Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is CCTV? Closed-circuit television. It contrasts with broadcast television in that signals are not openly transmitted.  In recent years it has become a loose term for any configuration of cameras connected to recording devices, monitors, and other equipment.  We like this term because it is widely used and considerably shorter than saying “surveillance video system”.  What is a DVR? "DVR" stands for Digital Video Recorder.  Because the DVR is the most important component of your CCTV system, we felt it deserves its own page--click on blue link above to learn more. Do I have to use my personal computer with my video surveillance system? Absolutely not!  Not only do you not need internet service, but you don't even need a computer to use your self-contained surveillance system.  Your DVR, cameras, and other equipment can work perfectly standalone, without the need of you accessing or logging into the system with your personal computer.  How do security cameras see at night or low-light conditions? Click the above link to see a primer on CCTV night vision. Are wireless cameras a good idea? Unless you're talking about IP network cameras or very expensive long range microwave cameras, the answer is no for a number of reasons. First, these cameras generally deliver poor quality video, are unreliable, and their advertised range is greatly exaggerated.  Second, these cameras operate within the 2.4GHz frequency range and are likely to interfere with nearby cordless phones*  and wireless networks. The interference works both ways. Not only will the video quality suffer, but there's a good chance computer connections (ie, your laptop) will be intermittently dropped from the network. Even the idea of using wireless network cameras doesn't always make sense. This is because they're not really wireless--you still have to run power to them!  So you might as well carry the data along with the power.  *Did you know that many cordless phones that are labeled "5.4GHz" use this frequency for only one direction of transmission between the base and phone while the other direction uses a 2.4GHZ frequency (the same used by wireless cameras)? I have a modern PC or laptop with dial-up internet service.  Is a fast internet connection required for me to view live video and access the DVR from one or more local computers? Absolutely not! What you will need though is an inexpensive router (wireless models go for around $60) and a standard ethernet / network connection on a local computer. In essence, we can help you setup your own private computer network that will create very high-speed connections between all your local computers, printers, and surveillance equipment.  What does a DVR's "watermark" function do? Digital watermarking provides a method to ensure that recorded video hasn't been tampered with to make it more suitable as courtroom evidence.  This is done by embedding coded data into every video frame as it is recorded.  The watermark data does not interfere with the video image and is not visually detectable. However, if the video file is edited or changed in anyway, the watermark verification will indicate so. This is sometimes done by tinting the video output red upon encountering altered video.  Digital watermarking is also be used to embed copyright information into commercially produced video and music files in an effort to detect and trace pirated media that is propogated via peer to peer file sharing services.  What is "motion detection" and why is it an important DVR feature? Learn about this cool feature and how it can save you money spent on hard disk storage.