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Delta
C C T V Ltd
47 Munden Gr
Watford,
Hertfordshire,
WD24 7EF
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Antron Security Ltd
70B Watling St
Radlett,
Hertfordshire,
WD7 7NP
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View A Vision Ltd
70B Watling St
Radlett,
Hertfordshire,
WD7 7NP
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Lanmark Ltd
Business & Technology Centre
Bessemer Dr
Stevenage,
Hertfordshire,
SG1 2DX
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Globaleye
The Mews
Manor Farm
Baldock,
Bygrave,
Hertfordshire,
SG7 5EE
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Link
CCTV Systems Ltd
Redwood House
Knebworth,
Hertfordshire,
SG3 6NL |
Video
Viewpoint Ltd
7 Thackeray Close
Royston,
Hertfordshire,
SG8 5TF2BT
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Custom
Security Solutions Ltd
12 Harforde Court
John Tate Rd
Hertford
Hertfordshire
SG13 7NW
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T
T M Consultancy Services
The Foundry
Hitchin,
St. Ippolyts,
Hertfordshire,
SG4 7NX
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CCTV (closed Circuit
Television ) Explained In Plain English
CCTV
Glossary
| There
are few places in today's 'Big Brother' world that we may go without
encountering CCTV cameras. For good or bad, they are here to stay.
There is no doubt that covert and overt CCTV cameras play and
important part in reducing crime and enhancing safety but do we
need so many?
The short answer
is 'NO' especially when CCTV cameras are used for crime prevention
and detection. In terms of crime prevention or deterrent value
we might use more CCTV cameras in a highly visible way. High
presence CCTV is a valuable security tool. The very presence
of CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) cameras deters criminal
activity, but there is a certain science in getting the placement
right. Any cowboy CCTV installation firm can slap up a boatload
of cameras, the first victim caught on camera might be the buyer!
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Because CCTV cameras
are becoming an important part of many company's business management
and loss prevention programs it is essential to have a reasonable
understanding of your requirements - or more importantly, deploy
the skills of a reputable Hertfordshire CCTV consultant.
The benefits of implementing a quality CCTV
system include: Minimising the risk of theft and other illegal
activities. Protecting your premises from threats such as arson,
terrorism and vandalism. They are not just there for crime prevention
and detection! Monitoring individual employees work performance
helps improve business, Improving customer service by observing
peak periods and planning the staff rotas. By observing staff
activity CCTV can assist in staff training too by pinpointing
areas which need addressing..
We are laden with Acts of Parliament, Laws,
Rules and Regulations which can bring heavy fines upon us if we
fail to maintain them. CCTV can help by enhancing health and safety
standards and ensuring employees comply with legal obligations.
In so many cases a well-designed CCTV system can help by doing
the work of a much larger guarding team, thus leaving people free
to deal with situations that arise in a more efficient and cost-effective
manner.
Reducing the quantity of CCTV cameras and
therefore the cost can be achieved by creating a job description
for each camera. There's more to a CCTV camera than meets the
eye, much is in the lens itself, the zoom facility and manoeuvrability.
The most expensive isn't necessarily the best, as any honest
Herts. based CCTV expert will tell you.
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| Your CCTV
camera must be fit for purpose and you need to be very precise when
instructing your CCTV consultant. Lets look at Car Parks for example;
there may be various elements that need to be observed; the entrance/exit
and entire area, any individual car and a close up on the drivers'
face and/or the registration number.
Another example is
a retail counter; we need to monitor the point of sale for both
security and health & safety. Estimating an individual's height
is important so whilst distance is essential we need to get a
very close view of money being exchanged … and without compromising
reproduction quality for evidence.
Some of these cameras
will clearly need to be visible and act as a deterrent. We also
might want high visibility CCTV in domes so that nobody can see
which way they are pointing and of course we might want to catch
someone in the act so we choose covert CCTV.
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We are not always
able to observe an event in real time and need make recordings for later
viewing and of course for evidence when required.
Locating CCTV cameras isn't
the only aspect, the monitors are equally important. We'll look at the
different types further down because focussing on the ergonomics of
a security control room or guards station is important right now.
How many monitors can one
individual view effectively at any given time for say, one hour?. Is
it better to have all four events working from one monitor? Is there
an optimum distance from the location of monitors to the CCTV operators'
eyes? - How is this calculated? . How long do we need to keep recordings
and in what format?
Video recordings have been
effective in helping employers and police identify criminals whilst
conducting crimes including; armed robbery, burglary, car park robbery,
credit card fraud, colleague harassment, computer abuse, customer returns
fraud, employee theft, shoplifting, vandalism, and more. Hidden cameras
are often a short-term measure for targeted surveillance operations
and specialist advice from Hertfordshire CCTV Experts should be sought
and an understanding of the Data Protection Act is essential.
When we don't understand
something, we are vulnerable and the CCTV industry is no exception,
especially when buying after the event and seriously effected by a previous
incident.
Not all Hertfordshire CCTV Consultants
are vultures and rogues but getting an understanding of elements such
as colour and monochrome video cameras, time lapse VCR's, switchers and
multiplexes, remote movement control, telephone video transmission systems
... and more - Look no further, here is a simple guide to CCTV. It's not
intended to be a comprehensive buyers guide but will certainly help along
the way.
Because CCTV cameras are becoming an important part of many company's
business management and loss prevention programs it is essential to
have a reasonable understanding of your requirements - or more importantly,
deploy the skills of a reputable UK CCTV consultant.
The benefits of implementing
a quality CCTV system include: Minimising the risk of theft and other
illegal activities. Protecting your premises from threats such as arson,
terrorism and vandalism. They are not just there for crime prevention
and detection! Monitoring individual employees work performance helps
improve business, Improving customer service by observing peak periods
and planning the staff rotas. By observing staff activity CCTV can assist
in staff training too by pinpointing areas which need addressing..
We are laden with Acts of Parliament,
Laws, Rules and Regulations that can bring heavy fines upon us if we fail
to maintain them. CCTV can help by enhancing health and safety standards
and ensuring employees comply with legal obligations. In so many cases
a well-designed CCTV system can help by doing the work of a much larger
guarding team, thus leaving people free to deal with situations that arise
in a more efficient and cost-effective manner.
Choosing the right CCTV system
and having it professionally installed is essential - it will provide
you with superior results and will ultimately save you time and money.
Remember that commercial CCTV systems don't come in ready-made kits,
so each component can be provided especially for your needs. We will
take a look at each one of those items.
CCTV pictures are displayed
on monitors. Small desktop monitors, rack fitted security monitors or
large hanging multiscreen monitors, they show the end product of your
system - live and recorded pictures. Monochrome, colour or high definition
colour, monitors are available in a range of sizes. Contrary to popular
belief, larger monitors do not show a wider picture, they merely display
in larger formats. In selecting monitor size, the distance from viewer
to screen will dictate the required monitor size. Reception desks and
counters may be fitted with 9" or 12" monitors, whereby a
wall or ceiling mounted monitor showing a multiscreen display will need
to be quite large. A good CCTV surveyor will recommend a monitor to
best suit its environment.
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Medium Resolution Monochrome,
( black & white ) with good sharp images of around 400 lines
and light sensitive down to 0.1 lux these are excellent all-round
cameras which can easily meet smaller budgets.
High Resolution Monochrome with premium digital technology
performance of 580 line and 0.05 lux ensure superb pictures even
in very dim lighting conditions. Medium Resolution Colour:
Never before have colour cameras been as good or as accessible to
smaller budget systems. Excellent for retail and good quality general
surveillance, with typical 350 lines and 1.5 lux performance.
High Resolution Colour: Full digital colour cameras offer premium
pictures with crisper definition and excellent performance to 480
lines and 1 lux.
Day/Night Cameras: All day and all night - one camera. Using
the latest digital intelligent sensing, these cameras offer the
full performance of the high-resolution colour cameras by day, then
automatically switches to high-resolution monochrome camera when
light levels fall. For premium installations.
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What is lux?
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Lux
is the standard measurement of light. Typical levels of lighting
as recommended by the lighting industry are:
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Indoor
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Warehouses
20- 75 lux -
Emergency stairs 30-75 lux -
Corridors and stairs 75- 200 lux -
Shops 75-300 lux -
Offices and reception areas 300 -500 lux -
Banks and offices 200-1000 lux -
Assembly lines 300-1000 lux |
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Outdoors
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Full sunlight
10,000-1,000,000 lux -
Overcast day 100-10,000 lux -
Twilight 1-10 lux
Full moon 0.1-1 lux -
Overcast night 0.01-0.1 lux -
Star light, clear 0.001-0.01 lux -
Star light, overcast 0.0001-0.001 lux
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| Moving (pan/tilt) cameras can take
the place of many fixed cameras. Generally fitted with a zoom lens,
they can be remotely controlled to cover a wide area. Used predominantly
in larger retail and commercial perimeter protection, the benefits
of a carefully positioned camera are vast. Often housed within a
dome, these cameras can spin round and round to any position faster
than any subject being viewed, and zoom in for a close-up picture.
They can be 'taught' to 'tour your premises, viewing key areas much
more effectively. |
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How Much Will My Camera
See ?
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Different lenses provide different angles
of coverage. A typical chart below will serve as a guide but a
good surveyor and a good engineer will know what lens is best
for the job. Good CCTV engineers carry a large stock of lenses
so the correct size needed to give optimum coverage will be fitted.
| Lens size |
- 2.6mm 88º
- 4mm 60º
- 8mm 30º
- 16mm 15º
- 50mm 5º
- 75mm 3º |
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This list is not restrictive, as most engineers have Varifocal lenses,
i.e. 2.3-6mm, 5-40mm, to get the best available picture. It is important
to realise that wide angle does not mean the best coverage. Detail
can become too small if too far away. An experienced CCTV engineer
will fit the correct lens to concentrate on the desired area only,
and eliminate "waste" areas. |
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By far the
most popular recording medium for CCTV time-lapse VCRs was standard
VHS tapes because of their ability to provide longer recording times
than that of standard VCRs. These were adequate for smaller machines
providing 24 hours recording up to larger machines offering recording
up to 20 days or more. The digital age had made security life easier
and less expensive with DVD and hard drive recordings. Most CCTV
recorders built for industrial use are happy working 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week. Popular makes are; Panasonic, Sony, Mitsubishi,
JVC.
Good CCTV operations should have a recording library. These can
be marked up, allowing easy tape rotation and management. Good CCTV
installers can also provide storage cabinets for easy tape access.
For those still using tapes, be mindful that poor/dirty storage
can cause internal VCR faults. After all - it is your systems' performance
at risk from compromised recording quality. |
| Recording Digital
- New advances in hard disk recording (HDR) have made multi-camera
recording onto hard disk a natural progression from tape-based systems.
- Pictures are stored directly onto a hard disk, and when this memory
is full the information is then transferred to digital format for
storage. |
What if I have more
than one camera?
Where two
or more cameras are installed at a site, a means of control is used.
From simple camera switchers to large multiplexers allowing multiscreen
displays, professional CCTV consultants can design the best option
for your requirements. Camera switchers allow manual or automatic
switching of pictures when recording. What you see is what you record.
This is the simplest and cheapest form of control but restrictive
in that information can be lost when other pictures are displayed.
Multiplexers are a large step forward from switchers. They allow
all cameras to be recorded simultaneously, regardless of the pictures
being displayed. Multiplexers can also provide multiscreen displays
from many cameras
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CCTV has its
place in the home too, from watching the perimeter and entrances to
monitoring nurseries and children's' play areas. Often covert (hidden)
cameras are essential at home and at work.
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