Business owners that are deliberating about whether to install CCTV on their property may well be 
labouring under the delusion that all CCTV footage is that black and white, grainy and jumpy video that appears on shows like Crimewatch. If the “evidence” is going to be of such poor quality then what is the point of paying for cameras to be installed? Similarly, if the premises are large, won’t there need to be loads of cameras to make sure everything gets captured otherwise aren’t there going to be several dead spots,? And what about the energy that will be needed to run all these cameras and the recording hardware all night every night?
These are valid questions that are frequently asked by those investigating CCTV as a possible security measure for their premises. Spending money on security equipment is a necessary evil, so buyers want to know they are getting value for money and won’t end up with unexpected energy costs further down the line.
Modern CCTV camera systems can employ motion sensor and line crossing technology to conserve power, only actively recording when the system is triggered. Motion sensors can be set to activate recording when any motion is detected outside, and the sensitivity can be altered to rule out false positives like local cats or the odd hedgehog. Line crossing detection takes this one step further and allows the user to define the perimeter more accurately. This is especially useful in city centre premises, where a premise is set back from the street but where there may be a lot of pavement traffic that would otherwise trigger the motion sensors constantly. Domestic CCTV cameras can use this technology to only record activity within the boundary of their property, setting the perimeter at the bottom of the drive.
High quality colour recording is also commonplace now, so grainy black and white images can be a thing of the past. Additionally, smart motion tracking means fewer cameras are needed, as they can all follow an identifiable moving target around premises. This means improved better quality coverage, for less than you would have paid 10 years ago. It is worth revisiting the world of CCTV to keep up with technical developments, as there are new image capturing and processing technologies appearing all the time. The flashy graphics manipulation on American crime drama shows may still be fantasy, but things are moving towards that kind of capability.
If you’re thinking of upgrading your CCTV set up, or are embarking on this journey for the first time we can kit you out with the latest and best equipment available; all installed and maintained by our highly trained engineers. Call us on 01905 799949 today.