How to Buy a Security Camera

Evaluate your security system needs:

What are you trying to record? You need different types of cameras for recording people's faces, liscence plates, merchandise, crowds, entrance or egress points?

Do you need a wireless surveillance system?

Are the cameras going to be outdoors or indoors?

Do you need to watch the cameras remotely?

How many surveillance cameras do you need?

What is your budget?

Select the Types of Security Camera that fit your needs

Determine what type of Recording Device you will use with you CCTV Cameras

CCTV cameras don't record video without being connected to either a DVR or a VCR. VCR's are cheaper but require tons of tapes, don't have the ability to search video, and cannot record for very long with the tape needing to be replaced. DVRs are much better alternatives and are availible in either standalone or pc-based units.

You will also want to know the answers to these questions:

*How many cameras do you need the DVR to record?

*Do you need room to grow in the future?

*How much record time you need?

*Do you need to view the surveillance video remotely?

DVRs come in several recording formats and are either pc-based or standalone. To understand these differecne please see our DVR guide.