As analogue CCTV is being rapidly replaced with HD CCTV solutions how do you know what the best system to buy will be? In the past it was always advisable to go with the bigger names such as Panasonic, Sony or Bosch when buying analogue solutions, the same may be true now but there are many specialised players in the market place now that are only just starting to make a name for themselves and sometimes these can be a wise choice when going for HD CCTV.
The basic principles with HD that must be considered are simple though. Pixels on target is a new term in the industry but one that makes all the difference when you specify a system. Deciding what you need before you buy is a must. There are choices of cameras ranging from 1 meg to 29 meg from various manufacturers but as well as pixel density scene width also plays a part. Many manufacturers will supply a design tool with their software and we always recommend that a design tool is used when you specify an HD CCTV system.
The second critical factor is lighting. Poor lighting is biggest enemy of HD. It is pointless having amazing daytime images only to be bitterly disappointed by the night-time pictures. Using IR illuminators will hugely improve your experience of HD, never specify a system without considering how light will play a part.
Finally HD CCTV offers big improvements on analogue but without using the right software to get the very best from HD you could be wasting your money. The big players have made vast investment into their VMS solutions and rightly so. We are starting to see analytics integrated into software as well as ANPR. However simply put it is all about the way we are able to interrogate our software for information that makes all the difference.
In summary all three of the above points must combine to give you the perfect HD CCTV solution. Always deal with experts when you make the leap to HD and always take time to ensure you buy the very best equipment on the market