18 Things to Know Before Buying a CCTV Camera?

it’s hard to know which CCTV camera is right for you. That’s why we break down everything to help you find the security camera that meets the needs of your home and family. Here you will find helpful guides and updates to Find the best CCTV security camera of 2019.

Cameras and community

pic from Peace of Mind: Exploring How Home Security Cameras Affect Feelings of Safety” .

1. What is CCTV CAMERA? 

A closed-circuit television camera (CCTV Camera) is an electronic camera that is used for video surveillance. CCTV Cameras come in several different shapes, sizes, styles, configurations and are designed to meet different purposes.

2. What are the benefits of CCTV cameras?

Advantages of Using CCTV Systems for Your Business
Crime deterrent. It goes without saying that having a CCTV camera installed at your premises will act as a serious deterrent to criminals and anyone carrying out illegal activities.
Monitors activities.
Collect evidence.
Decision Making.
Keep records.

3. What are the different types of CCTV cameras?

Learn about different types of security camera.

Dome Cameras.
Dome Cameras are named after their shape are typically used for indoor security systems.
Bullet Cameras.
Bullet Cameras have a long and tapered cylinder like design that resembles an oversized ammo cartridge. They are mostly used outdoors, especially in areas where long viewing is necessary.
C-Mount Camera.
C-Mount CCTV Camera can use detachable lenses to suit different purposes. Typically, a CCTV Camera can record up to 35 feet.
Day/Night CCTV Camera.
These type of CCTV cameras can be used in both poorly lit and standard environments. For 24×7 surveillance.
Pan Tilt Zoom (PTZ) Camera.
It is possible to pan, tilt, and zoom PTZ cameras. It gives a surveillance operator the freedom to pan, tilt and zooms the lens. You can
manually control these cameras or program them to follow an accurate view of things.
High Definition CCTV Camera.
HD CCTV Cameras can record at high frame rates and at HD quality which is comparatively at a higher resolution than other CCTV Cameras.
Infrared/Night Vision CCTV Camera.
It is able to see when lighting is poor or absolute darkness.
Network/IP CCTV Camera.
The IP camera can transmit recordings over the internet. May or may not require a wire connection. Yes, it also works on wireless technology.

4. Which type of CCTV camera is best for home?

the best home CCTV system is that ensures a one-stop solution for all your security requirements. It must have the different features such
as:As per my experience, the best home CCTV system is that ensures a one-stop solution for all your security requirements. It must have the
different features such as:
24/7 viewing: Real-time HD videos and multi-view functionality
Storage: Local SD card storage as well as Cloud storage
Sharp images: Clear day and night vision
Security: Notification if the camera is offline
Alarms and detection: Information on motion & audio detection and Email alert
Video quality and scanning: Digitally scan high-quality videos
Adjustable: Easy adjustable as per a view
No wires: Great setup system without bundle of wires
Waterproof or rain resistance: Even install without a roof
Support: Email alert and online support

5. Why and where can bullet CCTV cameras be used?

CCTV is designed to help prevent and detect crime. It can reassure the public about community safety. It is located in public places to:
provide evidence to relevant enforcement agencies. We should have surveillance cameras in public places because they ensure public safety. A CCTV camera can also be used to keep your home and its occupants safer. You can watch it from the monitor, a computer, and even your smartphone.

6. Which is the best CCTV camera?

Hikvision DS-2CD2032F-I IP Night Vision Camera
EZVIZ 1080p Full HD Outdoor CCTV Cameras
Nest Cam Outdoor: The Best CCTV Camera For Outdoor Security
ZOSI 8-Channel HD-TVI Video Security System
ANNKE Surveillance Camera System

7. What should I consider when shopping for a security camera?

Although most CCTV systems are equipped with the same general functions, they differ in the quality of performance. Here’s a list of features
you should keep in mind when shopping for the best CCTV device for your home:

Battery Backup
A clever thief will always cut electricity before attempting a burglary. As soon as the power is off, there is no clear evidence of the crime.
That being said, you’ll need a camera that will be capable of running for even a short time on battery power.

Facial Identification
You won’t find such a feature in older models, but modern CCTV systems have the feature that is called “facial recognition”. Although such a device will not be able to distinguish between one face from another, it will surely help you tell the difference between a face and a lamp or, say, a table. This option identifies faces by increasing the exposure to this particular element of the human body, so whether the feature is effective or not, it strongly depends on the performance of the camera’s lens.

Mobile Compatibility
The vast majority of today’s CCTV systems can be accessed via a smartphone or any other mobile device. A good security camera should be able to customize notifications, adjust the sensitivity to both motion and sound, and indicate detection zones that could be of the particular interest to a burglar, not to mention that it will provide you with a clear live feed from the camera.

Night Vision
You’ll hardly encounter a burglar who breaks into your home when the sun is still shining. Given this, you should opt for a camera that can provide you with a true night vision. Some cameras will switch to night vision as soon as it detects low light levels, while other models can be adjusted in accordance with custom settings.

Viewing Angle
Let’s face it, nobody would even think of buying a camera that has a short scope of viewing, so it goes without saying that you’ll want to pick a device that falls, at least, at the 130-degree angle. Although such security cameras can distort the image of smaller rooms, such a
nuance won’t impact the quality of monitoring any dangerous events – after all, its purpose is to detect burglars in your home, not take snapshots of your children during their leisure time so that you can put them in a family photo album.

Protection Against Hackers
We live in particularly disturbing times that require us to protect our homes and also our security system. The first should be protected against burglars, while the latter is prone to the attacks of hackers. Ask your retailer what steps has a manufacturer taken in order to ensure in order to secure his or her CCTV system against harmful malware. A reliable camera should support up-to-date wireless security protocols and the encryption of on-line transmission of your login details (username, password etc.)

WiFi Range
Speaking of the wireless connection, your camera ought to be able to maintain a Wi-Fi range regardless of how far you move it from your router – and this matter includes even large homes. If you want to be armed and ready to protect your family with a good CCTV system, choose a camera that has an ethernet port so that you’re able to plug it into your home network.

8. Where can I buy CCTV security camera surveillance

Protect your business with commercial-grade surveillance camera systems from CCTV Security Pros, trusted for IP / CCTV cameras and CCTV security systems. Shop at Best to find the best security cameras to create a home security system that works for your specific needs. 

9. How do I connect a CCTV camera to a mobile phone?

Step 1: CONNECT DVR TO MONITOR DIRECTLY. Just connect your CCTV DVR to monitor via VGA or HDMI CABLE.
Step 2: CONFIGURE CCTV DVR SETTINGS. For configuration.
Step 3: NOW CONFIGURE WIFI ROUTER FOR DVR. Open your PC.
Step 4: CONNECT DVR TO WIFI VIA LAN CABLE.
Step 5: CHECK THE SETTINGS.
Step 6: NOW CONNECT TO ANDROID PHONE.

10. How to view your IP camera remotely via a web browser?

Find your camera's IP address. 
Open a web browser and type the IP address.
Go to SETTING > BASIC > Network > Information to find the HTTP port number used by the camera.
After you change the port, you will need to reboot the camera in order to save the changes.

11. How can I remotely access my CCTV camera?

Assign your DVR an IP Address.
Connect to your DVR on your LAN - Local Area Network.
Setting up Port Forwarding on your Router.
Setting up a Static DHCP IP address for your DVR.
Remote Internet Setup.

12. How do you setup an IP Camera without the NVR?

Does setting things up with an NVR sound a bit too technical for you? The good news is that you can have an IP camera and forget about the Network Video Recorder. This option is becoming popular among households and businesses since you have fewer things to worry about.

There are two ways on how you can do this without the NVR. The first option is your PC/mobile device communicates with the IP camera directly via a server. And secondly, it is also possible that the PC/mobile device communicates to a third party server which then connects to the IP camera.

1. Mobile device/PC to IP Camera directly

For the first option, it is quite a straight forward approach in order to effectively setup your IP camera to become viewable on your device.
You will most likely do some configuration in you internet gateway which allows port forwarding on your firewall. This is almost the same sequence as setting up with a Network Video Recorder.

2. Mobile device/PC to third party server to IP Camera

For the second way to set up an IP camera without an NVR, it is usually a great option because of its plug-and-play capability. All that you need to do is to log in to a server provided by the IP camera manufacturer and see the footages recorded by the device from there. These cameras are typically called “P2P” IP cameras.

There’s an ongoing debate on its pros and cons. For instance, if you don’t have an experience tinkering your internet configuration, P2P cameras offer a convenient option that saves you from all the technical hassles involved in setting up the IP camera. On the other hand, you also have to deal with the possibility that the server is vulnerable to hackers. A lot of small manufacturers of P2P IP cameras don’t have the capability to keep their server secured.

 

13. How to setup an IP Camera without DVR or NVR?

There are two ways to set up an IP camera without DVR or NVR. That is, through entering the UID (for P2P cameras) and port forwarding
1. Entering the UID
DVR or NVR is mainly designed to record and store security camera footage. Without DVR or NVR, IP cameras can still work independently as standalone surveillance devices, just like the security cameras with SD card. As technology improved, nowadays standalone IP camera is able to support wifi connection, P2P video streaming and SD card recording.
For advanced IP camera, like the ones sold by Vstarcam, it can be quite easy to set up your IP cameras without DVR or NVR for live viewing and video recording.
Taking the P2P IP camera Vstarcam C24S-PLUS for example, below are the quick 3 steps to accomplish the security camera setup without a DVR or NVR.

Step 1: Download the free security camera software provided by the manufacturer.
Step 2: Enter the camera UID and password to add the camera device (In order to improve cameras security, remember to change the default password).
Step 3: Click the camera on the App/Client and then you can view Vstarcam C24S-PLUS over the Internet.

Besides Vstarcam, famous CCTV manufacturer like HIKVISION and Dahua also have standalone IP camera which supports a rich feature like: Wifi connection, SD Card video recording, P2P video streaming and playback .

2. Port forwarding
You can do some configuration in you internet gateway which allows port forwarding on your firewall.
Find the Port Forwarding section. Although each router’s page will be slightly different, common menu labels for the section of settings that contains Port Forwarding are “Port Forwarding”, “Applications”, “Gaming”, “Virtual Servers”, “Firewall”, and “Protected Setup”.
Find a port forwarding preset. Many routers will have a drop-down menu with pre-configured options for well-known applications. If you need to open ports for one of these applications, select it from the “Service Name” or “Application” (or similar) drop-down menu and then save your changes by clicking Save (or similar).
Create a custom entry. If the program you want to add is not listed, you will need to create a custom port forwarding entry. Each router will have a slightly different way of doing this, although the required information is the same for any router. Enter your computer’s private IP address. This goes in the “Private IP” or “Device IP” field. You can find your private IP address on PC or on Mac.
Save your settings. Click the Save or Apply button. If prompted, you’ll also need to allow your router to restart in order for the changes to take effect.

14. Which is better DVR or NVR?

DVR stands for Digital Video Recorder, whereas NVR stands for Network Video Recorder. ... Most NVRs are used with IP cameras whereas DVRs are used with analog cameras. It's important to note that a DVR based system is a wired security system, whereas NVR systems can be a wired or wireless system.

15. What's the best CCTV camera for outdoors?

The best security camera system on the market today is the Soliom s60 Solar Wire-free Security Camera System.
Arlo Ultra 4K UHD wire-free Security Camera System. 
Ring Stick Up Cam. 
Swann 1080p Smart Security Camera. 
Arlo Pro 2. 
Nest Cam IQ Outdoor.
Soliom s60 solar camera

16. How To Install a Surveillance Security Camera System

17.How to Connect a CCTV Camera to a Computer?

Nowadays, you can connect a camera to a computer or loop camera data into a network so you can watch CCTV on a laptop or desktop screen. Some businesses and homes also now use cloud-based systems that store video on remote servers, where it can be analyzed and played back.

Using a PC CCTV System
It's often possible to hook a security camera up to a computer. Consult the camera's manufacturer with any questions about exactly how to do so. Before you buy a CCTV system, don't just think about the CCTV camera price but also consider whether it includes the features you want to use, including digital connectivity. And when you do consider pricing, also think about factors like maintenance and the costs of storage media such as hard drives, cloud storage space or tapes.

Install CCTV Software
Insert the software CD or DVD supplied with your CCTV camera into your computer's optical drive or download the software from the manufacturer's website. Proceed with the automated installation of the software.

Mount the Camera
Mount or position the camera in a location that affords a clear, well-lighted view of the area you want to record. Precise aiming of the camera will be fine-tuned once a signal is being passed to the computer.

Connect the Camera to the Computer
Connect the camera to the computer. Some CCTV systems use coaxial cable, while others use standard USB cable. Consult the documentation that came with the camera to determine the proper type of cabling to use for your system.

Some CCTV setups, feature a router through which you can connect multiple cameras. If your CCTV setup uses this configuration, connect each camera to an available port on the dedicated CCTV router and then connect the router to your computer. Consult the manufacturer's documentation for more information.

Connect the Camera to a Power Supply
Connect the camera or cameras to a power supply. Some USB CCTV systems provide power to the cameras through the USB cabling itself, eliminating the need for a dedicated power source for each camera.

Launch the CCTV Software and Configure
Launch the CCTV camera's software on your computer and proceed with the configuration of the camera or cameras. At this point, you can
properly aim and focus the camera to ensure optimal video quality.

Cloud-Based Surveillance Cameras
Surveillance cameras that digitally upload footage to remote servers are becoming more common. Many of these can rely on your business's wired or wireless Internet connection, so you don't have to wire them directly to a computer or server or have much other dedicated equipment to store and review footage.

Some systems even automatically detect and highlight motion within the camera's field of view to make it easy to go through footage without having to watch every second of inaction.

Often you'll pay a monthly or annual fee to the camera company to store your footage, though some offer limited storage included in the storage cost. Shop around for a camera and storage plan that meets your business's needs and is compatible with your network.

18. How to Protect Your CCTV Surveillance System from Getting Hacked

Change your Password periodically

Any CCTV system irrespective of the model uses a password that grants access to legitimate users. This is the first point of vulnerability for hackers. Make sure that you change the password periodically, and choose ones that are difficult to be guessed. Also, never share your password with servants, workers, home repairmen and others.

Rename the default username and password

Most security systems come with a default username and password that is set by the manufacturer on installation. Make sure to change both these fields once you have successfully installed the system. Very often, the default username and password is available on the manuals or website of the manufacturer. Using the same provides an open invitation for hackers to enter your system.

Secure your Wifi with WPA2

To protect CCTV camera systems, you need to secure your home wifi network with WPA2 passwords.  Never allow strangers to access your home internet. Share the password only with trusted friends and your family members. Also, if you have the doubt that your internet is being used by unknown people, make sure to change the password at once.

Never log into your Video Feed from a Public Network

It may be tempting to use free wifi networks at places like coffee shops, train stations, etc. But, experts warn that these networks are highly vulnerable and hackers can easily access your personal information that you share on this network. Make it a point not to access your home security feed using public wifi.

Look for Cameras with Encrypted Signals

Today, the best wireless security camera system in the market comes with several advanced features like encryption. These cameras encrypt signals before transmitting them on multiple channels. This makes them highly secure from hackers.

Keep an eye out for unusual activity

It pays to be vigilant. Always check out who is accessing your home security system. If you notice any suspicious activity, make sure to bring it to the attention of your home security system provider.

Never buy a Used Camera

Compromising your security is a big NO. A used camera may be available for dead cheap prices. But, remember that used cameras are easier to hack, and attackers can use this device to spy on you. Also, make sure that you never purchase your home security system from unknown vendors.

To protect your CCTV home security system from cyber attacks, always buy it from a trusted security system provider like Eurovigil. When you choose Eurovigil, you’re assured of getting the best devices with the latest technology in the market.

Make use of these seven simple tips and protect your home security system from online hackers. Additionally, if you’re still concerned about the security of your system, you can invest in a CCTV camera protector device. Ask your security provider to help you with the installation of these.