7 critical mistakes when creating video surveillance systems

The IP video surveillance system is the basis for the safety of public order and the protection of objects, property, and people’s lives. But for the technology to bring 100% results, the installation must occur without the slightest mistakes.

What you see is what you get

Setting up surveillance cameras affects the efficiency of the entire system directly. And one of the most critical elements is the field or angle of the device’s view.

This is a crucial point, and it should be given more time and professional attention in the Internet video surveillance system design and creation process.

TOP-7 critical errors

In our experience, seven main video surveillance errors can drastically reduce the efficiency and performance of the system.

System design

First, you need to understand that the viewing angle is not an independent variable; several factors influence it. Installation of equipment can turn into high costs if you do everything wrong from the beginning.

Therefore, the first stage in the creation of a video surveillance system should be its design. Consider the location of devices, their fields of view, blind spots, etc. All these variables are interrelated, and when you change one, the other changes.

You can learn more about the video surveillance project from the article “Video Surveillance Project.“

The sky in the frame

If the sky falls into the field of view of the cameras, the system’s efficiency drops several times. This is due to:

• glare and flare shooting by the sun;
• loss of 30% of storage and bandwidth. Unnecessary clouds and birds take this percentage in the frame.

Are you wondering how to choose the best camera spot? Follow the link and read our article.

Ignoring the unique features of the territory

The design is based on the individual characteristics of the environment. It is essential to consider:

• all constant and variable light sources of the object;
• number of corners, blind spots;
• the height of the location of the cameras.

Pending on these three factors, the location and number of surveillance cameras change dramatically.

Camera is the system center

Although cameras are essential in video surveillance, they cannot work without lighting. Therefore, the installation of devices without taking into account the illuminators is a gross mistake. Consider constant natural and artificial light as well as additional IR illumination.

And how to choose the best outdoor surveillance camera, read in our article: “Top 5 outdoor surveillance cameras 2021”.

Pixel Blur

Pixel blur occurs when the settings expand the angle of view to the maximum. But this only results in a larger field of view and a fuzzy image. A pixel cannot contain more information than it is in the system.

Expanding the field does not increase the pixels. You overload them with information.

Beautiful appearance or efficiency

A widespread mistake is the inclusion of non-target areas for observation in the camera’s angle of view. For example, you need to recognize the faces of customers in a queue stream. You are not interested in the shelves or the entrance to the store. Then, to increase the functionality of the system, the cameras should be directed only at the faces of the visitors.

Do not overload your cloud storage with unnecessary, inappropriate information.

Misunderstanding of goals

Video surveillance for the sake of video surveillance is ineffective. Technology is advancing at a breakneck pace, and you can find the perfect camera for any purpose.

Possible monitoring objectives:

• analysis of the current situation at the facility;
• property protection;
• control of hired personnel;
• home care;
• control of pets;
• business protection, and more.

Depending on the goals, the functionality and capabilities of CCTV cameras will change. It is a mistake not to take this into account.

Conclusion

Video surveillance is a complex and “smart” system that does not tolerate mistakes. If you want to get the most out of monitoring, have no doubts about the safety and protection of objects, and receive timely notifications about what happened, pay enough attention to the installation of cameras.