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CCTV services

CCTV is a collection of video cameras used for video surveillance.

It is different from broadcast television as all the equipment is directly connected together with cables or wireless transmitters that cannot be received by standard television aerials or equipment.

The transmission of the video signals are only intended to be accessible by its dedicated closed circuit control equipment.

CCTV was initially developed as a means to increase security for banks but over time it has developed into a cost effective means of general surveillance and property security.

CCTV is generally used in areas where there is an increased need for security and protection of property, such as well as banks, airports, commercial property and town centres etc increasingly domestic property owners are now also having systems fitted.

A basic CCTV system comprises of the following;

- Camera, lens and power supply unit.
- Recording device such as time lapse video recorder or a digital solution

Cameras

These can be Internal or External. Our cameras are available in colour, monochrome or cameras that have the ability to switch between colour and monochrome (day/night cameras). The cameras that switch between colour and monochrome are intended for environments of low lighting at various times. There are 2 reasons for using a camera that can switch between colour and monochrome; monochrome cameras are much more sensitive to low lighting environments, and monochrome cameras can also be used with Infrared lighting where lighting conditions are very poor. When there is adequate available light there is the added advantage of using a colour camera for recording colour information, for example the colour of a car or a person's clothing.

The primary function of a camera is to convert light into a video signal; all cameras require an optical lens to focus the light onto an image sensor located directly behind the lens inside the camera.

We can supply and install a number of cameras such as Pan Tilt & Zoom (PTZ), Covert Cameras, Vandal Resistant and Fixed Domes.

Monitors

Professional CCTV security monitors give high definition monitoring and enhanced functionality.
CCTV monitors are designed for dedicated CCTV use.

They can be TV Lines conventional viewing monitors available in black & white or colour or of the latest TFT?

LCD or plasma high definition technology with flat screens.

Lenses

Camera lenses are available in numerous types and variances according to the application and field of view required. Varifocal lenses for example provide a manually adjustable focal length. This allows a wide or narrow view with the same lens. Auto iris lenses are used primarily in outdoor applications or any location where the light conditions vary. Direct Drive auto iris is the most common type of lens.

Recording Devices

The recording device receives and stores the images from the camera, previously time lapsed VCR's and video multiplexers were generally used in CCTV systems, but due to developments in technology digital video recorders are now more commonly used. Time lapse VCR's allow camera images to be recorded for varying lengths of time on a single 3-hour video tape, from lengths of 3 hours to over 960 hours. The problem with time lapse video recorders is that the longer they are set to record for the less video information they can record per second, similar to taking a photograph from 25 frames every second to one photograph every 4 seconds for example. Digital video recorders use hard drives to store the recorded information and can however record for much longer depending on the size of the hard drive being used. A DVR combines and enhances the recording capabilities of a time lapse VCR and a multiplexer.

VCR's & Camera Switchers

When there is a requirement for recording more than one camera a video switcher can be the economical solution to consider. The cameras are connected into the switcher and the switcher will automatically switch the image being fed to the monitor and the video. The disadvantage of using a switcher is that if there is an incident it is possible that the camera image will change causing the incident to be missed.

VCR's & Multiplexers

A multiplexer is a device that takes multiple video images and lays them onto a VHS tape; it uses the properties of the PAL signal to record as many images from multiple cameras every second as possible. The video information recorded is limited by the amount of cameras on the system and the length of time the VCR is set to record for.

Digital Multiplexer Recorders

Digital Multiplexer Recorders are the latest camera control and recording device available in the CCTV market today. There are numerous choices or hardrives available to give the customer a choice of recording frames per second, space for days, week, months of recording and playback. One of our products available to you is the Digital Sprite 2 has always set the standard for easy to use, reliable digital video recording with integrated telemetry control.
Now a new generation of the DS2 is available that retains the features that have made the product so popular but adds significant improvements in local and external networking. The new DS2 now combines Transmission with Telemetry Control and Recording into one platform so there is no need for additional hardware when integrating a comprehensive CCTV solution.

Taking the functionality and flexibility of the DS2 to a new level, MultiMode Recording gives greater control over individual camera settings by providing settable recording resolutions (4CIF down to QCIF), dynamically switchable MPEG-4/JPEG compression settings and configurable record rates per camera. This increased flexibility allows greater freedom in how CCTV systems can be configured and allows the user to record cameras how they like, when they like.

With other new features such as FTP Continuous Archiving and a 1TB hard drive option, adding to its already comprehensive feature list (simultaneous MPEG-4 & JPEG transmission and recording, and improved search tools such as GOTO.

The user-friendly interface, remote management capability and leading edge features mean that the new DS2 can provide greater control and flexibility than ever before, and as part of the 'NetVu Connected' family the new DS2 is built to adapt to future advances in security technology, protecting your investment for years to come.

The new Digital Sprite 2 has been designed to meet the requirements of the majority of professional DVR applications, but for systems requiring a large scale distributed network or one that only requires remote monitoring the DV-IP Server may be a more appropriate alternative. Similarly if you are looking for significant storage capacity in one product the BX2 Continuous Archive may be what you need.