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Additional resources

Surveillance Systems: What to know Before you Buy

In this age of heightened awareness of security needs, video surveillance systems offer extra pairs of eyes to help you mange your business more carefully.

Before starting to compare surveillance systems or evaluating potential vendors, sit down and consider your closed circuit television (CCTV) needs. First, consider what you want to monitor with your surveillance system. General comings and goings? Vehicles? Do you want to see faces, merchandise, crowds? Once you decide what you want to see, choosing components will become easier.

Next, decide what picture quality you need in your surveillance systems. Quality can refer to both how detailed the image is and how fast the frame rate is. Frame rate is simply a measure of how many individual pictures make up the video. "Full motion,'' what you see on television and on VHS tapes, is 30 frames per second. Most often, surveillance systems record at slower rates, which result in more jerky-looking images but saves on recording space.

Think about how your surveillance system will be monitored. Will you simply record at all times, and only review the tape when a problem occurs? Or will you have a dedicated employee watching for trouble? Also, with multiple surveillance system cameras, you have the option of connecting each to its own monitor, or combining multiple images onto one monitor.

You also should decide whether your priority with your surveillance system is to deter potential crimes or to catch perpetrators. If you are more interested in deterring certain activities, large, visible cameras are your best bet. Trying to catch criminals without them being aware of it requires hidden surveillance system cameras, which cost more for hardware and for installation.

With these questions answered, you will be able to speak with vendors more knowledgeably as you explore the range of surveillance system options.

One of the newest trends in the surveillance system industry concerns digital recording. Only a few years ago, most closed-circuit TV systems were paired with the familiar VCR to record images. However, digital video recorders (DVRs), which record onto hard drives instead of tape, offer a compelling alternative.

For businesses that do not want to change tapes constantly, DVRs definitely are the way to go. While security VCRs usually offer a time-lapse mode that lets them record for long periods of time, the resulting images are not a good record of events - they record only one snapshot every eight seconds.

To get higher quality, you need to change tapes every day or more often. DVRs, on the other hand, can record for weeks or even months.

Rough costs for a complete, installed surveillance system is $500 to $1,000 per camera, plus the cost of your recording device. DVRs generally start at $800 to $1,500 and get more expensive the more memory and inputs you add. If you are on a tight budget and willing to invest in fading technology, good time-lapse VCRs designed for security use start at $300 to $400 and go up to $600 or more.

With even a modest upfront investment, surveillance systems can help shrink the long-term problem of theft.

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