Are You Sure You Don\'t Need a CCTV Camera Monitor?

Surveillance cameras are one of the best ways to monitor and capture any illegal activity, such as shoplifting in stores or supermarkets, some fighting near schools, or robbery in the warehouse. But what's the use of spy cameras if you hove no monitors to see the view they transmit.

Monitors are very important when it concerns video capturing from CCTV cameras. Spy camera monitors vary in size and shape. They have different resolutions, may come in color or black-and-white, have audio options or not. So in order to get a good security camera system, not only you should look at the specifications of security cameras, but also at the monitors of spy cameras.

Of course, for basic surveillance needs, you may get away with a TV or a computer screen. However, for more professional (better image quality) surveillance camera view, you should consider a special security camera monitor.

TV Screen for Spy Camera View

Now some people decide to use their own TV for capturing spy camera view. It may be a good idea if you're not seeking to have a high quality image.

You see, spy cameras use a particular number of horizontal lines to present the image. Usually, black-and-white spy cameras have about 380 horizontal lines. Colored ones have about 330 or so horizontal lines. However, there are higher quality security cameras that use more horizontal lines to reproduce the picture.

Better quality may be achieved by purchasing 580 TV line black-and-white cameras or 460 colored TV lines security cameras. Now if you use a TV screen to represent the picture, you won't achieve high resolution image. That's because TV's have less horizontal lines than the spy camera can produce. So in order to get a quality picture, you need a better quality monitor screen.

Security Camera Monitors

Spy cam monitors offer much better resolution compared to regular TV's. You can find some monitors that handle 900 or 1000 horizontal TV lines. So you can be sure that the image quality you'll get will be maximum.

If you don't need very high resolution for gathering pictures, then you may go for a 330 or 400 TV line monitor. It will be cheaper, but will do the job. However, if the image quality is crucial for your surveillance needs, then think about better quality spy camera monitor that can handle 900 TV lines.

One other thing you should consider is color or B&W monitor. Of course, if your cameras are black-and-white, then there's no reason to use colored security camera monitor, right. But if you'll decide to use some colored cameras, then you might regret for choosing B&W monitor. Basically black-and-white cameras produce better image quality when compared to colored ones. However, in some cases, color cameras are irreplaceable.

Some monitors come with audio technology built-in. This means that a person sitting over the monitors not only can see what the camera captures, but also speak with the person near the door. For example, if someone is at the door or gate, you can see the person and say something to him using a built in loudspeaker. If the security camera contains audio too, you both can speak to each other from the distance. This is a great feature for security personnel guarding the territory.

Lastly, you may want a monitor that handles more than one camera at a time. If you're a homeowner looking for a monitor, then you may get away with one camera only. However, for larger companies, the ability to monitor many cameras at the same time is very important. Some CCTV camera monitors allow you to view 4 or even up to 16 cameras at the time using a split mode. Such monitors also allow you to switch from one camera to another, and even use a picture-in-picture view.

Read more

High-End Audio Surveillance Equipment Uncovered

What Audio Spy Equipment is the Best for Secret Audio Surveillance?

There's nothing better than wearable spy equipment when performing a secret surveillance operation. It's undetectable to the naked eye and it's just as powerful as some larger spy devices. One type of such wearable spy equipment is spy listening devices. 

Spy audio surveillance devices, like phone bugs, distant audio recorders or cell phone-like audio spy gadgets are simply ideal for secret spying missions. While video is very useful, in some situations, you simply can't getaway with it alone. You need audio surveillance equipment to do the job. So these devices help private investigators and police forces to capture critical conversations over the phone, or face to face.

Types of Wearable Audio Surveillance Devices

It can be anything. For example a show button of a ladies blouse or an ordinary looking hat. Or even a pair of sunglasses that have a spy camera inside; or a lighter. The advantage of these spy audio tools is that they can still record audio, even if you're not wearing them. For example, one can "accidentally" forget a cigarette-lighter in the room and walk away. No one will even consider that such lighter is recording every sound it hears in the room. 

In such cases, an audio pen or spy glasses with microphones installed could be extremely valuable. Moreover, there are so tiny spy microphones that you could barely see them from a distance even if they aren't hidden from you. Such mini audio spying devices measure only 1/8 inch in diameter. You could easily take a gum from your mouth, and stick the bug under the table (or any other less obvious place) and let it record anything you want 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You could even take a mini spy device and incorporate it into your clothes or other accessories, like purse, earrings or hairgrip. The possibilities of secret surveillance are endless.

Phone Bugs for Audio Surveillance

Phone bugs are probably the most common audio surveillance device. We've all heard the phrase in the movies - bug. Phone bug is simply a small audio spying device that is attached to the phone (usually inside the phone) and which performs an audio surveillance. It sends signals to other location to stream the voice of the suspect.

Sometimes, phone bugs are not necessarily put into the regular phone directly. In some cases, a phone bug may be put near the phone and still be able to capture the conversation and send the signal to another location. Such bugs may look like everyday objects - clocks, radios, cell phones, watches and so on.

A very neat feature that phone bugs have is that they do not need to record the audio all the time, non-stop. They can turn on and record the conversation only when someone is talking. Why would you need to keep listening to the silence just to find the part when the suspect starts talking? Such more advanced phone bugs sort of guard until the phone is picked up and someone starts talking. You can hear only recorded voices, which makes it very convenient to perform an audio surveillance.

Cell Phone Audio Surveillance

As technology progresses all the time, we now have the ability to spy on almost anybody using devices that look like regular everyday objects we use. For instance - a cell phone. Who would've thought that a cell phone could be a great surveillance tool? But it is. And it's actually another very useful device from audio surveillance equipment series.

While these spy cell phones with audio equipment function just like any other cell phone you know (the ability to make and receive calls, store contact records and even to have an integrated camera), they also allow you to spy on the suspect.

But let's clarify a little bit.

We're not talking here about cell phones that spy on others (like another wearable spy equipment device). We're talking about cell phones that allow you to connect to them and track someone's conversation over that cell phone.

Such spy audio devices are very useful to parents if they want to spy on their teenager. If you give such a cell phone (even with a brand name on it) to a teen, they'll be flattered. Who wouldn't want to get a cell phone for free? But in reality, you could listen to their conversations and even know where they are at the moment with the help of GPS system installed. Not only parents can spy on their kids, they can always find out where their kids are at the moment.

While such a cell phone is a nightmare to a teenager, it's a boon for caring parents.

Read more