Surveillance kits are packages that usually come with a set of cameras, a recording device and the wiring for these cameras. These kits come at attractive pricing and promise that they can capture video just as well as a professional grade surveillance system. These surveillance solutions are however very limited with their capabilities and sometimes do not advertise certain specifications, in order to hide these short comings. Here we show you some of the shortcomings and how a custom designed system can circumvent these shortcomings
Wiring
The wiring that is usually bundled with the surveillance kits available at wholesalers and supermarkets is very brittle, low quality wiring. Most of the camera kits sold have analog cameras in the packages (we explain the differences between IP and Analog Cameras here.), which means that these cameras use coaxial wiring, instead of Cat 5 wiring. High quality Coax wiring is usually resistant to bending and a very sturdy cable, but the cables these cameras come with are about one quarter of the size of a normal coax wire. Furthermore these wires come in pre-cut lengths. If you have to run a camera beyond the length of the wire, you have to purchase wiring on top of the purchase of the actual surveillance package already. This can become very costly for larger buildings. With the low grade of wiring that is used for these cameras, premature failure and performance issues over time are no secret. The wires have close to no UV resistance and, if exposed to sunlight, will destruct over time. Coax wiring has another major downside, as it is being phased out as the primary connection method for cameras. In its place Ethernet cabling is becoming more and more advanced and can handle even the highest bandwidth that a camera may need. If a system is installed with Coax cabling now, a future upgrade will require for all the wiring to be pulled again, saving you absolutely no money at all.
A custom designed surveillance system also comes with custom length wiring and high grade cables. All cameras that we install are run via Cat 5 cabling, which will future proof your install, by allowing you to upgrade your cameras down the road without running new wiring. Since the wiring that we use for our installations is a very high grade of cabling available, you can rest assured that you will be able to keep the same wiring for many years and many upgrades to come.
Camera Housings
Surveillance kits are usually packaged with small bullet style cameras, that look attractive as they are small and unobtrusive, yet still noticeable as a deterrent. This makes these cameras especially attractive, since their pricing is also very lucrative. These cameras however can have multiple flaws that the manufacturer does not note. Primarily the water resistance, dust resistance and temperature resistance. These factors are very important for outdoor cameras especially. However most often the specification of the actual housing are not provided or even rated for any of these weather conditions. Professional cameras have so called IP ratings, which provide the resistance to water and dust. More on that here. Cold weather for example is a prime example of a weather condition that is experienced in Canada for half of the year, so you’d think products are made for exactly those conditions. The truth however is that we have had reports of cameras failing the same day they were installed because of the cold. Other issues that we have experienced were water leaks and failure over time, because dust was able to enter the housing. With Alberta experiencing its fair share of cold weather, rain and snow, as well as dust, it is usually a good idea to have cameras that protect you from these issues.
All the outdoor cameras we sell are tested for the exact conditions we experience in Alberta. With temperature ratings as low as -40 degrees Celcius and IP ratings as high as IP67, we have you covered for any situation that may be thrown at these cameras. Our goal is to give you a solution that simply works, without any service calls or warranty cases. That is why we ensure the cameras we install are matched with the conditions that may be experienced at the installation site.
Fixed Lenses
Surveillance camera lenses are a very broad topic by themselves, but the gist of it is the following. Surveillance cameras that are sold in kits come with what is called a fixed lens. This lens is designed to have the same field of view as any other camera that is in the kit. Lenses are one of the main design factors for a proper surveillance systems. For a long distance application you would choose a lens that has a narrow field of view, which means it will capture more details in a distance. An example of a long distance lens would be at about 12mm, whereas a short distance lens would be 2.8mm. These minimal lens differences can make a whole lot of difference on the actual application. Since the cameras that sold in kits have a fixed lens, they cannot be matched with an application. If you want to see close, you may have a too narrow field of view, but to see far it is still too wide. The cameras are trying to get you the best of two worlds, which unfortunately is simply not possible in the surveillance world. This oftentimes results in bad surveillance video.
When we come out to a site, we measure distances and create a site plan to ensure we know the field of view and distances required to catch the details you want to see. We will then calculate the required lenses for each and every camera that we will be placing on the site. This allows for the capture of the necessary details on site. Some of the cameras that we offer even have adjustable lenses that can be adjusted on the fly.
Wireless Connectivity
Many surveillance kits offer wireless connectivity for the cameras to the main station. There are however many issues that come along with the wireless technologies for cameras. The first one most obvious and contradictory issue is the fact that wireless is not actually wireless. The camera still needs a means to be powered by. As such a power cord will have to be run to the camera. Netgear has recently released the first actual wireless camera, but even that camera does not provide 24 hour recording. This camera is run off batteries, which can become quite a problem if you are out of the country and are receiving a low battery alarm on the camera. Regardless of the camera, the power needs to get to it somehow. Running a wire from a power plug to the camera, just to enjoy the wireless capabilities of the camera being able to stream to the next room, often ends with ugly wiring hanging off the wall and never looks pretty.
The other issue is the range of those wireless cameras. While it may be enough for around the house, the garage may be too far away from the main receiver. Now what if you want to store the recording device in the basement to protect it from being stolen. You have just decreased the wireless range of the device yet again. Without careful calculations and proper installation consideration, this can mean that you will experience signal loss on a regular basis. Not a good thing for a so called reliable surveillance system.
We do not recommend using wireless technologies for cameras specifically. Wireless networking is great for smartphones, laptops and tablets, as well as some non mission critical devices, as well as bridging from one access point to another as a very stable connection. Since surveillance is part of your security, it is a mission critical part to your business and home. Wireless networking has improved greatly over the years, but in order to maintain a steady stream of data, since cameras are active 24 hours a day, and to provide the secure feed that is required for proper security, wireless signal strength would have to be 80% or higher to maintain the connection and guarantee it. Since that high of a signal strength defeats the purpose of using wireless for most applications this is the reason why we do not recommend it. Another factor is the security of wireless signals. Wireless routers and access points are much too easy to hack, as to provide a secure point for your camera surveillance. That’s why we recommend running wires for all cameras. It will look much more neat, as the wires will be concealed, guarantee up time and provide data and power in the same wire, so your power plugs will be free for your use.
Recording
The second most important part to a great picture from a surveillance camera is having it actually being recorded. Since surveillance kits come pre-packaged with a recording solution, these devices are matched to the camera and will work fine with the cameras in the package. Unfortunately this is another item that is not future proof whatsoever. Should you want to switch to a different camera system, these will not allow it. The devices are set for the proprietary cameras that they came with. If you want to upgrade your cameras to IP cameras, you first of run the problem of not having the correct ports on the device, but also that the device does not support any other cameras. This means you are left with a useless piece of hardware and will have to purchase a different recording solution once it is time to upgrade. The recording devices also come with the hard drives pre-installed in the unit. Oftentimes these hard drives are not surveillance grade drives and can fail prematurely, but also do not allow for additional storage within the system. Some allow for external hard drives to be attached, but even that makes the solution more bulky and complicated.
With a custom built solution there is always a way to install more storage on the system. In terms of the proprietary camera solution, the same might exist for a custom surveillance solution, but you will have many more cameras to choose from, instead of being confined to one camera. Hikvision for example builds NVRs that are able to accept only their own cameras. These NVRs however benefit from software updates that ensure that even the newest cameras can still be hooked onto the device. As such if you want to upgrade a few years down the road, you are only confined to the offering that Hikvision has, instead of one specific camera that has since been discontinued.
Future Expansion and Upgrades
Thinking ahead is oftentimes one of the biggest shortcomings for surveillance solutions. Nobody knows what might happen in the future, but it is good to be prepared for the future. With a surveillance kit that can be purchased at any store, you receive something that is not planning for the future at all. You will receive an instant gratification product, that is already old technology at the time you are purchasing it. The wiring cannot be used for future camera upgrades, the server will not accept any different cameras other than the ones that came with the solution, nor will it be possible to upgrade the storage capacity on the unit. Adding more cameras is also completely impossible, because the surveillance kit came with the maximum amount of cameras the system can handle. Regardless of where you look on the system, there will be something restricting a future upgrade, requiring you to purchase an entirely new kit. This is the goal of the manufacturers of these kits, as they know their devices will stop working within a few years, and you will have to purchase an entirely new package instead of swapping the components that need replacing.
Thieves are becoming smarter about Surveillance kits
Thieves are becoming smarter and more educated about the technologies that are trying to combat them. Surveillance is one such technology. Intruders know that surveillance kits mostly offer low resolution video and come with fixed lenses.This makes premises with kits installed a primary target. Since many retailers offer a live preview of the cameras within their stores, no one is is stopped from actually viewing those cameras and seeing the resolution of them. With a custom solution it is much harder to guess what camera it might be. With the same housing offering a place for a 1.2 megapixel camera or up to a 6 megapixel camera, it can create serious doubts for intruders. There are no obvious signs as to what camera they are dealing with, if it is a custom solution, which usually acts as a great deterrent.
Get in Touch
If you are considering a surveillance kit from your supermarket, contact us first. We have solutions that will provide you with a much better picture, better warranties and a much better future outlook. These solutions are very similar in pricing to the surveillance kits that you may be considering. Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments. You can call us at any time at (403) 477-4800 or email us at info@authorizedsecurity.ca.