Understanding Your Home Surveillance Camera Salesman

Shopping for a home surveillance camera is no different than shopping for any other piece of technical electronic equipment.

Salesmen will often use a lot of unfamiliar terms to explain why their system is the best. Let's try and sort through the jargon so you'll know exactly what your camera is capable.

If the salesman tells you the home surveillance camera is IR equipped, you should know this means you camera can see at night. This type of camera either has a lens surrounded by light, or an extra mount which is simply lights that you can move to any location you choose. Your eyes cannot see these IR lights, but the camera eye can. To the home surveillance camera it is as if a floodlight is pointed to the area it is shooting. Businesses have been using this technology for a several years, but homeowners have recently been taking advantage of this technology as well.

Sometimes when you go to the store you'll see a home surveillance camera hooked up to a monitor. This is great for getting a look at the just how good the camera is and what kind of picture it provides. On other occasions however there is no such hook up and thus no way for you to see how good the camera is. Without being able to see for yourself, you need to ask the salesman about the TLV. TLV is simply television lines. A typical television set will use 480 out of 525 TLV. A home surveillance camera does not need to this many. A good one will use somewhere between 380 and 420 TLV. Just remember that higher means a better quality image. With the exception of the smaller or mini security cams, most will come with 420TLV.

Some places will recommend a dome type home surveillance camera. This cameras don't look like a camera at all. They look more like a dark half sphere and are intended to be a bit more hidden. Can move 360 degrees in any direction so you'll have a great view. More recent technology allows you to control the pan and tilt from inside your home by way of remote control. No longer is it necessary for you to go out and manually move the camera. Why have a camera that's moveable if it is that difficult to maneuver?

Certainly you hear other words you are unfamiliar with while shopping for a home surveillance camera. These however are the things you should most consider before making your purchase. And always remember that if there is something you are not sure about, ask questions. A lot of them. If the salesman tells you about a feature and you don't understand what it does, just ask. Don't be tricked into paying for features that you will never have the opportunity or desire to use.