What Are The Breakthroughs in Digital Residential Security Surveillance Video?

The universe of video surveillance has been rotated upside down. New technology is snowballing rapidly and will soon overtake ordinary analog systems. Why limit the video resolution to 500 lines when 1000 and above is commomplace for digital video systems. And when one expands mega-pixel technology into the equation, one would have to subscribe that video surveillance capability has been improved in excess of 100 percent.

In the last two years I have been installing some very reliable video entry however, in recent months I have settled down with just one manufacturer. That is not to say that there are not several manufacturers with outstanding features, it is just that I came to like one special company. Two of the primary reasons I favor them is that they are on the forefront of exploration and evolvement and their specialized support is second to none. Once you have all the wiring installed, properly installed your connectors and mounted the equipment, they can proficiently tweak the settings and have you up and running with your surveillance video system.

Video Surveillance Systems

There was a time when these networks were routinely referred to as security surveillance systems. That time has long sense expired as many of a home's video cameras are trained in on locations dealing primarily with family matters. A few examples of these types of locations are:

* Swimming pool area to keep an eye on children

* Front gate or front door for video entry capability

* Monitoring the babies' room

* Family room area

* Back yard around the BBQ pit

The Conventional System

So now a typical system has cameras focused in on areas of security while other video cameras are there simply to improve the family lifestyle. In any case the technology today is state-of-the-art and very dependable. In fact, the images from all the cameras on one screen, or one camera image presented full screen are available on a local monitor, local computer monitor, or any computer monitor in the world.

Obsolete News

Now that I have enlightened you what I have been doing let me just say frankly all that is achient news. The system has taken a stupendous leap forward in the last few months and the manufacturer I chose is out in front in my opinion. Of course, IP cameras have been around for a few years now, but many video installation companies like mine have steered away from installing digital systems for a number of technical reasons. I won't go into all the technical at this time, but the biggest one in my opinion was the difficulty in having the main unit be able to identify the Internet address of each Internet Protocol camera. This was particularly true if the main unit and the camera manufacturers were different.

New Technology

Like I say, all that is old news because new technology has been established into the marketplace which is an IP Video Management System that takes the aggravation out of networking. It does this by automatically detecting and configuring video cameras and devices, making installation and use easier than it's ever been.

The system includes pre-installed software that is licensed for up to 8 cameras. Each unit has a three-year warranty that includes complete protection on all components and telephone technical support. A three-year software service plan additionally protects the investment by including unlimited software technical support and free feature upgrades. This new technology solution is designed to reduce installation time and maintenance costs of IP video systems.

How Enhanced Is This New Technology?

OK, I have clarified that this is the latest reliable technology available in local/remote video surveillance systems, but let me go farther and explain why and to what degree it is improved. Well, first of all it is much simpler to install than traditional video surveillance systems. There is no more need for pulling additional power cables to each video camera because now the system allows for video camera power to run on the same Cat5e wire which carries data. These systems don't warrant coaxial cable anymore.

The second, and arguably the most trailblazing degree of improvement, is the much greater clarity in the camera video image. In conventional color analog cameras about the best available is 550 lines of resolution. Now the resolution is over 1000. Not only that, now you can also purchase megapixel cameras which are out of this world in how far out they can reach to provide you a flawless picture.

License Plate At 100 Yards

So before I get too far down the road in explaining all this new technology I should interject that this is not your momma's video surveillance system. The system is more expensive and the video cameras, especially the megapixel cameras, are also expensive. If I did list old style components and cameras, the prices would be about 20 to 25% less. However, with the difference in cable cost and labor, that 25% doesn't seem nearly as great. The megapixel video cameras are reasonably more expensive, but they can see a bug's behind at 100 yards.

31 Digital Recording

In addition, the textbook system these days is recording twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. As depicted on the television comedy "Two And a Half Men" 31 is short for 24-7. Each video camera's images are recorded every second, or to save on hard drive space some are set in a motion detection mode. In other words, when armed in this mode, the images are not being recorded except in the case of movement where movement is not expected. A good example of that would be a video camera in the garage. During the night no movement is expected in the garage. If and when the camera picks up movement the images are recorded for a specified amount of time.

Keys To Restaining The Expenditures

The keys to curbing cost to this and any other lifestyle video system are capability and cost. The absolute best way to curb these issues is to install the system yourself. To install one of these security surveillance systems you will need to procure a manual on installing a specific video system. Believe it or not, it's not all that hard to install the system. You simply need to know exactly what components to buy, what connectors to install, how to mount the components and how to power it up and program the main components. If you did not understand the importance of what I said earlier, now is the time to grasp the moment. Once you physically run the wiring and install the electronics, the software does the configuration setup for you. That is what I am trying to say. Even though this is state-of-the-art technology, it is indeed easy to install.

Are You Installing Numerous Systems

It has been my experience that when people are considering one system for their new or remodeled home, they are likely considering other technologies as well. It would be in your best interest to have installation manuals on each system you would like to include in your project. Read them all then buy your equipment, along with your special tools and cable so that they are all on the job site in advance of your scheduled start date.

My goal for this informational and informatory report was to rightly and suitably illuminate the disparity between the old and the new surveillance video technology. Hopefully I have attained my objective so that you take away the awareness that the new systems are easier to install and once installed provide a much higher degree of video resolution. Yes they cost a little more, but that only matters if you utterly and entirely shrug off the value of your time.


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Glenn A. Bell provides lots of FREE information on installing video entry and other surveillance video systems on his website. In fact, he offers a FREE 10 Video Mini Course and FREE eBook on several low-voltage electronic systems being installed in new and remodeled homes across the country.