What Are the Different Types of CCTV and Surveillance Options?

CCTV is closed-circuit television – a system of interconnected equipment, including all types of CCTV camera form factors for video capture, hard drives for video storage, and video monitors for watching live video feeds or reviewing recorded footage. It is an integral part of personal, industrial, and commercial security surveillance systems.

The cameras, storage devices and monitors in CCTV create a private and contained loop that is accessible only to authorised personnel. This is why it is called closed-circuit television — to distinguish it from traditional television, which broadcasts publicly accessible video signals.

What Are the Different Types of CCTV Cameras?

The camera is an essential component of CCTV security surveillance systems. The following are some of the most commonly used types of CCTV camera form factors:

• Dome camera. The dome camera is a wide-angle camera encased in a transparent, dome-like protective shell.
• Fisheye camera. The ultra-wide-angle fisheye camera covers a large area and is a good option when covering other camera types’ blind spots. The curvilinear shape of video images means extra processing may be required to remove distortion.
• Pan, tilt, zoom (PTZ) camera. A PTZ camera’s field of view may be manipulated in real time. You can pan it left and right, tilt it up and down and zoom it in or out to view specific areas, activities or events, so it’s excellent for active monitoring. Since PTZ cameras have a limited viewing angle, they work great when used with dome cameras and fisheye cameras. Wide-angle cameras can monitor large areas, while PTZ cameras can focus on and follow specific events or objects.
• Bullet camera. Equipped with long-distance vision and possibly low-light sensitivity (for night vision), a bullet camera is excellent for the surveillance of parking areas, streets, and other outdoor areas. It gets its name from the shape of its cylindrical protective housing or casing that protects it from the elements.
• Turret camera. A turret camera has a ball and socket mount that allows it to rotate and adjust its field of vision. It may be equipped with optical zoom lenses for long-distance and close-up coverage.

CCTV cameras vary not only by form factor but also by how they operate. Below are the different types of CCTV cameras and specifications used in surveillance systems. Read on so you can decide which type of CCTV camera is best for your specific use case or application.

IP Camera

IP is internet protocol, and an IP camera — also known as a network camera — relays video signals to linked storage media and video monitors over the internet or a local area network (LAN).

Internet and network connectivity are essential to the operation of IP cameras, so an IP camera is connected to an access point (typically a router) via ethernet cables or Wi-Fi in wireless CCTV types. The video signals travel through the network to a local drive/monitor or go out of the network to reach a remote server/monitor at headquarters or a data centre operated by a cloud storage service provider.

The unique characteristics of IP cameras give them the following advantages:

• Connectivity across distance: Since IP cameras can communicate via the internet, they may be connected to other system components located on the other side of the building or halfway across the world.
• Remote viewing: As long as the IP camera has internet connectivity, you can view its live feed from anywhere in the world. The only requirements are that you have internet connectivity yourself and the right access credentials.
• Mobile monitoring: IP cameras often come with applications that permit monitoring CCTV camera feeds or reviewing recorded footage on a personal computer, laptop or mobile phone.

IP cameras are an excellent option for remote surveillance. You can install them in your satellite offices, factories, warehouses, etc., for monitoring by your security officers at headquarters.

Additionally, you can connect your CCTV surveillance to your access control system. Ingress through an access point can trigger an ‘event’ marked by a 10-second video footage showing who went in and what transpired. This can help in case you must investigate an unauthorised-access incident later on.

Since IP cameras connect through the internet, unauthorised remote access, video signal interception and data breaches can be a cause for concern. However, the correct setup and control measures can minimise these risks.

Thermal Cameras

Regular cameras render images by sensing, collecting and processing visible light. They work the way your eyes do — receiving, refracting and focusing light that bounces off of objects within detection range.

Thermal cameras have sensors that detect infrared energy (i.e., heat ) instead of the reflection of light on objects. Their image processors use heat variations to render images on a screen.

Thermal cameras can provide only low-resolution images (the longer wavelength of infrared light requires larger light sensors), but they have very specific advantages.

• Visibility in complete darkness: Since they do not need visible light, thermal cameras are excellent in no- or low-light conditions.
• Visibility beyond obstructions. Since thermal cameras sense heat variations, they can detect heat sources and their activity even when they occur behind physical barriers and obstructions.
• Considerable range: Thermal cameras have extensive range and can provide surveillance over a wide area.

Thermal cameras are an excellent option for monitoring activity in perimeter fences and outdoor areas, especially at night and in inclement weather when visibility is poor.

Radar Systems

Radar system transmitters send out radio waves that get reflected back to receivers when they encounter an object within their detection range.

Radar systems cannot tell objects apart when they are too close together. They also cannot provide colour information or detailed imaging. However, radar systems have the following advantages:

• Precision: They can provide precise location coordinates as well as speed and direction information.
• Large field of view: They can detect faraway objects.
• Visibility in no-light and poor-weather conditions: They can detect objects in the dark and through clouds, fog, rain, and snow.
• Visibility behind insulators. Radar systems can detect objects that lie beyond insulating materials.
• Motion detection. Radar systems can distinguish between stationary and moving objects.

Radar systems are excellent for perimeter surveillance applications. When integrated with a comprehensive security infrastructure, they can be a valuable component of unattended, early-warning security systems, sounding alarms, sending mobile alerts, automatically focusing cameras on the disturbance, and highlighting the video feed from particular cameras on video monitors.

Integrated Surveillance Systems

Surveillance requires an integrated and unified approach. Effective infrastructure security solutions combine various CCTV types and surveillance systems. They utilise different types of CCTV camera form factors, combine them with other surveillance options (e.g., thermal imaging, radar systems, drone surveillance), and enhance them with advanced technology (e.g., video analytics, 5G, machine learning, artificial intelligence) to improve their capabilities and obtain richer, actionable information.

MVP Tech is a security system company that specialises in connecting and combining different types of CCTV options, surveillance systems and advanced technology to create cohesive security surveillance infrastructure for specific applications. Contact us to discover the benefits of our systems integration solutions for your industry and company.