CCTV

Jargon Buster

Buying a CCTV system can be confusing and we’ve all come across some terms that don’t make much sense to a non technical person. Terms like TVL, Lux, Lens, Indoor, Outdoor, IP66, Voltage drop, Interference and many more. We’ve made a list of some common technical words used in CCTV, burglar alarm, fire alarm, access control and explained them here as simple as possible.

What is CCTV?

Closed Circuit Television – Most conventional CCTV systems use analog video signals and it is measured in television lines.

What is dome & bullet camera?

Dome and bullet is just a shape of the camera, you can buy bullet and dome camera with same specification.

Remote Access in CCTV system?

CCTV recorder or DVR can be programmed with an IP address to enable remote access. Latest DVRs can be viewed through smart phones, it normally requires an application.

Coax or CAT 5?

In CCTV installation there are different ways to run cables and different cables to use. CAT 5 is mostly used in networking, installers prefer using them as it minimise the amount of cable used.

Sony CCTV cameras?

Sony is a major manufacturer in CCTV camera chip and Sony chips are very reliable. There are many generic cameras use Sony chip and refer them as Sony CCTV cameras.

What is DVR?

Digital video recorded records video footage. In most DVR’s SATA hard drive is used to record video footage.

HD cameras in CCTV?

Cameras that are normally seen as high definition cameras and this can be either IP or Analog cameras. Installing a HD camera with a DVR is not a good idea as it will not give any better video footage than an analog camera.

960h CCTV cameras

960 represents number of horizontal lines in a vertical span, this is a latest development in analog cameras. In order to record 960h CCTV camera video footage you should use DVR with the right specification.

Balun in CCTV

Balun is an adapter use to convert CAT5 balanced video signals to CCTV camera supported unbalance video signals.

CCD Sensors in CCTV cameras

Charged coupled device is a type of sensor used in CCTV cameras. CCD sensor covert light into electrical signals for CCTV usage.

HD-SDI Cameras

Latest addition to CCTV family is HD-SDI cameras. HD-SDI cameras give high quality full HD images yet using the same cable as analog cameras.

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