A facet of security camera system applications that we are asked about frequently is, “How Do I Hook Up Several Monitors to my Security Camera System?” Some Security DVRs have both a HDMI and a VGA output. A few of these can be used simultaneously, but most are designed to use one or the other. […]
Continue ReadingSmartIR and How to Avoid Issues
At least a few times a week we get a call that normally goes like this: Customer: I love the cameras in daytime, but at night I can’t see anything at all. Tech Support: Are you able to send a screenshot for me to take a look at? Customer: Sure. *Sends photo* Tech Support: It […]
Continue ReadingIngress Protection or IP Ratings for Security Cameras
What are IP or Ingress Protection Ratings for Security Cameras? IP or Ingress Protection ratings for security cameras (as well as many other electronics) are used to define levels of Ingress Protection, or the level of effectiveness against intrusion from foreign bodies such as dust, water, moisture, tools and hardware. These ratings are based on […]
Continue ReadingHow to add Audio to my Security Camera System?
We are often asked “How to add audio to a CCTV camera security system?” Adding audio to an existing surveillance camera system involves some basic requirements. Even if your system supports audio, that does not always mean that your cameras have built-in mic’s. Most Security Camera systems are set up in a similar way, and […]
Continue ReadingAudio Surveillance, CCTV Microphones, and Audio Monitoring with Security Systems
Adding an Audio dimension to your security application can be a significant upgrade for a number of reasons. CCTV Microphones or Microphone Kits are popular in a variety of industries, and for a multitude of reasons. We have received multiple calls with both residential and commercial customers that ask “How can I add audio to […]
Continue ReadingSpecialty CCTV Cameras and their Applications
There’s a gap in your coverage, and you’re not sure how to close it. The building you’re in is just a bit too far to get a clear image of the front of the parking lot from where you sit. You have a couple of choices at this point. You can just put up a […]
Continue ReadingCCTV Data Recovery
CCTV Data Loss and Recovery Anyone who has been around disk-based storage devices for a while has had an incident where they’ve either lost data, the HDD has been corrupted, or maybe the media has been damaged in some way. The immediate response is usually panic. “That data is lost forever, and I had important […]
Continue ReadingSeeing Color in Extremely Low Light Levels with STARVIS!
Starvis CCTV Security Cameras I’ve been in this industry for a while now, and there have been a handful of innovations that have really grabbed my attention. STARVIS, certainly is one of them. For quite some time, a major drawback to to having CCTV cameras in a low-lit area like a restaurant or bar, is […]
Continue ReadingA Brief History of Samsung DIY Security camera Systems
Ellipse has been a stocking distributor for Samsung (now Wisenet) Home Security Priducts and DIY (do-it-yourself) security systems for over 14 years. Over this time, Samsung security camera systems have changed dramatically, as has the industry in general. A brief (very brief) Samsung camera history is in order to truly see how far we have […]
Continue ReadingUsing the Vari-Focal Zoom Function (Manual Zoom) on CCTV Security Cameras
How does the Manual Zoom Work on CCTV Cameras? It’s pretty straight forward but requires a bit of practice to get it just right! As you probably know, most Security Cameras are Fixed Lens cameras with no zoom features. It can help immensely in a CCTV Installation to have at least some cameras with a […]
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