Branch Surveillance Built for Continuous Recording

What this step does

Before choosing any camera or recorder, decide what the system must achieve: what must be seen, where, when, for how long, and by whom. Every later choice (camera type, resolution, storage, network) follows from this.

Why it matters

Without a clear objective, equipment is over-bought in some areas and too weak in others. A teller counter that must identify a face needs far more detail than a lobby that only needs to show movement.

Detail level to decide per zone (DORI, IEC 62676-4)

Higher detail needs higher resolution or a narrower field of view. Step 4 turns this into resolution and lens choices.

Questions to answer before buying

• What must be seen: people, faces, cash, vehicles, activity?
• Which zones: entrances, counters, vault corridor, perimeter?
• When: 24/7, business hours or after hours only?
• Live monitoring, recorded review, or both?
• How many days of footage must be kept?
• Who needs access: branch, head office, security team, remotely?
• Are there privacy, signage or audio-recording rules to follow?
• What is the budget, and will more sites be added later?

Common mistakes

• Buying cameras before defining goals
• Using the same settings for every zone
• Ignoring the retention requirement until storage is full

Buying guide

Choose the HD-over-coax standard and resolution your DVR supports.

Details

• Check before buying: Camera standard (TVI / CVI / AHD) and the DVR it will connect to
• Common mistake: Mixing standards the DVR cannot decode

How to choose

• HD analog sends video over coax using TVI, CVI or AHD; the camera and DVR must share the standard (an XVR accepts all of them)
• 2 MP suits most indoor areas; choose 4–5 MP or 8 MP where you need more detail
• Full-colour (ColorVu / Full-color) models show colour at night with a little ambient light
• Analog cameras need a separate 12 V DC power feed beside the coax

Key specifications to compare

• TVI / CVI / AHD
• 2–8 MP
• IR range (m)
• 12 V DC

Right product when

Standard and resolution match the DVR, and IR range suits the mounting distance.

Buying guide

Map entrances, counters and blind spots.

Details

• Check before buying: Floor plan with entrances, counters and blind spots
• Common mistake: Too few cameras per zone

How to choose

• Mark entrances, exits, counters, corridors and blind spots on the floor plan
• Cover critical points (doors, counters) with dedicated cameras before wide-area cameras
• Check for hidden areas behind pillars, shelves and open doors
• Leave spare recorder channels for future cameras

Buying guide

Match pixels and lens to the detail you need.

Details

• Check before buying: Pixels per metre needed at the target distance
• Common mistake: Wide lens for face detail

How to choose

• Pixel density sets detail: 250 px/m identification, 125 recognition (see step 1)
• A wider lens covers more area but lowers pixels per metre
• Varifocal lenses let you adjust the view on site
• Higher resolution increases bitrate and storage

Key specifications to compare

• MP rating
• focal length
• FOV angle
• pixels per metre

Right product when

Resolution, lens and IR suit the distance and lighting, and the recorder supports the stream.

Buying guide

Check sensor, IR distance and lighting.

Details

• Check before buying: Actual lighting and IR range at the install spot
• Common mistake: Trusting IR range on paper

How to choose

• Lux and IR range on datasheets are best-case figures; plan for less
• Colour night modes need ambient or supplemental light
• WDR helps with bright glass doors and entrances
• Avoid pointing IR through glass; it reflects back

Key specifications to compare

• Minimum lux
• IR range (m)
• WDR
• sensor size

Right product when

Resolution, lens and IR suit the distance and lighting, and the recorder supports the stream.

Buying guide

Pick IP66/IK ratings for exposed spots.

Details

• Check before buying: IP and IK ratings plus temperature range
• Common mistake: Indoor cameras outdoors

How to choose

• IP rating: first digit is dust, second is water; IP66 handles strong water jets, IP67 short immersion
• IK rating covers impact; IK10 is the highest
• Check the operating temperature range for the site
• Use vandal-resistant housings where cameras can be reached

Key specifications to compare

• IP66/IP67
• IK10
• operating temperature

Right product when

Resolution, lens and IR suit the distance and lighting, and the recorder supports the stream.

Buying guide

Fixed is simple; varifocal adjusts; PTZ covers wide areas.

Details

• Check before buying: Coverage area and need for zoom or tracking
• Common mistake: PTZ everywhere

How to choose

• Fixed: lowest cost, one view, best for doors and counters
• Varifocal: fixed position with adjustable zoom at install
• PTZ: covers a large area but views one place at a time
• Use PTZ to supplement fixed cameras, not replace them

Key specifications to compare

• Lens type
• optical zoom
• pan/tilt range

Right product when

Resolution, lens and IR suit the distance and lighting, and the recorder supports the stream.

Buying guide

Match channels, analog standards and per-channel resolution.

Details

• Check before buying: Channel count, supported standards and maximum resolution per channel
• Common mistake: Buying a DVR that records 5 MP cameras at a lower resolution

How to choose

• Channels must cover every camera plus spare for growth
• An XVR (penta-brid) records TVI, CVI, AHD and CVBS, and adds a few IP channels for later upgrades
• Check the recording resolution per channel; some models drop 5 MP to "5 MP Lite"
• Count HDD bays and the maximum capacity per bay

Key specifications to compare

• Channels
• TVI / CVI / AHD / CVBS
• max resolution per channel
• IP channels
• HDD bays

Right product when

Every camera records at its full resolution with spare channels and bays.

Buying guide

Calculate GB from bitrate, hours and days.

Details

• Check before buying: Daily recording hours and retention days
• Common mistake: Desktop HDDs for 24/7

How to choose

• Storage (GB) ≈ total Mbps × hours per day × days × 0.45
• Use drives rated for 24/7 surveillance recording
• Add spare capacity; actual use varies with codec, scene and motion
• Consider redundancy (RAID) for critical sites; it does not replace backup

Key specifications to compare

• HDD capacity (TB)
• 24/7 rating
• RAID
• retention days

Right product when

Drives are rated for 24/7 writing and meet the calculated retention.

Buying guide

Confirm the DVR decodes each camera at its full resolution.

Details

• Check before buying: Camera standard and resolution against the DVR datasheet
• Common mistake: Assuming every HD camera works on every DVR

How to choose

• Check each camera standard (TVI / CVI / AHD) is listed for the DVR
• Confirm the DVR records the camera resolution without downscaling
• Same-brand camera and DVR pairs give the most features (audio, menu over coax)
• Ask our team to verify mixed-brand systems before purchase

Buying guide

RG59 or siamese cable, BNC and DC connectors, baluns and boxes.

Details

• Check before buying: Cable type, run length and connector quality
• Common mistake: Copper-clad coax and loose BNC crimps

How to choose

• Use pure copper RG59 or siamese (video + power) cable; HD signals need good copper
• Keep each HD run within the camera and DVR rated distance (typically 300–500 m on RG59)
• Video baluns let you run HD analog over Cat6 where coax is not practical
• Use proper crimp or compression BNC connectors and weatherproof junction boxes outdoors

Key specifications to compare

• RG59 / siamese
• max run (m)
• BNC / DC connectors
• video balun
• junction box

Right product when

Cable grade and length suit HD signals, with weatherproof terminations outdoors.

Buying guide

Size a 12 V supply for every camera with headroom.

Details

• Check before buying: Current per camera with IR on, and cable length
• Common mistake: One small adaptor for many cameras

How to choose

• Add up each camera current with IR on (typically 0.3–0.6 A at 12 V)
• A central supply with one fused output per camera stops one fault taking down all cameras
• Long runs drop voltage; use thicker power cores or local supplies for distant cameras
• Keep the supply on the UPS so cameras record through power cuts

Key specifications to compare

• 12 V DC output
• total amps
• fused channels
• surge protection

Right product when

Total current covers every camera with headroom and each output is fused.

Buying guide

Keep the DVR and camera power recording through power cuts.

Details

• Check before buying: Load of DVR and camera power supply in watts
• Common mistake: No UPS on the DVR

How to choose

• Add up the watts of the DVR and the camera power supply
• Choose UPS runtime at your actual load, not the maximum rating
• Add surge protection on coax and power runs that go outdoors
• Test and replace batteries on schedule

Key specifications to compare

• VA/watt rating
• runtime
• outlets
• surge rating

Right product when

Runtime and VA cover the DVR and camera power supply.

Buying guide

Plan monitors and a viewing workstation.

Details

• Check before buying: Monitor resolution and decoding capacity
• Common mistake: Weak decoding PC

How to choose

• Use monitors rated for continuous operation in control rooms
• The workstation must decode all live streams
• Plan monitor count and layout for the operators
• Use sub-streams for multi-camera grids

Key specifications to compare

• Screen size
• resolution
• 24/7 rating
• HDMI

Right product when

Screens are 24/7 rated and the workstation can decode all streams.

Buying guide

Use strong passwords, roles and VPN.

Details

• Check before buying: VPN, user roles and password policy
• Common mistake: Open ports to the internet

How to choose

• Use a VPN instead of exposing recorder ports to the internet
• Change default passwords and use separate accounts
• Give each user only the permissions they need
• Keep firmware updated and use encrypted connections

Key specifications to compare

• VPN
• port forwarding
• user roles
• firewall rules

Right product when

Throughput holds under VPN and security load, with role-based access.

Buying guide

Plan commissioning, testing and checks.

Details

• Check before buying: Site survey, commissioning and service plan
• Common mistake: No maintenance plan

How to choose

• Start with a site survey and cable route plan
• Test cabling before connecting devices
• Commission: focus cameras, set time sync, test recording and playback
• Schedule regular checks, cleaning and HDD health reviews

Key specifications to compare

• Survey
• installation
• commissioning
• SLA

Right product when

Scope covers survey, installation, testing and a clear support SLA.

Buying guide

Verify warranty, support and spares.

Details

• Check before buying: Warranty period, support channel and spares
• Common mistake: Unclear replacement terms

How to choose

• Compare warranty length and what it covers
• Confirm local support hours and response time
• Ask about replacement (RMA) process and spare stock
• Buy from an authorised source