KNOWLEDGE BASE
Learn before you buy.
Guides, a glossary and a calculator explain what you need, how much storage it takes and who is watching at three in the morning. Nothing here is for sale.
THREE STARTING POINTS
- What to recognise. A guide through seven questions before you buy a system.
- How many cameras and how much storage. The calculator gives an estimate for your building.
- Who watches at 03:00. How verification works in a monitoring centre.
GUIDE · 9 MIN
How to choose a CCTV system. Seven questions that lead to the right system: what you protect, camera count, resolution, recording and who watches the footage.
12 ARTICLES
- How many cameras does my building need — camera count from entrances, corners and what you want to see. 6 min.
- IP vs analog camera in 2026 — resolution, cabling and when your existing install decides. 6 min.
- How long to keep CCTV footage — resolution, storage and the retention you agree. 5 min.
- Resolution and distance — what 2, 4 and 8 MP mean at 20, 40 and 80 metres. 7 min.
- Night vision: IR and WDR — how a camera sees in the dark and why it is not just a stronger camera. 6 min.
- Alarm with or without verification — the difference between an alarm that sounds and one someone checks. 5 min.
- Perimeter protection — IR barriers from 100 to 700 m and why the perimeter buys time. 7 min.
- When 24/7 monitoring pays off — decision criteria and what happens after an alarm. 6 min.
- Attendance: cloud or own server — upkeep, backups and rules. 7 min.
- Access control: card, fingerprint, NFC — how to choose identification and what happens when a card is lost. 6 min.
- CCTV footage and the law — who may view, retention and notice. 7 min.
DEFINITIONS
PoE, NVR, ONVIF, WDR, H.265 — five terms you will meet on every spec sheet.
3 STEPS · 40 SECONDS
Enter your building size and entrances to get an estimate of camera count and storage for 30 days. Transparent assumptions: 4 MP, 15 fps, H.265.
How many cameras for a house or shop?
For a house, two or three cameras are usually enough. A shop needs coverage of the till, entrance and shelves. The exact count is set on site.
Do I need internet?
For remote viewing, yes. Cameras also work locally, but phone viewing needs internet.
How long is footage kept?
It depends on resolution and storage. Retention is agreed with the monitoring contract.
Can I use old cameras?
It depends on the standard. Cameras with ONVIF support can usually link to a new system.
When you know what you need, the next step is an assessment on site. Free of charge.
+381 11 241 81 81 · Mon–Fri 08:00–16:00 · monitoring 24/7