Frequently Asked Questions About Security Camera Systems
With spikes in residential theft and the growing need to protect employees, businesses and homeowners must have security cameras to deter felonies and misdemeanors on their premises. However, when it comes to security camera systems, clients have a ton of questions but often find answers difficult to come by. Fortunately, Prep Security has the answers to the many questions you may have. To arm you with the most accurate information so you can make the right decisions when you choose our services, we’ve answered some of the most frequently asked questions about security camera systems.
1. Do you monitor my cameras?
We usually set you up to monitor your own cameras, but we do offer a service for Live View Monitoring through a third-party. With our service agreement, we can check the health of your system but are not live monitoring cameras from our office.
2. Do I need to have internet service for my cameras to work?
No. Our systems will work on location without the internet. If you want to view your security feed remotely through your phone or PC, you would have to have a stable internet connection. As a Verizon partner, we can easily provide you a cellular router if you do not have internet.
3. Can you read license plates with your cameras?
In order to reliably read license plates, you need a purpose-built License Plate Reader (LPR) camera. Reliably is the keyword because any camera can read license plates with proper distance, or on a stopped, slow-moving car, and under good lighting. An LPR camera needs to be strategically placed and have a narrow field of view, like one lane of traffic is best.
4. How many days of recorded video will I be able to store?
Usually, you can store as much as you want. But, how much hard drive storage you will need can be calculated or estimated based on several factors like:
a. Number of cameras
b. Resolution
c. Frame rate
d. Compression type
e. Percentage of activity
Mostly recordings of only “in motion” footage are preferred so that it saves hard drive space and keeps you from having to look through dead space. As a result, coming up with an exact number of days is impossible.
5. Do you offer wireless cameras?
Yes, we do, but we often steer customers away from them because they are less reliable. There are a few battery-powered cameras available, but besides those, you have to get power to the cameras anyway, so there usually isn’t any savings on the cost of labor. Wireless cameras are more expensive in general.
6. Do you offer service agreements?
Yes. We can customize a service agreement to suit your needs and have many customers who take advantage of this service.
7. What brands do you use?
We offer different types of security cameras. You can see our partner’s page on our website for a partial list. If you have another brand you are looking for, we more than likely can get it for you through our current vendors.
8. Can I see a demo?
Yes, you can. For a demo, you’ll need to set up an appointment to visit our office. Sometimes we can take you to an existing customer’s property to show you the installation of our devices. We can also show you the camera feed remotely from your own PC.
If you have any more questions about security cameras, get in touch with the experts at Prep Security. We provide leading commercial and residential security and communications services in St. Charles, Missouri. We have been in business for over a decade and have gained valuable experience and expertise in a wide range of other security and communications areas, including HD security camera systems, alarms, access control, data and network cabling, and almost any low voltage solution. Through our extensive experience, we can provide outstanding solutions, quality customer service, and attention to detail.
To learn more about how we can help you, please click here or contact us by clicking here.