CCTV site survey

So why is a CCTV site survey so important? Well quite simply its crucial to any successful CCTV installation. We know this, but so many companies think they can save money by going on line and shopping for their CCTV at  Maplins then hiring any old sparky to then put it on the wall. Not in every case but in many, this turns out to be a an expensive mistake.

Cheap CCTV

For instance does the person ordering up his kit on line know before they buy, exactly what view they will get from the camera? How lighting conditions will affect the picture? What sort of recording length and quality will be achieved? By employing a professional company with expertise and knowledge all these questions will be answered prior to the installation. Perhaps one of the most important things though is what sort of quality and longevity will be achieved by a DIY CCTV system?

Most DIY companies fail to really analyze before they plan an installation what they are actually trying to achieve and this is always the key to success. When a CCTV site survey is carried out there is so much to consider. How will the brackets be fixed? Where will the cable be run and will their be any induced interference from machinery?Do you need a day/night camera? What lens size are you going to fit? Does it need to be IP65 rated? How will you access the camera to service it? In fact who will service it when it goes wrong?

So if you are considering a CCTV installation,don’t rush out and buy the cheapest cameras that you can find on the Internet, we know that within a few months you will have a system that is hardly working , if at all and when you really need it,will the DVR actually be recording?? Seen it so many times with CCTV………………….. buy cheap, buy twice!

DVRs – good value or commodity throw aways?

DVRs at IFSEC.

Ok, so I had an outburst about IFSEC..…. a bit harsh perhaps, but I get annoyed ……..in particular, the quantity of ‘Number 1 DVR manufacturer’ there are populating our market.

cheap dvr

But, and this is a big but, are we heading towards a scenario whereby the ‘historically’ most expensive part of the CCTV System is now considered as a commodity product? A throw away product?

In the consumer market, flat screen LCD TV’s were over £1000 NOT VERY LONG AGO……….yet now, go to a supermarket and check out a 32 or 37″ Full HD TV……sub £400 !!!!!!

With DVRs regularly priced at under £200 (without detailing quality/spec etc here) that is less than some of the cameras being used on the system!

Mind boggling to think that THE most important part of the system – you know, the bit that will play back the image of the baddie breaking in – is now considered with such little respect as to install the cheapest possible unit that can be found.

Imagine you had a Ferrari, but felt aggrieved at replacing the engine with a Ferrari unit, instead, fit it with a XYZ from the Far East – sure, it will still drive, but for how long? and with what quality? and do you actually care when it is a fraction of the price of the Ferrari?

Personally, I am amazed that SO many people entrust their installed systems on DVRs that quite frankly are here today, gone tomorrow – and leaving the playback availability to a game of chance…….

AND…….end users……..you paid for it, USE IT…….because the law according to Murphy says you’ll only know you have a problem when you damn well want to play back an incident!

Cheap DVR’s are they worth it?

Buy Cheap or buy Safe? CCTV Suppliers unite

The bitterness of quality is remembered long after the sweetness of price…………

A great saying and so incredibly true……

How many normal purchases do we make that simply do not stack up to our expectations? Buying a TV that ends up with poor sound quality, a mobile phone that lasts 20mins before needing a recharge, a lawn mower that doesn’t quite cut the grass (or indeed cuts so well to scalps the lawn!)

cheap dvr

And yet, so many more CCTV purchases are being conducted at eBay and online Internet sources…….

we discussed recently the advantages of dedicated CCTV Suppliers but this post is more about the potential dangers faced with buying from unknown sources.

Imagine this…….

You’ve just purchased a DVR from ‘The Number 1 DVR supplier in the world’ (aren’t they all!?!?)

You’ve acquired two colour cameras from an Internet site with an Alexa rating of 48,938,999 (who also are the Number 1 DVR supplier in the world so don’t believe the others)

You’ve bought your High Resolution monitor from a far eastern supplier (who REALLY are the Number 1 DVR supplier in the WHOLE world)

You receive them via the nice UPS man (after paying the customs import fees, yep, they don’t tell you about that when ordering your $19 DVR!)

Excitedly opening the package, you scrabble through all the Non-UK power plugs looking for the instructions……..ah, there they are,

‘Take important cable and stick into important slot over and above and below the hole that is inside the slot above the hole inside the other way’

Yes, you got it, pigeon English that means nothing…..but hey, we’re men, we do not need instructions……let’s do it ourselves…….plug in a normal power plug and boot up……..hhmmmm, not sure about the funny characters on the screen, and why is that picture rolling around? and why is it B&W, i have colour cameras connected??!

You see, items bought from UK suppliers are ready to use in the UK!!!! Proper instructions, proper UK plugs, set up for use with UK (PAL) cameras (that’s the answer to the B&W rolling images by the way, look for the NTSC/PAL switch on the rear of the DVR!)………plus, those UK Suppliers have already borne the brunt of the import duties……….

as the saying says………Buy cheap.buy twice!!!

buy cheap buy twice