Trying to find the right CCTV system to suit your needs can seem like a bit of a minefield – there’s a lot to consider and, if you don’t work with CCTV day in, day out, it can seem a little overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to… We’ve put together a few of the essential things that you should be thinking about when preparing to buy a new CCTV system. The following tips work whether you’re buying for your home or your business:
Think about where you want it
Firstly, you need to decide whether you want to install the cameras to focus on the outside, inside, or both. This will impact the cameras you buy – for example, if you want to focus on outdoor CCTV, you’ll need to make sure they’re weatherproof. Secondly, you’ll need to consider the areas that you’d like to target. This will help you get a rough idea of how many cameras your system will need to have. You might only need 1 or you might need 6. You won’t know until you take the time to work out exactly where you want the cameras to focus.
Decide whether you want black and white or colour cameras
For low light conditions, it’s always recommended that you use black and white cameras – just to ensure you get the best visibility possible (which is essential with CCTV). Colour cameras work well in good lighting conditions so if you’re focusing on well-lit indoor areas, you might want to opt for these.
Would you prefer your cameras to be visible or hidden?
Again, the answer to this question will have an impact on the system that you buy. There are benefits to both options so you’ll need to weigh up which option works best for your needs. If you’re not sure, you can always get in touch – we’ll be happy to advise you.
Installing it yourself vs CCTV installers
You need to ask yourself whether you have enough knowledge and understanding of the system – not to mention time – to install it yourself or whether you’d prefer to have professional CCTV installers come in and set everything up. More often than not, it’s not worth the risk of installing it yourself – because if you don’t get it 100% spot on, your system might not function properly. Which, in turn, makes your CCTV system a little useless. Plus, if you do decide to get the professionals in, you may find that they’re able to advise you on which system to buy in the first place, so you can be sure that your CCTV is going to work for your specific needs.
Don’t forget about storage
If you’re planning to record the footage, how much footage would you want to store at a time. If you only want to store the previous days worth, you’ll need less storage than if you wanted to save months at a time. So take the time to consider what’s going to be best for you. Advancements in technology also mean that you now have the option to see real-time footage on your phone, wherever you are, thanks to apps. If this is something you’d be interested, make sure your CCTV system has the capacity for that.
Should you opt for an alarm and CCTV combo?
Whilst CCTV offers the surveillance aspect of security, it doesn’t always raise the alarm – which is why we would always suggest using burglar alarms alongside CCTV. That way you can be sure that your security is of a high standard and offering you great protection. Hopefully this gives you a clear idea of what you should be thinking about when it comes to buying a CCTV system, whether that’s for your home or your business. If you have any questions or would like some advice on what alarms or CCTV system would work well for you, call us now or click here to use our contact page.