HD CCTV and all the benefits it can bring. Its not just about security

CCTV is about security right? This is the public perception and mainly because this how it has been sold for the last 30 years. Now though with the advent of HD CCTV things are about to get very different for installers and end users alike. ROI is important when buying any product but using CCTV for security purposes only is not going to be cost effective anymore. Often any loss of goods on site is far outweighed by the capital cost of the CCTV itself. Naturally it is always going to be hard to determine how much CCTV cameras do actually save in real terms but many companies have concluded rightly that they need to get much much more out of camera systems and these systems need to go far beyond providing a security deterrent alone.

Although CCTV is primarily about security and reducing crime, this aspect can be dwarfed by other benefits bought about by HD CCTV solutions. The ” where there is blame there is a claim” culture has led to an increase fraudulent cases being bought against companies. This has risen steadily over the past few years. Traditional analogue cameras do little or nothing to substantiate  that the claim may be false. HD though is different and especially when backed up with top of the range video management software such as Avigilon or March VMS. The reduction of false claims against a company that may have cost them hundreds of thousands of pounds is just one way HD CCTV can help. Other benefits such as improvements in productivity and enforcement of health and safety are all big pluses. HD CCTV can bring an almost forensic level of detail that cannot be supplied by analogue CCTV. This means that HD CCTV is making and will continue to make a huge difference. Evidence prevoiusly made useless by older cameras and analogue DVR’s  is now clearly visible in HD. Add to this functionality that allows the user to zoom in on events without losing clarity and we can begin to see systems that will make CCTV useful in the 21st century. Also the potential of improved productivity in the workplace, something every company strives to achieve. We can expect many to conclude now is the time to invest in their business and gain the information they need to make it work efficiently giving them the edge over competitors.

 

Like all new concepts and products HD has to be seen to be appreciated however once experienced it would be hard and indeed foolish for any user to go back to analogue.

 

HD CCTV can save you money and that’s a fact!

On the face of it when you compare HD CCTV product prices against analogue CCTV prices how can it be possible that HD CCTV can actually work out cheaper?. Well there are several factors we need to take into account when making this assumption. These range from power saving , better coverage supplied by HD, time saving on searches, false claims that can be dismissed, increased productivity and reduced crime.

An HD CCTV system brings many benefits over analogue and these in turn will bring an impressive ROI far quicker than anticipated in many cases.

megapixel cctv image

Below we list many of the factors that make HD CCTV cheaper compared to analogue.

1) If you are a large organization your CCTV system will often have grown with the businesses and this could well mean you have bank after bank of DVR’s, monitors, matrixes and associated power supplies piled up in your server room. This equipment will be drawing a large amount of current 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. HD CCTV is scalable and this means you are no longer restricted to 16 way DVR after 16 way DVR each time you need more cameras. HD servers are able to handle hundreds of cameras each so the current draw for this one server will be significantly less. Add to this the fact that you will need less cameras to cover the same area and over time your saving on power consumption alone will go a long way to paying for your new HD CCTV system.

2) As we mentioned above you will need less cameras. A 16 MP camera for instance with the right software will do the same job as up to 50 analogue cameras. Instantly you can see the savings mounting up.

3) In many organizations one of the most stressful, costly and annoying drains on the business can be false claims from employees or customers. The NHS is a classic example of this. With traditional analogue cameras and recording methods information is often difficult to find and when it is found the picture quality often means proving a false claim is impossible. HD CCTV software makes searching for information so much easier. Information can be discovered in seconds not hours and once found the detail in the image will often prove a claim to be false thus saving tens of thousands of pounds in some cases.

4) Productivity is something that is at the heart of every organization. Improve this and you improve your profit. HD CCTV systems can identify areas of the business that can be costing you money far more easily than analogue solutions. Once identified the information can be used to put in place changes and then ensure these improved procedures are adhered to.

5) Crime reduction is key to maintaining profitability. Sadly many who would chose to steal from their employers have now identified the weakness of analogue CCTV and exploit this to their benefit. HD CCTV is a real eye opener for those who think CCTV has had its day. Once images are shown to a few the word spreads fast to many. This helps discourage those who think it may be worth the risk to take on CCTV thinking its not good enough to catch them. Rest assured HD CCTV certainly is.

Just a few reasons that HD CCTV can be cheaper than analogue but finally there is one further benefit. It does the job that you expect CCTV to do!

 

HD CCTV is not just about security

For many years now CCTV has always been about security. This is the main pitch any sales person will make and his boast will be just how much crime CCTV will help to reduce and this means that its installation is crucial to stop a business being hit. Of course the reality is very different. Many companies have reluctantly accepted that by the time they have paid for the CCTV installation and ongoing service this requires that CCTV may in fact be costing them more than it is saving them. After all the odd lost item from the yard or out the stores is almost incidental and easily absorbed. Of course it is always hard to quantify how much CCTV cameras do save but many companies are now making do with their old kit or simply deciding not to have CCTV installed at all.

Now though CCTV is about more than security and reducing crime, still an important aspect but one that can be dwarfed by other benefits. The reduction of false claims against a company that may cost them hundreds of thousands of pounds , improvements in productivity, enforcement of health and safety. All the of these events needs an almost forensic level of detail and this cannot be supplied by analogue CCTV. Now though HD CCTV is making a huge difference. Evidence that could not be gleaned by older cameras is now clearly visible in HD. The ability to zoom in on events without losing clarity is helping prove fraudulent transactions and “slips” that never happened. Improved productivity is helping companies grow out of recession and this is all thanks to HD cameras. Many are seeing this as a time to invest in their business and gain the information they need to make it work efficiently giving them the edge over competitors.

 

HD has to be seen to be appreciated but just like your TV once you have HD CCTV you will wonder how you ever did without it.

 

 

 

 

Are expectations of HD CCTV too high?

The world of security is currently buzzing with talk of HD CCTV and how it will be the making of the CCTV industry over the next 10 years. A word of caution though, we must be careful that we do not repeat the mistakes that have been made with analogue CCTV over the last 20 years.

 

The crux of the point we are making here is that customers want to pay the least money possible for a CCTV system. As a result,  hard pressed salesmen oblige by consistently under specifying what the customer needs. Up against a host of competition it is all too easy to hope camera coverage and light levels will be enough for the price the customer wants to pay. Of course as soon as the first real incident occurs and the customer reviews their footage, desperate disappointment ensues and grainy staccato like images that are of little use to anyone are the disappointing result.

 

Let’s remember the company who actually specified the system correctly were dismissed from the tendering process because their price was too high , so in this whole sorry process everyone loses out.

 

So to my initial point regarding HD CCTV and whether our expectations are too high. Well in truth the fact is that the same rules apply. We must specify what is actually required to meet the customers’ needs and most importantly, his expectations.

Too often we see system set ups that lack the four basic requirements.

1) The correct number of  pixels per meter to ensure facial or number plate recognition at the specified distance.

2) The correct lighting level at night.

3) The correct amount of storage capacity for the required number of days.

4) The correct network architecture, bandwidth and equipment such as quality switches and cable/transmission path.

All the above must be correct or the system as a whole will fall down and the customer, full of hope, will find once more the CCTV system he has purchased has let him down.

So how can we be sure we get this right? Well firstly we must put our trust in a provider who has a proven track record. His price may not be the cheapest but this is a sure sign that he is not taking short cuts and should  be reassuring rather than an excuse to put the quote to one side. If he has paid attention, his sales pitch will  pay due attention to the 4 points above,  this should mean that he is doing his job properly. Finally don’t try to get too much out of a camera. The laws of physics will decide what can be achieved. Ultimately of course a quality brand using all the best components and installers will work out the better option but there is only so much a 5 megapixel camera can do, especially if it is deprived of light at night.

 

Light plays a huge part in the final image quality, don’t try to buy cheaply here either. A good quality IR illuminator makes all the difference and these are not the cheapest items to produce. However a good brand will ensure low  maintenance levels and excellent reliability as well as actually producing the light levels a megapixel camera will need to operate properly at night.

Clarius IS - 860

 

So are our expectations of HD CCTV too high? The simple answer is no, quite frankly it’s the best thing for security, monitoring industrial processes and keeping track of health and safety issues that we have seen for a long time, however this is only true if the job is sold correctly. Short cuts and under funding will mean we will all be cast back to the disappointments of the past.

 

 

 

Buy HD CCTV it makes all the difference

Many people have expressed concerns over the years regarding HD CCTV camera systems. It becomes particularly contentious when the system installed is in a public area. However we have yet to meet a person who has been a victim of crime and has been able to recover their goods or receive justice in a court of law who is not expressly grateful that CCTV cameras were installed in the first place. Modern regulation ensures that CCTV cameras cannot be used to snoop, in fact heavy fines can be imposed if anyone is found to be using CCTV inappropriately. Of course the introduction of HD CCTV systems means that the ability to gain enhanced evidence is vastly improved. HD CCTV is an immensely powerful tool.

 

It is because HD CCTV has become so powerful that many a  business is installing it. However if HD CCTV is deployed it  is important to do so responsibly and inform customers and members of staff of its existence and what it is being used for. This way you will gain their trust and cooperation. If you wish to install CCTV, you should have a clear reason for installing the system, such as a recent increase in thefts or areas of your premises which may be vulnerable to health and safety infringements or accidents. Having a clear motive for using a system ensures that you are using the HD CCTV properly, and transparency with customers and members of staff means that all involved can understand the reasons and benefits of HD CCTV. Your HD CCTV system should be used with the principal aim of monitoring your premises and keeping all on site safe.

 

An important point to remember is that an HD CCTV system must have a record of where and how the information is recorded and stored. Keep it safe and only store what you need. Do not ever store images over 28 days unless you have very good reason for this. The very best HD CCTV system will enable the user to retrieve images quickly and efficiently without having to trawl through lots of useless information. Recording on motion reduces search time and means you are more likely to find the information you are searching for. Most users of HD CCTV find they have had great success with the HD CCTV footage and it’s a real aid in investigating incidents that have occurred on their site.

 

It’s great to hear people praise CCTV systems these days instead of the perennial moaning we are used to about how images are not fit for purpose. HD CCTV is here and now making a huge difference