CCTV camera technology

Posted on November 10, 2011 by

CAMERA TECHNOLOGY MUST BE UNDERSTOOD TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN CAMERA QUALITY!

Camera technology is constantly changing and if you don’t understand the technology used in your camera then you won’t know what you’re getting until its too late!  Many cameras use the same body, but house very different technology.  The old adage was never truer; “you can’t judge a book by its cover”.  Here is a list of technology based terms to help you better understand what you’re paying for.

Wide Dynamic Range:

(WDR) This function is intended to provide clear images even under back light circumstances where intensity of illumination can vary excessively, namely when there are both very bright and very dark areas simultaneously in the field of view of the camera. WDR enables the capture and display of both bright and dark areas in the same frame, in a way that there are details in both areas, i.e. bright areas are not saturated, and dark areas are not too dark.

ATR : Adaptive Tone Reproduction:

ATR improves the visibility of the entire picture by providing the optimum gradation compensation.  It is a digital version of the Wide Dynamic Range feature, and therefore less expensive.

2D DIGITAL NOISE REDUCTION

2D DNR – Improved S/N ratio 50dB and more sharp and noiseless low light image quality provided by built-in noise reduction (2DDNR: 2D Digital Noise Reduction) function.

HLC : High light Compensation

suppresses strong light sources (such as the headlights of automobiles, flashlights, etc…) in dark places and prevents camera from being blinded.  Not needed on cameras with Wide Dynamic Range because that feature is built into the WDR.

Effio – Enhanced Features and Fine Image Processor.

It is a high quality Sony signal processor and realizes high resolution of over 650TVL, high signal to noise ratio, and high color reproduction.  This provides clearer pictures with higher sensitivity compared to conventional CCTV cameras.

The Effio line in the order of release is as follows:

Effio

Effio-E

Effio-S

Effio-P

CCD chip (Charge Coupled Device) Many of my competitors are still using HAD CCD, HAD CCD II, and Super HAD CCD first generation.  These will not produce the high quality image of the more advanced CCD chips represented by the 2nd generation Super HAD CCD, and the recently released ExView HAD CCD.

Super HAD CCD - Super HAD provides 2 times of better sensitivity and 6 db better smear rejection ratio than the formal traditional type of CCD. Two micro lenses on top of each photo diode are able to collect more photon from incoming light  than the old CCD made by SONY and any other maker.

Super HAD CCD II – Sony has now improved the sensitivity of the existing Sony security camera “Super HAD CCD” and developed the new “Super HAD CCD II”.  While achieving high sensitivity in the ”Super HAD CCD II”,  Sony also designed this device with concern for color reproduction.  Sony increased  the blue (short wavelength) sensitivity and achieved balanced spectral sensitivity characteristics.  These spectral sensitivity characteristics lead to reduced color noise.

ExView HAD CCD – This CCD chip represents the cutting edge of CCD technology! “EX-View” is a sensitivity-enhancement technology, developed by SONY, to improve light sensitivity of its CCD.   EX-View results in an improvement in light sensitivity of 2 times for visible light and 4 times for near-infrared (800 ~ 900 nm) compared to the conventional CCD versions offered by SONY. The lux rating of the EX-View CCD is two times better than the premium SONY “Super HAD” CCD for both visible and near-infrared wavelengths.

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A Surveillance Sytem Is All About Camera Location

Posted on September 10, 2010 by

The Money Shot - See You on the News at 11:00!

A surveillance system is all about camera placement, as they say in real estate it’s, Location, Location, Location.  The devil is in the details and the details determine where a camera should be placed.  Too often a security camera is placed to cover as much real estate as possible and that is the wrong approach.  A CCTV or Surveillance System should be just that, a system.  Each camera should play a key role in the complete system, like a single instrument in an orchestra, alone they’re nice, but once combined they magnify each others performance.

My favorite camera location, the most important camera in a complete CCTV system, is the gotcha camera.  This security camera should give you the same image as the culprits mug  shot will when the police take his picture, that is to say, super close-up.  Typically

Trying to cover too much and ending up with nothing!

the best location for this camera is right behind the register.  Of course every store has one there but they usually try and cover the entire front counter.  Huge opportunity loss!  The gotcha camera should be at eye level right in front of the customer (actually slightly to the side so that the sales clerk doesn’t block the image).  A would be robber would think twice after staring into the eye of the camera.  This security camera should be such a tight shot that you only have a couple feet on each side of the cash register.  It is the money shot, the one that will put the robber into that mug shot I spoke of earlier.

If you’re doing a home surveillance system then the gotcha camera would be at eye level at the front door.  Since 70% of all break-ins occur through a door, and most of them are through the front door, this is your money shot.  Even if the burglar doesn’t break-in at the front door he will almost always ring the door bell to see if anyone is home.  Once again, after looking into the eye of the camera he’ll probably go to another house.  Another good location for the gotcha security camera is at a gate.  Most burglars will use the easiest method to get into the back yard and if you have a fence, that would be the gate.  Don’t be tempted to get an image of the whole fence, you want just the gate, so you can get that sharp picture that will put him on the 11:00 news. (10:00 Central time)

Wide Angle Shot - You can't Identify the person, but that's NOT its purpose.

Not every security camera should be the super close-up.  This is where the concept of a complete system comes in.  Like in any movie you’ll need a camera to set the stage.  That wide angle shot that sets the scene in every TV sitcom, that makes you think they really live in that house.  You can cover a lot of ground with this camera, even though you would not be able to identify the individual, that’s the job of the gotcha camera.  This surveillance camera covers a large area to try and catch the bad guy in the act.  It may be a parking lot or a back yard.  By itself if would have little benefit, but as part of a system it plays a key role.  you may not be able to identify the intruder, but you’ll have the best chance of catching him red handed.  In a parking lot it will give you an idea of the type of car he drives and what direction he was going when he left the parking lot.  In a store you may see two criminals working together and see which camera they are walking in front of.

The last location is the security camera that fits in somewhere between the super close-up, and the stage setting wide angle camera.  Its role is for high priority locations.  Maybe where you have expensive merchandise or a trouble spot where you have had

Priority Camera allowing both larger coverage area and facial recognition.

shop lifting problems before.  It may be the very reason you’ve decided to get a CCTV system.  In a home it might be in an area where you keep valuables.  You will want to cover as much real estate as possible while still being able to identify the culprit.  The key to this camera location is to not try and cover so much area that your can’t identify the person ripping you off.

That leads us to facial recognition.  This priority camera must incorporate facial recognition.  That means you must be able to identify the person that is taking food out of the mouths or your children and stealing the Christmas presents of your Grandchildren from under your tree (both figuratively and physically).  The FBI has come up with a rule of thumb of ten heads.  Look at the image on the monitor and imagine stacking the heads on top of each other like on a totem pole.  If you only make it half way up your screen by the time you count ten heads, then the face will be too small to get an identifiable image.  Anything less then ten is good as long as you balance the real estate you want to cover with the size of the face.

To sum up an ideal surveillance or CCTV system, you will need at least one money shot camera (your gotcha scum-bag camera), at least one stage setting camera (your wide shot camera), and as many priority (high risk area) security cameras as needed.  This will depend on the size of the store and the merchandise you’re trying to cover.

One last thing I need to cover, is the monitor.  After putting together a killer system, don’t go and blow it by putting the monitor in an area where customers can see it.  A robber will be looking for blind spots, if he can’t find any he’ll wear a mask.  You may have a camera super tight for the gotcha shot, but all the shop lifter sees is a camera and he doesn’t want to get picked up.  If he thinks he’s on camera he won’t try anything.  Like a poker player, never show your hand until you need to.

Follow these rules and you’ll have a complete security camera system that will be a valuable weapon to fight crime, and it will pay for itself by cutting down on loss inventory. (and that’s money in your pocket!)

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Security Camera|CCTV Tips from the FBI

Posted on August 24, 2010 by

Poor security cctv designs compiled with low quality security cameras has created a problem for local police and the FBI.  To help store owners improve their cctv security camera systems the FBI has put together this valuable video describing how a cctv system should be designed.  With the help of this video business owners in the Scranton, Wilkes Barre, and Pocono region can make valuable improvements in their security cameras and cctv systems.

FBI tips for better cctv systems and security camera placement.



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Security Camera Maintenance Tips

Posted on August 24, 2010 by

It never fails, we’ll go into a fast food restaurant for a quick bite and my tech will start pointing out the security cameras that through neglect have just become dust collectors.  At one of my favorite places for a quick burrito,  we noticed one security camera so covered in grease you could hardly see the camera inside its dome.  A second security camera was disconnected, and yet another was so out of focus you couldn’t make out even the number of people standing in line.  Out of four security cameras in the CCTV system only one worked well enough that you could even make out an image of people.  To make the situation even worse, they had the surveillance monitor facing the customers so anyone looking to rob the store could see he was in no danger of being picked up on a security camera.

Surveillance is more than being able to see a crowd of people.  If the police can’t identify the person from the recorded image then the CCTV system is just a dust collector.  The FBI was so frustrated with opportunities lost that they produced a DVD targeted towards businesses to improve the images they’re seeing.  In their case they are missing opportunities at potential terrorist, a much more serious situation then a small time thug, unless of course the thug is in your store.  The DVD called “Caught on Camera” (available from 1st Choice Security Technologies) points out many of the mistakes businesses make in security camera selection and placement, but the result is the same as cameras not maintained properly, and that is a lot of useless images.

Maintaining your security cameras can be as simple as buying a can of compressed air and once a month blowing the dust away from the lens.  Wiping the lens with a cloth should be avoided, although you could buy a camera lens cloth and use it very carefully to clean the lens.  Most surveillance cameras will not need to be focused unless someone was tampering with the camera, in which case you may need to call in a professional, but it is usually a relatively inexpensive visit and he can look over your entire cctv system at the same time.

Pedestal base surveillance cameras can get bumped and some mounts will allow the camera to move fairly easily.  Those type bases can usually allow the store owner or manager to move them back into position.  Dome type security cameras are not affected by this problem.  The dome can also be cleaned with a soft cloth as it is not as prone to damage as a camera lens, making the dome style surveillance camera a better choice for a greasy environment like a fast food restaurant.  Although no security camera is going to hold up in a high grease area such as over a grill.

The most important camera in any brick and mortar type store or restaurant is the one facing the register.  That is the camera, most of all, you need to make sure is working properly and is properly placed.  If possible this surveillance camera should be place behind the cashier at eye level.  How many times have we seen a picture on the news a guy robbing the store and all you see is the top of a baseball cap?  A camera placed at eye level makes it much more difficult for a robber to hide his face and so much less likely to try something.  This surveillance camera is easier to reach to keep clean, but is susceptible to having items placed in front of it.   Part of maintenance of a cctv system is making sure nothing is blocking the view of your cameras.  Don’t let a banner or a display rack prevent a camera from identifying a shoplifter.

With just a little time spent each month maintaining your cctv system, your security cameras will end up paying for themselves in loss prevention. If you have questions on cctv, security camera maintenance in the Scranton, Wilkes Barre, PA area, email 1st Choice Security Technologies at info@1stchoicesecuretech.com

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Security Cameras-Home & Small Businesses

Posted on August 22, 2010 by

More and more home owners and small businesses in NEPA are turning to security cameras for surveillance of their property.  Just a few years ago an infra-red, day/night security camera would cost almost $1,000.00 each, putting them out of reach of most home owners and many small businesses.  Now for less then half that price Scranton, Wilkes Barre, and Pocono area home owners can purchase a security camera with higher resolution and greater infra-red lighting capabilities then the much more expensive predecessor.

Earlier surveillance cameras featured 380TVL – 420TVL (TV lines of horizonal resolution).  Standard television before the introduction of high def. TV has about 480TVL.  The new security cameras at about half the cost of those just a few years back offer 540TVL, delivering a terrific picture at a great price making CCTV a valuable investment.  The next generation of surveillance cameras feature mega pixels, but the price is still much to high for most small businesses and/or home owners.  To show how far technology has come in the last decade, early VHS video players only offered only 250TVL.

Infra-red LED lights give the security camera the ability to provide a fairly detailed image in complete darkness.  The darkness is actually an illusion since infra-red light is invisible to the human eye, but the security camera can see the light clearly.  The only draw back with infra-red light is that it displays a black and white image, but in low light black and white actually delivers a sharper image, so the black and white image is a net gain in picture quality under low light conditions.  If the infra-red light provided by the security camera isn’t enough for your surveillance needs then self-contained infra-red lights are available to light areas not reached by the cameras built in infra-red LED lights.

The latest security cameras also come with improved telephoto lenses with typical manual zoom lenses ranging from 4mm-8mm, but some surveillance cameras offer zoom lenses as high as 8mm-22mm which is large enough to pull in images from much greater distances.  PTZ or Power Telephoto Zoom cameras are still a little pricey for the average home owner or small business.  The offer the ability to zoom in the lens of the security camera from a remote location even from an Internet website.

The modern DVR, which will be discussed in another article, allows the security camera to be seen over the Internet, or smart phone, which offers the home owner the ability to view his home from work, and a business owner the opportunity to watch his business from home.

1st Choice Security Technologiesspecializes in offering Super High Resolution Security Cameras (540TVL) cheaper then our competitors offer lower quality standard (420TVL) cameras.  With vandals slashing tires, and starting home fires it only makes sense to protect your home with CCTV (Closed Circuit Television), also known as surveillance cameras, or security cameras.  1st Choice Security Technologies offers affordable security cameras to all of NEPA.  If you live in the Scranton, Wilkes Barre, Stroudsburg or Pocono area and would like a free on-site evaluation for surveillance capabilities of our security cameras, call 1-877-683-2811 or email us at info@1stchoicesecuretech.com.

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