Tag: IP cameras

IP Camera System Installation

How to Save Money Installing the IP Camera System

IP Camera Installation
IP Camera Installation

Wouldn’t it be nice if it was easier to install IP cameras? After all, installation is a big part of the expense of an IP camera system.  Some manufacturers provide IP cameras that are designed for easy installation. They thought about everything from how the cameras are placed in the box to the software tools that help with the final installation process. The installation time makes a big difference in the total cost of an IP camera system installation.

This article reviews the things that are part of an IP Camera system installation. We review the packaging, remote setup capability, and software management tools that reduce the time to install your IP camera system.

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IP Camera Systems – The Complete Reference Guide

Everything you wanted to know about IP camera systems

So you would like to purchase an IP camera system. You may have some idea about your goals. But, are those expectations realistic?

The more you know about the capability of the IP camera system, the better you can select the system that meets your expectations.

This technical summary provides the information you need to make an informed purchase of your IP camera system.

Access Control IP Camera Concept
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What is the Best Camera for IP Camera Systems

Comparison of Surveillance Cameras for Your IP Camera Systems

Comparison of IP Cameras

To determine the best surveillance camera, you must first understand your objectives.  The purposes of your surveillance system include increased safety, reduced theft, improved productivity, or reducing liability. It also includes how quickly you need to be notified of an alarm condition.

Do you want to know when a person steals the laptop from the desk or leaves an unattended package, or do you need to record what happens in the parking lot?

This comparison of IP cameras focuses on the cameras. The camera is only one part of the IP camera system. The complete surveillance system includes a video recording and management system, network switches, and video storage system.

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How to Integrate Door Access and IP Camera Systems

The best way to integrate IP Video and IP door access systems

IP Door and Video Access systems concept

Door Access Control and IP Camera Systems provide security by themselves. When the two systems are integrated, they provide a higher level of security and safety.

There are some different ways to integrate cameras and door control systems.

There are proprietary systems that only support specific hardware, and there are non-proprietary system solutions that can use more general hardware. This article provides the pros and cons of the different methods for integrating these security systems.

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IP Cameras Price Versus Performance

screens and camera technology display

How much should you expect to pay for your IP camera?  IP cameras range in price from under $200 to over $1000.

Since the price depends on what you need, you should always make sure you understand your objectives. For help in defining your requirements, take a look at our article, Defining Your Objectives.

Price varies with performance. The least expensive cameras have fixed lenses. Do you need a camera for a small room or an outdoor camera that can recognize a person over 300 ft. away? The more expensive cameras include variable lenses that you can adjust from your computer. Some high-performance very low-light outdoor cameras can see things by starlight.

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IP Camera Motion Stabilization

How IP Camera Image Stabilization Works

girl with camera landscape drawing

Have you ever tried to take a snapshot of something that’s far away? When you are using a long distance lens (higher focal point), you probably found it hard to keep the camera steady.

The higher the focal length of the lens, the more difficult it is to stabilize the image. This problem is especially significant with very long-range IP camera. When a surveillance camera is mounted on a swaying pole, or on a ship at sea, movement can affect the quality of the video. Image stabilization is used in IP cameras to reduce the effects of this motion.

This article describes the various mechanisms used to stabilize an IP surveillance camera.

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How to Connect Audio to Networks and IP Cameras

dog surveillance audio cartoon

Did you ever want to yell at someone you see on your video surveillance display? Maybe you want to tell them to get away from your parking lot or to yell at an intruder that the police are coming.  Perhaps you would like to talk to someone at your door? Then you could let the delivery man enter the back door at your office.

IP audio interface systems provide connections to speakers for paging or intercom devices. This article describes how audio can be added to your network or IP camera system.

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Security Provided by Access Control Systems

What You Can Do to Improve Security

With all the gun-related tragedies at schools and other facilities, what can we do to increase our security? Securing your facility, school, sporting events, or concerts have become more complicated.

Door Access Control Concept
Door Access Control Concept

IP camera systems used to be enough to monitor the facility, but today we want to do a lot more.  We want to prevent unauthorized access to our buildings, prevent people from bringing in weapons, and we want to provide campus-wide paging systems that keep everyone informed of any emergency.  

Access control systems include more than just a door reader. They can include intercoms, cameras and even walk-through metal detectors. Each of these security systems adds another level of safety. The different components play unique roles in your overall security. This article reviews the various parts and when to use them. It provides guidance about what technology to use and an overview of how they work.

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Long Range Camera Systems – Custom Vs. Off-the-Shelf

Review of Long-Range Day-Night IP Camera Systems

long range custom PTZ camera

If you want to detect an object many miles away, you will need a special long-range PTZ camera.  While custom-made cameras are best for very long-range applications, the latest off-the-shelf cameras provide some of the same capability for less money. These long-range PTZ cameras are very cost-effective, and allow you to detect a person almost 4-miles away. They have built-in IR-illumination or an additional thermal imaging camera that allows you to see an object over ½ mile away.  Prices range from less than $3,000 to about $25,000.

If you want to detect an object many miles away, you will need a special long-range PTZ camera.  While custom-made cameras are best for very long-range applications, the latest off-the-shelf cameras provide some of the same capability for less money. These long-range PTZ cameras are very cost-effective, and allow you to detect a person almost 4-miles away. They have built-in IR-illumination or an additional thermal imaging camera that allows you to see an object over ½ mile away.  Prices range from less than $3,000 to about $25,000.

The basic difference between the off-the-shelf cameras and the custom made cameras is their performance. The custom long-range cameras take much longer to build because they use special components.  The custom long-range cameras generally will provide much better operational distance, especially at night.  Custom-made systems can view objects at night that are over 8 miles away. They include very long distance lenses, specialized laser illuminators, special thermal cameras, and very high-performance pan tilt mechanisms.  Off-the-shelf long-range cameras cost less than $25,000, while custom cameras range in price from $50,000 to well over $150,000. Here is a summary of the systems available:

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What is the Best IP Camera Recording System

There are NVRs and VMS Recording Systems, but what is best for your IP camera system?

video recording servers-ocularis

The video recording system is a key part of the total IP camera system. There are many solutions available, but what is the best one for your application?

Most NVRs, video management software systems, or even a cloud system will provide basic video recording. But, if you want to support many cameras at multiple sites, you need a more advanced system.

This article helps you determine the best recording system for your application. It compares simple systems that are used for a handful of cameras, to complex systems that can handle thousands of cameras at multiple sites. Your total system requirements will determine the best video recording system.

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