📚 CCTV, Surveillance & Security System Glossary

📚 CCTV, Surveillance & Security System Glossary

Top 50 Industry Terms You Should Know

🔹 A–D

AI Analytics
Artificial intelligence tools that detect patterns, people, and objects in surveillance footage.

Access Control
A system managing entry permissions to buildings or rooms, often integrated with CCTV.

Alarm Input/Output (I/O)
Connections that let cameras or recorders trigger and respond to external alarm devices.

Analog Camera
Traditional video cameras that use coaxial cable to transmit video signals.

Auto Tracking
PTZ feature that follows moving objects automatically within the camera’s field of view.

Bandwidth
The amount of data that can be transmitted over a network in a given time.

Bitrate
Refers to video quality and file size; higher bitrate equals better quality and more storage.

Blind Spot
An area not visible to any camera in the system.

Bullet Camera
A cylindrical camera usually used outdoors, often with weatherproof housing.

Cloud Storage
Off-site video storage hosted on secure internet servers.

🔹 E–H

DVR (Digital Video Recorder)
A recorder for analog cameras that stores video in digital format.

Edge Recording
Recording video directly to the camera's SD card without using an external recorder.

Event-Based Recording
Recording that begins only when motion or other pre-set events are detected.

Facial Recognition
AI-based system that identifies individuals by analyzing facial features.

Field of View (FoV)
The area visible through a camera lens, measured in degrees.

Fisheye Camera
A camera with a 180° or 360° lens for full-area coverage.

Firewall
A network security system that blocks unauthorized access to data and devices.

Frame Rate (FPS)
The number of video frames captured per second—higher FPS means smoother video.

H.264 / H.265
Common video compression standards. H.265 provides higher quality with less bandwidth.

Hybrid System
A surveillance setup that supports both analog and IP cameras.

🔹 I–M

Infrared (IR)
Technology enabling night vision by illuminating scenes with invisible IR light.

IP Camera
A digital video camera that transmits footage over a network.

Intrusion Detection
System that alerts when an unauthorized breach or entry is detected.

Latency
Delay between real-time action and video feed display or recording.

License Plate Recognition (LPR/ANPR)
AI technology used to read and log vehicle license plates.

Live View
Real-time camera feed viewable from a device or monitoring station.

Loop Recording
Auto-overwriting the oldest footage when storage is full.

Motion Detection
System feature that activates recording or alerts when movement is detected.

Megapixel (MP)
Indicates resolution of a camera; higher MP provides greater detail.

Monitoring Center
Facility or software setup for viewing live or recorded video.

🔹 N–R

NDAA Compliance
Certification that equipment complies with U.S. national defense standards (excludes certain foreign manufacturers).

NVR (Network Video Recorder)
Records video from IP cameras and stores it on a hard drive or cloud.

ONVIF
Open standard ensuring device compatibility across brands.

Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ)
A camera with remote control to pan, tilt, or zoom in on scenes.

PoE (Power over Ethernet)
Technology that powers devices like cameras through a single Ethernet cable.

Privacy Masking
Feature to block or blur sensitive areas from camera view.

RTSP (Real-Time Streaming Protocol)
Protocol used for streaming video over IP networks.

Resolution
Defines image clarity—common formats include 720p, 1080p, 4K.

Redundancy
Backup systems that prevent data loss if a device fails.

🔹 S–Z

Smart Search
Tool that lets users find specific footage using time, motion, or object filters.

Storage Retention
How long video footage is stored before being deleted or overwritten.

Surveillance Zone
The specific area being monitored by a camera.

Tamper Detection
System alert if a camera is obstructed, moved, or disabled.

Thermal Imaging
Detects heat signatures for vision in darkness or smoke.

Time-Lapse Recording
Captures images at set intervals for compressed, fast-playback footage.

Two-Way Audio
Allows communication via the camera (listen and talk).

User Permissions
Defines what different users can view or control in the system.

Vandal-Proof Camera
Cameras designed to resist impact, often IK10-rated for durability.

Video Analytics
AI features that analyze footage to detect specific actions or anomalies.

Zoom Lens
A camera lens that adjusts focal length for closer or wider views.