CCTV

CCTV, or closed circuit television cameras, as the name suggests operate on a closed circuit. This means that the signal cannot be picked up by just anyone – only people who are in on the circuit can access the feed. 

This is generally quite important for security cameras; you don’t want potential intruders to be able to monitor the feed whenever they want, potentially gathering useful information that could help them to rob the property. It could also be a privacy concern, if nosy neighbours decided they wanted to see in and around your house.

Wired cameras

Wired CCTV systems are the most common form of camera surveillance, connected to both the internet and electricity system via cables. They can either be run via two separate cables, one for internet and one for power, or via a single Power over Internet (PoE) cable.

Wired cameras tend to be quite reliable; they aren’t as susceptible to interference from other devices, whether intentional or accidental, and their bandwidth tends to be far more stable. It also means that the system is far more secure from hackers, as they’re manually connected to the central system.

On the downside, wired systems are more limiting when it comes to installation. They can only be placed in locations where an internet cable can be run, and it can take a little longer to set up.

Wireless cameras

Wireless cameras aren’t generally truly wireless – they still need a wire to provide them with power, but they send the video feed via wifi, either to the cloud or to a local physical storage device.

Wireless CCTV systems tend to be a little easier to install, as you can run a cable to them from any location that already has power. This means that they also end up being a little cheaper, in terms of set up, than wired cameras.

However, they are less reliable. They depend on a good wifi signal wherever the camera is, which can be tricky in most houses. If you want to have one located in a garden, you may need to also then install a wifi booster, to ensure that the signal is powerful enough.

They’re also more susceptible to hacking and other forms of unintentional disruption. If you have the camera system integrated with your alarm system, to alert you in the case that the signal is lost, this could result in annoying false alarms, or a dangerous period where you have no video feed being recorded.

Wire-free cameras

Some cameras are battery-powered and send their feed via wifi, meaning that they’re incredibly easy to install. It does mean that you need to keep on top of charging up the batteries – if you don’t mind a little maintenance, and don’t consider yourself too forgetful, that might not be a problem.

High quality picture

In popular culture, such as on TV shows and films, the picture that security officers and police tend to watch are often comically bad quality. While this used to be a common issue with CCTV cameras, grainy black and white images are thankfully now something relegated to the past. 

The primary brand that we use offers cameras that produce incredibly high-quality pictures. We tend to install cameras between 5MP and 8MP. This means that should something occur, you’ll have incredibly high resolution footage of whoever broke into your home. To put this quality into perspective, most CCTV cameras are around 2MP, meaning our higher quality options are 4x the resolution of the average surveillance cameras.

Full colour night vision

While you can have lights installed so that your CCTV system works at night as well as during the day, in some cases it can be highly beneficial to have night vision. Some of our high-end cameras feature full-colour night vision, meaning that even when people are skirting around your property at night, you can still catch them on camera.

This also means that when lit up with a motion sensor activated light, they’ll appear far clearer than with a normal camera.

Varifocal

The cameras that we install are often typically varifocal. What this means is that you can adjust how zoomed in they are, depending on the requirements of the location you install them. The great thing about this is that each of your cameras can be suited to multiple different locations, making your system incredibly versatile.

For example, if you have a perimeter gate or fence that you want to be able to watch from a camera on the house, you can have it zoomed in on that location. Conversely, if you have a small area that you want to be able to cover with a single camera, you can have it fully zoomed out.

While this might sound like a lot to plan and take in, our experienced installers will be able to advise on what will be most appropriate for your situation. With decades of experience under their belt, it only takes them a second to identify which spots need more attention.

High-quality installation

While anyone can throw some cameras on a building and they might turn on for a little while, installing CCTV cameras effectively is a complex process that takes both technical expertise and in-depth industry knowledge. Only highly trained and experienced locksmiths and camera technicians will be able to provide you with this service. The steps will go as follows.

First, one of our locksmiths will come to your property at an appropriate time for you to conduct an in-depth survey. This will vary depending on the property and its location, but will consist of trying to establish any weak points in the security system. In terms of cameras, this will include looking for weak spots such as windows and doors that burglars are likely to target. 

They’ll consult you on your security needs, taking into consideration both the property itself and the vulnerability of the occupants and any valuables that might be stored inside. 

Next, they’ll propose locations for the cameras themselves. These will aim to cover the most vulnerable spots of your home. Once you’ve agreed on locations for the cameras, the technician can then go ahead and install them for you.

Video doorbells

The most common point of entry for burglars is the front door. As a result, it’s important that it’s fully secured against any potential intruders. While this means getting a solid door that’s secured with an equally solid lock, you also need to ensure that you install other preventative measures that might also increase the chance of catching an intruder.

An increasingly popular solution that we recommend to a lot of our clients is video doorbells. They consist of a small camera in or next to a doorbell. The camera can be linked up to your phone via an app, so that whenever someone rings the bell, you get a notification and a live stream of what’s going on.

Some video doorbells can also be set up so that they’re motion activated. That way, whenever someone moves in front of them, they’ll pick up a signal and send it to your phone.

Not only do video doorbells decrease the likelihood that your house is burgled, but they can also give you a bit of peace of mind whenever someone rings the bell. They’re a lot more effective than peepholes in this regard – you can actually see who’s standing there, rather than just a strange fisheye angle.

Lighting

While some of the cameras we install are equipped with full-colour night time imaging, installing lighting can increase the quality of the image and can also help to act as a deterrent. At the end of the day, you don’t just want to know if someone is next to your property – you want them to go away.

Our locksmith who’s dealing with your installation can run you through all the options, giving the pros and cons for each solution. Often, a few well-placed motion activated lights can act as significant deterrents, especially if there are poorly lit areas surrounding your property.

No ongoing fees

A lot of people these days are going for video doorbells, like Amazon’s Ring, that operate on a subscription basis if you want to use more advanced features. While this might be a little cheaper in the short run, in the long run, our fixed-price solutions can often end up being a lot cheaper.

You get what you buy, with no ongoing subscription plans just to keep it running. What’s more, as we’re a local Stockport locksmith company primarily and your safety is paramount to us. We’ll be on hand to sort out any issues that could occur, unlike tech giants who could leave you on hold for weeks.

Please contact us 0161 427 7025 for more information on how we can help with your security camera and CCTV installation or setup requirements.