Video surveillance systems are ubiquitous in public life. Not only are they prevalent on city streets and in commercial establishments, you are also finding them in homes across Canada.
Interestingly enough, it seems oftentimes that households have more state-of-the-art surveillance equipment than your average mom-and-pop shop. High-definition, remote control, and automation are just some of the many key features of their systems.
Now that you have spent hundreds or thousands of dollars on video surveillance systems, the crucial aspect is to ensure that it is properly taken care of. Should you be derelict in your duties as a homeowner or business owner to ensure your cameras are updated, then you may suffer the consequences. And nobody wants that.
How exactly can you make sure that your investment will pay dividends in the future?
Here are five tips for maintaining your video surveillance system:
1. Your Storage Hard Drive is Key
If your security camera is recording 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year – including Leap Year – then you can only imagine the sheer volume of data on your hard drive.
Before you know it, the system hard drive is at maximum capacity. Stumped?
Here are a few suggestions to maintain your hard drive:
- If nothing has happened, then empty your hard drive once a month.
- Set your surveillance system to record motion only rather than perpetual recording.
- Modify the frames per second from 30 (real time) to 15.
- Replace your old hard drive with a more powerful hard drive.
By adopting these suggestions, you can ensure that your camera will record what’s necessary.
2. Automate Your Surveillance Systems
You have likely heard the automation technologies sweeping households across the Great White North, the United States, Europe, and China. Are you not participating in the latest trend?
Well, perhaps it is time that you hop on the bandwagon.
Automation can enhance the efficacy of your video surveillance system. Whether it automatically recording someone who knocks on the door or automatically shutting off when you’re home, you will find these advancements quite useful to the security of your home, your office, or your business.
3. Clean the Camera Lenses Regularly
When often neglected, the camera lens can get dirty or dusty, which can affect the system’s recording functions. A simple remedy is to regularly clean the camera lens, whether it is indoors or outdoors. Just get a duster, a cloth, or a cleaning solution designed specifically for cameras, and your device can have a clear view once again.
4. Is the Lighting Still Working?
Every camera needs the necessary lighting to capture the scene. The lighting you had a couple of years ago may not work today. Therefore, it would be wise to determine if the lighting setup you have now is still sufficient. If not, you may need to change it by revising the settings, turning on a light, or even relocating the mechanism to a place with more natural light.
5. Reassessing the Camera Positions
You may not have noticed, but that plant you installed is obstructing the camera view. Ditto for that new piece of artwork, shelf, chandelier, and so on.
It would be prudent to reassess the camera positions once in a while. Or, at the very least, be mindful of what is in the vicinity of your video surveillance system.
You want to be safe. Your home, your office, your business. One of the best measures to employ to ensure the safety and security of your premises is to install a video surveillance system. High-definition cameras, automation, remote control, and perhaps even some audio additions can all serve as effective features to protect your inventories and valuables alike.
