Below is a partial Glossary of Security Camera Terminology

  • Brick Camera – Professional body camera rectangle in shape – hence the name brick.
  • Bullet Camera – Long cylindrical camera shaped like a bullet.
  • Dome Camera – Camera enclosed in a smoked glass or plastic dome. Used in applications where less obtrusive cameras are desirable.
  • Covert Camera – Camera which is designed to be hidden. Can be hidden in a clock, motion detector, smoke detector, etc.
  • CCD – Charged coupled device. This is the imaging device of the camera.
  • Mega Pixel Camera – Megapixel/HDTV cameras offer a dramatically higher quality of video resolution than traditional analog cameras.
  • Analog Camera – Traditional analog circuitry/non-digital.
  • IP Cameras – Internet protocol camera. These cameras are for use in computer networks. These cameras can provide a high resolution, crystal clear image comparable to video taken with a 10 megapixel camera. Drawback: IP cameras eat up a tremendous amount of bandwidth and can slow the entire network down if not designed properly.
  • Day/Night Cameras – These cameras can deliver high resolution color in daylight and acceptable resolution at night.
  • Infrared Camera – Use infrared illuminators inside the camera to “see” at night.
  • Non Infrared Day/Night Camera – Uses an extremely efficient low lux technology to deliver a high resolution image in night settings without the aid of infra red illuminators.
  • Wide Dynamic Range Camera – WDR cameras provide a high resolution image in a challenging bright environment where glare would normally be a problem with most cameras.
  • Fixed Lens Cameras – Cameras with lenses which are fixed at one focus setting and can not be adjusted.
  • Varifocal Lenses – Lenses which can be adjusted by the technician at the installation site to provide the best possible picture.
  • Auto Iris Lenses – Lenses which automatically adjust to light conditions to optimize the picture quality.
  • 1/3 Inch Sony CCD – The main driver of camera quality. The gold standard in camera chips. You want to use 1/3 inch over the lower quality ¼ inch aperture camera commonly seen in the market place.
  • PTZ Cameras – PTZ stands for Pan, Tilt, and Zoom. These are more expensive cameras that are motorized and can be controlled remotely by an operator to zoom in on suspicious behavior.
  • Vandal Proof Dome – Vandal Proof Dome cameras are virtually indestructible cameras that are used in prisons, jails, or high crime areas.
  • Weather Proof Housing – Weatherproof housings are used to enclose outside cameras. They are waterproof and sometimes even contain heating elements with internal electric fans for use in severe climate conditions.
  • DVR – Digital Video Recorder. This is used to store, record, and retrieve large volumes of video content.
  • Video Analytics – Technology that enables video systems to detect, interpret, and analyze movement within a predefined target area of a camera’s total picture range.
  • Remote Monitoring – Video monitoring that is remotely monitored and stored by a licensed UL Listed monitoring station for the purpose of adding another layer of enhanced protection for the client.
  • American Guardian Proprietary Technology – Proprietary technology developed and owned by American Guardian which is exclusive to American Guardian and not available to security dealers in the general marketplace.

Below is a partial Glossary of Security Camera Terminology

  • Brick Camera – Professional body camera rectangle in shape – hence the name brick.
  • Bullet Camera – Long cylindrical camera shaped like a bullet.
  • Dome Camera – Camera enclosed in a smoked glass or plastic dome. Used in applications where less obtrusive cameras are desirable.
  • Covert Camera – Camera which is designed to be hidden. Can be hidden in a clock, motion detector, smoke detector, etc.
  • CCD – Charged coupled device. This is the imaging device of the camera.
  • Mega Pixel Camera – Megapixel/HDTV cameras offer a dramatically higher quality of video resolution than traditional analog cameras.
  • Analog Camera – Traditional analog circuitry/non-digital.
  • IP Cameras – Internet protocol camera. These cameras are for use in computer networks. These cameras can provide a high resolution, crystal clear image comparable to video taken with a 10 megapixel camera. Drawback: IP cameras eat up a tremendous amount of bandwidth and can slow the entire network down if not designed properly.
  • Day/Night Cameras – These cameras can deliver high resolution color in daylight and acceptable resolution at night.
  • Infrared Camera – Use infrared illuminators inside the camera to “see” at night.
  • Non Infrared Day/Night Camera – Uses an extremely efficient low lux technology to deliver a high resolution image in night settings without the aid of infra red illuminators.
  • Wide Dynamic Range Camera – WDR cameras provide a high resolution image in a challenging bright environment where glare would normally be a problem with most cameras.
  • Fixed Lens Cameras – Cameras with lenses which are fixed at one focus setting and can not be adjusted.
  • Varifocal Lenses – Lenses which can be adjusted by the technician at the installation site to provide the best possible picture.
  • Auto Iris Lenses – Lenses which automatically adjust to light conditions to optimize the picture quality.
  • 1/3 Inch Sony CCD – The main driver of camera quality. The gold standard in camera chips. You want to use 1/3 inch over the lower quality ¼ inch aperture camera commonly seen in the market place.
  • PTZ Cameras – PTZ stands for Pan, Tilt, and Zoom. These are more expensive cameras that are motorized and can be controlled remotely by an operator to zoom in on suspicious behavior.
  • Vandal Proof Dome – Vandal Proof Dome cameras are virtually indestructible cameras that are used in prisons, jails, or high crime areas.
  • Weather Proof Housing – Weatherproof housings are used to enclose outside cameras. They are waterproof and sometimes even contain heating elements with internal electric fans for use in severe climate conditions.
  • DVR – Digital Video Recorder. This is used to store, record, and retrieve large volumes of video content.
  • Video Analytics – Technology that enables video systems to detect, interpret, and analyze movement within a predefined target area of a camera’s total picture range.
  • Remote Monitoring – Video monitoring that is remotely monitored and stored by a licensed UL Listed monitoring station for the purpose of adding another layer of enhanced protection for the client.
  • American Guardian Proprietary Technology – Proprietary technology developed and owned by American Guardian which is exclusive to American Guardian and not available to security dealers in the general marketplace.