How to choose a security camera system for your home

Home security cameras systems are relatively easy to install and usually, it's not necessary to have a contract with a security company which charges you a monthly fee to have everything up and running.

In this lesson, I explain the basic differences between home security systems so you can better understand and choose the right one for you.

Just visit your local store to get your kit (see some recommendation later).

How to choose a security camera system for your home (technology and types of cameras)

OK, the first thing you need to decide is which type of cameras you need for your home, so let's dive in into some details that you need to consider before purchasing a security camera system kit.

Indoor or outdoor installation?

The security cameras can be installed inside your house to monitor any indoor activity or they can protect the outdoor areas such as your front door, backyard and entry points that can lead into your house.

When choosing the type of cameras you must consider if they need to have weather protection and purchase the ones with the appropriate ingress protection rating which avoid water and dust get into the device.

Before purchasing a security camera just look for the IP rate information, there's a universal standard that tells you how good is the protection as follow:

IP65 - This means your camera is water-resistant but it's not recommended to have it in an outdoor installation where it can be exposed to the rain. You can install the camera indoor or on areas with not direct rain.

IP66 - This means your camera is protected against heavy seas or powerful jets of water and also against dust. This type of protection is enough for outdoor installation, so make sure you have it in your security camera kit.

IP67 - If you need to emerge your security camera under water that's the kind of protection you need, but usually, that's not the case unless you have some crazy idea of having your camera up to 1 meter under water for about a half hour, but that's an exceptional case and you need to have extra precaution with installation, power, etc.

You need to look for such information in your security camera kit. Sometimes it's not possible to find such IP rating information in the camera box or manual, so look for the outdoor installation indication or ask the vendor about the ingress protection.

See the example below the EZVIZ Outdoor security camera specs on Amazon, as you can see there's the information about IP66 Weatherproof.

Some manufacturers also use the NEMA standard (instead of IP rating), if you need an outdoor security camera, look for the NEMA 4 that is equivalent to the IP66.

Analog or IP technology ?

That's also a very important decision you have to make before purchasing your security camera system, so let's talk about those technologies.

I will not get into the specifics about the differences between analog and IP systems since this topic is very extensive. Just in case you want to learn more, please read the lesson: What are the IP camera advantages? (over analog systems).

Before choosing a security camera system installation you only need to know some basic things about the analog and IP technology, here's a quick summary:

Analog security camera

An analog security camera generates analog signals that are sent to a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) for digital conversion and recording. This type of camera uses a coaxial cable which is also known as coax cable. (see the picture below).

The picture shows an analog security camera using a coaxial cable to send the signal to a Digital Video Recorder note that at first, the signal it's analog and later it becomes digital, there's also a power supply for the camera.

IP security camera

A digital security camera generates a digital signals that are sent to a Network Video Recorder (NVR) for recording. This type of camera uses a UTP cable which is also known as network cable. (see the picture below).

The picture shows an IP camera using a UTP cable to send signals to a Network Video Recorder (NVR), there's no need for signals conversion since the IP camera already generates digital signal. There's also a power supply for the camera.

It's also possible to have the IP camera recording into a micro SD card or directly to a server on the Internet (cloud recording), all depends on the security camera model you are purchasing. You can also use the PoE standard to send power directly to the camera using the UTP cable (see the picture below).

PoE stands for Power Over Ethernet and it's a popular way of sending power to a network device. If you are interested in learning more about this technology, please read the lesson: PoE switch for IP cameras.

See the picture below with an example of a PoE Home Security Camera System kit with 4 IP cameras and a Network Video Recorder.

This kit has 4 IP PoE cameras and an NVR that comes with a 2TB internal Hard Drive for internal recording, usually it's possible to record for 30 days.

If you don't want to have a local Network Video Recorder (NVR) just purchase a security camera system that can record the video into a micro SD card or send the video stream to a cloud server (see the picture below).

See the picture below with an example of a Cloud Storage Security Camera System.

This type of IP camera can record directly to a cloud service that is offered by the manufacturer, usually, there's a Free option that allows for a period of time.

Wired or wireless security camera system?

When purchasing IP security cameras it's possible to choose a wired or wireless systems, in the previous examples you saw some of the wired ones with and without the option PoE standard. Now let's take a look at a wireless system.

This is an example of a wireless security camera system that can record in the cloud. This type of system is very easy to install and setup.

People usually prefer to install a wireless security camera system because it's easy to get it working fast without the hassle of running cables everywhere.

I hope this lesson can help you to decide which system is better for you.

What is ICR (Infrared Cut Removal) for Day/Night cameras?

In situations with little or no lighting, a security camera can use infrared light to illuminate the area and the ICR has an important role on that.

In this lesson, you will learn what the infrared cut filter is and what is the meaning of the day/night feature available in professional security cameras.

What is ICR (Infrared Cut Removal)?

Before talking about ICR, let's understand a little bit about how a security camera works regarding the use of light.

During the day there is a lot of light in the environment due to sunlight.

A security camera needs to filter out the excess of light that hit the image sensor in order to generate good-quality video and that's done by using an infrared light filter that blocks unwanted light that comes through the camera lenses.

ICR (Infrared Cut Removal) is a filter that sits between the lens and the image sensor (CCD or CMOS) of a security camera and is used to filter the excess of light that comes through the camera lenses. This filter helps the camera to produce good-quality images with accurate color.

See the following image with a diagram that represents the light reaching up to the camera lens and passing through the filter before reaching the image sensor.

When buying a security camera you can look for the information about the existence of this filter (low-cost cameras usually do not have the IR Cut filter).

Removing the filter at night-time

Due to the reduced light available in the environment at night, the camera automatically removes the infrared filter from its position.

This is done in order to have more light reaching the sensor and the camera shows black and white images.

You can watch the removal of such a filter at the moment it is occurring. If you are curious to see that, just access the camera menu remove the filter manually.

The Day / Night function setup menu

The security camera works according to the ambient light, with sunlight it operates in "Day mode" and at night-time, it operates in "Night mode".

That's why when buying a security camera you can choose a model that has the Day/Night function and work with the infrared filter (ICR).

The difference between true and electronic Day/Night

There are models of cameras that have the infrared filter (ICR) and therefore make a correction of the of excess light through such a filter and therefore are considered cameras with True Day Night (have IR Cut Filter).

Cameras that do not have this physical filter do the correction of light using an electronic process and therefore are considered cameras with electronic Day/Night (they do not have the IR Cut Filter).

The Day/Night function activation menu

See below the activation menu of the Day/Night function, which it is available in an IP camera. (You can also activate this function in professional analog cameras).

The following picture shows the filter being removed, look at that black region, that is the edge of the filter that moves from the left to right.

What kind of Day/Night is the best?

The "True Day/Night" is the best because there is a physical filter that is used during the day and removed at night, it's an optical process.

Cameras that have this physical filter work much better at night when infrared illumination is used, so my suggestion is that you give preference to these types of cameras every time you need to buy surveillance devices.

The Day/Night activation methods

Usually, a security camera that has the Day/Night function uses the automatic removal of the infrared filter as the ambient light drops to a certain level.

If necessary, you can change the method of removing this filter, just use the camera menu and look for the option to keep the filter always in its place.

You can also schedule the function to be activated at specific times of the day or connect an external sensor to the camera to indicate when the Day/Night function should be activated.

The ICR information in the camera catalog

Before buying a security camera you can consult the catalog or product manual and look for the type of Day/Night function that is available.

Usually, you will find the information as Electronic Day /Night, True Day/Night or ICR Day/Night (which is the same as True Day/Night).

See the following picture with the information in a catalog of an IP camera.

Problems with the infrared

Sometimes it is possible to have problems related to the use of infrared light, which can blur the camera image at night

Intelligent Video Analytics Cameras and Software

Intelligent video analytics is very important in modern CCTV systems because it allows the identification of real-time occurrences and the rapid search for recorded events, which facilitates the operator's life and allows a faster and more dynamic response to a possible problem.

In this lesson, you will learn what intelligent video analytics is, what are the most common types, and how to use it in specific situations that require faster event identification.

In most cases, a surveillance camera operator can pay attention to a maximum of 2 monitors at the same time and therefore it is possible that important events are not noticed at the appropriate time.

Due to the high cost to hire professionals in the area, companies end up ignoring this fact and require operators to view multiple monitors at the same time.

To have a cost-effective system, video analytics software has been developed to enable smarter event-based monitoring.

Event Analysis for CCTV

An event can be described as a specific action performed in front of a security camera and which can be recorded by the monitoring system.

A monitoring and recording system with embedded intelligence can be programmed to identify such events based on specific rules that must be adjusted according to the need of the application.

Motion detection, for instance, is nothing more than pixels that move on the screen when a person or object passes in front of the security camera.

Action and reaction events in intelligent video analytics systems

After identifying an event such as motion detection the monitoring system can react according to pre-established rules and perform specific tasks such as highlighting the camera image on the operator screen, triggering a siren, changing the positioning of a mobile camera in the local, send a message via email or SMS, etc.

In practice, an intelligent video analytic system is based on action and reaction and can be programmed in different ways to work with a lot of events.

Devices that work with intelligent video analytics

There are different types of devices that can work with intelligent video analytics, from analog professional cameras to standalone systems based on powerful servers, let's discuss each of these devices.

Devices that work with intelligent video analytics

Professional analog camera

It is not common knowledge of the public that works with traditional analog systems that analog security cameras can do intelligent video analytics, although these analyzes are simpler when compared to the intelligence embedded in modern IP cameras.

I'm talking about professional analog cameras from major manufacturers such as Pelco, Bosch, Samsung and a lot more than provide equipment for medium and large projects.

Intelligent video analytics feature found in analog cameras are simple and limited due to the fact that there is no bidirectional and dynamic communication with the monitoring system, software or applications.

You can program a camera to identify motion in the image and display an alert message on the screen, show pixel tracking, or trigger an external device such as a siren or alarm system via I/O contacts (dry contacts) available on the own camera.

You can also find more advanced video analytics such as line crossing, entering and exiting areas, and a lot more that will be discussed later in this lesson.

The major limitation, however, lies in the fact that an analog security camera does not have the capability to send information from such events to the recording and monitoring system, nor can it send messages such as e-mails and alerts via SMS.

Intelligent video analytics embedded in professional IP cameras

IP cameras have long been used in modern monitoring recording systems since its invention by Axis Communications. IP cameras have caused a major revolution in the electronic security market due to the fact that it has embedded intelligence and the possibility of efficient communication with recorders, servers, software and applications over a traditional network of computers and the Internet.

The intelligent video analytics of an IP camera is more advanced compared to that of a traditional analog camera previously discussed and the possibility of communicating with external devices makes this function even more interesting.

A professional IP camera has an internal processor that is able to identify specific events in the image and trigger recording on a remote device such as an NVR (Network Video Recorder), and record to a memory card located in the camera itself, which enables the use of redundancy systems.

By performing intelligent video analytics and identifying specific events, an IP camera can send alerts via e-mail and SMS directly to specific individuals who may react according to some pre-established security protocol.

Based on events, an intelligent IP camera can also trigger presets and patrols on mobile cameras (PTZs) located at key points in an environment, as well as the possibility of triggering siren systems, lighting, alarms, access control or any other system that allows interaction via traditional universal TCP / IP network protocol.

Intelligent video analytics for Digital Recorders (DVRs)

A digital video recorder, popularly known as DVR converts analog signals to digital format to record on an internal hard drive and allows the images of the cameras to be shared via a traditional computer network.

In addition to recording, a DVR can also work with intelligent video analytics as it receives the video signals from the cameras in each of its channels.

Due to the fact that it is connected to a computer network, a DVR can send event information and intelligent video analysis to the software and applications, which allows the use of alerts via e-mails and SMS in the same way as an IP camera.

The intelligent video analytics available on a DVR depends on the make and model of each manufacturer, there are devices with more or fewer features and obviously, the more expensive professional models usually have more features available.

Intelligent video analytics for Network Video Recorders (NVRs)

Network video recorders, popularly known as NVRs, are used for recording management of IP cameras and thus have a natural way of communicating via a computer network, which allows them to send messages and trigger devices on the network.

An NVR can work with the intelligence embedded in its own processor and analyze the images it receives from each of the IP cameras or it can receive the result of the analyses carried out by the cameras themselves which relieve processing on the recorder.

It is usually more interesting to let the IP camera itself perform the intelligent video analytics and communicate with the NVR through pre-set events, but there are cases where the IP camera does not have the desired video analysis function or even has no type of intelligent analysis, and in these cases the recorder is fundamental to allow the use of intelligence in the recording and monitoring system.

Intelligent video analytics on servers

Software-specific servers are used for intelligent video analytics that is generally not available on IP cameras because of the device's processing limitation or simply because software companies need to provide more robust and scalable solutions.

Companies such as ISS, Mirasys, Genetec, Agent Vi, Fox Stream, and several others have specialized software that works with intelligent video analytics.

Many of these companies provide solutions for large projects where it is critical to use systems that can make video analysis more complex and more accurate.

There are software developers who do not provide cameras or hardware for security projects because they are focused only on intelligent video analytics and integration with cameras and recording systems from different manufacturers.

Others, however, provide complete solutions with cameras, recorders and intelligent video analytics software that have powerful algorithms that can identify and classify events and interact with devices connected to the local network or the Internet.

The use of such intelligent software often requires the acquisition of high-throughput servers, although there is a trend in the market for distributed utilization of processing among IP cameras working in partnership with the server to achieve a final result with less centralized processing.

Types of Intelligent Video Analytics

There are different types of intelligent video analytics and here I will exemplify the most common and traditional found in the market of electronic surveillance.

Motion Detection

This is one of the simplest analyzes found in cameras and monitoring recording systems, it is present in professional analog cameras, IP cameras, recorders, and professional software.

Note in the picture the menu of an IP camera that shows the option to enable Motion Detection, in which case the manufacturer separates this function from the general video analytics menu.

The principle is very simple when there is some kind of movement in front of the camera the pixels that form the image are changed and this is identified as motion detection by the device.

When a person passes in front of a surveillance camera it is possible to identify this pixel change in the image and generate an event for a device to start recording and record the "motion recording" information.

This recording can be performed on the IP camera itself when it has a memory card or on a recorder that is connected to the camera either through traditional coaxial cables in an analog system or through a network with switches.

A person who has a computer with monitoring software or a mobile phone with a specific application can be alerted about such a motion detection event.

Virtual line crossing

The names may vary depending on the brand of the equipment or software you are using, but in practice, the principle of operation is the same. This type of intelligent video analytics allows an event to be generated as soon as a person or object crosses a virtual line that must be pre-configured in the camera.

Virtual Line Crossing analytics allows you to generate events in different directions and in this way it is possible to know if a person or object is crossing a virtual line horizontally, vertically, from left to right or vice versa.

Note in the image below that a virtual line that has been configured to generate an event when a person or object crosses from left to right (see indicative arrow).

The virtual line also allows you to generate an event alert in both directions to simply identify when a person or object crosses a particular location.

See the following image with an example of a virtual line that identifies the vehicle passing through a given location, a green frame shows that there is movement, and triggers a line-crossing event. Note that there is a yellow frame around the image to indicate that there was an event.

There are many practical applications for this type of features such as the identification of vehicles traveling in forbidden directions or the movement of people entering or leaving a store.

Sensitivity, format, and object size adjustments allow for more accurate video analytics and reduce the number of possible errors that are common to this type of application.

See the following image for an example of specific area configuration for event detection

Imagine a person or animal crossing a virtual line in a region where the intention is to identify vehicles that go in the wrong direction, the fine-tuning of sensitivity should allow the reduction or if possible elimination of events that are an exception to the rule.

Such adjustments can be more or less efficient depending on the characteristics of the devices or software you are using, video analytics software is generally much more intelligent and accurate in event configuration and sensitivity adjustments.

Enter/Exit area

This type of video analysis is also very common in IP cameras, DVRs and NVRs because it is very useful for situations where you want to know if a person or object has entered or left a specific area.

To activate such a function simply create a virtual frame that delimits an area where the object or person will enter or exit. Simply choose the desired option or both and adjust the detection sensitivity.

Note in the following image that an area on the left side has been selected and that people or objects entering the site are detected and an alert is generated automatically.

There are several types of applications for area entry and exit analytics such as identifying people and vehicles entering forbidden areas or removing objects on site.

Conclusion

There are several types of intelligent video analytics that can be used to assist the monitoring operator or even to alert people or activate external devices.

Each situation requires an analysis of what intelligence is to be implemented and there is usually a cost associated with the use of such technology, but the most basic features such as motion detection, virtual line crossing, and area input and output are very common in various IP camera and digital and network recorders.

Before acquiring a recording and monitoring system it is advisable to study what the design needs are and what makes and models of equipment can proportionally work with video analytics with the best cost-benefit.

In many cases, the basic technology that already comes embedded in the camera, recording devices or software is enough to meet the needs of the project.

Now that you already have the basic knowledge about intelligent video analytics on CCTV systems I suggest you put into practice what you have learned and continue to study other advanced features that are available in the market. Read the other lessons here on the blog to keep yourself updated.

مدونة محمد حسن علي جميل

Sunday, 11 August 2019

How to choose a security camera system for your home