10 Apr How Does a Video Surveillance System Work: Brief Guide

Is a video surveillance system the ideal solution to challenges you face at home or in the workplace? More property owners are adopting these monitoring devices to maintain protection and efficiency. 

But how does a video surveillance system work? This short guide has the answer. 

What is a Video Surveillance System? 

Video surveillance systems have fast become one of the leading solutions to protect property, ensure productivity, and monitor critical assets and operations in a business. It’s a series of cameras set up in significant areas, fed into a network or recording device, and displayed on external monitors or devices. 

Most video surveillance systems today are associated with preventing crimes or identifying suspicious activity. However, with the quality of technology today, these networks can be used for far more than security, including industrial monitoring and care.

Let’s look at what a modern video surveillance system features to understand how they work. 

What’s Included in a Video Surveillance System? 

Here’s what’s typically found in a video surveillance system. 

Digital Cameras 

Of course, you can’t have a monitoring system without the critical asset behind video surveillance; the camera. Today, many new networks feature digital IP cameras that provide high-resolution, broad fields of view, fast server connections, and intelligent technologies such as motion activation. 

Standard analog cameras are available, which are cheaper but generally don’t meet the needs of the modern property owner.

PoE Switch

PoE stands for Power over Ethernet and is a single hub to combine data signals and power to your cameras. This device ensures that your cameras in a video surveillance system function optimally, keeping monitoring active and in real-time.

Network Video Recorder (NVR)

A network video recorder (NVR) is a device that will process and store all videos so you can access them outside of real time. You can pull a recorded video from your surveillance system when you need to review it from this hard drive. 

Monitors/Remote Devices 

Finally, the monitors and remote devices make up the endpoint of the video surveillance system, allowing users to view the camera’s field of vision in real-time or recorded. Generally, property owners will have surveillance monitors set up in an office. Still, modern networks can feed the cameras into remote devices, too. 

With the pieces in mind, how does it all work together so you can efficiently monitor your property? 

How Does a Video Surveillance System Work? 

In the past, one would usually employ a person to watch the camera feeds on the monitors, looking for anything suspicious. Modern video surveillance systems feature technologies like motion sensors or object recognition that can remotely alert a user if anything seems out of the ordinary.

Cameras are set up around areas that need to be monitored, connected to the PoE Switch, and linked to the router and NVR, where the data is fed to the monitor. Property owners or authorized persons can follow the camera feeds and be notified of any suspicious activity.

But with all this technology required for an efficient video surveillance system, do you need one?

Why Do I Need a Video Surveillance System? 

Home and business owners find an even greater need to monitor their properties’ high-value assets. In a world of growing security concerns, more turn to the effectiveness of a video surveillance system to provide the protection and reassurance desired. 

Today, video surveillance systems are used for even more reasons than protection. Examples of their usage include:

• Energy management – Ensuring you can oversee energy levels critical to an industry’s operation.
• Industrial processes – Videos can keep tabs on areas sensitive to heat or noise levels or ensure procedures are carried out correctly.
• Access control monitoring – Get live notifications of access for specific points in the property.
• Intrusion prevention – Catch any interloper should they enter a property after-hours.
• Visual employee escorts – A new, popular service that watches employees leave offices late and ensure their safety when walking to their cars or transport.

There are plenty of creative, efficient uses for video surveillance systems, which is why they are becoming increasingly popular. 

Where Can I Discuss Getting a Video Surveillance System? 

We hope that we explained how a video surveillance system works and why you need it. 

So, if you are looking to get a video surveillance system installed on your property, or have more questions, contact Bridge Cable. We pride ourselves on offering the premier solution for video surveillance systems in the Philadelphia and New Jersey area. 

Make sure to explore the website to learn more about our other state-of-the-art solutions such as network cabling services, access control system installation, fire alarm installation, wireless network installation, and more!