Planning Proper Camera Coverage Areas & Putting Camera Specs into Context

So you’ve been tasked with designing a video surveillance system. Whether it be a large commercial project or residential estate, your first step is determining the required degree of security and then tailoring it to the specific application type. The more a custom integrator knows about CCTV and video surveillance, the more likely he or she is to get the security portion of any fully integrated project. Remember, there are only a few states that require licensing for video surveillance installation, which leaves the camera systems as a key potential cross-over discipline for custom integrators that do not have alarm licensing.

This CE Pro Advantage Series White Paper walks you through the process and explains how to decipher camera specs. Among the key decisions an integrator must make for all camera selection and positioning needs are:

? Indoor vs. outdoor application
? Virtual pan/tilt/zoom vs. physical pan/tilt/zoom
? Fixed cameras vs. pan/tilt/zoom
? Lens type
? Analog vs. IP cameras
? Camera specifications for nighttime viewing and resolution, including F-stop ratings
? Video signal strength/distance
? Controlling gain control
? The influence of reflectance on the camera image
? The pros and cons of “sens-up” technology

Finally, it’s important to recognize and communicate to the customer that cameras are only one portion of a security solution. Adding card access, e-fields, fence protection and analytic software will all play an important part in a successful video security package.