Finding the right surveillance camera

To find the right surveillance camera you first need to decide witch types of surveillance cameras is best for you. There are two types of surveillance camera: IP cameras, CCTV cameras and then the fake surveillance cameras witch is actually not a camera but a preventive  measure.

IP Camera

This type of camera connect via computer LAN cable or over the internet. The signal coming out of the camera is in a digital format, like when you watch a video on YouTube. It will typically be connected to a computer that have software to view the picture and control the IP camera. Most IP cameras have a HTTP server build in. This means that if you are on the same network as the IP Camera (for example the internet) you can just type the IP or URL of the IP Camera and you can then watch the picture and control the camera. Of course the camera can be set up with log-in restrictions like user name and password.

CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) Camera

This is the older types of surveillance camera. The signal coming out of a CCTV are a analog signal, much like the one you get in an old TV antenna cable. A CCTV camera are often connected to a DVR(Digital Video Recorder) box that converts the analog signal to a digital one, so it can be stored on a computer or on the hard drive of the DVR box.

Fake surveillance camera

You can buy fake surveillance cameras to use as a preventive measures. These are very cheap dummy cameras that look exactly like the original ones.

Remember to consider your future needs before deciding witch type of camera is best for you or your company.

Surveillance cameras can be connected to most burglar alarm systems together with other surveillance equipment such as motion sensors.

Camera type	pros	cons
IP camera	High resolution, long cables without loos of quality. Very good wireless comparability between brands. Possibility to use existing internet and LAN cables. Easy to add more cameras (can use the same LAN cables)	You need a fast internet connection if the camera is to be used over the internet. More expensive then CCTV. Vendor software only supports there owen brand of camera. You often need third party software if you have different brands of cameras in your camera security system.
CCTV	Cheep you get more for your money.	Many models to choose from. CCTV’s have been around for many years and that gives you a lot of different cameras to choose from. Comparability between different brands including monitoring software No build in digital zoom. Wireless analog cameras do not have encrypted connection, everyone can see the signal. Not so easy to use over long distances.
Fake surveillance camera	Very cheep.