Video Surveillance System vs. CCTV Camera: Top 5 Differences

If you’re a homeowner, property owner, or business owner, you can never be too careful in today’s world. As such, you may be looking into surveillance systems to help increase security of your property. When looking into various surveillance systems, it can be hard to know which kind is best. 

In this article, we’re going to look at 5 key differences between video surveillance systems vs. CCTV cameras, helping you to decide which would be best for your own security system. Keep reading now to learn the top 5 differences between these two common surveillance systems.

1. Surveillance Type

The first difference is the type of surveillance that’s done. CCTV, or closed circuit television, are cameras that are linked to a local or distant monitor that can be watched in real time. These are the typical security cameras you may have seen in many films, where a security guard is watching a wall of monitors with a bored expression. The video feed is being provided by a set of CCTV cameras in these scenarios. 

Meanwhile, video surveillance systems are connected to a server or external storage system. Video feeds are stored, and footage can then be brought up at the request of a user. As such, this means that you don’t have to watch a monitor in real time because the footage is being recorded and stored in another location.

2. Transmission

CCTV cameras and video surveillance systems also transmit their footage in different ways. CCTV cameras will transmit their footage through wired or wireless data networks straight to a monitor either locally or in a distant location. Video surveillance, on the other hand, makes use of a fast ethernet connection to transmit footage where it can then be stored for later access. 

3. Security Purposes

These two systems also differ in terms of their purpose. Yes, both are for security of a specific location, building, or business. However, CCTV cameras are more for show than for actual security. The obvious presence of security cameras is often far more valuable at deterring crime from happening than the actual footage of a crime playing out in real time. Unless a security team has their eyes glued to the monitor at all times, the crime may be missed or may not be responded to in a timely manner. 

Video surveillance solutions, however, are more about catching crime as it happens and doing something about it. With stored video feeds of a break in, for example, police can then use that footage to track down the burglar and retrieve stolen goods. It may also serve as evidence in other kinds of crime, such as assault, murder, or vandalism. Such security cameras are also often more hidden than CCTV cameras, as their purpose is not necessarily to dissuade a crime from happening but to record it for later use. 

4. Passive vs. Active

CCTV cameras, as we mentioned earlier, are more of an active source of security surveillance than a video camera system is. CCTV cameras, if monitored closely, allow a crime to be responded to in the moment. This is key for certain places like storefronts or museums where a security team would be able to intervene during an armed robbery, for example. 

Video surveillance systems, however, are more of a passive security system. Like we said, they work to store footage in a remote location through an ethernet link. This passive surveillance can be a huge help in catching criminals after they’ve committed a crime. It’s also useful for situations in which you may want overnight surveillance, or you don’t have anyone available to watch live monitors. 

5. Resolution

Lastly, the resolutions differ widely between these two forms of video surveillance. CCTV has a maximum resolution of 720 x 576, while surveillance cameras can have resolutions of up to 1980 x 1080 or even higher in some cases. Higher resolution can be great for picking out details in footage that may be harder to see in lower resolutions. This may be a criminal’s face or license plate numbers, for example. 

Choose Bridgecable

No matter which kind of surveillance system you need for your property, look no further than Bridge Cable. With many years of experience and a ton of shining customer reviews, we’re the people to help you install your video security systems and more! If you need network cable installation, wireless network installation, fire alarm installation, residential network installation, fiber optic installation, or access control systems we are the best solution for you so make sure to head over to our website. We promise, you won’t be disappointed!