Q. If I buy a 4 channel DVR, do I have to have 4 cameras?
A. No, you could have 1, 2, 3 or 4 cameras, it’s up to you.
Q. Can I use my existing television or PC monitor with your DVRs
A. Yes, our DVR's are compatible with TV's, VGA Monitors and Dedicated CCTV Monitors. You may need a special cable if connecting to a TV or CCTV monitor which we can supply.
Q. What does CCD stand for?
A. CCD is an abbreviation for Charge Coupled Device. The CCD is the image sensor of the CCTV camera. The lens focuses reflected light onto the surface of the CCD chip and photo diodes within the chip produce an electrical charge proportional to the amount of light falling onto them.
Q. What does DSP stand for?
A. DSP stands for Digital Signal Processing. In a Digital Signal Processing CCTV camera digital circuits carry out signal processing as opposed to analogue circuits. The electrical signals which the CCD chip produces are linked to an analogue to digital converter and brightness level reference points are assigned numerical values. The digital signal processor inside the camera processes these values and produces the video signal.
Q. What is an IR cut filter?
A. Colour CCTV cameras use a filter mounted on top of the CCD chip which is known as an IR cut filter. The colour cameras use this chip as the spectral response of the CCD chip is quite different to that of the human eye. The filter makes the spectral response closer to that which would be percieved by the human eye. The IR cut filter can affect the sensitivity of the camera at night and therefore True Day and Night cameras have been developed which either have no IR cut filter or a motorised IR cut filter which moves out of the way of the CCD chip at night.
Q. What does TVL mean?
A. In the context of a CCTV camera TVL (TV Lines) refers to the horizontal resolution (the maximum number of vertical lines the camera can resolve) of the CCTV camera.
Q. What do the IP ratings of your cameras mean?
A. IP ratings relate to protection against solids and liquids. You will note that an IP rating is made up of two numbers. The first number is the rating for protection against solids and the second number liquids. A CCTV camera which is to be used outdoors should be at least IP65 rated.
Q. What does BNC stand for?
A. BNC is a type of connector used extensively in CCTV. BNC stands for Bayonet-Neil-Concelman and is named after its designers.
Q. What do the lens sizes of CCTV cameras mean?
A. The Cameras we sell have different focal length lenses which are expressed in millimeters. The smaller the number, the wider angle the lens. A 4mm lens is very wide angle (on a 1/3" CCD Chip, roughly 62 degrees horizontal viewing angle), whilst as we move up to 6mm the angle closes in and the image appears nearer. If you are not sure what focal length you require, you could choose one of our vari-focal CCTV cameras.
Q. Will my CCTV system act as a deterrent against crime?
A. Whilst this question is difficult to answer, we have witnessed footage on a number of domestic cctv systems where intruders have spotted a camera and immediately turned around and moved off. The people out there who make crime their livelihood are streetwise and are constantly watching for the glow of the IR illuminators on CCTV cameras. Whilst CCTV may not always act as a complete deterrent most criminals would rather you didn't have it.
Q. Before I buy a system from you is it possible to see some footage?
A. Yes, if you would like us to e-mail you some sample footage from our cameras or complete systems click here to send us an e-mail. Tell us the camera or system you are interested in and whether you want video by day or night (or both) and we will e-mail you some.
Q. What type of Hard Disc Drives do you use in your Digital Video Recorders?
A.We use SATA SV35 Hard Disc Drives. These are designed for surveillance digital video recording.
Q. Do I have to pay by debit/credit card?
A. No, we also accept payment by PayPal, BACS and also by cheque.
Q. How long will my CCTV system record for?
A. This is dependent on a number of factors, the main one being the size of the Hard disc drive you have installed in your CCTV DVR. However, the amount of activity the cameras are recording, the number of frames per second the images are recorded at and also the recording quality set by the user all influence the recording time before existing footage is overwritten.
Q. I want a CCTV system made up of a selection of your CCTV Cameras, is this possible?
A. We would be pleased to provide a quotation for any combination of our CCTV cameras and digital video recorders. Simply send us an e-mail giving us as much detail as possible of your requirements or circumstances and we'll e-mail you a no obligation quotation.
