Protecting your home, your property and your family is something that no-one should take lightly. With shoplifting rates in the North East, for example, at more than twice the national average, commercial users of CCTV also have something to worry about. Many people across the country use CCTV to improve their security, but technology moves fast – is your CCTV installation up to scratch?

High-definition surveillance

Blurry or grainy images are common among older CCTV systems. This is a real problem, as poor quality images may not be considered legally admissible as evidence in court – meaning that anyone identified through the images as having committed a crime could walk free. Fortunately, advances in technology mean that a modern digital CCTV installation with 1080p HD cameras and image resolutions of up to 4 megapixels guarantee crystal clear pictures and are within the reach of even domestic consumers.

Digital HD cameras are unmatched in image quality; however, analogue high definition (AHD) CCTV cameras have the benefit of compatibility with existing cabling, providing a means of upgrading a system without having to replace everything.

Live streaming

One thing domestic consumers cannot do, however, is sit at home monitoring the camera feed 24/7. However, many camera manufacturers offer apps that you to stream the video feed over the internet to mobile devices. IP CCTV systems are specially designed for this purpose and use wireless transmission, saving the laborious process of laying down cabling all over your property.

Another space-saving advance is the option of saving video images to an SD card inside the camera itself. This removes the need for bulky DVR storage and gives consumers a compact, all-in-one CCTV camera system. With memory card storage now available in the hundreds of gigabytes, this is a far better option than older technology.

If you think your system could do with an upgrade, companies such as MK Electrics can help you install or upgrade your CCTV system, thereby improving your security and safety.