Security system help

[alex_mercer]

Hey,

The security cameras installed in our store experienced some serious lag issues. I noticed this when the supervisor in the control room showed me the distorted footage of two people who walked by the camera. Does anyone know why it does this or how to fix it? This hasn't been the first time and the whole lag episode defeats the very purpose of using security systems. There's also a security guard who works night-shift so his life is at stake in case of a break-in. So, I decided to change to a different security provider.

Last week, I chatted with a sales rep from canadian security professionals. He gave me a link about a free alarm system. Has anyone heard of them or trust free security alarms? I have a gut feeling that it would include hidden charges.

[Condo Guard]

Exactly. Either hidden charges or a very hard "up sell." ADT has had some trouble in the U.S. for alleged deceptive practices and less then honest subcontractors.

[alex_mercer]

Oh, that sounds alarming. I can always reconsider.

[Condo Guard]

Nice pun. I'd check your local Yelp or Angie's List reviews; I'm sure each office is a franchise deal or similar, so quality could vary. When I was looking at alarm systems a couple of years ago Honeywell had good online reviews and a couple of guards I worked with said they were user friendly and had strong customer support. The only drawback was they were one of the more expensive vendors.

Poke around on the forum - we've had similar discussions in the past. Also look at what you're protecting - if the video images are critical to prosecuting criminals or you need a detailed images for future apprehension, that you have to go high end. In our case it was really more about just having extra "eyes" on the perimeter, so the lag issue wasn't as critical.

[PhantomX0990]

Honestly, I would never trust a 'free' system when it comes to security. You're better off paying a decent amount, just try not to get ripped off. Look and shop around for what you need and what services they offer. Some might help with things like installation and camera placement.