Surveillance Definitions
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AGC - Automatic Gain
Control is an electronic system found in many types of devices. Its purpose
is to control the gain of a system in order to
maintain adequate performance over a range of input
signal levels. Or An electronic circuit that
tries to keep the video signal at a constant level
(1volt peak-peak). Useful on cameras working at
low light levels
AI - Auto Iris is an
electronic circuit that acts as an iris on CCD cameras by electronically
shuttering the CCD sensor. Or An automatic method
of varying the size of a lens opening in
response to changes in scene illumination.
AWB - Auto White
Balance is an electronic process used in video cameras to retain true colors.
It is performed electronically on the basis of a
white object in the picture.
CCD - Charged Coupled
Device: It is analog technology. The CCD camera has a little bit higher
resolution than CMOS. The camera also functions
better in low light. A CCD camera drains a little
bit more power than the CMOS cameras. It uses 12v
instead of 9v. CMOS camera is smaller than a
CCD camera and works longer with the 9v battery.
CMOS - Complementary
Metal Oxide Semiconductor: a lower resolution camera compared to a CCD model.
The advantage of a CMOS camera is that it uses
lower operation current.
HAD CCD - Hole
Accumulation Diode is a type of CCD sensor with a layer designed to accumulate
holes (in the electronic sense), thus reducing
noise level.
S to N Ratio - Signal
to Noise Ratio is simply the ratio of the signal power and noise power,
expressed in decibels (dB). Or measure of noise
on a video signal. It is represented in Decibels
as the level of the video signal compared to the
level of noise present on that signal. The
higher the signal to noise ratio the better.
BLC - Balance Light
Control is a method to compensate for bright spots in a picture. It is also
important to consider whether there are bright
spots in the picture such as car headlights which
can make identification of the vehicle
registration or model impossible. This can also be a major
problem where it is necessary to identify a
person who is moving from bright daylight into
artificial light. This could result in the
subject becoming an unidentifiable silhouette.
OSD - On Screen Display
is a method of displaying set-up information or instructions on to a
display monitor.
Resolution - Resolution
measures the cameras ability to reproduce an image. The higher the
resolution, the better the picture quality.
LUX - LUX is the
measurement of low light needed for the camera to view and record properly.
FPS - Frames Per Second
is the number of still frames (pictures) that give the illusion of motion,
which appear in a single second of time.30fps is
considered "Real Time". So for Real Time viewing
of your cameras, you need at least 30fps for each
camera.
IR - Infrared, IR LEDS
are used on Day/Night cameras which allow the camera to see in the dark.
Focal Length - the
distance from the surface of a lens and its focal point.
Questions -
How do hidden cameras work?
A small board camera is built into an everyday item. The camera
can
be wired which means it is connected to the DVR
or VCR using a cable. The camera can also be
wireless, in this case the camera transmits a
signal to a receiver that is connected to the
DVR or VCR.
Can I get audio in my hidden camera?
- No you cannot. According to United States federal laws,
audio should not be used in a surreptitious
manner. One example of surreptitious interception is
audio in a hidden camera. This includes pinhole
board cameras and all covert or hidden cameras;
i.e., a clock radio. Audio in a hidden camera or
board camera is only available to law enforcement
agencies. Title 18, Section 2512.
What is the difference between a wired and a
wireless camera? - Wired cameras have a video cable
that runs from the camera to your recording or
viewing device such as a DVR, VCR or monitor.
Wireless cameras have a built-in transmitter that
sends the video signal to a receiver. The
receiver connects to your recording or viewing
device.
How far can a wireless hidden camera transmit?
- Standard wireless hidden cameras can transmit up
to 1000 feet and high-powered wireless hidden
cameras can transmit up to 2500 feet.
How many wireless cameras can you have in one
location? - You can have up to four wireless
cameras in one location. You can view all cameras
at once using four receivers or you can use one
receiver and switch to each camera. You will only
be able to view one camera at a time if you only
use one receiver. If you want to install multiple
wireless cameras in one location it's best to
order them at the same time so that we can put
them on different channels.
Will a cordless phone interfere with wireless
cameras? - Cordless phones that operate on the 2.4
GHz frequency will cause interference with 2.4
GHz cameras. Interference should be minimal and
usually occurs if the phone is between the camera
and receiver. Wireless Internet, networks and
Wifi can cause interference too.
What is a Quad? - A
Quad is used with a VCR or other single channel recording device that splits
your monitor into 4 sections allowing you to view
4 cameras at once.
What is a 2.4 GHz wireless frequency?
- A frequency is used to transmit a signal or data like
video. 2.4GHz is the specific wireless frequency
that our tranmitters use to send video signal
to a receiver. All of our wireless cameras
operate on the 2.4 GHz frequency. Range varies from
200' to 700' depending on environmental
conditions. These units are FCC approved.
Are the transmitters FCC approved?
- The transmitters used in all of our wireless systems are
FCC and Industry Canada Certified.
What is CCD? - CCD is
used in professional cameras because of it's high resolution quality and
it's ability to record in low-light situations.
CCD is basically a small silicon chip that
receives light and turns it into voltage
variations which makes up an image. It's usually
measured in inches with 1/3" CCD being the
standard. They are higher priced but are great for
cameras that may require vision in near darkness.
Will a Quad allow four cameras to record at the
same time? - Yes you can record all four cameras
at the same time. You also can record using a
switching monitor, which will record the camera
that is showing at that moment.
Do the receivers work through walls up to two
feet thick? - Yes as long as there isn't excessive
amount of metal in the wall.
Do the plug and play connections require extra
wire to run the signal back to the VCR or TV? -
Yes, you need to buy the length of cable you need
we offer the CA-25, CA-50, CA-100 and the CA-150.
What is the difference between a PC based DVR and
a Embedded(stand alone) DVR? - A PC based DVR has
all the functions of a computer. An embedded DVR
functions only as a DVR.
How many hours will a DVR record?
- The amount of time a DVR will record for is based on the
size of the DVRs hard drive, the number of
cameras recording and the number of frames per second
it is recording at. Our stand alone DVRs uses
3.4GB per camera per day. 4 camera stand alone on
250GB hard drive will record for 18 days. 8
camera stand alone on 250GB hard drive will record for
9 days. 16 camera stand alone on 500GB hard drive
will record for 9 days.
What is a Plug and Play connection camera?
- It is an RCA Video plug and a power plug on the
camera for easy connection to VCR or TV. This is
done by running the RCA (Aux) line into the
VIDEO IN of the VCR or TV. The TV or VCR must be
set on the correct channel to view the VIDEO
IN picture.
How many cameras can I hook up to one TV?
- You can hook up as many cameras as your TV has
inputs. Most TVs have 2 inputs but when using a
quad you can hook up four cameras.
How long will the camera last with a 9-volt
battery? - The Cyber Eye and BD-127 will last 5 hours.
Between what temperatures is it safe for cameras
to operate in?
It is safe for B/W cameras to operate between
-23°C to + 50°C or -10ºF to +122ºF
It is safe for color cameras to oeperate between
-23º C to +40ºC or -10ºF to +104ºF
It is safe to store cameras between -30ºC to
+70ºC or -22ºF to +158ºF
What is the operating voltage of a camera?
- Our cameras range from 9 volts (CMOS) to 12volts,
and also 24 volt professional models.
What is a varifocal lens?
- A varifocal lens is one where the focal length of the lens can
be
varied. This is a fancy way of saying it is a
zoom lens. Most varifocal lenses have, and in almost
all circumstances should have, an auto iris
feature.
What is a fixed lens? -
A fixed focal length lens cannot zoom. The focus is fixed. A fixed focal
length lens usually allows more light to pass
through the lens at a given focal length than a
varifocal, or zoom lens. This can be important in low light
situations.
