Installing security cameras in your home can help protect your belongings and loved ones from harm, but that’s only half the battle. You also need to ensure that you’re using high-quality equipment so that you don’t miss anything important when footage needs to be reviewed later if you want to learn more about what factors contribute to the quality of CCTV footage and why to check out these five important considerations before buying CCTV kits for your home or business.
- IMAGE QUALITY
Image quality is affected by both the camera’s quality and the image compression format used to encode that footage. Video compression algorithms target various types of video information and attempt to achieve a balance between size and visual quality. Large file sizes generally decrease visual quality because they use more bits to encode video information than the human eye can see, so it’s important to make sure that your CCTV kit doesn’t use too much compression when capturing footage.
- DOES IT HAVE A MOTION AND AUDIO SENSOR?
Motion and audio sensors are essential elements of any home security system, but they must be implemented properly to work effectively. Suppose you don’t have a motion or audio sensor with a proper detection angle or the right trigger threshold. In that case, the cameras may not capture footage when the environment changes.
- CAN IT BE USED FOR VIDEO CHAT WITH YOUR FAMILY?
Video chat is a wonderful technology, but it’s usually only available from certain vendors. Even if you have a camera that can capture video, you might not be able to view footage from other sources because there’s no way for both video sources to share video information. If you want to ensure that your CCTV system can work with other devices, ensure the camera can be used with third-party software like Z-Wave or vista and have a resolution of at least 1 megapixel.
- NUMBER OF INFRA-RED LEDS IN THE CAMERA
Infra-red LEDs are essential for detecting motion in low-light environments, but they also add another element of complexity to your system. Infrared LEDs are often referred to as “IR beams,” but the best way to think of them is as light sources with detection angles. Because there are only 32 IR LEDs per megapixel and the detection angle is limited to 65 degrees, many motion sensors can have trouble detecting certain kinds of motion in scenes with multiple objects.
- DOES IT CONNECT TO EXISTING DVR?
Your CCTV kit might come with components meant to connect to a DVR, but you most likely need to purchase an additional DVR separately. If your system doesn’t connect with your existing DVR, you may have a problem with footage that needs to be reviewed later on or missing any important surveillance footage. You should choose a DVR capable of recording and storing motion detection events and an SD card slot for external storage.
Along with these five considerations, it’s also important to remember that many factors contribute to the quality of CCTV footage. Hence, you need to research your camera options carefully before making any purchases. Luckily, I have written this blog post specifically with that in mind: 5 Important Considerations For Choosing The Right CCTV Kits.
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