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Motion Tracking PTZ Camera with Built-In Recorder and Night Vision

The technology used in home security surveillance systems has changed dramatically over the years. Today, the surveillance cameras that come with surveillance systems are smaller, cheaper, and better. Up until a few years ago video footage was recorded onto VHS tape, but today DVR (digital video recorder) systems record video footage onto a hard drive. The price of home security surveillance system has come down dramatically over the last few years. The two main parts of any home security surveillance system are the surveillance cameras and the video recording device.

1. Surveillance Camera Technology

Surveillance cameras either use CMOS or CCD (charge couple device) chips to record video images. In cheaper surveillance cameras CMOS is normally used. CCD surveillance cameras produce better quality video. CCD camera formats are measured in inches, and the larger the format the brighter the images produced. A CCD format of 1/4? or 1/3? is good enough for most situations.

The number of TV Lines (TVL) is how the resolution of a surveillance camera is normally specified. This determines how detailed the video picture quality is. A resolution between 350-400TVL is normally produced by surveillance cameras. The frame rate of a surveillance camera is the number of separate images that the camera can record per second. Most camera’s can record at 30fps (frames per second), and video below 30fps is not smooth and begins to look jerky.

A color surveillance camera is not as good as a black and white camera in poor lighting conditions. Lux is the unit of measurement used to indicate a camera’s sensitivity to light. A camera’s light sensitivity must be 0.5 lux or less to be able to see anything under nighttime conditions.

2. Surveillance Camera Lenses

The lens of a surveillance camera should match the CCD format of the camera – 1/3? lenses should be used with cameras with a 1/3? CCD format. Home security surveillance system cameras normally do not have the facility to zoom in and out, are are said to have a fixed focal length. Motorized zoom cameras are more expensive, and allow you to change the camera’s zoom focal length remotely.

3. Other Surveillance Camera Features

Some surveillance cameras include Infrared (IR) LEDs, which project an infrared light allowing you view video in complete darkness. In complete darkness, the range that these cameras can see varies, and is normally somewhere between 10 to 50 feet. Home security surveillance systems that have surveillance cameras with a PTZ (pan, tilt and zoom) facility are normally more expensive. Pan, tilt and zoom (PTZ) cameras allow someone to remotely pan a camera left and right, up or down, and to zoom in and out.

4. Surveillance Camera Housings

A home security surveillance system can have large, visible cameras, which are cheaper, have larger housings, and can deter criminals by being clearly visible. Covert (hidden) cameras are generally quite expensive, are very small, and are hidden in other objects, such as a light fixture. Dome housings are mounted on ceilings, and are commonly used with cameras that have a PTZ facility. Weatherproof security camera casings are used by cameras that need to be protected from the elements. Outdoor surveillance cameras need to be waterproof and to be able to withstand extremes in temperature.

5. Video Surveillance Monitors

Using a standard TV as a video surveillance monitor does not produce the best picture quality. Computer monitors produce better picture quality, and also offer an extended lifespan. If you want to display video from multiple cameras onto a single monitor, then a 15? monitor should be the minimum size you purchase.

6. Video Surveillance System Recorders

Most home security surveillance systems today record video onto a hard drive and not VHS tape. This has several advantages. Firstly, you can instantly go to any point in time within a recording without having to fast-forward a VHS tape. Secondly, you can playback an earlier part of any camera recording whilst that camera is still recording.

Motion detection is a handy feature which is incorporated into some home security surveillance systems, which allows you to only record when motion is detected within a certain area. This will reduce the hard drive storage space requirements. There is no benefit in buying a VCR system over a DVR system, apart from its cheaper price.

7. PC Based DVR Versus Standalone DVR

There are two types of home security surveillance system, PC based DVR systems, and standalone DVR systems. A PC based DVR system is quite cheap, and is run off an existing PC. A PC board must be installed inside the PC, and special software installed on the PC. PC based DVR systems are generally slower, and a lot more unstable when compared against any freestanding DVR system.

The recording on a DVR security camera system is done using hardware, and this eliminates software crashes that you sometimes get with the PC based DVR systems. The performance and reliability of DVR systems are generally better than PC based systems.

8. Considerations when buying a Home Security Surveillance System

Your first consideration is the quality of the video you want to record. The is is the quality of the video recordings in terms of resolution (TV Lines), and the video frame rate (video smoothness). The second consideration is the number of cameras that you will need for your home security surveillance system. Typically, an entry level system contains four cameras. The size of the hard drive you need for the DVR system is your third consideration. Low-end DVR systems come with 80 gigabyte (GB) hard drives, whilst top-end systems come with a 750GB hard drive.

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