WHICH VIDEO SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM TO CHOOSE?

Friends, every year for you we make a ranking of the most relevant and popular CCTV camera systems and the current year is no exception.

In this article we will talk about the top 5 most popular CCTV camera systems, which are also simultaneously the most popular in their categories, i.e. we will talk about the most popular model in the IP segment, in the Wi-Fi segment, as well as in the budget and premium segments.

As usual, this rating is based not on anyone’s expert opinion but on dry statistics of sales of ISON brand – brand number 1 on the market of ready-made video surveillance systems, on the official website which presents more than one and a half thousand variants of ready-made video surveillance systems for any task and budget. All links will be in the text (Click on the names).

Before we move on to the rating, let’s preliminarily stipulate what we mean by a surveillance camera system, what should be in its composition and what actual characteristics, capabilities and features it should have as of this year.

First, the system should be adapted for self-installation by the average user and should include everything necessary for video surveillance, cameras with brackets, mounts for them, cable with connectors combined with the transmission of both video and power, video recorder, power supplies, splitters, software and hard disk for recording. And all this should be mounted on the principle of take out of the box – plug into the socket, because more and more people do not want to overpay installers double price and want to install everything themselves.

Secondly, the video surveillance system should be problem-free in terms of processors, matrices and IR illumination, simply put, it should be of good quality should not cause problems in the first weeks of operation. In this rating there are no cameras with low-quality matrices and weak processors because of which instead of faces you would see only pixels or ripples and cameras with old R5-y infrared diodes whose main problem is constant burnout and low life. Also we did not include in this rating camera systems on which the quality of shooting has noticeably deteriorated due to the replacement of chips and processors, which occurred at the end of 2021.

Thirdly, of course, the video surveillance system should have a function of remote viewing from the phone. At the same time, this function should be free, and not assume a monthly payment for the application as many brands, as well as this technology should be adapted to any Internet and any smartphone, this will help to avoid problems with the departure of the application, signal loss with which many ordinary users face when setting up remote viewing.

Here I should also note that the system should work correctly with both static and dynamic IP addresses and 3g/4g modems. This will avoid problems when setting up remote viewing, because more and more providers are abandoning static IP addresses in favor of dynamic ones. And without technology to support 3G/4G operators, you will not be able to get remote viewing where there is no wired Internet.

Fifthly, the system should have built-in motion sensors, this will save the budget on the hard disk on which the recording is made, because the cameras will write only when there is movement. Also the sensor will allow you to receive notifications about the operation on your smartphone via the Internet, and the main point, the sensor is needed to quickly find the desired event. For a simple understanding of the importance of this function, imagine that you went on vacation for 3 weeks, you come back and realize that you have something stolen. If your system does not have motion sensors, in order to understand when and who did it you will have to review the entire 3-week archive, and if there are sensors, you will promptly see on the viewing tape that, conditionally, January 12 at 13-23 on the 2nd camera was movement on your site and you can immediately review this moment, and do it in a modern system can be from the recorder and from the phone.

Sixthly, the video surveillance system should be adapted to the any climate to avoid the typical problems with fogging of cameras in the rain and with disconnection of cameras, crackling of cables in the cold. The system must be able to withstand any rain or snow and it should not have old kilowatt heating systems, the problem of which is high energy consumption and fire hazard when working in freezing temperatures. The system must be energy efficient and safe.

And in the eighth system of course to have a “Must Have" technology WDR and DNR, with a note that it will be an updated technology REAL WDR. Without this technology, the purchase of CCTV cameras is essentially money in the wind, because wherever you do not put your camera several times a day on it will either get the light of the sun or on the contrary fall shadow and at these times all the faces in the frame will be darkened and license plates unreadable. REAL WDR technology solves this problem. At the same time also pay attention that you buy cameras with REAL wdr technology, because as in the case of matrixes more and more artisanal Chinese manufacturers make cameras with a cheap copy of WDR because of what manufacturers of quality equipment are forced to write in the characteristics of WDR with the prefix REAL, ie real WDR and not its cheap copy.

Also the CCTV camera system should have DNR technology for AHD variants. Without this technology, the night footage will have a lot of noise, i.e. ripples, which will make people’s faces and license plates unreadable.

All of the off-the-shelf video surveillance systems in our top today fit every point of this description.

5. In the fifth place we have the most popular video surveillance system in the category with audio recording digital 5-megapixel IP POE ISON MOL PRO ZOOM MAX video surveillance system with SONY Starvis sensors on IMX335 processors with built-in 5x electronic zoom, motion sensors with POE technology, built-in POE switches, night IR LED illumination of the new generation. ISON MOL PRO ZOOM MAX system is based on ISON TF-500LCA305-XH video surveillance cameras, this is the super new product I told you about 2 minutes ago. These cameras have been waiting for a very long time, because previously if you wanted a camera with sound recording, 2K resolution, ie 4 or 5 megapixels and zoom, you were available only 4-fold mechanical zoom, which can be controlled only by a hexagon on the camera itself and finally appeared modification which has a zoom is already 5-fold and electronic, ie zoom can be controlled remotely from a phone, tablet or computer located anywhere in the world.

Also these cameras come with built-in motion sensors that can be adjusted for sensitivity, this will allow you to adjust them correctly, if for example in the frame there is a tree that moves when the wind blows. Additionally, you can set the area of the motion sensor, it is convenient when, for example, in the frame gets a dog or part of the road and you do not want the sensor triggered on these objects.

CCTV camera system ISON MOL PRO ZOOM MAX go to the matrix Sony original, which give the cameras a more detailed picture day and night compared to conventional matrixes, with LED modern backlighting, with the technology of video transmission + power over a single cable POE and of course with WDR technology.

The matrix is the most important element of any video surveillance camera. The matrix is what is inside the camera and 90% of its quality and reliability depends on it.

As of this year, there are 3 quality matrices that give a problem-free picture, these are K5 matrices from Huawei brand, Smartsense and Sony matrices. Also always pay attention to the fact that the matrices were the original Sony, Smartsense and K5 and not copies or fakes, which are now on the market in a huge number. All representatives of our today’s top of course go on the original matrixes.

In addition to the function of remote viewing from a smartphone ISON MOL PRO ZOOM MAX system also has the ability to remotely download the archive, which is very convenient because you can view what was yesterday or a week ago directly from a smartphone anywhere in the world.

This system is presented in all possible configurations for 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,10,16,20, 32 and 64 cameras respectively. The standard configuration in addition to cameras includes ready 18-meter coils of cable and RJ-45 connectors, if necessary, you can replace these cables with longer 30, 40, 50-meter cables and so on, the maximum length of the cable for this system is 200 meters. You can make such replacement in the configurator on the official site of the manufacturer. In the same configurator, if desired, you can replace the standard hard disk for a larger one to increase the archive period or, for example, replace the recorder under the expansion, it is convenient in cases where you, for example, want to buy a system for 4 cameras with the possibility of further expansion to 8 cameras.

On the topic of choosing a hard drive said a lot with summarize everything in a small hint: If you choose for yourself a 4-channel system class ISON MOL PRO ZOOM MAX, ISON GREKO PRO, ISON ALFA standard hard disk for 1b you will be enough for about a week of archives. In all systems from today’s top has an automatic overwrite function, which will provide an automatic overwrite, ie format the hard disk every time you do not need to format, it will overwrite itself. If a week’s archive is not enough for you to choose the replacement of the hard disk for a larger one in the configurator on the site, ie, for example, if you replace the disk for 2tb archive will be 2 times more, for 3tb 3 times more, etc. Or in order not to overpay for the hard disk set all your cameras in the recording mode by motion sensor, so you can even on the smallest disk in 1tb to achieve an archive of several weeks or even months on the same cameras.

Separately, I would like to add that this ISON MOL PRO ZOOM MAX system comes not just with sound recording, but with sound recording on the legendary ISON MIC801AP built-in microphones. We have also told you a lot about these microphones, we had both video reviews and tests and still these microphones remain the most powerful of all the variants that have passed through our hands for 11 years.

Note also that this has a more budget modifications ISON MOL PRO is the same in essence system at 5 megapixels but without zoom and ISON MOL also modification without zoom but already at 3 megapixels with a more budget price tag.

We are often asked whether the actual resolutions of 2, 4, 5 or 8 megapixels are very different from each other. The answer is very simple: 4 megapixel cameras are 2 times sharper than 2 megapixel cameras. 1 megapixel is 1 million pixels, i.e. 1 million dots on the screen, respectively 4 megapixel cameras have 2 times more dots on the screen, this difference is 2 times. The same thing 8 megapixel cameras see better and farther than 8 megapixel cameras by a factor of 2.

Again, the system ISON MOL PRO ZOOM MAX is the most popular in the category with sound recording, most often it is purchased for stores, offices, in private homes when homeowners want video surveillance with sound, as well as other objects where in addition to a good picture from the cameras also requires and recording of high-definition sound.

4. In the fourth place we have 5-megapixel AHD video surveillance system with SONY sensors on IMX335 processors, motion sensors, night IR LED illumination up to 30 meters ISON GREKO PRO..

The 2.8mm lenses in the ISON GREKO PRO video surveillance system provide a wide viewing angle of 120° without any distortion and fisheye effect. Motion sensors are also adjustable in sensitivity and trigger zone. The system supports all types of Internet, supports work with modems, has the ability to connect microphones, has WDR technology and works down to -60 °,

Video surveillance system GREKO PRO is presented in all configurations from 1 to 32 cameras.

3. On the third place we have the most powerful and popular to represent the segment of wireless video surveillance systems ISON AIR PRO at 5 megapixels based on the above-mentioned super matrix K5 with wide-angle lenses 2.8mm, WDR technology, night IR LED illumination and so on. As is clear from the name it is a wireless system, ie between the cameras and the recorder there is no wire. However, it should be remembered that the Wi-Fi signal has its limitations. Specifically this system is essentially the most powerful video surveillance in terms of Wi-Fi transmission that for the past 11 years have passed through our hands.

Stably it will work at a distance of up to 150 meters in conditions without obstacles, and 2-3 walls in conditions with a private house. Also this system unlike most other wireless systems works stably in rain and storm magnets and what is very important as all systems from today’s top it is fully configured and connected on the principle of take out of the box, plug into the socket, ie there are no typical problems with wireless cameras when you need to dance with a tambourine near the switch to make the cameras work.

ISON AIR PRO system has an updated sensor/processor pair and updated IR LED illumination, which give this system very decent clarity and detail. The system also have WDR technology, works with 3G/4G modems, has motion sensors with settings for sensitivity and zone of operation and remote access to the archive. Completions of systems ISON AIR PRO are all types of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 cameras in the external and internal version. Cameras in this system come with microphone inputs, i.e. if necessary, you can connect a microphone to them for sound recording.

A convenient thing you can do in the configurator on the website when placing an order is to replace the standard power supply units with outdoor power supply units. This is a convenient and more budget-friendly way for outdoor installation of Wi-Fi cameras, because it saves you from the need to mount outdoor power cabinets near each camera.

2. In the second place luxury video surveillance – 8 megapixel system with motorized lens, 5x zoom, SONY sensors on updated IMX325 processors, 4K shooting resolution, WDR, DNR and many more interesting features, ISON GROT X video surveillance system..

This is a Rolls Royce in the world of video surveillance systems. Distinctive features of this system are, first of all, the presence of 5-fold electronic zoom, which can be controlled remotely from anywhere in the world and of course it is its resolution – 8 megapixels 4K!

I do not think it is necessary to add that ISON GROT X video surveillance system has similarly all the features that were in our previous participants from LED backlighting to modem support. In fact, it has everything that video surveillance systems have at the moment. By this year the system has also received all current updates from LED backlighting to processors.

As of this year, the ISON GROT X video surveillance system is the best that you can buy on the video surveillance market. Taking into account the 4K resolution, the set of functions, the quality of its shooting in this segment, this system has no competitors in this segment

The only disadvantage of this system is that it will work only on its own cable, ie if you have built a house and at the construction stage laid in it cable under the cameras, then alas on your cable such cameras will not work, because for such a class of cameras produced its own special cable.

In our top this system comes in second place, because not everyone can afford a video surveillance system of this level, and as we know the most popular and popular become more budget models.

1. Well on the first we have the very golden mean digital 5-megapixel IP POE video surveillance system ISON ALFA with SONY Starvis sensors on IMX335 processors with 2.8mm lenses with motion sensors with built-in POE switches, night IR LED illumination. This system has repeatedly appeared in our various tops over the past few years and finally it has come to the first place in popularity, displacing the above-mentioned system ISON GREKO PRO. I will immediately note the main differences between the system ALFA and Greko Pro: first is the number of frames per second, the system ISON ALFA transmits a real Real Time 20 k / s to which the AHD system in 2K simply on simply not yet able to, ie the picture in Alpha smoother than in AHD analogues and of course it is detailing, in Alpha pixels are clearer than the nearest analogues and the final picture respectively goes more detailed, more accurate.

ISON ALFA system is based on video surveillance cameras ISON IP50S-R, which come with built-in motion sensors that can be adjusted for sensitivity, this will allow them to properly adjust if, for example, in the frame there is a tree that moves when the wind blows. It is also possible to set the area of motion sensor triggering, it is convenient when, for example, in the frame gets a dog or part of the road and you do not want the sensor to trigger on these objects.

CCTV cameras ISON ALFA go to the matrix Sony original, which give them a more detailed picture day and night compared to conventional matrixes, with LED backlighting updated 2022, with video transmission technology + power over a single cable POE and of course with WDR technology. Also these cameras have an input for a microphone, ie in addition to them can be purchased microphones there is a need to record sound. To connect the microphone you will need in addition to the microphone itself connectors and POE splitter.

System ISON ALFA has all the features and capabilities of all our previous top participants from the remote viewing function to the ability to download the archive remotely. ISON ALFA system comes without optical zoom, for objects where zoom is required there is a system ISON KOVO PRO it is essentially the same system ISON ALFA with the same characteristics only on its board there is already a 5-fold electronic zoom, which can be controlled remotely located anywhere in the world and it traditionally for cameras with zoom is more powerful night illumination.

Video surveillance system ISON ALFA is available in all possible configurations for 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,10,16,20, 32 and 64 cameras respectively. Also in any configuration you can replace any number of cameras with internal dome cameras, this is done in the configurator under the buy button. I repeat that in the same configurator, if you want, you can replace the standard 18 meter cables for longer ones, replace the standard hard disk for a larger one to increase the archive period or for example, replace the recorder under the expansion, it is convenient in cases where you, for example, want to buy a system of 4 cameras with the possibility of further expansion to 8 cameras.