How to Choose a Security Camera Monitor That’s Right for a Particular Installation
There are so many debates about how one should choose a security camera monitor. One of the top disagreements has to do with color. Black and white is said to provide a sharper image by some people, but on the other hand, there are those that say the contrast provided by a color monitor does the same thing for them. While it comes down to person preference, this debate can only truly be settled after taking a look at what defines the different classes of security camera monitor.
If one is only concerned with cost, then a computer monitor is fine for a security camera monitor. There are a number of systems that can be used to connect conventional surveillance cameras into a computer monitor. Computer monitors use a VGA adapter as opposed to featuring the regular BNC jack that most CCTV cameras have at the end of their cables. This causes a bit of an impasse, but there are converter boxes on the market to allow the two different standards to interface. Then again, it can still save a lot of money, and it can allow people to use newer LCD units that could save energy. Energy efficiency can lower the cost of operating the system overall. This is also an important point to keep in mind when trying to conserve on resources in a business environment.
One could also use a television set that it is designed for actually watching broadcasts. The problem with this route also involves the type of connector used. A television set usually expects to see a 75-ohm F connector at the end of a length of coaxial cable. Twin lead ribbon transmission line can also be used, and this is usually connected to a screw balanced-to-unbalanced adapter that makes the connection simple. This usually just pushes straight into the back of the television set. The F connector is also used on stereo systems to connect FM radio antennas, so there is plenty of cable just sitting around to be used with this type of interface. People who are worried about money or resources will probably appreciate this fact just as much as those who went with computer monitor technology did.
Security camera monitor technology usually works with a BNC adapter, however. Therefore, the connection isn’t so simple. On the other hand, with picture and picture technology, one might be able to watch two feeds at once, so there are reasons to go the extra mile and allow the systems to interface. This is generally accomplished with a BNC/F connector adapter. Since coaxial cable represents an RF based technology, the conversion process isn’t nearly as involved as with a computer monitor. While the connector will probably cause a loss of around 1/2-1 dB in signal strength, this really isn’t even noticeable under most conditions. Most people probably couldn’t even tell.
Using conventional consumer broadcast television technology has another benefit. Digital video recorders, DVD records and VCR machines that were designed for use with consumer devices will work just fine with such a setup. This could be used to repurpose older devices that were just lying around. Once again, this means that they won’t have to end up in a landfill if they were ultimately destined for one. On the other hand, it might not be best to go out of one’s way to acquire them otherwise.
On the other hand, some people will say that purpose-built CCTV monitors are the only things that should be used as security camera monitor devices. There is actually a good reason for this, even beyond the argument over connector technology. There are security camera monitor installations that can capture sixteen cameras at a time. There are extremely sharp thirteen-inch monitors that are ideal for use with four camera systems, and twenty-inch designs that are great for eight or sixteen camera set-ups. Having a monitor that can handle so many cameras at one provides an at-a-glance look at an entire business, which can be important in busy situations. A store might have a monitor up front that allows a cashier to have a bird’s eye view of the business at all times.
The other problem has to do with horizontal lines for display. There are security camera monitor devices that can handle around 900 lines, and there are even designs that feature up to 1000 lines. This is very important for image depth. Considering that video footage is used to tell if people are up to something, this is a vital aspect of the security camera monitor equation.
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