Busted! Don’t Believe These Video Surveillance System Myths

Unless it’s a one-eyed pirate who gets away with the bullion, a heist never really raises any eyebrows when you read about them, as they have become commonplace in the world. However, burglaries still create an eerie feeling when it happens to us or someone we know. To address these safety concerns, proactive businesses and homeowners invest in state of the art video surveillance systems.

While video surveillance systems cannot prevent crimes from happening, they can help foil the attempt or provide vital evidence to nail the perpetrators. Moreover, technological advancements, such as tracking video surveillance on a smartphone has made the industry more sophisticated. Unfortunately, despite the ease of using video surveillance systems, there has been a perpetuation of false notions and misconceptions, which prevent people from taking advantage of security systems.

To help you distinguish between what’s true and what isn’t, Pro Video Security has debunked some of the most widely believed myths about video surveillance systems.

Myth 1: Battery powered cameras can last for days.

People have the misconception that battery powered wireless cameras can last for days or weeks without a recharge. While battery powered cameras exist, the time they will continue before they require a recharge is short. These cameras are good for short term situations but not good for long term security.

Myth 2: Cameras have flashing lights.

Television crime shows have created a fantasy where surveillance cameras have a light blinking to show that they are on and working, which creates a wrong perception. Clearly what we see on the reel is not real, as a surveillance camera does not have a light. So installing a dummy such as the ones you see in movie shows will create lights, camera, and action for an expert thief. Take our advice and avoid these cameras at all costs.

Myth 3: Cheaper equipment will work fine.

Many physical security integration companies are not in the business for the long run and will install cameras using the least expensive methods. Shortcuts such as using indoor wire for outdoors, placing wires over a roof, and not installing protective gang boxes for the camera connections are mistakes made by fly-by-night security installers.

We recommend people choose quality over the lowest price as many challenges could leave you shortchanged. The following are a few more things to consider:

Sloppy wiring and the use of low-quality CCTV equipment are problematic issues, and many off the shelf units don’t include hard drives or sufficient power supplies.

Infrared cameras require a least one amp of power per camera. You may not see issues with underpowering cameras, but in the days, weeks and months ahead, the cameras will strain by this lack of power. Premature camera failure is a common result of underpowering cameras.

On the other hand, using higher amperage will not harm cameras. For example, using a two amp power supply for a camera that requires only one amp will not damage the camera.

We also observe the use of PC hard drives used in DVRs and NVRs. We strongly recommend using security grade hard drives engineered for DVR and NVR recorders for the best results. PC hard drives will fail faster and are not meant for the constant use that security systems require.

To get the best security system installers, in Chicago, Morton Grove, Illinois, reach out to Pro Video Security. Apart from helping you steer clear of myths like the ones mentioned above, we provide our clients with control systems, intercom systems, alarm monitoring systems, and video surveillance systems. With over twenty years of experience, we are one of the leading security system installers and offer our services to clients across Chicago, Skokie, Elk Grove Village, Evanston, Wheeling, and Morton Grove, Illinois.

For a complete list of our services, please click here. If you have any questions about Pro Video Security, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact us here.