Here you will find information about terms and functions in our standard security camera products.

•  AC: Alternating current
•  AGC: Automatic gain control. Regulates voltage in a camera so it may function properly
•  ALC: Automatic light compensation. The camera opens and closes the iris by sensing light coming into the sensor for a sharper picture.
•  Anti-aliasing: Reduces sample data interference through filtering creating a sharper picture.
•  Aperture: The opening of a lens where light comes through
•  Auto Iris: A camera that will automotically change how much light comes into the image
•  AWB: Automatic white balance: ability for a camera to retain proper colors.
•  Balun: Used to match or adapt a coaxial cable to a twisted pair cable
•  Blooming: reducing the focus of areas on the image that are too bright
•  BNC: The most common way to terminate a cable in CCTV. These connectors "plug in then turn"
•  CCD: Charge-coupled device. Latest quality in CCTV camera image sensors. CMOS sensors are of less quality
•  CCTV: Closed circuit television. A system designed for a private and limited number of viewers.
•  C-mount: Original standard for screwing lenses on cameras. C-mount lenses can be put on C-mount and CS-mount cameras.
•  Coaxial Cable: Common cable used to transmit video. The ends most commonly have a round connector with a "needle" in the middle
•  Contrast: Difference between the lightest and darkest regions of an image
•  CS-mount: Newer standard fro screwing in lenses to cameras. CS-mount lens needs an adaptor for a C-mount camera
•  Duplex: A type of multiplexer that can perform two functions at the same time; recording and play back
•  F-stop: Maximum iris opening of a lense. The smaller the number, the more light enters
•  FPS: Frames per second: With DVRs, the faster the FPS, the more movement is captured when recording
•  Interlaced Scanning: Combines two TV fields to produce a full frame. Resolves a flickering image
•  Lux: A unit to measure the amount of light a camera needs to see properly. Lower lux means less light needed
•  MPEG-4: Latest in compression technology. Usually more expensive but better quality and functionality
•  Manual Iris: A lens in wich you must manually change the opening of the iris
•  PTZ: Pan/tilt/zoom. The ability for a camera to move horizontally, vertically, and to zoom into an object
•  Resolution: The detail of a camera or monitor. Higher resolution means more detail.
•  Quad: A device used to split one monitor into four parts to see four images at one time
•  RG-59: Most comonly used coaxial cable in CCTV
•  Time-laps VCR: Allows recording of a 180 min. VHS tape up to 960 hours
•  UTP: Unshielded twisted pair. Most common way to transfer telephone and data to a computer
•  Vari-focal: Ability for a lens to change focus. i.e.. 3.5mm to 8mm
•  Video switcher: A device used to switch more than one camera to a monitor or multiple monitors
•  VMD: Video motion detection. Detects motion or light difference in an image