Security system is becoming more widespread everyday as a meaning of keeping track of employees, locations, entryways and more. Originally designed to monitor safety concerns, security system is continually envolving making it the ideal solution for many types of businesses and home uses. Businesses use video security systems to monitor employees, to trigger alerts in case of fire or motion, and to watch over entrances to buildings. Video security is also used in retail stores to reduce shoplifting and in financial institutions and convenience stores as a deterrent to robbery. Parking lots and garages, remote areas on college/university campuses, and hospitals are also popular locations for video security systems.

-Homeowners can identify who is at the door, check on the baby or check the house if they are away. -Small Businesses can prevent or identify shoplifters or burglars and keep an eye on the business from home. Sadly, today, employee theft is now higher in retail than customer theft and monitoring retail employees is becoming necessary. -Industry & Research can monitor processes as well as maintaining security surveillance . -Education and Government can keep an eye on trouble spots. All these things and many more are possible through security systems.

The basic components of security systems are a security camera, a display monitor, and a recorder. In a large system, of course, there can be a number of security cameras with multiplexers, time lapse VCRs and monitors. Today, however, much of this analog multiplexing and tape recording equipment has been replaced by digital video recorders (DVR).

Not really. Some mini security cameras are designed for outside use with waterproof cases. But if you need lenses of different focal lengths and especially if you need auto-iris lenses (which are best for outside because of varying light conditions) then mini-cams won't be satisfactory. Normally, box cameras install outside will need a special outside housing. These housings are rainproof and can also contain a heater or fan for really cold or hot climates. Mini-dome CCTV security cameras, and similar, meant for inside use only, should not be used outside.

Traditionally, B/W security cameras were considerably less expensive than colour security cameras, much more light sensitive and often of higher resolution. Today, the price gap has narrowed considerably, resolutions are basically the same and while B/W security cameras can still be more light sensitive than many colour security cameras, the light levels at which our colour security cameras will still produce images in as low as 0.0005 Lux in night mode which is extremely low light. With this in mind, when you add the far more positive recognition qualities of colour images, it makes colour cameras, in general, a better value today than B/W security cameras.

Outdoor security cameras or cameras indoors facing a window or an outside door will have varying light conditions. CCTV display and recording systems are set to a certain level of image brightness and contrast. When light levels change in the images produced by the cameras, the displayed and recorded images will either be too bright and washed out or too dark and non-resolvable. The only way to solve this is to use an auto-iris lens. These lenses have an electric motor-driven iris which is opened or closed according to signals fed to it from the camera. Once set, a camera equipped with auto-iris drive will attempt to produce a video signal of constant brightness by opening or closing the auto-iris of the lens, as light levels change. In many cases a fixed lens will be sufficient due to stable light conditions such as offices and supermarkets.