November 2021

What is an electric strike?

Electric Strike

An electric strike lock is an access control device used for doors. It replaces the fixed strike faceplate often used with a keeper.). Like a fixed strike plate, it usually presents a ramped or beveled surface to the locking latch allowing the door to close and latch just like a limited electric door strike would. After the door is opening past the keeper, the keeper returns to its standard position and re-locks when power is removed or applied, depending upon the strike’s configuration. 

The configurations of the electric strike are: 

Fail-secure: In this configuration, the strike would remain locked in a power failure but typically can still use the mechanical lock to open the door from the inside for egress from the safe side.

Fail-safe: If there is a power failure, the door strike opens merely by being pushed or pulled.

Hold-open: the Hold-open function ease usage because the powering of the door strike and the opening of the strike do not need to be precisely synchronized.

Sometimes electric strike lock has buzzers that allow someone outside the electric door strike to listen when the door is opening. The alternating current creates this noise.

It’s necessary to consider many things if you want to buy an electric strike lock. However, in some cases, it’s an excellent option to choose a magnetic lock

Electric strike locks work by replacing the standard strike with an energized door strike in which one side is cut out and replaced with a hinged piece of metal. When activated, the part of the metal swings like a saloon electric door strike and opens the entrance. 

Electric strike locks remain locked from the outside at all times. With this type of lock, the door closes behind you and automatically fastens in a locked position.

Security Camera System Installation: Video Storage

Security cameras storage

How Much Storage Do You Need?

It is recommended that most businesses store footage from commercial security cameras for at least 30 days. For large operations, camera footage is often reserved for up to 90 days, requiring a more comprehensive storage solution with more capacity. 

Storing more footage generally means using more physical space and hard drives, as well as more terabytes of space. The average 12-camera business surveillance system requires at least eight terabytes of room to store 1080p footage for 30 days, at industry-standard frames per second.

Limited Video Surveillance Storage

Professional security camera systems require storage that is secure and redundant. A commercial storage server for video surveillance system should not be an embedded operating system. It should have some kind of storage that is RAID-protected. There should be a solid-state drive on the operating system as well. Which can have a pre-and post-buffer to ensure nothing is missing—the entire context of the situation record. But most users follow the standard of keeping 30 days of recording based on motion activity.

Consumer security camera systems can store videos in the cloud. That is an excellent capability in theory, but the cost can ramp up depending on your set resolution. Yes, even if it’s an H.D. camera, that doesn’t mean you can store H.D. recordings in the cloud at an economical rate. Overall, the higher the resolution and the greater the number of cameras, the more your cloud storage costs. Furthermore, out-of-the-box features limit recordings to 10-second clips, which are not very useful by commercial standards. That is an area of focus in the professional surveillance camera industry. There is hope for commercial cloud video surveillance or “VSaaS” (Video Surveillance system as a Service). Between image quality limitations, intelligent video, and overall evidence management. There are too many limitations to recommend these platforms to our commercial clients who require mission-critical surveillance systems.

Another problem with these consumer systems masquerading as professional video surveillance kits is that they are often supplied at a low cost. Low-quality Linux system that doesn’t work reliably with hard drives made for video surveillance. Finally, the embedded DVR recorder systems typically have a set amount of storage. Suppose you add cameras in the future. These systems may not allow you to simply add another hard disk drive and instead require you to purchase an entirely new system.

The critical infrastructure and other applications with national security implications, even the professional security camera market, have had many issues in this area. The U.S. recently passed a law banning the use of equipment made by one of the world’s largest security camera in factors to secure government facilities. That not only means they can’t be used going forward, but it also means that these cameras and other equipment have to be obliterated from the operation.

Do You Need a Hard Drive For Security Cameras?

Recording security camera footage requires hard drives and cloud-based storage. If you have an analog security camera system, the DVR has a hard drive inside of it. For an IP security camera system installation, the NVR can use hard drives for onsite recording and cloud-based recording in a hard drive malfunction.

What About Cloud Storage?

Free cloud storage for security cameras could be easy, depending on the IP security cameras you’re using.

The IP camera cloud storage is available via either the camera manufacturer’s client or the third-party software. And the camera provider’s cloud storage for CCTV is the most reliable and convenient way to go. Most have FREE access to basic plans, NO subscriptions, and NO extra fees.

So getting an IP camera with cloud storage will be your best choice if you are keen on the cloud.

More modern CCTV camera systems allow users to store security footage in the cloud. They allow property owners and managers to access live and recorded footage from a mobile device or web browser. That is an excellent alternative to memory cards because it offers better storage of large video files, as well as more convenience in today’s internet-based world. The cloud allows users to get instant security alerts, making it easy to view and respond to security footage in real-time, even when they are offsite. Many cloud-based CCTV camera systems offer a limited amount of free cloud storage, as well as monthly, annual, or lifetime subscriptions.

IP camera cloud storage enables you to access your camera recordings anywhere, but it’s not the only option. If you want remote viewing and playback function, you don’t need to bind your IP camera to cloud storage. Any online IP camera can do that easily via the phone app, P.C., or web.

I.P. Camera Cloud Storage: How Does It Work

IP camera cloud storage uses the Internet to store your encrypted IP camera recordings in the offsite storage software, namely the cloud server. So that you can view, playback, delete and download the recordings from your cloud IP camera cloud as long as there is a network.

And the network plays a central role in the cloud storage for security cameras.

For example, the wireless security camera cloud storage uses a WiFi network to send video recordings and live feeds to the cloud server, convenient and straightforward. And the Argus 2 is a highly demanded model that works seamlessly with the Reolink Cloud.

No WiFi network? No worries.

You can still have the IP camera cloud storage with cellular cloud security cameras. Which use 3G/4G data to send streams over the net—offering full functions and benefits of CCTV camera cloud storage.

How to Access I.P. Camera Cloud Storage

It’s super easy! You don’t have to do anything other than sign into your account via the cloud security camera app or the cloud website after you bind cameras to the cloud. And then you can see everything on its cloud section, view and playback those cloud recordings wherever you are.

Remember that battery-powered cameras only record motion events from your IP camera to cloud storage to save battery life. You will not want large files on the cloud storage for CCTV system anyway.

I.P. Camera Cloud Storage Safety Issues

Privacy and safety issues of IP camera cloud storage are always a big concern. And the best solution to avoid these problems is to choose a reputable security camera brand with advanced encryption technology.

And the quality cloud IP cameras will enable Transport Layer Security (TLS). Store videos in Amazon S3 (the industry’s most-trusted service) and transmit videos through HTTPS (the protocol to ensure your data is encrypted and transferred over a secure connection).

And those trusted cloud storage camera manufacturers are more devoted to keeping the servers up to date with security patches and operating system updates. They will update the software regularly on their software pages so that the customers can always keep up-to-date.

So do remember to create a strong password to keep your cloud IP security cameras safe.

Best Cloud I.P. Cameras

A cloud storage camera with blurry images and false alarms will lose all its edges of free cloud storage.

Is there any reliable cloud IP security camera with free cloud-based storage?

Yes, of course. Here are the top two cloud IP cameras I’d recommend. (Bonus: They also have an S.D. card slot in the camera to enable local storage if you want.)

I.P. Camera Cloud Storage: Things to Consider

The chances are that your I.P. camera cloud storage is not enabled, but still, you want to save camera recordings to the cloud. In this case, you’ll need the help of either a 3rd party CCTV cloud storage software or an FTP server.

And here are two things you need to check before signing a contract with any 3rd party IP camera cloud storage platform:

  • Make sure your security camera system is supported by the 3rd party cloud I.P. camera software. Some cloud IP camera software only supports H.264 compression and RTSP protocol.
  • Check the resolution output of the cloud IP camera app and whether they will support both image and video recordings to make the best use of the CCTV cloud storage.

Types of Security Cameras

  • Bullet Cameras
  • Dome Cameras
  • Turret Cameras
  • PTZ (Pan Tilt Zoom)
  • Cameras Fisheye
  • Cameras Multiple
  • Sensor Cameras
  • Doorbell Cameras
  • Wireless Security Cameras

No matter your surveillance system configuration, the type of security camera you choose will have a tremendous impact. And there are many types of commercial cameras and security camera installation service types out there. Each camera has its strengths and weaknesses, its benefits and downsides. So it would help if you made an informed choice to achieve the best security camera system for business safety. Remember, you’re encouraged to mix-and-match camera types when installing the security camera system that’s right for you. 

NVR

NVR RECORDER

Network Video Recorder (NVR)

The Network Video Recorder, also known as the NVR, is another essential element to any I.P. camera system. Connected to the same I.P. network, you can install the NVR virtually anywhere in your building. The NVR allowed you to record and store video on a hard drive, snap images and transmit them to your computer or remote device for living and recorded viewing. Network Video Recorders usually have multiple channels for inputting security camera feeds and are an all-in-one place for combining feeds and keeping a comprehensive eye on your surveillance provides. NVRs and DVRs may be placed on a shelf or desk, wall-mounted, or mounted behind a false wall.

NVR’s differ mainly from DVRs. They record video from I.P. cameras, while DVRs specifically record analog-based video to a digital format. Standard DVR recorders use coaxial cables, while many NVRs connect through Ethernet cables, such as a cat5e or cat6.

Which is Better, DVR or NVR?

At the core, both NVR and DVRs are responsible for video recording. DVR stands for Digital Video Recorder, whereas NVR stands for Network Video Recorder. The difference between NVR and DVR is how they process video data. DVR systems process the video data at the recorder. In contrast, NVR systems encode and process the video data at the camera, then stream it to the NVR recorder, which is used for storage and remote viewing. As DVRs and NVRs handle the video data differently, they require different types of cameras. Most NVRs are used with I.P. cameras, whereas DVRs are used with analog cameras. It’s important to note that a DVR-based system is a wired security system. In contrast, NVR systems can be wired or wireless systems.

DVRs with coaxial cables generally have image quality that deteriorates after around 300 feet. With an NVR system, you can get around this by using a POE extender, POE injector, or POE switch to extend cables over long distances while maintaining high image quality. NVRs offer high flexibility — connected to the same I.P. network, can install NVRs virtually anywhere in your building.

Since NVRs use a software program to record video in a digital format automatically. They can easily transmit data over computer networks and even remotely stream security footage on a mobile device in real-time. NVRs are also typically newer and more advanced systems that offer higher video quality, compatibility with more cameras, and more flexible features.

Installing a DVR is the best bet for business security systems with existing coaxial wiring and analog cameras. For commercial security camera systems starting from scratch, NVRs are a great choice, which offers higher-resolution IP cameras and remote video feed access.

DVR Security System – Pros & Cons

Advances in analog high definition within the last five years have reduced the gap in resolution between the two systems. You’ll probably notice that DVR-based security systems are priced lower than NVR systems. The lower price point is an attractive advantage of DVR systems, but what are the tradeoffs? To answer this, we need to break down each of the components of a DVR system.

Camera Type – Analog

The cameras used by a DVR system must be analog security cameras, better known as CCTV cameras. Most of the cost savings found by using a DVR system are due to the camera. While you can mix and match cameras in your property security system, there is less flexibility in the type of cameras you can use with DVR systems.

In a DVR system, the analog cameras stream an analog signal to the recorder, processing the images. The advantage of this system is the reduced complexity required of the camera compared to an NVR system.

Cable – Coaxial BNC Cable

The camera connects to the DVR recorder via a coaxial BNC cable. Although the use of coaxial cable may not seem significant, it does have some limitations:

  • As the coaxial cable doesn’t provide power to the camera, two threads are included within one covering – a passion and video cable. The lines separate each end to give separate functions. As such, you’ll need to install your DVR recorder near a power outlet.
  • The size and rigidity of coaxial cables can make installation more challenging. The coaxial cable is more comprehensive in diameter than Ethernet cables used with NVR systems, making it more challenging to run lines in tight spaces. Coaxial cables also tend to be more rigid, compounding this problem.
  • However, suppose your property has existing coaxial connections for a previous security system. In that case, you can use the same cable to connect your new system.
  • Standard coax cables do not support audio. A variant with an added RCA connection is needed. Still, a DVR has a limited number of audio input ports, so only a small number of cameras can record audio.
  • The image quality on the coaxial cable will begin to degrade after about 300ft/90m, limiting the ability to extend your security presence outward. The lower quality cable will result in a signal loss at shorter distances.

Recorder

DVR recorders rely on a hardware chipset known as an A.D. encoder responsible for processing the raw data streaming from the camera into legible video recordings. DVR systems also have different requirements when it comes to the recorder. Specifically, in a DVR system, the user must connect every camera directly to the writer. In comparison, an NVR system only requires that each camera connects to the same network. Also, in a DVR system, the recorder doesn’t provide power to the cameras. Each camera connection will need a splitter that supplies power to enable cameras to function.

System Flexibility

DVR security systems are less flexible than their NVR counterparts in terms of camera type and mounting options. Whereas NVR based systems can integrate wired and wireless security cameras, DVR systems can only use wired security cameras. DVR systems also have less flexible mounting solutions because routing coaxial cable can be more difficult in tight situations. A power outlet is required for each camera.

Image & Audio Quality

As we’ve discussed, the cameras transmit analog video via the coax cable directly to the recorder in DVR systems, and images process at the recorder level. The analog signal results in a lower quality image compared to NVR systems. Coaxial cables also don’t natively transmit an audio signal. DVR recorders usually have a limited number of audio input ports.

NVR Security System – Pros & Cons

NVR security camera systems incorporate the newest technology to provide an enhanced, feature-rich security system. Also known as POE security camera systems, NVR based systems are more flexible and complex than DVR systems.

Camera Type – I.P. Camera

As NVR systems process the video data at the camera rather than on the recorder, the cameras in NVR systems are much more robust than their DVR counterparts. NVR systems use IP cameras which are standalone image capturing devices. I.P. cameras each have a chipset capable of processing the video data, then transmitted to a recorder. Unlike analog camerasIP cameras are typically all capable of recording and sending audio and video. The more powerful hardware on IP cameras also enables improved smart functionality and video analytics, such as facial recognition.

Cable – Ethernet

Like DVR systems, NVR systems connect the camera to the recorder. However, how they connect the camera to the writer is entirely different. NVR systems use standard Ethernet cables, such as cat5e and cat6, to transmit data. Professional installers prefer ethernet cables due to the number of advantages compared to coaxial cables:

  • Ethernet cable powers the camera using Power over Ethernet (PoE). That means your camera needs one cable running to capture video, audio and control the camera, thus eliminating the need for messy splitters like a DVR system.
  • Ethernet cable tends to be easier to route and terminate because it is thinner and has a smaller connector allowing for less drilling.
  • Ethernet is cheaper than coaxial cable and much more readily available, making cable replacement or system expansion more accessible and affordable. Many modern homes and businesses are being built wired for Ethernet, making installation even more accessible.
  • An added advantage of Ethernet cable is that every camera on the system can transmit audio since Ethernet can send audio data natively.
  • Cables do not need to run between every camera and the recorder. They need to be on the same wireless network. Installation is more straightforward and cleaner as multiple cables aren’t required.
  • Despite a shorter max Ethernet cable length, 328ft or 100m, network switches can extend total distance without impacting image quality.

Recorder

Unlike a DVR system, the recorder in an NVR system doesn’t process video data. That step is completed at the camera before it is transmitted. NVR recorders are only used for storing and viewing the footage.

System Flexibility

NVR systems are inherently more flexible because security cameras don’t necessarily have to be physically connected directly to the recorder. Instead, IP cameras only have to be on the same network. As such, you could feasibly have cameras worldwide on the same network that connect to your NVR can then be viewed as a comprehensive system.

Image & Audio Quality

As NVR recorders receive a pure digital signal from the cameras, video quality is better than a DVR at the exact resolution. In addition, as Ethernet cables carry audio, all cameras with microphones could record audio to the NVR.

Hard Drives

An NVR makes it easy to record video surveillance footage, but you will need connected hard drives to store this footage. Choosing the right amount of storage for your surveillance camera installation can seem like a confusing gamble, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s simply a matter of calculating the video length you need to store by the bitrate and resolution your camera shoots at. When recording 4k security camera video, this can end up being a large number requiring terabytes of footage. For lesser archival needs, you can usually get away with much less.