A Quick Guide to Commercial CCTV Systems

CCTV (closed-circuit television) surveillance systems are a staple in crime prevention for commercial markets in Jacksonville, FL and around the country. You’ve likely seen CCTV cameras in use at your local bank, retail store, and grocery supplier. Businesses put CCTV systems in place to not only monitor the premises but to record footage that could help authorities identify potential criminals. The presence of cameras even helps to reduce theft or loitering as well as providing a safe space for customers.

In this blog, we’ll dive into the basics and benefits of CCTV cameras and why they should be part of your business security system. Keep reading to learn more!

SEE ALSO: 3 Reasons Why a Commercial Surveillance System Is Essential to Your Business

What is CCTV?

CCTV cameras are used for monitoring a specified area. These cameras are called “closed-circuit television” cameras because their signals are transmitted over a single channel and are not broadcast publicly. Rather, they are accessed by authorized users only.

CCTV camera footage is sent to either a digital video recorder or network video recorder for storage and is also broadcast on a dedicated screen, such as a monitor or mobile phone, which displays the footage in real-time. Depending on the system, CCTV cameras are connected by a coaxial cable, network cable, or wireless signal.

What are Some Key Benefits of CCTV Surveillance?

The presence of surveillance cameras alone helps deter crime around your business since many criminals know to look for cameras to see if they’re being monitored. Beyond that, quality CCTV cameras help business owners and authorities identify anyone involved in a crime or incident inside or outside the facility.

Every captured event is timestamped too, which can help reduce liability for businesses as well as help settle disputes should they arise. Lastly, surveillance cameras offer detailed insight for managers as it relates to business operations, traffic flow, inventory, and more.

Should You Invest in Analog or IP CCTV?

Analog and IP are two popular types of CCTV systems, and each offers pros and cons. Analog systems are the more traditional of the two, featuring high reliability due to their coax cable connection. However, analog cameras typically shoot in lower resolution and are more difficult to install as they require more cabling than IP systems.

IP cameras, or network cameras, differ from analog cameras in that they run on digital IP and local-area networks and generally use ethernet cables or PoE cables. IP cameras are capable of much higher resolution—some up to 4K—and therefore are much more reliable when it comes to image quality. IP cameras are also capable of a variety of features that analog cameras are not, such as video analytics, advanced processing in low-light conditions, and much more.

Analog cameras offer more simplicity and cost less than IP cameras, but IP cameras offer much higher resolution and advanced features that help proactively protect your business. Depending on your budget and security needs, our team will design a system that works best for you and your business.

Atlantic Security Can Install a Custom Solution for You

We’ve only scratched the surface of the basics and benefits of CCTV surveillance for your business. Let our security and surveillance professionals at Atlantic Security design a custom solution for you so you can have peace of mind around the clock. To book a free consultation, call our team at 904-743-8444 or fill out our online contact form here. We look forward to hearing from you!