The advancement of technology in our global village has undoubtedly made life a lot easier and Close Circuit Television (CCTV) is a typical example of technologies gifts to mankind. CCTV systems have definitely changed the game security wise, thus businesses that have decided to save a buck today may end up spending more in cases of theft, vandalism and so on.
Video surveillance has been around since the 1940’s and has evolved with time from those clunky systems that lacked any form of storage to systems that could only save video feeds locally. Now, systems that can be accessed and monitored globally thanks to Man’s newest play-toy “the internet.” There are two main categories of video surveillance systems, Analog and IP video surveillance systems.
Analog surveillance system comprises of analog cameras which send video format transmitted through cables connected to a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) or a monitor which records and stores video to a disk drive.
IP surveillance system utilizes IP cameras which digitizes, processes and transmits analog images to a computer through Ethernet connection. Because IP cameras are embedded with webservers, they can be accessed over any IP network like the Internet or Intranet and so, users can monitor video feeds from any location.
Analog systems are cumbersome, inflexible, are easily compromised simply by locating the recording device and manually tampering with records but are less expensive than IP systems (It sha has its benefits before you’ll say I’m forcing your hand).
IP systems are considerably more expensive than analog, are less cumbersome as they do not require as much cabling thanks to technologies such as Power over Ethernet (PoE). Video feeds on IP camera are not easily tampered with physically (The keyword here being physically) and they are more efficient. The IP system also has its pitfalls as loss of internet connection can lead to loss of information and the ever prevailing presence of hackers online waiting for information to steal, kill and destroy. (Consequently, we shall talk about the security issues associated with internet devices and steps to steer you away from yahoo yahoo boys)
Both Analog and IP systems come with different types of cameras which include but not limited to:
· Bullet Cameras: captures images from a fixed area in the direction they’re facing.
· Infrared/ Night Vision Cameras: as the name implies, they have Infrared- LEDs that helps to capture things in the dark/night.
· Outdoor Cameras: these cameras have protective housing which makes them suitable for outdoors.
· PTZ Cameras: allow you to remotely Pan, Tilt and Zoom your camera’s lens, for maximum security
· Dome Cameras: named from its dome shape, it is almost like a prop and blends in with decoration and so, it is less obvious or threatening. There are also PZT dome cameras which need no further explanation.
In conclusion, both types of systems are adequate for security. Deciding factors to consider before opting for any system or camera to be used include cost (of equipment, installation and maintenance), purpose, preference and scale of business/enterprise. Shikena, the ball is now in your court. If you need advice or CCTV installers in the capital city of Abuja, Nigeria, please feel free to contact Zudera for best industry practices. (Even if you don’t intend to give us the job, give us a call biko, let us help you)