Author: Mike Haldas

is the co-founder and managing partner of CCTV Camera Pros. Mike works on product research and development for the company. Before starting CCTV Camera Pros, Mike worked as a software engineer in the web hosting industry. CCTV Camera Pros is a veteran owned business as Mike proudly served in the United States Marine Corps (USMC) from 1993 to 1997. Mike can be contacted for questions about this article and anything related to video surveillance systems at mike@cctvcamerapros.net.

How-to Connect an HD Security Camera to a TV via HDMI

At CCTV Camera Pros, we work with many customers who want to display the live video stream from an HD security camera on a TV via an HDMI input. Sometimes these customers have no interest in recording video surveillance footage. This article will answer the question of how-to connect an HD security camera to a TV’s HDMI video input. It applies whether you only want a live video view or if you also want to record the video.

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How-to Reset H.264 CCTV DVR Password

How can I reset the password on my H.264 CCTV DVR? This is a common question that the technical support team receives at CCTV Camera Pros. Although it seems like a simple question, the answer is not so simple. The reason is because the majority of the security camera DVRs manufactured between 2007 and 2018 use an H.264 video codec and label their DVR cases with the term “H.264 DVR”. I wrote this article to help people try to track down the instructions on how-to reset the password on their DVR.

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CCTV DVR Remote Camera View Mobile App

Does My CCTV Camera DVR Support Remote Viewing from Mobile?

At CCTV Camera Pros, our tech support team is often asked if older CCTV DVRs support remote viewing of security cameras from a mobile app (iPhone and Android). This article was written to assist people in figuring this out. Here are some things that you can do to determine if your DVR supports remote management and live camera viewing.

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Port Forwarding Setup for IP Camera

Port Forwarding and Remote Access Setup Guide for IP Cameras

Most users of IP cameras (network security cameras) want to access their camera remotely to see live video. Accessing cameras remotely from desktop software (Mac and Windows) and mobile apps (iPhone and Android) is extremely common for home owners and business owners.. Read this article to learn about port forwarding and dynamic DNS – two concepts typically required to setup remote access.

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HD Security Camera Video Demo

HD Security Camera Video Demos

These are the latest HD security camera video demos created at CCTV Camera Pros. All of these demos use the latest HD over coax type security cameras. All of these cameras are 4-in-1 models which means that they support AHD, HD-TVI, HDCVI, and analog CCTV video modes. They support 1080p resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels) in AHD, HD-TVI, and HDCVI modes. They support 960H resolution (960 x 480 pixels) in analog mode (CVBS).

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HD Security Camera Video Recording on a 1080p Surveillance DVR

A customer recently contacted me to see if CCTV Camera Pros had any recorded video surveillance footage captured using 1080p security cameras. He wanted to compare the video quality of an HD camera system to his current analog CCTV camera system. Specifically, he wanted to see the video quality when playing back recorded video on the DVR. Watch this video to see what the quality of 1080p video surveillance captured using 2 AHD cameras and 2 HD-TVI cameras recording to an iDVR-PRO HD surveillance DVR.

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how-to pre-wire house for security cameras

How to Pre-Wire a House for Security Cameras

At CCTV Camera Pros, I frequently get asked by customers “what type of cable should I run to pre-wire my house for a security camera system?” We wrote this article to help business and homeowners prepare to install a video surveillance system by answering that question and discussing some best practices in my experience. This guide is also useful even if you are beyond the pre-drywall phase of construction or if you are installing a security camera in a completely finished home.

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Mac DVR Viewer Software View HD security cameras

Mac DVR Viewer Software Supports 1080p HD Security Cameras

The latest release of the iDVR-PRO DVR viewer software for Mac supports that ability to view video surveillance from HD security cameras at full 1080p resolution. iDVR-PRO DVRs currently support AHD and HD-TVI cameras, as well as traditional standard definition analog CCTV cameras. Users can mix and match and combination of these three camera types on their system. The Mac software detects the max resolution of the cameras and is able to display 960H, 720p, and 1080p resolutions depending on the type of camera.

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LPR Camera IP Camera

LPR Camera Mode (License Plate Recognition) Added to Zavio IP Cameras

Certain Zavio IP cameras now have a built-in LPR camera mode – license plate recognition. The Zavio B8520 and Zavio B8220 are the first two models to support the new license plate capture settings that are available via a firmware update. The B8520 and B8220 are both extreme weather rated outdoor cameras. The B8520 supports up to 5 megapixel HD resolution and the B8220 supports 2 megapixel – 1080p HD resolution.

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HD Security Camera System Restoration Wild TV Show

HD Security Camera System Installed on Bus for Restoration Wild TV Show

Mike Haldas from CCTV Camera Pros recently appeared on Animal Planet TV show – Restoration Wild. CCTV Camera Pros supplied and installed a high definition security camera system on a bus for episode 3 of the show which took place in Nederland, Colorado. This episode featured the build out of a 1940 commercial bus that is transformed into the ultimate mountain hangout.

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HD security camera vs analog CCTV camera

HD Security Camera (1080p AHD CCTV) vs Analog CCTV Camera

HD security cameras with 1080p video resolution have become very affordable and available over the last six months. People shopping for new video surveillance systems and those looking to replace existing CCTV cameras should consider HD cameras. With the price difference between CCTV and AHD being small and the resolution difference being so big, the team at CCTV Camera Pros is recommending HD in almost all cases. This article will compare 1080p video resolution from an AHD (analog high definition) camera to the resolution of a traditional analog CCTV camera.

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Video Surveillance System with Outdoor PIR Motion Sensor Integration

Video Surveillance System Installation with Outdoor PIR Motion Detection Recording

Working at CCTV Camera Pros, I recently had the opportunity to install a video surveillance system with outdoor PIR motion sensors integrated into it to trigger motion detection recording. The project took place in a town called Nederland that is near Boulder, Colorado. The goal of the project was to provide video security to a 1941 bus that sits on a 1.25 acre lot. The bus was being fixed up to be a party / hangout place for the owners of the property. The bus sits on a beautiful spot with an amazing view of the mountains and forest.

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CCTV Test Monitor with Security Camera Power Output

Surveillance System Installation Using CCTV Test Monitor with Security Camera Power Output

The security camera power output that is built into this CCTV test monitor was extremely useful during a recent system installation performed near Boulder, Colorado. The location had a 1941 commercial bus that was to be rehabilitated into the ultimate hang-out, viewing area, and fire pit. The owners of the property wanted to have high definition surveillance cameras to provide security for the bus and to also be able to view any wildlife that came into the area. When I started the installation, the construction site did not have electrical power fully in place. Being that I brought a CCTV test monitor that has built-in power output, I was still able to begin mounting and focusing the cameras without the permanent power source in place.

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