Field Notes
on surveillance.
Practical, opinionated writing for CCTV installers, integrators, and the architects who plan around them. No fluff, no AI summaries, no affiliate spam.
Best CCTV Cameras 2026: Top Picks for Every Budget & Use Case
Expert-reviewed best CCTV cameras of 2026. Compare top security cameras from Hikvision, Dahua, and Axis for every budget and use case.
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CCTV in Conflict Zones: Why Cameras Matter in 2026
How surveillance cameras protect civilians, document evidence, and secure critical infrastructure in conflict zones worldwide.
CCTV Installation Cost Guide 2026: How Much Does a Security System Cost?
Complete CCTV installation cost breakdown for 2026. Camera prices by type, NVR costs, cabling, labor, storage, and total system es…
How to Create a CCTV Proposal for Clients
Learn how to create winning CCTV proposals. Site surveys, camera schedules, layout drawings, pricing strategies, and professional …
Archive
How to Design a CCTV System from Scratch
Complete step-by-step guide to designing professional CCTV systems. Covers planning, calculation, placement, and verification.
What is Field of View? Complete Explanation
Understanding field of view is crucial for camera placement. Learn how FOV works and how to calculate it for your lenses.
DORI in CCTV Explained: Detection to Identification
What does DORI mean? Learn about Detection, Observation, Recognition, and Identification levels in CCTV systems.
How Many Cameras Do You Need? Complete Calculator Guide
Use our camera quantity calculator and guide to determine exactly how many cameras your space requires.
Identifying and Eliminating Blind Spots in CCTV Design
Learn techniques to find hidden areas in your coverage. Strategies to eliminate blind spots before installation.
Complete Camera Placement Guide: Height & Angle
Professional guide to mounting camera height, angle selection, and optimal positioning for different applications.
Megapixel vs Distance: Resolution Planning Guide
How does megapixel affect distance? Learn pixel density calculations and resolution requirements for your CCTV system.
Complete Warehouse CCTV Layout & Design Guide
Industry-specific guide for warehouse camera placement. Loading dock, aisle, and rack monitoring strategies.
CCTV for Home Security: Complete Setup Guide
Complete guide to setting up CCTV cameras for your home. Camera types, placement, wired vs wireless, storage, and privacy.
4K vs 1080p CCTV: Is 4K Worth It?
Detailed comparison of 4K and 1080p CCTV cameras. Bandwidth, storage impact, cost analysis, and mixed-resolution strategy.
PoE vs WiFi Security Cameras: Which Is Better?
Complete comparison of PoE and WiFi security cameras. Reliability, installation, cost, bandwidth, and when to use each.
Night Vision in CCTV: IR, Thermal & Best Options
Complete guide to night vision CCTV systems. Compare infrared, thermal imaging, and low-light options. Learn what works best for your needs.
IP vs Analog CCTV: Complete Comparison Guide
Compare IP and analog CCTV systems. Understand differences in resolution, scalability, cost, and installation. Choose the right technology for your needs.
CCTV Frame Rate Guide: FPS & Choosing the Right Speed
Complete guide to CCTV frame rate (FPS). Understand bandwidth, storage impact, and motion quality. Choose the right frame rate for your application.
Pixel Density in CCTV: PPM & Image Quality Guide
Complete guide to pixel density (pixels per meter) in CCTV. Learn how PPM affects image quality and choose the right resolution for your needs.
Choosing the Right CCTV Lens: Focal Length Guide
Complete guide to selecting CCTV lenses. Understand focal length, sensor size, aperture, and choose the right lens for your distance and coverage.
CCTV Wiring & Cabling Guide: Best Practices
Complete guide to CCTV wiring and cabling. Learn about coaxial cable, Ethernet, power distribution, and installation best practices.
Reducing False Alarms in CCTV Systems: Best Practices
Complete guide to reducing false alarms in CCTV systems. Learn detection settings, environmental factors, and placement strategies.
CCTV System Maintenance Guide: Keep Your Cameras Working
Complete CCTV maintenance guide. Learn cleaning, testing, updates, and preventive maintenance to maximize system lifespan and reliability.
Retail Store CCTV Camera Placement Guide
Complete guide to retail CCTV camera placement. Cover entrances, POS, aisles, stockrooms, and parking lots with optimal positions.
Parking Lot CCTV Layout & Camera Placement
Complete parking lot CCTV layout guide. Optimal camera placement for entrances, lanes, corners, and pedestrian areas with LPR setup.
CCTV for Schools: Complete Security Camera Guide
Complete guide to school CCTV security. Cover entrances, hallways, cafeterias, gymnasiums, and parking lots while respecting privacy.
How to Calculate CCTV Storage Requirements
Learn how to calculate CCTV storage. Covers bitrate, compression, resolution, retention periods, RAID, and optimization tips.
CCTV Camera Types: Dome vs Bullet vs PTZ
Complete guide to CCTV camera types. Compare dome, bullet, PTZ, fisheye, and turret cameras — features, pros and cons.
CCTV for Apartment Buildings: Installation Guide
Complete CCTV guide for apartment buildings. Camera placement for lobbies, elevators, parking garages, corridors, and common areas.
CCTV for Small Business: Setup & Camera Placement
Complete guide to setting up CCTV for small businesses. Camera placement for shops, offices, restaurants, and salons.
JVSG Pricing Explained — Pro, Expert & Enterprise (2026)
Full breakdown of JVSG IP Video System Design Tool pricing tiers, what's locked behind each, and where the value sits in 2026.
CCTV Design Tool Review (2026) — Honest Independent Look
Hands-on review of cctvdesigntool.com — pricing, features, gaps, and how it compares against the modern multi-vendor alternatives in 2026.
IPVM System Design Tool Review (2026)
Detailed review of IPVM's System Design Tool — bundled membership cost, calculator depth, and where it falls short for daily installer use.
Switching From JVSG — 2026 Migration Guide
Step-by-step guide to migrating a JVSG project library to a modern browser-based CCTV designer without losing camera data, lens specs, or BoM rows.
Switching From IPVM or CCTV Design Tool (2026)
What changes (and what stays the same) when you migrate from IPVM's calculator or CCTVDesignTool to a multi-vendor open-catalog planner.
Best Free CCTV Design Software (2026)
Side-by-side review of every genuinely free CCTV design tool in 2026 — what each gates behind paid, what stays free, and which is honest about catalog scale.
Russian-Origin CCTV Software in EU Tenders (2026)
Compliance briefing on Russian-developed CCTV planning software in EU public-sector and critical-infrastructure tenders post-2022 sanctions.
AI Cameras & Edge Detection (2026) — What Actually Ships
Edge AI in 2026 IP cameras — what works in production (LPR, people-counting, intrusion), what's still marketing, and how to design for it.
Bank Branch CCTV Design (2026)
Bank-specific CCTV design: PCI-DSS coverage requirements, ATM zone DORI, vault transition cameras, and retention windows by regulator.
DORI Calculation Walkthrough (2026)
Step-by-step DORI math per EN 62676-4 with a real-world worked example: 5 MP, 50 m target, identify grade — picking the focal length.
EN 62676-4 + OODPCVS Update (2026)
What changes in the latest EN 62676-4 amendment and how OODPCVS adoption is shaping CCTV system grading across EU tenders.
License Plate Camera: Distance & Focal Length Guide
Pixel density requirements for license plate capture, exposure settings for moving plates, and how to pick focal length per ANPR vendor spec.
Commercial CCTV Design Tender Checklist (2026)
What must appear in a commercial CCTV tender bundle in 2026: DORI report, NDAA flag, GDPR DPIA, retention table, BoM with manufacturer references.
GDPR CCTV Signage & Pictogram Requirements (Art. 13)
GDPR Art. 13 signage rules for CCTV: minimum information, pictograms, sign sizing, placement, and per-country supervisor guidance.
Home CCTV Installation Legal Checklist (2026)
What's legal vs not legal when installing CCTV at your home in 2026 — neighbour boundaries, GDPR private exemption limits, and signage when household exemption fails.
Can My Neighbour Record Me with CCTV? (2026)
GDPR/RODO boundaries on neighbour CCTV recording across EU — when household exemption applies, when it doesn't, what to do if your home is filmed.
CCTV Recording Retention Period by Country (2026)
Country-by-country comparison of CCTV recording retention periods — minimums, maximums, sectoral overrides (banking, healthcare, transport).
CCTV Workplace Monitoring: GDPR / RODO (2026)
Workplace CCTV monitoring under GDPR and Polish RODO — consultation requirements, employee notification, time-box rules, and PIP guidance.
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