Video Surveillance System Component Overview
Video Cameras can be set for fixed viewing angles or utilize remote positioning devices for remote positioning manually or in response to a “trigger” event such as the opening of a door or changes levels of change in specific portions of a camera’s view .
Cameras Lenses use different focal lengths to achieve the desired camera viewing angles. Vari-focal lenses have small, manually variable focal ranges that permits limited adjustment during system installation to achieve optimal fields of view.
Digital Video Recorders (DVR) use algorithms to economically process (compress, encode and record) the video onto special hard drives for future playback and archival as necessary on video storage systems. A DVR’s recording capacity is typically measured in “camera days”and depends on camera image size, recording speeds (frames per second) and quantity of scene change activity.
Video Monitors are used to display “real-time” video from the CCTV cameras or from the Video Recoding System. Cameras can be displayed individually or in defined or changing camera groupings called camera monitor “matrix displays”. Monitors typically display the time/date stamp and camera titling (labels) identifying camera views information.
Video Signalling methods including traditional coaxial cable, computer network wiring, fiber optic cabling, and wireless transmission systems – each having their economic and performance merits.
