CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) or Video surveillance systems allows you to view and record images using cameras from a distance. Currently, you will find three types of CCTV monitoring devices on the market – Analogue, Hybrid and Digital.

• Analogue Systems – These are the oldest types of CCTV systems. It allows you to preview within a local network set on coaxial cables, and individually cameras are connected with the recorder. The images are recorded in PAL/NTSC resolution. Since the maximum resolution is 768×576 pixels, the image quality is not very good.
• Hybrid Systems – These are based on IP video servers or hybrid recorders that enable the connections of digital IP equipment with analogue cameras while providing the functionality of connected IP devices. In these devices, analog signals are converted to digital signals to allow remote viewing or digital recording.

IP monitoring systems are the most modern types of video surveillance technology. They use IP (Internet Protocol) that offers high-resolution video images (of up to 4K). This technology provides advanced possibilities, including easy system expansion, recording on memory cards (SD), and image analytics.

In Internet Protocol monitoring systems, you can connect specialized cameras to the included IP recorder through an Ethernet cable to a router/ broadband modem/ via a WiFi router. This technology is ideal for commercial, industrial and residential settings. There are several advantages to using IP system compared to hybrid or analogues systems such as:

• You don’t have to connect every camera straight to the recorder, making Internet Protocol monitoring incredibly flexible.
• It enables the dispersion of all the devices operating within that particular network, which means that you can scale the system as required very quickly.
• It offers a higher image quality because the system has megapixel cameras. You can choose between HD IP cameras (1.0 Mpx – 1280×720) or the Full HD devices (2.0 Mpx– 1920×1080), which are standard. If you want a higher resolution, you can opt for cameras with a 3.0 Mpx resolution. These enable high-quality recordings that are ideal for observing various commercial areas

The different types of cameras you can choose from include:

Colour images provide far more information that helps distinguish various easily. However, they also need better lighting conditions because they have a lower sensitivity.

These cameras get their name from their hemispherical shape and are typically used for indoor applications such as lobbies, offices, retail spaces, malls and more. Users can see the cameras but aren’t able to determine the image recording direction clearly. Since these cameras are mounted under ceilings, they are vandal-proof and are suitable for car parks, warehouses etc. You can also equip these devices with infrared illuminators for crisp B&W pictures in complete darkness.

These are cylindrical, and because they are weather-resistant, they are better suited for outdoor applications. You can also use them in an underground car park. These cameras are generally installed near the ceiling on walls and in corners. Most of these devices have IR LED lighting that provides illumination when no other light source is present.

These devices can rotate in horizontal and vertical planes, zooming in and out as required. Thanks to this functionality, they are ideal for high traffic areas or settings with a need for precision and accuracy. A single PTZ camera can replace multiple fixed cameras.

You can control the camera’s movement manually or via software and change the camera position freely, using the optical zoom function to view the monitored scene or specific fragment. PTZ cameras cost more than devices without rotation functionality.