CCTV & Security Camera Questions

There is no reliable camera count based on square footage alone. Start with the front and rear approaches, driveway, garage and vulnerable side paths, then choose views that can identify a person or vehicle at the location where an incident is likely to occur.

Wired PoE cameras generally provide power and data over one cable and avoid dependence on home Wi-Fi at each camera. Wireless cameras can reduce cabling but still need power, good radio coverage and a plan for interference, batteries or bandwidth.

Yes, many professionally installed systems can record to an on-site NVR without a storage subscription. Mobile apps, cloud backup, advanced services or support may still have platform-specific fees, so those should be listed separately.

Compatible systems support authenticated mobile viewing, but each person should have an individual account with only the permissions they need. Sharing one administrator password makes access harder to revoke or audit.

Aim and mask the view to capture only what is reasonably needed, and avoid recording audio by default. Strata common property, shared hallways and organizational use can create additional BC privacy obligations beyond a purely domestic camera.

Offices usually prioritize entrances, reception, server or records rooms and after-hours movement rather than continuous coverage of desks. The design should define who may view footage and how employee privacy, retention and incident access will be handled.

Combine an identification view at entrances with contextual views at checkout, high-value displays, stockrooms and loading areas. A camera over a wide floor is useful for overview but may not provide the face, hand or transaction detail needed for an investigation.

Warehouses often need separate views for loading bays, yard gates, long aisles, high-value cages, staff entrances and after-hours perimeter events. Lens choice, mounting height, lift access, lighting and network distance can matter as much as camera resolution.

Employee surveillance requires a reasonable, documented purpose, notice, minimization, controlled access and an appropriate retention period. Audio creates additional privacy and legal risk, so it should normally remain disabled unless there is a specific, reviewed justification.

The answer can depend on privacy governance, common-property work, bylaws, budget authority and the proposed purpose. Council should document necessity, alternatives, camera locations, access, retention and the required strata or legal approvals instead of relying on a universal voting rule.

Limit access to named, authorized roles for defined incidents and record when footage is viewed or exported. Routine browsing by residents, council members or staff creates privacy risk and weakens accountability.

BC OIPC strata guidance gives a general rule of keeping recordings only about 10 days unless footage is needed longer for a specific incident. The actual setting should match the documented purpose, storage calculation and approved policy—not an arbitrary industry default.

BC privacy decisions caution against routine surveillance for minor infractions, while later cases depend on the particular purpose, notice and governance. A strata should obtain legal guidance for its policy rather than assume every recorded event can be used for a fine.

Report the exact date, time and location quickly so the incident window can be preserved. The privacy officer or authorized manager should assess access, third-party redaction and police or insurer requests under the applicable policy and law.

Prioritize vehicle entry and exit choke points, pedestrian doors, elevator lobbies, storage or bicycle access and travel paths linked to recurring incidents. Use separate overview and identification views where one camera cannot do both jobs.

Yes, with the right vandal-resistant camera, field of view, cabling or wireless link and power design. Installation must be coordinated with the elevator contractor and account for cab movement, service access and the building's privacy policy.

A DVR commonly records analog video over coax, an NVR records IP camera streams, and a cloud system moves some management or storage off-site. Compare image quality, ownership, subscription, bandwidth, cybersecurity, offline recording and the ability to export evidence.

Calculate storage from camera count, resolution, bitrate, frame rate, compression, recording schedule and retention target. Motion-only assumptions should be tested against the actual scene because a busy lobby, road or tree line can record almost continuously.

A local NVR can often continue recording during an internet outage while remote viewing and cloud alerts stop. Cameras, PoE switches, network equipment and recorder all need power, so any UPS runtime must be calculated and tested as a complete chain.

Higher resolution helps only when lens, distance, angle, lighting and compression preserve the required detail. It also increases storage and network load, so a properly positioned lower-resolution identification camera can outperform a poorly positioned 4K overview camera.

Not automatically. Reliable plate capture requires a controlled lane, suitable lens, shutter, angle, distance and lighting; an overview camera and an LPR identification camera often perform different jobs.

Depending on the platform, analytics can classify people or vehicles, detect line crossing or loitering and speed up searches. They reduce review time but do not remove the need for site tuning and human verification of important events.

Sometimes. Existing coax may support newer HD analog, encoders or Ethernet-over-coax after cable testing, while damaged, poorly routed or unsuitable cable should be replaced.

Sometimes through compatible ONVIF profiles, but support is model- and firmware-specific and does not guarantee every analytic, audio or configuration feature. Verify the conformant products and bench-test the functions that matter before committing to reuse.