.  As the price of copper continues to raise, so will the theft from these construction sites.  Electricians install pre-wired electrical service to the construction site (such as a house, a store, or an apartment building) during the day.  At night, burglars come and rip it out so that they may take it to a scrap metal business and sell it for its weight.

So what can you do to stop or at least deter construction area theft?  You could hire an on-site security company to patrol or guard the site all night long.  This isn’t cheap, and in some localities it may be all but impossible to do.  IPTEC suggests using a digital video security camera system, tailor made for your particular construction surveillance.

Usually, when a burglar sees that someone is using digital video construction surveillance systems, that alone deters further vandalizing or criminalizing acts.  Yet sometimes things do happen even when the cameras are in plain site.

However, with today’s modern technology, you could actually set up a temporary digital video security and surveillance system to monitor your construction site.  During the day time working hours this provides great documentation for any mishaps that may lead to a workers compensation claim.  During the night time you could use a remote video monitoring service like Digital Security Guard that can alert you and the authorities the minute something is detected.

A typical construction surveillance system could include a wireless IP camera system, probably one of the quickest and easiest construction surveillance systems to install.   If you must leave expensive materials, tools, or machines at the site overnight place a camera so they are each in view.

You could also place the cameras in a perimeter configuration around the entire construction site, to help deter vandalism and thieves from even entering your construction area.  Constant monitoring of these cameras will automatically help you to determine if any unauthorized individuals are trying to gain unauthorized access to the site.

IPTEC carries a wide variety of cameras and associated equipment for just about any job.  Box cameras are an industry standard but remember that they will require housings and mounts which you must purchase separately.

Bullet cameras are ideal for this situation as they are weatherproof and quite often contain night time Infrared modes.   In this mode they use near infrared light emitted from InfraRed Light Emitting Diodes or IR LEDs.  Humans cannot see this light but the camera sure can.

Even dome cameras can be used for construction surveillance.  Here we recommend that you consider the vandal resistant models.  They are made as indoor/outdoor cameras and also can come with IR modes.  In addition, a Pan-Tilt-Zoom or PTZ camera can be mounted on each end of the cross member of a “T” shape pole and this is often all that is needed for construction surveillance.

IPTEC also has DVR lockboxes that are weather proof that can be used on site and anchored in such a way as to make it too difficult for anyone to run off with.  If you choose to use a system that requires the DVR be on site than these will be very helpful in providing a place for your DVR (and other equipment for some of the bigger models), a secure and locked place.

Construction surveillance is a positive move any way you look at it.  Serving a dual purpose of accident monitoring during work hours and security and surveillance during non working times.

CCTV Multiplexer

A CCTV multiplexer or Closed Circuit TeleVision Multiplexer allows more than on camera to be connected to the unit but only one output at a time is allowed through the unit.  Most Digital Video Recorder or DVR units have this function built right in to the DVR.  Another way to describe a multiplexer is by its function which is to combine various input signals and generate only one output signal.  You can almost think of a CCTV Multiplexer as being similar to a computer router.

For digital video security and surveillance systems, the multiplexer is what allows the display of 8 cameras simultaneously.  Eight video transmission cables from eight individual cameras connect to the multiplexer.   The multiplexer then takes the 8 individual camera inputs and combines them into one.  This how you are able to view 8 digital video security and surveillance system cameras on one monitor.

A CCTV multiplexer works by allocating bandwidth; this highly refined process insures that the transmission medium is used efficiently.  There are actually four different methods of multiplexing:

* Space division;

* Frequency division;

* Time division; and,

* Address multiplexing.

Generally speaking, digital transmission uses time division multiplexing and analog transmissions use frequency division.

In applications like cable TV each channel the user visits is broadcast on the input cable at a different frequency.  But with a CCTV application however, since the cameras are all on a closed circuit, all use the same frequency.  With each camera broadcasting at the same frequency there would be no doubt of the signals getting jumbled up, interference, and cross talk.  Literally, about the only way to handle that situation would be for every camera input to have its own monitor.  In other words, a 16 camera system would require 16 separate monitors.  CCTV multiplexers were designed to put as many cameras as possible on one monitor and reduce the user’s cost by relieving the need for the same number of monitors as there are cameras.

Multiplexers are available in a variety of sizes.  Since the DVR often contains the multiplexer, the multiplexer can be custom designed within the DVR unit itself via the manufacturer of the DVR.  However separate, external multiplexers are still available and used today in about three different configurations based on the number of cameras (channels) that are being used.  Common sizes for stand alone multiplexer units are 4, 8, 16 and 32 channels (camera inputs).

Setting up a multiplexer is rather easy and doesn’t require much prior knowledge of digital video security systems.  Some multiplexers do have a few different features that you will need to activate if you want to use them.  These may include the ability to view one channel at a time or all or multiple channels at the same time.  Some units may also have a “dwell” setting.  Dwelling is the term applied to multiplexers that describes the ability to display a particular camera for a certain period of time before showing the next cameras.  This process is repeated cyclically as the multiplexer moves through each individual camera one at a time.  This is also known as “dwell time.”

Some CCTV multiplexers not only can dwell, but some also come with a hand held remote control that allows the user to stop or move-on a particular camera in the system.  Setting the multiplexer up for use with these features is usually accomplished with On Screen Displays or OSD that make the set even quicker and easier.

In the past, CCTV multiplexing was not an option but was a definite requirement if you wanted to see more cameras than just one on a monitor.  Today, with LCD and LED monitors multiple camera viewing is very easy.  Now the only question is how many cameras do you want to view at once?  Of course this is dependent on your DVR which ultimately means, dependent on the multiplexer built into your DVR.

Source : http:// www. security cameraking .com/ securityinfo /

Zoom CCTV

 

One of the most popular digital video security system features is the zoom CCTV or Closed Circuit TeleVision. There are many different types of Zoom CCTV cameras designed for a multitude of uses; be sure when shopping for one that you get the features you need. What is a “zoom CCTV” anyway? It’s a digital video security camera used in CCTV that can vary its lenses focal length enough to enlarge objects farther away from the camera and make them appear closer (enlarged) and with more detail. These lenses are often referred to as varifocal. Most box cameras that do not have built in lenses so they have the advantage of using Zoom CCTV lenses only. These can be manual lenses where they are basically positioned through trial and error by hand or they can be remotely controlled as well. There are also some cameras that do have on-board lenses that zoom only and these are often found among the bullet type and dome type cameras. When we say “Zoom” only, we are referring to just the zoom function, as compared to a Pan-Tilt-Zoom or PTZ camera which has additional features including the ability to move horizontally or vertically.

Source : http:// www. security cameraking .com/ securityinfo /

TVL Camera Resolution

Digital video security cameras come in all shapes and sizes and with different degrees of resolution, often using the phrase “TVL Camera” such as a 600 TVL Camera. What does TVL mean and how does it relate to digital video security cameras?  We’ll answer that question and more in the following article.

First, It will make things much easier to understand if you know a little security camera industry history. Full security camera systems have been around for several years now, however not until relatively recently have the systems been based on binary (digital) data instead of its older analog data.

In the old days, (a few years back), security cameras were in a closed loop with an analog recorder, such as the older VHS or Betamax video recorders. Recorded security footage was either recorded on a looping video tape, so that when the tape reached its end it would start at the beginning recording new material over the previously recorded older data. Another method was to monitor the Video Recorder closely (and constantly) and eject the current tape when full and insert another blank tape (probably the least favorable of any of the methods).

The point here being that video security systems have been around for a long time, doing most all of its work based on an analog system and not a digital system. When Personal Computers became poplar and started creating all sorts of devices that could be digital instead of analog, the security video industry certainly wasn’t the last to be affected. Today, nearly all video security systems that are sold are DIGITAL video systems.

As the “digital age” came upon us, the security camera industry started assimilating advanced technology and digital based devices with just one problem. Sometimes the industry adopted the new digital nomenclature yet other times they would maintain the old analog nomenclature. So, TVL camera is actually a carryover from the analog days.

A TVL camera is referring to the detail it can display in different formats. It represents the horizontal lines of resolution that the camera is capable of displaying. Older CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitors and televisions created a picture by flashing a moving beam across the screen, usually about 60 times per second. TVL represented how many times the CRT would draw a horizontal line. The greater the number the more detail on the picture.

TVL camera carried over from the analog days and is still used today. However, today’s cameras are digital and produce their images by creating tiny dots that are circular or square called pixels. This is how the Digital Video Recorder or DVR displays its images. However, there is still some confusion, because the specifications for the DVR refer to the size of the image being recorded, not the detail. To make matters more confusing, they use a mixture of different terms. For example:

- D1 is the same as 720 x 480 pixels
- CIF is the same as 360 x 240 pixels
- 4CIF is 704 x 480 pixels

And these are usually the terms referenced in regard to what size image the DVR will display from a given camera; once again this is not detail but how big of a display it can create. However, TVL can be applied to these because TVL is the resolution or detail in each of the above examples. This means that a D1 camera/DVR combination should be able to display up to a size of 720 x 480 pixels with a 520 TVL camera. However, if the TVL camera produces a resolution higher than what the DVR can support, the detail resolution information is lost or in other words just not used.

For example, if a DVR displays the image in CIF format, using a 540 TVL camera is basically overkill because CIF format can only support about 280 TVL, the rest is wasted. Be certain to consider these picture sizes and resolutions when designing your system because you’ll want everything to match up.

Source : http:// www. security cameraking .com/ securityinfo /

IPNET Access Management Software - CCTV Camera | Biometrics Systems | DVR | IP Camera | IPCCTV | Surveillance System

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Understanding Security Camera Requirements

Understanding security camera requirements depends on the user's reasons for deploying the devices. Home or business  owners have different reason for installing cameras and must choose between a wired or wireless installation. Advances in the security industry have made security cameras more affordable and easier to install. Now, homeowners, business owners and other users can find a set-up ranging from a single security camera to a more complicated multi-camera system

Drug-dealing garage boss jailed

Drug-dealing garage boss jailed

A garage boss has been jailed for 11 years and two months after his own CCTV cameras showed him involved in illegal drug deals. John James, 48, was arrested along with Martin Dickson, 27, after police raided JJ Autos in Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, in September 2008. The High Court in Glasgow heard how officers found a kilo of heroin as well as cocaine, a shotgun and crossbow.

Dickson was sentenced to five years and two months in prison.

The court was told that during the raid, police found a kilo of heroin with a potential street value of £70,000 buried in the grounds of the garage as well as a small quantity of cocaine.

Black sack

They also found a sawn-off shotgun hidden behind a plasterboard wall and a loaded crossbow under James' desk.

James, a wheelchair-user, also had £2,000 in cash in his trouser pockets when police searched him.

Footage from CCTV cameras at the garage showed James, whose spinal cord was severed after he was shot nine years ago, involved in several drugs transactions.

Dickson was also shown approaching the garage after hours and throwing a black sack over the fencing. The bag was similar to the one which police dug up containing the heroin.

James, from Wishaw, was convicted of being concerned in the supply of cocaine and heroin between 1 and 11 September 2008, and possessing without lawful authority the crossbow and gun.

Dickson, also from Wishaw, was convicted of being concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine between the same dates.

http://www.iptecworld.com/cctv-news/cctv/drug-dealing-garage-boss-jailed.html

Dubai Security Cameras "Everywhere"

Dubai Security Cameras "Everywhere"

Dubai police are to spend Dh500 million ($136 million) on security technology in 2010 with the aim of having surveillance cameras "everywhere".

There are 25,000 security cameras in the bustling emirate of Dubai.This number will be increased to keep up with the city’s fast expansion as the police force starts installing a new type of smart cameras that can rotate to cover what were once “dead spots”.

“We need to work according to a well-studied strategic plan and not only react to events as they come along...We will have cameras everywhere,” Lieutenant GeneralDahi Khalfan Tamim, the Chief of Dubai Police, told The National on June 19, 2010.

Attacker is free because no CCTV

Attacker is free because no CCTV

A lack of CCTV cameras has meant a glassing attacker has escaped conviction after a New Year's Eve assault, victim Kylie Keough says. Ms Keough was hit in the face with a glass on December 31, 2008, at the Ashmont Inn but 17 months later the attacker has yet to be charged. Although the venue has extensive video surveillance, the beer garden in which Ms Keough was assaulted was a blind spot.