A large municipal client learns that VMS search functionality allays concerns about having to locate a “needle in the haystack” in large amounts of video data. Many people contemplating adding security cameras or upgrading their CCTV systems are intimidated by video search. Case in point: we are working with a municipal client on a large enterprise video surveillance system […]
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11 Common Types of Security Cameras
Bullet, dome, covert, outdoor, varifocal and night vision are just some of the common types of surveillance cameras. Here’s a quick reference list. Selecting a type of security camera is simple, right? If you want a camera that follows people as they move, you want a pan/tilt/zoom or PTZ camera. Otherwise you want a fixed […]
Why Security Matters for the Greater Good
When evaluating a video surveillance installation, careful attention to camera placement, image quality and timeliness of repairs could ultimately have very real and positive benefits to our communities. One thing I find interesting about reading a blog is that they live virtually forever. If you search for a topic, click on a link and start […]
The Truth About License Plate Recognition Technology
After numerous questions about the merits and drawbacks of cameras designed to capture images of the license plates of vehicles entering and exiting a property, I wanted to put something together to clarify the two approaches to this application. These cameras are often referred to interchangeably as “license plate cameras” and “license plate readers”. In […]
Do You Really Want to Use That Security Product?
We’ve recently started providing product reviews forSecurity Sales & Integration magazine and its website, www.securitysales.com. As we kick this off, and on an ongoing basis, we’re going to be looking for feedback on how these reviews meet your needs, where they come up short, and what you’d like to see covered. The genesis of SSI’s Bench Test […]
HDcctv: Back to the Future, or Ahead to the Past?
At ISC West 2014 last week, the HDcctv Alliance provided a first look at the new generation of HDcctv 2.0 surveillance technologies and products. As this is a technology that has been mentioned on and off over the years but never really gained traction, I thought I would avail myself of this opportunity to understand a little more about […]
5 Uses of CCTV That Could Help You Get Budget Signoff
Maybe it’s because I still look at the money my clients spend as if it were my own. Or maybe I’m just cheap. Regardless, I have trouble getting past the bang-for-the-buck analysis when looking at the requirements of a particular project, and I’m not sure that’s such a bad thing. Modern electronic security systems come […]
Protecting Your Video Surveillance From Leaks
While there are a number of opinions and methods as to the best ways to capture and manage video images for investigation and evidence, we tend to focus on the technical aspects. What’s the best resolution, frame rate, compression method, or retention time for a given application? How will we get images off of the […]
Keeping Surveillance Networks Secure
The bad guys aren’t supposed to be able to hack a video surveillance system, period. Recent headlines about a casino scam in Melbourne brought the consequences of an insecure security system front and center as scammers allegedly walked off with $32 million after using the casino’s surveillance system to cheat at cards. While we may never know […]
6 Tips to Selecting the Right Security Camera
As we move toward more advanced video surveillance equipment, it’s often hard to resist finding high-tech solutions to low-tech problems. For example, if you can use image stabilization, why worry about camera vibration? While it’s true that modern cameras can often get you good images under lousy conditions, improving conditions usually improves the image quality dramatically. […]
