Video surveillance for a private home: preparation and selection of equipment

It is recommended to carry out video surveillance for a private home in order to protect the territory of the site and the interior of the house from penetration by unauthorized persons and intruders. We will understand the preparatory stages of selecting equipment, types of video cameras and the main steps of self-installation of a video surveillance system.

Modern video surveillance can be integrated into a smart home system Source hikvision.biz.ua

Preparatory work for selecting the necessary equipment

With the help of video surveillance, you can recognize arriving guests, monitor children and elderly family members. This is a more economical option than concluding an agreement with a security company. Video surveillance systems operate around the clock and consume very little electricity. The equipment operates independently without the involvement of the human factor.

The composition of a video surveillance system is determined by the goals and tasks that it will perform. First, it’s worth understanding the question of how to choose a video surveillance system for a private home. Define tracking zones and other video monitoring functions:

approaches to the land plot (along the entire perimeter of the fence or only the entrance elements);

Approximate layout of cameras in a private house Source nadzor.ua

whether or not to include adjacent parts of the street;
courtyard (entirely or separate buildings);
the whole house around the perimeter or just windows and doors;
the distance from which a person can be identified;
Do you need video surveillance recording (during the day, night);
transferring video recordings via the Internet to a smartphone, tablet, TV.

The same area can be viewed by several cameras. They must be selected before installation begins. If you set the task to control the entire territory, you need to take into account that this will be a rather expensive option. Before turning it into reality, such a need should be carefully thought out and justified.

Based on the selected zones and objects, a video surveillance kit is selected for a private cottage. Knowing the number of security cameras, choose their installation locations. To do this, you should use a map of the territory, mark the installation points of the devices on it and mark the areas covered by their control. Most often tracked:

entrance area to the site;
front door to the house;

Example of tracking zones in a private home Source trb.in.ua

Garage Doors;
entrances to all buildings on the site;
parking and storage areas for expensive equipment.

To monitor the entire perimeter of the cottage, cameras are installed in the corners of the building. To view the entire area, one camera mounted on a high support is enough.

For tracking along the perimeter of the fence, cameras with a small viewing angle are used. They are placed on fairly high supports, while taking into account and eliminating obstacles blocking the observation zone.

To take pictures in the area of the front door of the house, front cameras with good resolution are installed. As an option, a peephole camera is suitable for the front door, and a video intercom for the entrance gate.

Camera installation locations are chosen taking into account the protection of vandals and natural phenomena: rain, hail, solar radiation, wind.

The best manufacturers

When you are about to make a purchase, you will probably be faced with the question: “Which company is better to purchase the product?” Now there are no problems with choice on the market; on the contrary, there is a variety to suit every taste and budget. Let's take a look at the largest companies specializing in the production of video surveillance systems.

BEWARD. This domestic manufacturer has established itself since 2004, when it began operating on the market. Now the range of this company is wide and offers you analog and digital cameras, high-quality lenses, video signal transmission systems, excellent software and much more.
Falcon Eye. Canadian products are produced under this brand. There is constant monitoring in production and this allows us to produce products of the highest level. In addition, the company often finds interesting, innovative solutions.
SWANN. This company, which originated in Australia, rapidly gained momentum and is now known throughout the world. Video cameras, various systems and accessories are popular among consumers who value the impeccable quality of the brand.
RVi Group. Another domestic manufacturer that began operating in 2007 and has established itself in the video surveillance systems market. All of the company's products are reliable and serve their owners for many years.
Axis. The company has become famous for relying on innovative ideas and implementing them in such a way that quality and safety will delight the most demanding customer.

The number of well-established companies is large, so it is quite possible that the manufacturer you are interested in is not on the list.

Conclusion

Today, in order to get a functional and convenient street video surveillance system, it is enough to analyze the tasks facing it and clearly formulate a list of equipment requirements. All you need to do after this is buy one of the ready-made kits.

This set of equipment can be installed, connected and configured as quickly as possible. All you need to do is strictly follow the manufacturer's instructions.

This is interesting: How to make a cow feeder with your own hands - we consider all the nuances

List of equipment for the video system

The installation kit for video surveillance in a private home must include the following functional elements:

yard or indoor video cameras;
device for recording footage (video recorder);
HDD;
power supply for cameras;
cables for connecting the recorder and cameras;
platforms for mounting cameras, connecting elements, sleeves and channels for pulling wires.

Functional elements of video surveillance in a private home Source tehnoprosto.ru
For greater reliability, the composition can be supplemented with an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), a monitor with a modem. The UPS will allow the video surveillance system to operate during a power outage. A modem with a monitor will ensure viewing of the recording in real time at a considerable distance.

When choosing a wired or wireless system, you need to know that wireless equipment is less reliable. Behind the visible advantages (ease of installation, absence of a web of wires) there are significant disadvantages (small coverage radius, sensitivity to atmospheric influences and nearby electrical equipment).

Types of video cameras

Cameras are divided depending on their installation location. Indoor video cameras are installed indoors. The latter can be heated or unheated. External devices are installed outdoors. This determines the different temperature ranges in which they can operate and the level of protection from climatic conditions. For cameras inside buildings, the temperature range starts at -15°C, the protection class is IP20 and higher. Outdoor cameras from IP66. External cameras are manufactured with a reinforced housing to protect against intentional damage.

Box video cameras Source video-security.by

According to the design of home video surveillance cameras, there are:

case-based - the camera is located inside the housing, fixed to the installation site;
cylindrical - the camera is hidden inside a cylindrical body, only the “pupil” of the lens looks out;
dome - have the outline of a hemisphere, mounted on a flat plane, in particular on the ceiling of the room.

Cameras can be fixed in one position and monitor a certain area from one angle. All types of cameras can be rotating, with different rotation angles, in different planes, and with different tracking speeds. There are devices that follow the movement of the observed subject. If desired, you can install hidden video cameras that monitor a certain area within the range of the device.

To answer the question of which video surveillance camera to choose for your home: analogue or digital, you need to know their structure, operating principle, advantages and disadvantages.

Bullet IP video cameras Source revel.com.ua

See also: Catalog of companies that specialize in electrical work of any complexity

An analog camera is a device that is connected to a computer or TV to view images. The transmitted information is processed into digital form using a recorder. Modern analog cameras have a resolution of up to 2 megapixels and transmit color images. The signal is transmitted via coaxial cable. Its length cannot be more than 500 m; exceeding it leads to deterioration in image quality. Analog equipment is easy to install and configure.

The contrast and clarity of the image depends on the choice of an analogue or digital camera.

These characteristics are displayed for digital images by pixels, for pictures taken by an analog camera, by the TVL indicator (television vertical and horizontal lines).

In private homes, analogue cameras with TVL 600-800 are more often installed. This is enough to recognize faces at a distance of 10-15 meters from the device. To identify guests over long distances, video cameras with TVL 900 and higher will be needed, and the cost of the equipment will increase accordingly.

Dome cameras Source control.ua

The great popularity of analog devices is explained by their lower price due to their small viewing radii. Modern video cameras combine the properties of analog and digital devices and transmit signals in AND, TVi, CVi formats with a clearer picture. Analog-digital cameras are an economical option for a video surveillance system for a private home with good image quality.

If a home owner wants to connect cameras to external devices via the Internet, he will have to buy and install IP cameras. They work like a small computer with components in the form of a processor, RAM, built-in interface, and matrix. Requires software that is constantly updated. IP cameras encode the data received from the matrix into a digital signal and use it to transmit the image to a cloud server, recorder or computer.

A digital device may have a storage device, USB, Wi-Fi, motion and zoom control modules.

Application of video servers

Currently, modern video servers with software that allows recording up to one hundred cameras and maintaining archives are increasingly in demand. Video recordings can be processed both in archives and online in order to make a decision on the advisability of video recording and notify the operator about the event.

Video cameras with built-in motion detectors and classic video recorders with strictly defined line intersection detection zones and standard motion detectors are gradually becoming a thing of the past.

What intelligent functions can a modern video system perform today?

Face detection, face recognition with their identification;
Detection of objects based on inherent characteristics: human figures, objects described in advance by shape (cars, equipment, household and industrial items - for example, helmets placed on the head at a construction site, stolen cable bundles);
Detection and recognition of license plates;
Smoke and flame detection;
Control of abandoned items (in the subway, shops, etc.)
Control of the disappearance of items of special importance (works of art, safes, documents);
A set of intelligent modules for service sectors (electronic queues, control of active zones, cash analytics modules).

All these modules must be able to process information both in the archive and online.

Working online is of particular importance, as it speeds up decision-making by the operator, relieves the operator and video transmission paths from information ballast, saves video storage resources and ultimately reduces the cost of the system.

Video description

Advantages of digital IP cameras over analog video surveillance
Advantages of digital IP cameras:

high resolution up to 8 megapixels and the presence of a zoom function;
recording option via a cloud service;
wireless connection that allows you to view footage from anywhere.

Flaws:

high price;
incompatibility of cameras and recorders of different brands.

When the DVR is located at a considerable distance from the cameras, analog models with long cable lines are chosen. When cameras and recorders are located close together, IP devices take priority.

The criteria for choosing camera parameters depend on the distance and recognition level. To obtain a clearer, more detailed image at a greater distance, more advanced and expensive cameras will be required.

For observation only, without the requirement to distinguish faces, cameras with a wide viewing angle, a lens size of 1.8-3.6 mm, and a resolution of 1.2-1.5 megapixels are well suited.

For detail and greater clarity, a lens from 4 to 50 mm is required. The larger the lens size, the better the picture, but at the same time the coverage angle of the area narrows and more installed cameras are required.

choice zmodo ipcor characteristics

We guess that the manufacturer with this name is not very familiar to you, but it has been on the modern market for a long time. A special feature of the company is the production of video cameras, which are controlled remotely. In other words, the manufacturer develops Wi-Fi video surveillance kits, improving them every year.

Let's look at the company's most common option - a video surveillance kit for 4 cameras for the street "IpCor".

The kit includes the video cameras themselves, a power supply, a video recorder with a connection for 4 cameras (recorder), a control panel, a hard drive, the necessary cables, fastenings and detailed instructions.

The cameras are digital, have a viewing angle of 85 degrees, and record video at 480p resolution. Video camera housings are well protected from environmental influences. The approximate cost of the set is 10-12 thousand rubles.

Basic steps for self-installation of the system

Step 1. Cable routes

For a video surveillance device on your own, first of all you need to correctly lay out the cable routes. When using analog systems, a coaxial cable is laid, which does not require additional video converters. The shielded cable covering protects the video surveillance system from extraneous influences.

Digital IP systems use twisted pair cable. It consists of several pairs of conductors intertwined with each other. Due to this, the level of dependence on electromagnetic interference is reduced.

Installation Rules

It is quite difficult to install a video system on your own, so you have to seek help from specialized organizations that have been in this market for a long time and there are no complaints from clients about their services. Experienced specialists work according to the following scheme:

They develop a project for the upcoming utility network, based on the characteristics of the facility and the wishes of the client. Cost estimates are being calculated and possibilities for subsequent scaling are being explored.
A selection of digital or analog equipment is made based on the technical and financial capabilities of the customer. Professionals will help you decide on cameras, recorders, switches, and auxiliary devices that can solve a large number of problems at low cost.
The actual installation of the system at the site agreed with the client. It is necessary to ensure that the work is carried out in strict accordance with legal requirements, taking into account fire safety rules and sanitary standards. If you already have a video surveillance system installed, you can perform additional integration.
The installed system is put into operation, its functionality is checked, and the device is initially configured.
The company’s specialists provide instructions to the client or his authorized people regarding the rules for operating the system.
A warranty period for service is provided. If the device malfunctions within the specified period, the company will fix the problem free of charge.

Video description

How to independently connect a video surveillance camera in a private house
The longest lines are laid first, then closer objects are connected. The cable requirement is calculated with a small margin.

Cable routes are installed in an open or hidden way. Open cable laying is carried out along the fence of the site or by hanging it on additional supports. Of particular importance is the insulation and length of air sections - no more than 50 meters.

Closed cable laying is carried out underground or in wall recesses. Corrugated hoses or metal-plastic pipes are used for cable laying. The standard distance for video surveillance lines from power lines is no closer than 0.4 meters. If it is impossible to comply with the standard, the video line is protected with a dielectric cable duct or a grounded metal casing.

How to properly place cameras

The most important rule: there should be no blind spots around the perimeter of the protected object. For an apartment, for example, you will need cameras that monitor approaches to all windows and the front door. The picture quality (screen resolution) must be sufficient so that a moving object can be seen in detail on the screen. A specialist can make a preliminary assessment of the number of cameras and their design according to the plan of the apartment or site.

Illumination, lux Summer afternoon, cloudy weather 12,000–15,000 Summer morning 1000 Well-lit rooms in summer 500–1000 Artificial lighting of the workplace 100–500 Twilight 20–70 White night, dimly lit street 1–5 Night with a bright moon 0.3

0,0002—0,001

Video description

How to assemble a set of video surveillance cameras with your own hands
To install video cameras in a private house, reliable fastenings are used to prevent vibration of the devices from the effects of wind.

Step 3. Installing the DVR and connecting cameras

It is preferable to purchase a DVR with the PoE (Power over Ethernet) option - it will provide power to the cameras without laying a separate power supply cable.

The main condition for the correct connection of cameras to the recorder: do not mix up the wires and connectors. The DVR is installed in a room with good ventilation to prevent overheating of the device. The power connection starts with the recording device, then the cameras are connected.

If there is no PoE device in the recorder, the connection rules are followed: plus to plus, minus to minus. All connections and connectors are protected from external influences by junction boxes.

Step 4. Hardware setup

The final stage of installing a video surveillance system for an individual home will be its configuration.

Installation and configuration of a video surveillance system Source znaj.ua

Video system adjustment algorithm:

Displaying the date and time on each device, checking compliance with the time zone on the router.
Formatting hard drives using the web interface, recorder and IVMS program.
Setting up video cameras for optimal tilt and rotation angles to cover the maximum observation area.
Setting up video recording in a DVR client program that ensures coordinated operation of a large number of cameras from one computer device.
Debugging remote viewing of cameras from cloud services or searching in a browser by IP address.

It is important to know how to install video surveillance on your own the first time without making common mistakes. Preliminarily analyze them based on the experience accumulated in this area:

inaccurate calculations due to incorrectly measured distances between the recorder and cameras, resulting in incorrect cable selection;
selection of a power source of insufficient power;
using a hard drive with a capacity inappropriate for the scale of information being transferred.

Debugging remote viewing of cameras from cloud services or searching in a browser by IP address Source harberthomesystems.com

New digital imaging capabilities

In the field of video surveillance, digital image processing makes it possible to avoid total recording and transmission of the entire array of video content.

Video content is a term in television that means the volume of video material, in our case, digital data in a certain encoding standard, for example, H-264, MPEG4.

A conventional motion detector gives false alarms, transmits false alarms and records background video, which loads transmission paths and takes up storage space.

With digital image processing, video image analysis based on intelligent modules .

This avoids storing and transmitting motion pictures of swaying trees, rain and snow, flying flies and birds, which a conventional motion detector perceives as an alarm.

As a result, the volume of storage, overload of data transmission paths and the need for human participation in viewing hours of video recordings from many cameras are reduced several times.

Even with constant recording, which some security employees like to do, the use of intelligent modules allows you to speed up the search for certain events in the archives several times, and even detect them by setting the initial data automatically. For example, find people who stole material assets.

In online mode, triggering a specific event (for example, the passage of a car, the appearance of a person) allows you to raise an alarm and attract the attention of the guards to view the desired camera, which automatically turns on the alarm monitor, with a sound signal to wake up the guards from sleep.

Video monitoring is an important element of dacha security

The information posted in this article will tell you how to make video surveillance at your dacha. The rules and regulations for designing a video system in a private home are also applicable for a summer cottage, you just need to take into account certain installation nuances.

Video cameras in the country Source besplatka.ua

Dacha equipment must operate flawlessly at sub-zero temperatures, since dachas are not heated in winter. All elements of the system installed outdoors must function normally in all weather conditions. Equipment must be protected from intruders. You need to carefully consider how and where to install video cameras. It is better to disguise them, perhaps even by installing fake devices to disorient thieves and vandals.

The cameras will need to be equipped with motion sensors, infrared, and night vision. All video surveillance areas should be additionally illuminated.

Remote video surveillance for a dacha Source svs.kh.ua

Install the DVR in a hard-to-reach secret place. The most convenient way to work with a country video system is through a “cloud” service: it allows you to see the image on a PC or phone. The communication scheme is as follows: camera - DVD - router - host. The image from the camera goes to the “cloud”, which provides remote communication and the ability to monitor the dacha area in real time.

The owner of a private house or summer cottage is obliged to warn possible visitors about conducting covert surveillance. This is established by current legislation. Special illuminated warning signs are sold.

For trouble-free operation of a video surveillance system, it is necessary not only to install and configure it correctly, but also to regularly carry out maintenance and repairs.

Is video surveillance legal?

Everything here is quite ambiguous. It is simply impossible to find a specific law on video surveillance, since this issue is not separately regulated in the Russian Federation. It is possible to install a video surveillance camera, but how the information received will be used is regulated by certain legal regulations, in particular the Law on Personal Data.

In other words, the camera should be used for the purpose of monitoring an area and monitoring property, without invading anyone's privacy, defaming or using people's personal information for any purpose. Plus, people who get caught on a surveillance camera should know about it. For this purpose, warning signs are placed, and if it is necessary to install the system in a public place, for example on the landing of an apartment building, it is advisable to notify residents about this.

There is no need to license the installation of video surveillance, but in some cases, collecting documents may still be necessary. This applies to the installation of equipment on the facades of buildings, in particular, for the preservation of architectural heritage.

Briefly and about the main thing

To monitor the entire perimeter of the cottage, cameras are installed in the corners of the building. To view the entire area, one camera mounted on a high support is enough.

If there is no lighting in the surveillance area, cameras with infrared illumination are chosen. They have a tracking range of 30 meters.

For a video surveillance device on your own, first of all you need to correctly lay out the cable routes. If self-confidence is not enough, it is better to seek help from professionals.

Best models

The most popular today: the American Zmodo IPcor kit and the Russian Falcon Eye system, REZON RZ Quattro D.

Zmodo IPcor

This kit includes 8 video cameras with a resolution of 480 TVL, a ¼-inch CMOS matrix, visibility of 10-12 m, motion sensors, the ability to operate in high humidity and temperatures from -32°C to +50°C. Recording can be done to a hard drive and duplicated to external storage. The kit is connected to the Internet, which makes it possible to observe anywhere on the planet.

Falcon Eye

This kit includes 4 video cameras with a resolution of 480 TVL, CCD matrix, night mode, IR illumination. This system does not have a 3G transmitter, so saving data is only possible on the hard drive. Unlike the American kit, the Russian one has a rotating motor, with which you can automatically or remotely view the territory.

REZON RZ Quattro D

The kit includes 4 dome cameras with IR illumination, a video recorder with a power supply. This system has a built-in motion sensor, visibility is up to 20 m, operation at temperatures from 0°C to +40°C. It is possible to duplicate recordings from the hard drive to external storage. Viewing can occur remotely from any mobile device anywhere in the world.

FE-0108D-KIT PRO. Price: 12500 rub.

How to use

If the device is installed outdoors

External cameras are equipped with protective housings that prevent mechanical damage and the ingress of water and dust.
The casings are equipped with thermostats, fans, a heater, a visor and a device for cleaning glass. Thanks to the protection, the equipment operates in the temperature range between -55 and +50°C.

24-hour surveillance is carried out using equipment with the “Day/Night” night shooting function (see CCTV camera with IR illumination). At night, the resulting image is recorded in black and white, and during the day – in color.

Indoors

Wide-focus body cameras are installed to monitor a large area of stationary territory. The built-in zoom lens changes the focal length and viewing angle.

Rotary models are considered suitable equipment for video surveillance of a spacious area with moving people. Devices of this type are installed in warehouses and production facilities, shopping centers and supermarkets.

PTZ cameras are programmed to monitor selected areas at set intervals. At the specified moment, the device will turn in the desired direction.

In hard-to-reach places where it is impossible to install a cable, it is preferable to use wireless models. The range of the devices is 100 meters in an area without obstacles to radio waves, and the price exceeds the cost of conventional analogues.

Dome cameras, which provide an extended viewing angle, are used over large areas to monitor moving objects. Video devices look good in the interior and are fixed on walls and ceilings.

Night video surveillance equipment

Dome models with infrared illumination record clear images when shooting in the dark.

There are devices with built-in IR illumination, but more often LEDs are installed around the lens.

Another option is a remote illumination unit, “IR spotlight”.

Infrared rays are not visible to the human eye, but such illumination is sufficient for video recording.

The main characteristics of the backlight are range, wavelength and angle.

Night vision cameras equipped with Sony CCD chips shoot video with a minimum resolution of 420 TV Lines.