Choosing the right CCTV camera system for your home would depend on several factors like where and how many cameras you need to set up, how much footage will you store and for how long, and how would you need to access your stored footage. You can consult a CCTV provider to get detailed guidelines on the system based on your unique needs.

Shops come in many shapes and sizes with different blind spots and risk-prone zones. If the shop is large then the number of cameras and the storage capacity required goes up. For chain stores, you may need to remotely access footage from all stores at a central location and easily replace a faulty part without interrupting the entire system. You can determine the right CCTV camera system for your business after clearly understanding all your needs and variables. Get free advice from a CCTV provider to arrive at the best surveillance solution for you

In short, DVR based CCTV systems are relatively simple set-ups owing to older technology; whereas, NVR based CCTV system are the latest technology, and better for business and complex usage. DVR’s are used with analog CCTV cameras while NVR’s are used with internet protocol (IP) cameras. In a DVR, the video is encoded and stored in the DVR, whereas with an NVR, this happens in the camera and the videos are then stored in the NVR for remote access. A DVR based security system is usually wired and each camera needs to be connected directly to the DVR. NVR based security systems are wireless and all cameras can be connected to a single network. In a DVR based system, you’ll have to consider extra wiring for recording audio. NVR CCTV systems are highly flexible and easy to scale up when your requirement grows larger.

It all depends on the shape and size of your space. For maximum effectiveness, CCTV cameras should watch over every entry point to your space like front door, back door, windows, balconies etc. You may also need some overlooking the main road or garden. For shops, CCTVs need to cover all the aisles and corners besides safeguarding the cash counters. Thinking strategically, you would also want to hide away some cameras in unlikely places where they cannot be easily located.

This can happen due to many reasons: power failure or disconnect, damaged cable, component failure, network outage, optical obstruction, accidentally disabled access, storage overload etc. If you cannot figure out why your CCTV is not recording, call your system integrator to fix things quickly. It’s always a good idea to set-up additional back-up like WD PurpleTM microSDTM cards for your cameras to stay safe in case of an outage and invest in a surveillance grade HDD like WD PurpleTM that skip bad frames and continue recording.

A host of complications like electrical interference, power fluctuations, equipment malfunction etc. can cause CCTV footage to flicker. Do check if flickering is specific to a particular camera or monitor to see if the problem lies there. Check if cables are connected and routed correctly. The source of the problem can be difficult to track and you many need the help of a professional to troubleshoot. Sometimes, it is critical to capture specific moments to unravel a crime and that’s why WD PurpleTM HDDs come with special AllFrameTM Technology that instead of stopping at an interference, simply jumps to the next frame to continue capturing footage.

Many CCTV cameras include night-vision that use technology like thermal imaging and infrared lighting to capture video in dark and low-light conditions. Check with your CCTV provider to get details of cameras that can cater to your specific light conditions and security needs.

Some IP cameras come with built-in microphones or you can purchase microphones separately for your CCTV system. Your DVR will need additional slots for audio cable. In NVRs, audio can be recorded via the Ethernet cable. Make sure to check if it is legal to record audio in your country before setting up an audio recording system.

Truth be said, anything can be hacked, but you can take certain steps to make hacking extremely difficult. Ensure that you invest in the right brand of equipment, take professional assistance for installation, and use a secure sockets layer (SSL) encryption for streaming and uploading footage.

In order to access security footage on-the-go, a wireless connection should exist. Some CCTV brands provide free software to allow remote access, or your CCTV provider should be able to help you choose a compatible third party software.

Higher capacity WD Purple drives allow you to store more footage, more high definition video, and more high quality frames per second. WD recommends 4TB or greater for your DVR or NVR surveillance solution.

There are three main tasks HDDs do besides storage: read data, write data, and transfer data. Generally, surveillance HDDs are turned on 24 hours/7 days a week. They write data and store footage from security video most of the time. They transfer them only a small portion of the time. Regular HDDs are designed for being used mostly to read data and are not typically tested for use in a 24x7 surveillance environment with the continuous demand of writing videos. Video surveillance HDDs are designed to endure heavy writing, from several closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras simultaneously, consume low power, and endure environments with a wide range of temperatures.