Security System Installation – Amateur vs Professional

Everyone wants to save a buck, but at the end of the day all that counts is the amount of money left in your bank account.

One of the biggest problems today in the CCTV security camera industry is the proliferation of cheap video equipment and amateur installations.

Saving money doesn’t sound like a problem, but unfortunately, business owners everywhere are being inundated with CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP camera deals.

And we mean CHEAP as in INFERIOR!

Buying a CCTV security system in a big city like Vancouver, which is a port city,  is especially challenging because of the overabundance of junk being dumped in the Lower Mainland from China. Granted, high quality components also arrive from Asia, but they are incredibly difficult to identify unless you have considerable knowledge.

They all look the same on the surface, but once you open the box and peel back the wrapper you’ll often discover poor workmanship and substandard components.

Gullible business owners too often jump at what they think is a bargain, only to realise after they’ve been robbed that the old saying is true – You Get What You Pay For!

You can’t blame a business that wants to save money. It’s a tough economy, but when you take into consideration the losses a company suffers as a result of inferior security equipment, it makes no sense to simply grab the first deal that comes along.

There are two problems with making a purchase decision based solely on cost.

First, the components used in cheap DVR systems are not reliable. Not only do they have a very short performance period, they also do not deliver the results necessary for law enforcement to get a conviction. If the image is grainy or blurry the police won’t even consider helping you catch the bad guys. Why should they? They figure if you aren’t prepared to invest in protecting your business properly, why should they waste taxpayer money chasing unidentifiable ghost images?

Replacing cheap equipment when it prematurely breaks down with more cheap equipment is also very costly over the long term in both the cost of the gear and especially in the time it takes to remount and wire the system. Cheap CCTV and DVR gear only gives you a false sense of security and does little to protect your profit.

The second major problem is that business owners who buy cheap and inexpensive equipment also make the foolish mistake of trying to install it themselves. They often hire an inexperienced handyman with a ladder who doesn’t know what he is doing. A handyman might be able to attach an infrared camera to a wall, but he certainly won’t have the expertise required to protect it properly from the elements to protect it from being damaged, or worse, stolen.  

Business owners who only focus on the lowest price for a CCTV or DVR always end up paying a premium in the long run. Not only does the equipment let them down by not recording the crime properly, cheap security equipment often places their employees in dangerous situations.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link also applies to security systems.

Inexperienced installers often don’t even know what gauge of wire is required to get a cheap camera to perform at its peak, which is critical when you are already handicapped with inferior equipment. It’s like adding insult to injury.

Small things like where or how you mount the camera, or place the DVR make all the difference regarding capturing an identifiable image, not to mention ease of use. If you make a mistake the system won’t perform, and in a month or two you will be back up on a ladder trying to figure out if you even bought a camera with the proper lens.

Also, if you put the DVR in the wrong area or mount it improperly the thief could take it with him when he leaves. No DVR = no evidence = no police help = no conviction

When you take into consideration the precious lives and the thousands of dollars your security camera system has to protect, it makes no sense to go cheap in an area where results are all that matter. In fact, it is irresponsible.

CCTV and DVR Security System Installations

Here’s what happens when amateurs install cheap security systems:

A Cheap Security Camera Installation

Stealing Cameras - Second time from the same location!

Results of a POOR Security Camera Installation

Who Is the Real Idiot Here?

This Guy simply reaches up and snatches the camera