IP Camera Systems and Surveillance Blog

Long Range IR PTZ Cameras – How Long is Long?

Posted on November 4, 2014June 1, 2020 by Virginia Fair

IP surveillance cameras are ubiquitous today. Everyone who sets foot out his door is well aware that somewhere, sometime on his journey he will enter into and out of several cameras’ fields of view.

Since very few everyday security cameras are covert, one has only to look several feet up at buildings, light poles, retail store ceilings to see this is true. There is a reason for this – the sight of a surveillance camera can be beneficial in deterring crime.

But there are also cameras capable of surveying an area, sight unseen, from, literally, miles away. These surveillance cameras fall under the heading, long-range cameras.

Physical Security Systems

Posted on October 31, 2014June 1, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

A physical security system is a collection of equipment and software that provides security and safety. It can use a variety of network-attached devices as well as a number of software products that can be integrated to provide a unified solution.

To be more specific, the integration of the latest video management software (VMS), with door access control software, and emergency paging software along with IP cameras, IP sensors, IP door readers, and IP paging amplifiers can provide a very complete physical security system. These IP based security systems provide similar capability to Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) software at much less cost.

Are IP Cameras Better Than Analog CCTV Cameras?

Posted on October 24, 2014June 1, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

Comparison of IP Cameras and Analog Cameras

Why should I use an IP camera when the analog cameras are so much cheaper?

That’s a question we get especially from those people who have been using analog CCTV (closed-circuit TV) systems for many years. Actually CCTV has been around for over 45 years. Olean, NY was the first municipality in the US to use cameras on its main street to help reduce crime (according to Wikipedia this was back in 1968).

Not only have the analog CCTV systems been around for a very long time, but they also haven’t really changed from their original capability. Well yes, they have gotten much cheaper, and there are efforts to use higher resolution cameras, but their capability hasn’t changed. The first systems were based on the TV standards established by the National Television System Committee (NTSC). The standard indicated that there should be 525 vertical TV lines, with a frame rate of 30 frames per second. Take a look at our video, How the Video Camera Works.

Wireless IP Security Cameras and Perimeter Protection

Posted on October 22, 2014June 1, 2020 by Virginia Fair

The question is Who needs wireless IP security cameras?

The answer is schools, transport companies, oil companies, entertainment venues, and construction sites.

Wireless IP cameras are the perfect solution to the problem of monitoring areas beyond the scope of traditional network cameras.

They can be mounted close to their intended subject and connect to high performance radios with directional antennas that use their own wireless protocol to stream high bandwidth video to the VMS.

(For a detailed explanation of how wireless IP cameras work, see our earlier post)

Emergency IP Paging Using Panic Buttons

Posted on October 20, 2014June 1, 2020 by Virginia Fair

Emergency paging increases safety because it provides immediate notification of dangerous situations. By adding panic buttons, you can make these emergency pages very quickly.

Push the button and the paging system will let everyone know that the school is in lockdown, or that they should exit the building. These prerecorded announcements can cover many emergency situations.

Of course, you don’t have to use just the panic buttons, a person can still make a manual announcement. Since IP Paging systems connect to your network, they can handle many different emergency situations. They also can be used not only in one building, but in multiple buildings, or even on multiple campuses.

Here’s how to add an emergency IP paging system that includes panic buttons to your organization.

Technical Jokes and Cartoons 3A

Posted on October 15, 2014March 18, 2021 by Bob Mesnik

We included the latest technical topics as well as some classic jokes from Henny Youngman, a comedian who was popular years ago. He was known for his “one-liners”. for example,

I’ve been in love with the same woman for forty-one years. If my wife finds out, she’ll kill me.
Henny Youngman

Access Control and Electric Locks for Secure Cabinets

Posted on October 14, 2014April 10, 2020 by Virginia Fair

When most people think of access control systems, they picture authorized personnel using a credential and keypad to gain entry to a secured office building or complex. But did you know door access control can be applied to storage cabinets and drawers as well?

Small electric cabinet locks are ideal for situations where security dictates that certain items not only be kept under lock and key, but also that access be limited to authorized persons. These cabinet locks are just as secure as door control locks yet small enough to mount on cabinets and drawers. Since authorized users must use their access credentials to unlock them, a record is kept of who opened them and when.

IP Access Control + Bluetooth = Germ Protection

Posted on October 7, 2014June 1, 2020 by Virginia Fair

In these days when Ebola is ravaging West Africa and Enterovirus D68 is sending children home from school, it is especially troubling to learn that Chinese health researchers testing thirty-eight ATMs in downtown Taipei, found an astonishing average of 1,200 germs – per key! Included in the count were E.coli, as well as cold and flu viruses.

The most deadly key? Enter – which if you think about it makes perfect sense – every transaction ends with a hit to the enter key.

Scary, huh? Now think about the access control keypad you use every morning to gain access to your office building or facility.

Can Drones Help Firefighters Contain Wildfires?

Posted on October 6, 2014June 1, 2020 by Virginia Fair

2014 is proving to be a historic year for wildfire activity in California and the Pacific Northwest. The National Fire Inter-Agency Center, in a report they update daily, put the combined number of fire-ravaged acres in California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, to date, at over half-million. Due to the prolonged drought in California, the number of wildfires in that state alone is 123% of the state’s average – and we’re only halfway into August.

With local firefighters working round the clock and, out-of-state teams journeying cross country to join them, one has to wonder if drones and IP camera systems might be able to play an assisting role.

Adding Drones to the Mix

Last year, during the Rim Fire in California that destroyed 257,314 acres in Yosemite National Park and the surrounding Sierra Nevada Mountains, the National Guard launched a Predator Drone to aid firefighters by using infrared sensors to detect hot spots along the fire’s perimeters or in isolated spots.

A New Role for IP Camera Systems – Operations Manager

Posted on October 6, 2014June 1, 2020 by Virginia Fair

Multiscreen for IP camera surveillance systems

In this business era, when companies are focusing on getting the best return on their investment, a sizable number are looking towards extending their use of IP camera surveillance systems beyond security and into overseeing business operations.

According to a recent issue of Security Watch Info, a survey in which IT and video surveillance professionals were asked what their business plans were for video surveillance revealed that 68% of respondents plan to use their IP camera systems for improving operations while 32% planned to restrict their usage to security.

Many retail businesses with more than one outlet, perhaps because they are already familiar with how IP cameras systems and video management software deliver remote real-time multi-screen viewing of several locations, have already made the move.

Managers feel that using the cameras will improve their ability to:

manage multiple locations
monitor everyday business activities
track employees over the course of a day
keep a watchful eye on inventory and sensitive customer and business data

They are particularly fond of VMS’s ability to record and store video and easily access it for future viewing and plant to use it for: