IP Camera Selection Guide for Your Surveillance System
IP Camera Selection Guide
There are many IP cameras available. Some are very inexpensive, while others cost a lot. Why the price difference? It mainly depends on the performance and quality. The first thing to consider is what you want to accomplish, and then use the following guide to select the right IP camera.
This article describes what IP camera to consider for each type of application. It suggests cameras from the top-rated brand’s Axis and Hanwha. There are less expensive brands such as Hikvision and Dahua, but they are on the US restricted list of Chinese cameras.
An IP Camera System is a set of cameras and software that provide video surveillance. IP camera systems usually include many IP cameras that are selected depending on what areas they need to view. These network-attached cameras can be dome, bullet, PTZ, or panoramic IP cameras. The system also includes a video recording system such as video management software (VMS) or Network Video Recorders (NVR). All the components connect to the local area network.
This article provides information to help you select the right IP camera system.
There are a variety of network-attached intercoms. Some connect to a central computer, while others connect to smartphone apps. The new IP intercoms use your network infrastructure, are powered over Ethernet (PoE), include IP cameras, and have great features and functions that were never available with the old analog intercoms. They can open doors, integrate with IP camera systems and door access control systems to provide a complete security system.
In general, IP intercoms consist of an audio amplifier, microphone, I/O connections, a special-purpose computer, and an interface to the network. This article reviews the different models of IP intercoms and how they can be used.
Access Control systems allow registered people to enter a specific door at a pre-determined schedule.
Visitor management systems control people who are not registered. Together they provide increased safety and security.
Access Control and Visitor Management Integration
The combination of access control, temperature scanning, contact tracing, and access to control databases has increased security and health. This article reviews the new technology advances in visitor management and the integration of door access control and other technologies.
Pan, Tilt Zoom Cameras Provide Increased Capability
PTZ Cameras
We have come a long way since the first pan, tilt, zoom (PTZ) cameras. The first PTZ cameras were relatively primitive. These early cameras shared the technology with television cameras and used vidicon vacuum tubes and other analog components to capture the video.
This article describes the evolution of the PTZ cameras from coax connected analog cameras to network-attached digital cameras with much greater capability.
The latest IP apartment intercoms use wireless networks to communicate with the tenant. The new wireless multi-tenant intercoms allow you to contact the resident’s smartphone or standard phone to request entry into the building. The lobby intercom touchscreen display provides a list of all the tenants in the building.
This article provides critical features and functions of the best apartment intercom systems.
Is there anything nice we can say about 2020? Not much except maybe, I don’t think murder hornets killed anyone. It certainly was a challenging year, and we are all happy to say goodbye.
Technology in 2020
It was a year of the pandemic and of science finding vaccines in record-breaking time. It was a year where we worked at home and discovered we could do this anywhere in the world. It caused an upheaval in the real estate market as we moved out of big cities and corporations downsized. SpaceX changed how we went to space, and engineers developed face recognition panels that checked our temperature as we entered the building.
This article reviews some of the technology for the security and surveillance market introduced in 2020.
What’s the difference between a home surveillance camera and a commercial IP camera system used in schools, office buildings, and hospitals?
Cameras for Home and Office
Home IP Cameras cost between $20 and $100, while the professional IP cameras range from $150 to over $2,000. There is a difference. This article compares the capability you should expect from a home camera versus a commercial surveillance IP camera system.
Paging systems have changed over the years. Remember the old days when the principal would make announcements on that old PA system. You were lucky to hear anything that was said.
Paging Over IP
The principal had a microphone attached to a clunky amplifier. It had a large knob that adjusted the volume. All the speakers were wired to this central amplifier. Many of these old paging systems have reached end-of-life, and people are looking for replacements.
The world of paging systems has changed. Now, it’s all digital. This evolution has made paging systems much simpler to install and provide new functions that were not available in the older systems.
Installation Practices for Door Access Control Systems
There are several things to consider when selecting and installing a door access control system.
Access Control Practices
These safer practices increase the overall security of the system.
System security starts with the correct type of door-reader and secure wiring. It requires the right electric lock and an exit methodology for maglocks. It is also essential to select the right management software and additional security and safety features.
