5 Things to Consider Before Installing Security Cameras

When you make the decision to install security cameras, you need to consider a lot of information. You want to ensure you get the best possible equipment to keep your family safe. In this short guide, you will learn the top five things to consider before installing security cameras.

1. Cost

Cost considerations are always important when determining a new install of anything. In this case, the camera itself, whether wired or wireless, will cost approximately the same. The cost will differ in the install, and that needs to be a priority decision. Wired cameras are going to cost much more than wireless cameras because the installer has to run wire all over your home. They will need to cut into your walls as well to make this happen.

If you choose wireless technology, the cost will be much less because wires do not need to be run. There are pros and cons to both wired and wireless technology so make sure to investigate on your own before purchasing and installing your cameras.

2. Location

Where will you place the security cameras? Are you going to install them on the inside and the outside of the home? The location generally determines how well you will be monitored. Do you want a camera in every room of the house or just at the main exits? Since there is a multitude of information to digest, choosing the location can be overwhelming. You can get help with this by asking the company you will be purchasing the security camera systems from and they can assist you in placement.

3. Technology

Another important consideration when you are thinking about installing security cameras is what type of technology you want running the cameras. You can choose from wired or wireless, and they both have their pros and cons. Wired cameras usually are more stable than wireless because they cannot be hacked into as quickly and they will not lose signal. Wireless though is the wave of the future, and you want the most current technology on the market. It also is much easier to install and therefore will be easier on the wallet.

4. Field of View

Another less known item to consider when thinking about installing security camera systems is the field of view. What is the camera going to pick-up? How broad of a view that the camera elicits is an important consideration because you want to see as much as possible. If a burglar is on your lawn and you can only see a small space on the field of view, the criminal may sneak by the camera without you noticing or even being caught on film.

5. Lighting

The last point to consider when contemplating camera installation is the lighting. Are you going to have a dark, grainy image because you have no lighting set up next to the camera? If placed outside, motion sensors would be a great idea as the camera will pick up the image that set off the sensors and you will capture the intruder on film.  If you have the cameras installed inside your home, do you need to purchase infrared cameras so that the images will be obtained without any lights on? Make sure you investigate lighting before installing your security cameras.

As you can see, there is much information to consider when thinking about installing security camera systems. If you follow our advice on the top five things to consider before installing security cameras, you will make the best choice possible to keep your family safe and secure for years to come!

Tips for Buying the Best Night Vision Cameras

Many times, a home or business is broken into under the cover of darkness. To record these incidents, you are going to need night vision cameras around your property. The night vision cameras you pick will affect how effective the cameras will be once you install them. When you are buying night visions cameras, there are some pitfalls that you can encounter. To avoid these pitfalls, here are some tips to buying the right night vision cameras for your property. 

1. Get an Infrared Camera that has an IR that is Strong Enough

IR is a very important number to compare in night vision cameras. However, this can be hard to get right. All IR will be quoted a maximum range. For most night vision cameras, the range will fall into 5m to 100m (15-300 Feet). You should remember that this is the maximum range, and at this range, the quality of the image will not be great. The best option is to buy an infrared camera that has a longer range.

2. Do Not Go With an IR that Is Too Powerful

While having extra IR range is recommended when buying night vision cameras, you can buy one that is too powerful. Having an IR camera that is too powerful will cause bad image quality. The reason is night vision cameras cannot adjust the IR brightness. This extra brightness will cause the image to be overly bright and washed out.

3. Know Where You are Mounting The Night Vision Cameras

When you are considering the power of your night vision cameras, you need to keep in mind when, and how high you are mounting each infrared camera. The height that you are mounting it at will affect the distance from the item you are watching. So adding extra range to the cameras you buy will ensure that the cameras will have sight of your property.

4. IR Needs an Item to Reflect Light Off 

Night vision cameras need to reflect light off of something, or they will not work. There are many night vision cameras that are pointed at empty fields, which mean that the image shows nothing but darkness. This darkness is not based on that fact the IR is not working, as subjects will be visible when they are in the range of the camera. Adding some lights or items to reflect light off of will make the darkness in the image less, and make the night vision cameras work like they are meant to. 

5. Many night vision cameras also feature Smart IR (smart infrared). This adjusts the infrared 

light emitted by the camera as the subject moves closer to or further away allowing the camera to 

deliver a clear image that isn’t washed out at close range and is not too dark at longer distances.

There are many great options for night visions cameras.  So this can make finding the best option for you a challenge. Knowing what you are looking for, and planning ahead can help you find a great option quickly.

Top 10 Reasons for Business Video Surveillance Systems

As a business owner you have a lot of responsibilities, among those responsibilities you must make sure your business, property, and personal assets are all secured.  This includes customers, employees, inventory, parking lots, the building and property. In today’s fast paced society, simple security measures may not be enough to keep your business protected.

Adding video surveillance systems to your business’s security plan is a great way to improve safety in business activities. Security Cameras are a great benefit to business owners in many more ways than just what we traditionally think of when considering a surveillance system. Here are 10 reasons why every business should employ a Security Camera System.

1. Security Camera Systems Reduce Shrinkage and prevent theft: Having security cameras placed strategically throughout a business will help to deter criminals and prevent crimes like employee theft, vandalism, and break-ins. When the average small business loses $25-50k per year due to theft, a well-executed security camera system can help reduce your risks in becoming a target.

2. Increase your employee Productivity with video security systems: It has been proven that with video security systems in place, communications between departments is improved, and employees are more likely to work to their fullest potential when they know they are being monitored.

3. Surveillance Video Resolves Legal Disputes: No matter what type of business you are in, you are likely to run into at least one legal dispute. If the incident happens on the property of the business where video surveillance is in place, security camera video will be able to provide proof of the incident. This video will bring calcification to the entire situation. Video surveillance is an asset to protect your business against false claims. With a well-designed video surveillance system all video will be recorded and digitally stored in the DVR or NVR’s Hard Drive. Additional options such as Cloud Storage are becoming more and more popular as a back-up and redundancy feature.

4. Give your Customer Service a Boost: Employees always do the right thing when you are standing right there, but what about when you are gone? If they know you could be watching at any time with remote video surveillance, your crew will treat your customers like they do when you are there.

5. View your business any-time anywhere with video surveillance: Remote video surveillance  allows you or approved employees to monitor critical areas of the business either continuously or from anywhere, by using mobile phones, tablets, desktops or laptops. This means that you as a business owner have direct day to day access to your business’s activities from any device your choose.

6. Prevent Robberies: Having Security cameras clearly visible will prevent robberies, vandalism and a variety of other problems you want to avoid. Anyone seeing a visible security camera will think twice before perpetrating any wrongdoing.

7. Business Surveillance Systems Save Money: Video security is one of the most cost effective ways to secure your business. Business security systems cost less than hiring security officers, and have night vision capabilities to secure your business in any lighting environment. Appropriately place security cameras and motion alerts ensure that only registered employees and guest are allowed into restricted area. 

8. Improve Customer Confidence and the Shopping Experience with security cameras: Remember the primary reason to install surveillance equipment is to improve safety and security. When a store has a security system customer confidence is improved, and you as a business owner now have the tools necessary to study customer’s shopping habits, you can use this information to optimize traffic patterns in your store, creating a more inviting environment for your customers.

9. Training Tools: More and more business owners are using their Surveillance Camera System as a training tool. Observing real time actual performance and using positive reinforcement goes a long way to teaching employees the right way to do things to run a successful business.

10. Peace of Mind: Paramount for the Business Owner, the ability to have Peace of Mind and be able to see exactly what is happening at your business from anywhere, at any time, just by picking up your smart phone and accessing your Surveillance System. This can be especially helpful when owning multiple locations or during travel.

Through proper implementation, the business owner, the business and the employees all benefit from a Surveillance Camera System. The next step is finding the right system to fit your needs. For that, just call the trusted pro’s at Ellipse Security. They will work with you to find the ultimate solution to fit your needs as well as your budget!