CCTV Camera World Knowledge Base

Having a sales person prompting you to spend more on another product is nothing new, but have you ever considered that they might be trying to save you? Admittedly, not every product that a company sells performs and incredible as you’d like. In defense of those companies, it’s what the market and consumer demands. If they didn't sell what people thought they wanted, they wouldn't be in business for very long. We’re certainly not going to tell you to take every sales person at their word, but it would behoove you to look into what some of them have to say. Continue reading →

Welcome to part three of CCTV Myths. Don't forget to check out part one and part two if you haven't already. We credit this installment of myths to some of the more ridiculous things we've heard over the years. As usual, let us know what you think, tell us your ideas, and enjoy! Continue reading →

Welcome back for part two of CCTV Myths. We didn't mention it in part one, but if you have any ideas or myths of your own, leave them in the comments section below. For those of you who may have missed part one, be sure to check it out. We said it once but we'll say it again; this is all in good fun so enjoy and let us know what you think. Continue reading →

Welcome to the first installment of CCTV Myths. The premise of this series is to debunk as many of the misconceptions people have about security camera systems as we can come up with. Whether or not you've had a couple or many of these thoughts yourself, it's all in good fun, so sit back and enjoy a good laugh. Continue reading →

You'll usually hear us recommend opting for a wired system over wireless. Most of this stuff is all about speed, and hard wiring your system is just always going to be faster. What happens when running cable isn't an option? Whether it be structurally impossible, or can't work without creating an eyesore, sometimes wireless is the only solution. In a day and age where tying your DVR into your network for local and remote viewing is a must, one of the bigger complications people will run into is how to connect their DVR/NVR/Hybrid to that network. Continue reading →

High Definition Composite Video Interface (HDCVI) is brand new to the CCTV and security camera industry. With it, comes a few new, and very cool capabilities. While you may not see any great advancements in the high definition (HD) resolution, these new features that come at a pretty incredible price do more than impress. Continue reading →

It may seem a bit basic, but most people aren't in love with the idea of possibly defacing their home. Not only is it a matter of not creating an eyesore, but also the effective placement of surveillance cameras. There are times you may need more cameras than you think, and sometimes you may not need as many as you've planned for. Continue reading →

It's not uncommon for people to inherit CCTV systems. The problem is that most of the time, the previous owners aren't very forthcoming with information and people normally don't know to ask. More often than not, you'll find yourself needing to repair, or wanting to upgrade these systems. You'll soon find that not knowing the finer details of what you have is going to cause you problems down the road.

**If you have a proprietary system, you will not be able to identify it without locating a brand name on the devices. Continue reading →

Security cameras are much more diverse than you may think. The purpose we have in our head for our CCTV systems is the surveillance of people and property, but the truth is, they're used for a lot more than just that. We don't always have to look at them as a way to avoid disaster anymore. Continue reading →

Google Glass hasn't been around long enough yet for us to form much of an opinion about it. The fact of the matter is that people are already saying that it's opening the doorway for all other kinds of wearable tech, even though it already has users being labeled as "Glassholes." Whether you've formed an opinion or not, you may find yourself needing to jump on the band wagon fast before you get left in the dust. Continue reading →

We know that selecting your CCTV cameras and video recorder may have been a little more work than you might have anticipated. We’re sorry to say that the decision making process isn’t over just yet. We can say with confidence that about 90% of tech support related issues are a result of problems with cabling. This makes your choice in cable one of the more important decisions you’re going to make. Continue reading →

A dynamic DNS can cause you quite a headache down the road after installing a CCTV security camera system. For that reason, it's better to deal with it right away than wait until it becomes a major problem for you. The truth is, if you wait for it to become a problem, you probably won't be in a position to fix it in the immediate future. Continue reading →

Network security camera systems, also known as IP camera systems, are some of the nicest cameras and surveillance systems available on today’s market. The high definition resolution and remarkable fluidity do come at a small price. We’re not talking about dollars here, but rather a time investment. You’ll probably find yourself needing to add a few steps to your installation procedure that you wouldn't have had with an analog system. Continue reading →

The Beginning

You need to start somewhere and if you've gotten as far as this article, you know by now that picking out the equipment for your CCTV system isn't as simple as you originally thought. Don’t worry; we’re going to make this fun again. We just need to cover some more of the basics and you’ll be back in business.

Like the names of all these devices imply, they are all meant to record video from security cameras. The main difference between them is what types of cameras they’re meant to play nicely with. Continue reading →

As of October 2013, it seems that AT&T has gone through some pretty monumental changes. Unfortunately, none of these changes seem to be for the better from the customer standpoint. Whether you’re an existing customer or looking into the possibility of becoming a customer, this applies to you. Continue reading →

Port forwarding is one of the most important steps in setting up a security camera system. Although it is an easy task for an experienced IT professional, it is difficult for most CCTV installers that are used to just running simple coax setups, and almost impossible for most home consumers unless they have some sort of networking knowledge.

Port forwarding is actually a very simple concept. However, our ability to explain it in a simple way doesn't always work out. Instead, we're going to try something a little more metaphoric. Continue reading →

Over the years audio and video technology has drastically evolved. Today the current standard in high definition audio and video is HDMI or High-Definition Multimedia Interface.The HDMI interface is designed to transfer both high-definition audio and video through one cable (HDMI Cable). CCTV security camera systems have also added HDMI capabilities (RCA, BNC, and VGA capabilities are still there as well). This may lead to the question, “How do I choose a proper HDMI cable for my DVR?” The two most important things to take into consideration are the type of monitor you will be using to view your DVR and the the distance between your monitor and DVR. Continue reading →

One question that comes up frequently with any DVR is, “What do I do when my DVR isn't displaying any video through my monitor?” Most of the time the answer is as simple as adjusting the resolution on the DVR itself to a resolution that is compatible with your chosen monitor. Please note that these instructions are for people who have no image displaying on their screen at all and not just the individual screens for each camera. Continue reading →

CCTV systems are highly customizable and can be configured to fit the specific needs of any user. One optional component that can be added is the PIR sensor which stands for Passive Infrared sensor. PIR sensors are motion sensors commonly used in home security systems but can also be added to some of our security camera systems. Using this additional sensor, you can configure your camera system's DVR recorder to do a number of different things based on what you specify.

The PIR sensor is an electronic sensor that is triggered by measuring infrared light that radiates from objects that fall within its field of view. Passive is part of its name for a reason and that is because the sensor doesn't use energy for active detection. It is only triggered if energy is being given off by an object. Continue reading →

Lightning strikes can be, and usually are, a major hazard to electronic devices. CCTV security camera systems are no exception to the list of susceptible equipment. By properly installing and maintaining your system, you can greatly reduce the risk of damage from potential lightning strikes. By no means are these methods required, just simply recommended for those of you who may be susceptible to lightning strikes. Continue reading →