http://www.cctvforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=28977

 Box Cameras

Typically are sold without a lens, or with an easily-removable lens that can be swapped for another for more specific applications. Box cameras are very versatile cameras for this reason. Most box cameras are mounted on a wall or ceiling using a camera mounting bracket. For outdoor applications, box cameras in outdoor-rated environmentally protected enclosures are available.

Box cameras are straightforward and easy to install: The mounting bracket is affixed to a wall, ceiling, or a similar structural feature, then the camera is attached to the mounting bracket. The power and video (BNC) cables are then connected. The camera's angle, zoom, and focus can then be adjusted, and when correct, locked into position. The camera is now ready for operation. In some cases, the back focusing control may require adjustment to avoid a noticeable focus change when in night mode with IR illumination.

 Dome Cameras

There are many different variations: plastic domes (generally for indoor use), IP-66 rated domes (for outdoor use), vandal proof domes, PTZ (Pan, Tilt, and Zoom) domes, and so on. Domes are generally more aesthetically pleasing than box cameras, and have an inherent design benefit that makes its view unapparent to an observer. Most of the time domes are installed on the ceiling. 

Installation is a bit more involved than for a box or bullet camera, but domes provide a cleaner and less-obtrusive solution. The area for installation must be decided, and power and video cables will need to be planned and routed, usually above a ceiling or behind a wall. Holes will then be made for the camera's mounting hardware, and if hidden wires are required, for the power and video cables. Many dome cameras come with paper hole templates to make proper hole-drilling location easy. The wiring (power and video) is then connected, the transparent dome is removed, and the camera is secured using its mounting screws. Once installed, check to see if there is a black liner that needs to be removed during installation, and adjust the camera module's view to the intended target using the 3-axis gimbal. If the camera includes a vari-focal and/or focusable lens, adjust the focal length and fine tune the focus using the control levers around the lens. When finished, secure the levers by twisting them finger-tight clockwise, as if tightening a screw. Replace the black liner back in the transparent dome, and affix the transparent dome to its now-mounted base. The dome camera is now ready for operation.

 Bullet Cameras

For an easy-to-install general purpose camera, the bullet is the way to go. The bullet is a very popular form factor because of its no-nonsense, straightforward and practical design. Most of them are IP rated for outdoor use and come with powerful weather-sealed infrared (IR) LEDs for IR illumination. Visible lighting is not needed, as a bullet camera with IR LEDs can go into "Night" mode, turning on its IR LEDs and automatically performing internal adjustments to be able to view in total darkness. Many bullet cameras have external controls so that they be manually focused and/or zoomed without the need to open the camera itself. Bullet cameras are available in a wide array of versions with different TVL resolutions, lens options, IR illumination powers and other convenient features, such as lens control mechanisms and OSD access, if present.

The bullet camera is generally the easiest type of camera to install, and they can be installed nearly anywhere. The physical mounting is normally accomplished with 3 or 4 screws, and access behind the mounting surface may not be needed. After the camera is mounted, power and video cables are connected. The camera is now functional, and all that remains is to adjust the angle of the camera and make final adjustments. The vari-focal lens and focus, if present, can often be set by external adjustment rings. Some cameras come with a tool for securely locking the rings afterward. Several bullets are furnished with an attached adjustable sun shield, and if installed outdoors, it is advisable to additionally shield them from weather, often by mounting them under an eave or awning.

More sophisticated bullet cameras come furnished with DIP switches, or even OSD (On Screen Display) menus to set up advanced camera features such as exposure control, color balance, etc. These features can be set by setting the DIP switches, using navigation pushbuttons, or even with advanced 5-way navigation control, depending on the camera model.

Feeds from thousands of Trendnet home security cameras have been breached, allowing any web user to access live footage without needing a password.

Internet addresses which link to the video streams have been posted to a variety of popular messageboard sites.

Users have expressed concern after finding they could view children's bedrooms among other locations.

US-based Trendnet says it is in the process of releasing updates to correct a coding error introduced in 2010.

It said it had emailed customers who had registered affected devices to alert them to the problem.

However, a spokesman told the BBC that "roughly 5%" of purchasers had registered their cameras and it had not yet issued a formal media release despite being aware of the problem for more than three weeks.

"We first became aware of this on 12 January," said Zak Wood, Trendnet's director of global marketing.

"As of this week we have identified 26 [vulnerable] models. Seven of the models - the firmware has been tested and released.

"We anticipate to have all of the revised firmware available this week. We are scrambling to discover how the code was introduced and at this point it seems like a coding oversight."

Mr Wood added that the California-based firm estimated that "fewer than one thousand units" might be open to this threat in the UK, but could not immediately provide an exact global tally beyond saying that it was "most likely less than 50,000".

Feed links

An internet blog first publicised the vulnerability on 10 January.

The author discovered that after setting up one of the cameras with a password, its video stream became accessible to anyone who typed in the correct net address.

Trendnet says it is in the process of releasing firmware updates for its devices

In each case this consisted of the user's IP address followed by an identical sequence of 15 characters.

The writer then showed how the Shodan search engine - which specialises in finding online devices - could be used to discover cameras vulnerable to the flaw.

"Last I ran this there was something like 350 vulnerable devices that were available," the author wrote at the time.

However, it appears that others then took advantage of the technique to expose other links and uploaded them to the net.

Within two days a list of 679 web addresses had been posted to one site, and others followed - in some cases listing the alleged Google Maps locations associated with each camera.

Messages on one forum included: "someone caught a guy in denmark (traced to ip) getting naked in the bathroom." Another said: "I think this guy is doing situps."

One user wrote "Baby Spotted," causing another to comment "I feel like a pedophile watching this".

Some screenshots have also been uploaded.

Warning users

At the time of writing Trendnet's home page and its press release section made no mention of the problem.

However, its downloads page does list a number of "critical" updates with a brief release note saying that the code offers "improved security".

The firm - whose slogan is "networks that people trust" - said that it had halted shipments of affected products to retailers and that any delivery received since the start of this month should be safe. However, it said that items delivered at an earlier date might need a firmware update.

"We are just getting to that point to be able to succinctly convey more information to the public who would be concerned," added Mr Wood.

"We are planning an official release of information to the public concerning this, but in advance I can tell you that this week we are targeting to have firmware to all affected models."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16919664

Remember that in almost all cases, your internal network will be configured to use private IP addresses. Because of this, you’ll need to configure your firewall to take requests destined for your public or “real” IP address and forward them to the your DVR. For example, let’s say that you have a DVR configured on a system with the IP address 192.168.1.50, a private address. In order to allow external users to access the DVR, you’ll need to configure your firewall to “listen” for requests on the external IP address, and then forward them to the DVR at 192.168.1.50. Unfortunately, to make all this work, you need to know one additional piece of information – namely the port to which Web requests are made. Please reference the user’s manual that comes with your DVR to find out which ports the DVR uses. Try to avoid using port 80 as your HTTP port as many ISPs do not allow you to run servers on this port.

When a user on the Internet needs to contact a DVR, the request is forwarded to the IP address of the DVR, and the port on which the DVR Web server is running. By default, all of our DVRs are configured to listen for requests on TCP port 88. So, what you would need to do in this case is tell the firewall that every time the public IP address receives a request destined for TCP port 88, it should forward the request to TCP port 88 on the Web server running on 192.168.1.50. The manner in which this is configured depends upon the firewall you are using. The instructions below provide details for configuring port forwarding on a hardware device, in this case a Linksys router – note that the exact steps will probably be different based on your hardware.

Example: Allow access to your internal DVR from the Internet using your Linksys router.

Step 1: Go to your START button in Windows and choose RUN. Type in “CMD” and press ENTER. A command prompt window will open. Type “ipconfig” and press ENTER. Take note of the information that is shown.

You may see more than one entry that has an IP Address in this screen. However, only one will have a Default Gateway. This is the one to take note of.

Here is a brief explanation of each item here:

IP Address: The first 3 sets of numbers of this sequence must be the same throughout your network. The last set of numbers must be unique to each device in your network. In this example 192.168.1.107 is the IP address of this computer. So, your DVR must be set to use an IP address of 192.168.1.xxx. The numbers you put in place of the xxx must be different from any other computer or device on your network.

Subnet Mask: This number should be the same for all devices on your network. So, the DVR should be set to use a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0.

Default Gateway: This number is always the IP address of your router. The DVR in this example will use a Gateway address of 192.168.1.1. If the DVR has a place to input a DNS (not DDNS), you would use the same IP for the DNS. Also, take note of the Default gateway, as this is the address you will use to access your router.

Step 2: Open a web browser and access address http://192.168.1.1. If your Default Gateway is different, then use that address in place of this number to access the router configuration. Enter your router password and press Enter.

Step 3: Click the “Applications & Gaming” link near the top of the page.

Step 4: The application field is where you will give your port a name. This can be any name that you use to identify the port, i.e. DVR1, DVR2, etc. In the start and end field, you would put the port that is going to be forwarded. In the protocol field, select “Both”. In the IP Address field, you will put the IP address of the DVR. Check the Enable box. Repeat this step for each port that needs to be forwarded for you DVR. After you finish, press the button at the bottom of the screen labeled “Apply Settings”.

Keep in mind that this example demonstrates the basics of port forwarding on a Linksys router. Information for forwarding ports through other brands of routers can be found at http://www.portforward.com. Although this site doesn’t specifically show port forwarding for DVRs, it can still be useful to you.

Souce: http://inhabitat.com/belgiums-festival-of-lights-boasts-a-cathedral-made-from-55000-led-bulbs/

Often the most confusing and difficult parts of shopping and choosing out a proper CCTV system is the resolution. We all hear about different amounts of TVL, if it is 450, 540, 600, and sometimes with Megapixel and digital CCTV, but we do not know what it is. And of course we know that a higher number can mean a better quality in recoding and with the pictures, but how does this work? When it comes to CCTV cameras and systems, we mostly use analog cameras, and with those systems, we use TVL, which means television lines.

When checking the quality of analog cameras, we would use TVL, which measure the amount of different lines that are visible vertically or horizontally on the feed coming from the camera. Our analog CCTVs are measured in TVL, and they usually have between 450 and 600 in the Revo elite models. With a higher number of TV Lines, the higher amount of data and light can be captured. With these cameras, it is very simple to connect to your DVR with a coax cable, such as our RJ12 Revo America cable.

Many pixels make up a digital image, with a single pixel smallest part of that image. When you are looking at digital images on your computer, it is common to zoom into the image so much that all you see are colorful squares – and all of those squares are individual pixels. A megapixel (MP) is actually 1 million pixels and this is the unit of measurement for our cameras, as well as the output video that they produce.

For Example: A CCTV Camera that is rated for 1280×1024 pixels and is recording for a resolution of 1280 x 1024 = 1,310,720 pixels would be considered actually 1.3 Megapixels, which more actually a little more than 1 MP.

Among digital cameras, the most common type of digital camera is IP cameras, which stand for internet protocol cameras. And of course they run using a digital camera sensor.  They can easily connect to a network, either in your home or over the internet, and utilize your DVR or NVR, which is a network video recorder. IP cameras are very popular, and the technology is getting much better on the sensors, so they usually come in higher pixel ratings, mostly over 1 MP.  Also these cameras can support power over Ethernet, (POE) which allows them to be powered by the regular Ethernet (Internet coax) cable used for network connectivity, and PTZ (Pan Tilt Zoom), allowing for remote control of the pan, tilt and zoom features, if the camera supports it.

I hope you can easily tell the difference between digital and analog – and can know the differences between the two when shopping for them!

Q: I like your explanation of this information. When is it best to use a megapixel camera over analog type? Is outdoor use ok for megapixel too?

A: Megapixel and better resolution IP cameras capture more detail in a given image than their analog cousins. This means if you set 1 of each type with the same lens size up to capture an identical view, the megapixel camera will have more image detail in its picture. another advantage to IP cameras is that they use CAT5 network cable and do not have to be directly connected to the DVR, many of them have their own web server built in and can be viewed independent of a DVR. This is great for locations that just need one camera to purchase a standalone IP camera and connect it to their network and view from any PC on their network, and with just minor network configuration view it from any location on the internet. Some of them even have Software included to turn a PC into a recorder for the video.

In answer to your outdoor use question, there are some IP megapixel cameras that are designed for outdoor use and are vandal resistant. Others can be placed in weather resistant housings allowing for outdoor use.

Q: Would an analog camera with 480TVL be similar to 640×480 resolution?

A: The short answer to your question is yes, but I will give you the more technical answer below.

In precise technical terms, “lines of resolution” refers to the limit of visually resolvable lines per picture height (i.e. TVL/ph = TV Lines per Picture Height). In other words, it is measured by counting the number of horizontal or vertical black and white lines that can be distinguished on an area that is as wide as the picture is high.

It is impossible to give an exact correlation between an analog and digital resolution, but in general you can take your digital resolution and divide by 1.33 (for a 4:3 aspect ratio) to get the effective TV Lines you are seeing. for example if you are recording at 640 x 480 (VGA Resolution) you have 640 horizontal lines of pixels by dividing 640 by 1.33 you get 481.2 meaning that to get the best detail possible at VGA resolution you need a camera that captures 480 TV Lines or better.

    RCBY12-1    79.99   RBS20-1    69.99     RCDY12-1    79.99

Check them out on our YouTube Channel!

According to the British newspaper, The Daily Mail, the new technology will use infrared technology to allow police officers to see through a person's clothes to spot hidden weapons such as knives or guns. Thus, they say, it would relieve officers and suspects from having to undergo the "frisking" process to determine if a person is armed or not.

According to the paper, the technology works by measuring the energy that is emanated by a person's body. If a weapon is hidden in a pocket, it would effectively block such emanations, which would alert the system to the presence of something thick, such as a gun, or knife. Of course it would also set off alarms if the person happens to have other heavy or metallic objects on their person as well, such as a flashlight, or even something as innocuous as a spoon, which many homeless people carry.

The Post reports that the NYPD has been working on the technology for approximately three years and has been working with the Department of Defense in the development. A portable scanner that could identify weapons would presumably be of use to solders in combat zones where it's difficult to discern which people it encounters are enemies.

The Post also quotes Commissioner Ray Kelly as saying that the new scanner works well now at close range but still needs some work before it will be able to recognize weapons from a sufficient distance.

Once that goal is reached, police departments would attach the scanner to the top of an NYPD van, where it could be used to scan an area three hundred and eighty digress around the perimeter of the van. Also, once the new technology is implemented, research would continue because the department would really like to be able to give officers a device they could hold, like a stun gun, that could alert them to suspects hiding weapons.

In response to questions of whether such a scanner would violate a person's privacy, the department currently has no comments.

SOUCE: http://voices.yahoo.com/article/9325455/nypd-developing-scanner-see-guns-through-clothes-10873485.html

The first place to start is locating is into a vendor or manufacture that has a software as well as a hardware system that meets the challenges. For example if you are wanting to cover a lot of distance to monitor, a wireless CCTV system may be the best type, and a wired system would be better fittin. Another thing to keep in mind is when looking for software and hardware from a vendor is to create and maintain a relationship with them. Research them as a company and even take it as far as checking reviews.
Searching after a vendor is selected can be diffcult. We always recommend always trying to keep it simple while leaving the ability for upgrades or expansion. There is almost little to no disadvantages of using our PTZ cameras outside of cost.
Installing the system and cameras needs to be considered when setting all of this up. We always recommend to use an outside contractor or someone your supplier can recommend. Usually these people have a lot of knowledge for the system as well as the industry. Thanks!

Souce: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CEgQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.library.ca.gov%2Fcrb%2F08%2F08-007.pdf&ei=NyIgT6WoEOmnsAKIso2bDg&usg=AFQjCNFM2EdjlRA64TS-_rIUtgqS9BPXFA&sig2=opfNf-WoHvC8mxXE1Aw3ug

Recessions can be the perfect storm for crime.

Yet preliminary crime figures from the Federal Bureau of Investigation for 2009 show that the crime rate is falling across America, across all categories. Violent crime was down 5.5 percent and property crime down 4.9 percent between 2008 and 2009, according to FBI statistics released Monday.

In fact, crime in every category decreased, says FBI spokesman Bill Carter. Murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault all declined in 2009, he said. Robbery – which tends to boom in bust times – dropped 8.1 percent.

Which has a lot of criminologists scratching their heads.

“In theory, in times of recession, crime rates go up,” says Ted Kirkpatrick, co-director of Justiceworks, a crime and justice research group at the University of New Hampshire in Durham. Tight finances, Mr. Kirkpatrick explains, tend to boost property crime and robberies, and financial stress often produces more domestic violence.

“In fact, that hasn’t been the case,” he says. “We’ve seen a pretty dramatic decline in crime rates.”

Why is crime down, in spite of the recession? Criminologists have a number of theories to explain the decline.

First, says Shawn Bushway, a professor of criminal justice at the University at Albany in New York, it’s important to recognize that crime has been on a downward trend for more than a decade. The recession’s short-term effects may have been overwhelmed by the longer-term factors that have produced the long, steady decline in crime.

“Crime is not a cyclical beast, like business,” Mr. Bushway says. “It experiences big long ups and big long downs, unlike the up-down-up-down of the business cycle.” He adds, “Could that overall downward trend swamp what’s going on with the business cycle? Sure.”

There’s a lot more to crime trends than whether the economy is booming or not, Bushway says.

“Crime went up a lot in the ’60s – when the economy was booming,” he says. “That had to do with social institutions, not the economy.”

In this case, a number of other factors might be pushing crime down, even as the recession encourages more criminal activity. Here are the key reasons cited by three criminologists interviewed for this article:

Incarceration

The theory goes: The more criminals are put in jail, the fewer are on the streets to commit crimes. The United States has reached a critical point at which a majority of violent crime offenders are behind bars, many criminologists say.

“By building more prisons and incarcerating more people, we’ve taken criminals off the street,” says Kirkpatrick of the University of New Hampshire.

Policing 

“Policing is more proactive,” asserts Bushway of the University at Albany.

One way it's more proactive, Kirkpatrick says, is surveillance.

“It’s simply getting harder to commit crime,” he says. “Cameras are everywhere. Anytime there’s a bank robbery, you can bet there’s a number of pictures taken. That’s forcing illicit behavior underground where it's less detectable.”

Social programs 

Law enforcement has worked with community groups for years to develop programs to keep youths engaged, provide them outlets, and combat crime. Those efforts may finally be paying off, criminologists say.

“Efforts to attend to the needs of young offenders through community outreach programs has helped,” Kirkpatrick says. "The more attention we pay in our communities to kids at risk, the better.”

Demographics

One factor contributing to the downward trend in crime may be simple demographics: Young people commit the most crime, and young people make up a smaller percentage of society now.

“Median age has increased rather dramatically in last 25 years,” Bushway says. “Crime tends to be committed by young folks.”

The median age in the US has reached its highest point ever at 36.7 years, according to a 2010 estimate by the Central Intelligence Agency's World Factbook. This is up from 35.3 years in 2000 and 32.9 years in 1990, according to census figures.

Unemployment benefits

Some theories suggest that the more government support an individual can receive – through unemployment benefits, food stamps, controlled rent, and other forms of welfare – the less he or she may be encouraged to commit financial- or stress-motivated crime.

The government’s stepped-up aid during this recession may have had an effect on crime, says Bushway. “The extension of unemployment benefits probably held off crime,” he says.

Fewer opportunities

In at least one way, the recession may have actually staved off property crime, says Richard Rosenfeld, president of the American Society of Criminology and a professor of criminology at the University of Missouri in St. Louis.

“During severe recessions like the current one, with chronically high unemployment rates, more people are at home and can act as guardians for their home,” Mr. Rosenfeld says. “That leads to a decline in residential burglaries.”

Furthermore, people have less cash and valuables on hand and in their homes now, making them less-attractive targets, he says.

Will crime rates change as the US climbs out of recession? Probably, but they won’t necessarily be tied to any recession-related factors, Bushway says.

“[The crime rate] has been leveling off lately following a long, slow decline,” he says. “What’s striking is it’s looking like it might start going up. If I can predict anything, it’s going to go up again.”

Souce: http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0524/US-crime-rate-is-down-six-key-reasons

1. Using the DVR as a Time Clock – The DVR can keep accurate date and time recordings to correctly monitor employee work start times, breaks, etc
   
2. Using your installed Cameras as a Crime Deterrent – Since CCTV cameras constantly monitor the area you set, any crime is easily detected.  When the customers or employees know that they are being watched, it can have a helping hand in reducing theft or any other problems in the work place.
3. Your CCTV System can aid in Protecting Employees – From the presence of the cameras, and the DVR that is recording behavior, this can help the safty of employees, and your customers.
4. A Possible Business Insurance Discount – After installing, you can check with your insurance providers for a possible discount in your insurance, since your installed your system.
5. Aid in Recording keeping – At any time if a crime or any other problem occurs in an area that has installed CCTV cameras, the investigation will be aided by the DVR Recordings.
6. Remotely view the flow of customers - Since customer satisfaction declines the more that the customers have to wait to make a purchase, find a parking spot, exit the parking area, wait to be seated, you can remotely view the operations that happen in your business so that these problems do not happen.
7. Remotely view Your Business - Check to see your business for neatness and cleanliness. The CCTV system can help monitor any problems that need to be cleaned up, and can bring awareness to these areas.
8. Overall Customer Service - Monitor your employees interactions with your customers to make sure that there is a high standard of service for all of your customers.