CCTV Buyers Guide

How a CCTV System Works

Before getting into the detail of formats, cameras and recorders, it helps to understand how the components of a CCTV system fit together. A typical wired system consists of:

• Cameras - capture video at the locations you want to monitor
• A recorder (DVR or NVR) - receives the video from all cameras, stores it to a hard drive, and provides the interface for live view and playback
• Cabling - connects the cameras back to the recorder (coaxial for HD over Coax systems, ethernet for IP systems)
• A hard drive - stores the recorded footage inside the recorder
• A router or network connection - allows remote viewing via smartphone or PC
• A monitor, smartphone, or PC - used for live viewing and footage playback

Once installed and configured, the system records continuously or on motion detection depending on your settings. When the hard drive reaches capacity, the recorder automatically overwrites the oldest footage first, so recording continues indefinitely without any manual intervention.

Every component in a CCTV system must be matched to the same format - you cannot mix HD over Coax cameras with an IP recorder, or vice versa. Choosing your format is therefore the first and most important decision, which is covered in Step 1 below.

Step 1 - Choosing Your Format: HD over Coax or IP?

The single most important decision you will make when buying a CCTV system is choosing your format. Every camera, recorder, and cable in your system must belong to the same format - they are not cross-compatible. Getting this decision right at the start saves time, money, and frustration.

In 2026 there are two mainstream wired CCTV formats:

• HD over Coax (HD-TVI) - cameras connect to a DVR using coaxial cable
• IP / PoE - cameras connect to an NVR using standard ethernet (Cat5e or Cat6) cable

Standard definition (analogue) CCTV is effectively obsolete. The image quality is so far behind modern HD that we no longer recommend it, and we carry very little SD stock. If you are upgrading from an old SD system, we would always recommend moving to one of the two HD formats above rather than buying more SD equipment.

Format Summary Table

Look out for these icons when browsing our product pages:

This icon indicates an HD over Coax (HD-TVI) product - compatible with DVRs and coaxial cable installations.

This icon indicates an IP PoE product - compatible with NVRs and ethernet cable installations.

Step 2 - Choosing Your Cameras

Once you have chosen your format, the next decision is which cameras to use. Our full camera range covers a wide variety of styles, resolutions, and features. Below are the main things to consider.

Resolution

Resolution determines how much detail your cameras capture. A higher resolution means you can identify faces, read number plates, and zoom into footage without losing clarity. We strongly recommend buying the highest resolution you can comfortably afford - you will not regret it when you actually need to identify someone from the footage.

For context, here is how the common resolutions compare:

Camera Style

Cameras come in several physical styles, each suited to different mounting locations and situations.

Turret Cameras

Turret cameras (sometimes called eyeball cameras) are our most popular style. They have a ball-and-socket design that allows the camera to be adjusted in any direction after mounting. They are compact, unobtrusive, and suitable for mounting on walls or ceilings indoors and outdoors. Crucially, they do not suffer from the IR reflection issues that dome cameras can, making them better for dark environments and corners where a dome would pick up its own infrared light bouncing off the dome housing.

Dome Cameras

Dome cameras sit flush against a ceiling within a dome-shaped housing. They give a wide field of view and their dome design makes it difficult for someone to tell exactly where the camera is pointed, which can be a deterrent advantage. They are popular in retail and office environments. One consideration is that in very low light, the dome cover can sometimes cause slight IR reflection if the camera is positioned close to a wall or in a corner.

Bullet Cameras

Bullet cameras have a cylindrical body and are usually wall-mounted. They are very visible, which makes them an effective deterrent. Their housing typically includes a sun shield (sometimes called a visor) which helps reduce glare and keeps the lens cleaner in outdoor installations. Bullet cameras often support longer lens options, making them a good choice for monitoring entrances, driveways, or car parks where you need to see across a longer distance.

PTZ Cameras (Pan, Tilt & Zoom)

PTZ cameras can be remotely controlled to pan left and right, tilt up and down, and zoom in optically. They are typically used in larger commercial or public area installations where a single camera needs to cover a wide area, or where an operator needs to actively follow an incident in real time. PTZ cameras are considerably more expensive than fixed cameras, but a single PTZ positioned well can replace several fixed cameras in certain situations. Our range includes PTZ cameras with up to 36x optical zoom.

Fisheye Cameras

Fisheye cameras use an ultra-wide angle lens to capture a 180 or 360 degree field of view from a single camera. They are typically ceiling-mounted and are popular for covering large open interior spaces such as warehouses, shop floors, and reception areas. The image is dewarped in software to give a usable flat view. They are not ideal for long-distance identification but are excellent for overview coverage.

Lens Size and Field of View

The lens determines how wide or narrow your camera's field of view is. The key principle to remember is: smaller lens = wider angle, larger lens = narrower angle but greater zoom/reach.

• 2.8mm - Very wide angle, typically around 100–110 degrees. Good for covering large areas close to the camera such as a hallway, small room, or car park entrance. Not ideal for identifying faces at distance.
• 3.6mm / 4mm - A slightly narrower view, around 80–90 degrees. A good all-round indoor/outdoor choice.
• 6mm - Medium reach, around 50–60 degrees. Good for watching a driveway, pathway, or shop floor from further back.
• 8mm and above - Narrower field of view but better for identifying detail at longer distances. Suitable for car park coverage, long driveways, and similar situations.

Some cameras feature a motorised varifocal lens (typically 2.7–13.5mm or similar), which allows you to adjust the field of view remotely via the recorder menu without physically accessing the camera. This is very useful where exact camera positioning is difficult to determine in advance.

Night Vision

Almost all of the cameras we sell are suitable for use in complete darkness thanks to built-in infrared (IR) LEDs. When the ambient light drops below a certain threshold, the camera automatically switches to infrared night vision mode. The image in IR mode is in black and white, but can still be very clear and detailed at the resolutions we sell today.

You will see night vision range quoted in metres on each product. This refers to the maximum effective distance of the infrared illumination. Common ratings in our range are 30m, 40m, 60m, and 80m+. Bear in mind these are manufacturer-rated maximums in ideal conditions; real-world range may be slightly less depending on the environment.

Getting the best from night vision - scene design

Night vision range figures are a useful reference point, but real-world night performance depends heavily on how and where the camera is positioned. A camera trying to identify a person from a wide overview shot at distance will struggle even with a high IR rating, simply because the subject occupies too few pixels in the image. The best results at night almost always come from positioning cameras to capture subjects at natural choke points - a gate, a doorway, a driveway approach, or a path - where the person or vehicle passes close to and directly in front of the camera rather than across a wide open area.

Other factors that affect night performance include the amount of useful ambient light in the scene, nearby reflective surfaces such as white walls or soffits that can cause IR glare, and whether the camera is facing toward or away from any background light sources. It is worth thinking through each camera position at night before installation, not just in daylight.

Colour Night Vision (ColorVu and Smart Hybrid Light)

Increasingly, our cameras feature colour night vision technology. Instead of switching to black-and-white IR mode, these cameras maintain a full colour image even in very low light. Hikvision calls this technology ColorVu. There is also Smart Hybrid Light, which combines infrared with a white spotlight that activates on motion detection, providing a colour image when triggered and also acting as a deterrent. Colour night vision is significantly more useful for identification purposes than traditional IR, since colour information - clothing colour, vehicle colour, hair colour - is preserved in the footage.

→ Read our full guide: How to choose the best type of night vision for your CCTV

Indoor vs Outdoor

Most cameras in our range are rated for outdoor use. A camera's weather resistance is rated using an IP rating (Ingress Protection). For outdoor CCTV use, you should look for a minimum of IP66. All cameras we sell for outdoor use meet at least this standard.

IP ratings consist of two digits: the first refers to protection against solid objects (dust), the second to protection against water. IP66 means fully dust-tight and protected against powerful water jets from any direction - more than adequate for a UK outdoor installation.

Vandal Resistance (IK Rating)

If a camera is going to be installed in a location where it could be physically attacked - a low-mounted camera on a wall, a car park, a public-facing area - look for a camera with an IK10 rating. IK10 is the highest vandal resistance rating, meaning the camera housing is tested to withstand a 20 joule impact (roughly equivalent to a 5kg object dropped from 40cm). Vandal-resistant cameras typically use toughened polycarbonate domes or metal housings, and security screws to prevent tampering.

Audio

Many of our cameras now include a built-in microphone, and some include a speaker for two-way audio. Audio recording in CCTV is subject to UK privacy law (see the legal section below), but for many legitimate applications - a business reception, a delivery area, a front door - audio capability is a genuinely useful feature.

On IP systems, audio is carried over the ethernet cable alongside video data. On HD-TVI systems, audio over coax is supported on some cameras and compatible DVRs.

How Many Cameras Do You Actually Need?

Many buyers start by asking how many cameras they should have, but the better question is which areas genuinely need to be covered. A well-planned four camera system will almost always outperform a poorly planned eight camera system. More cameras does not automatically mean better security - placement and purpose matter more than quantity.

As a general guide, think about the natural points where a person would enter, exit, or pass through your property rather than trying to cover every inch of wall or garden from a wide overview shot.

Typical domestic priority areas

• Front door
• Driveway or main vehicle access
• Rear garden or patio doors
• Side access path or gate

For most homes, four cameras covering these positions gives solid, practical coverage. Larger properties with additional outbuildings, garages, or secondary access points may need six to eight.

Typical business priority areas

• Main entrance and reception
• Till or cash handling area
• Loading bay or rear access
• Car park or external yard
• Internal circulation areas and corridors
• Stock room or high value areas

Commercial installations vary enormously depending on the site, but the same principle applies - cover the areas where something is most likely to happen, and cover them well, rather than spreading coverage too thinly across the whole site.

Step 3 - Choosing Your Recorder

The recorder is the brain of the system. It receives the video signal from all connected cameras, stores the footage to a hard drive, and provides the interface for playback, search, and remote viewing. Our full recorder range covers both DVRs and NVRs across a range of channel counts and specifications.

DVR vs NVR

• A DVR (Digital Video Recorder) is used with HD over Coax cameras. Cameras connect directly to the DVR via coaxial cable.
• An NVR (Network Video Recorder) is used with IP PoE cameras. Cameras connect via ethernet cable, either directly into the NVR's built-in PoE ports, or via a PoE network switch which itself connects to the NVR.

Number of Channels

Recorders are defined by the number of cameras they can support, referred to as channels. Common sizes are 4, 8, 16, and 32 channels. When deciding how many channels you need, count the number of camera positions you plan to install, then add some headroom. It is common for customers to realise after installation that they want to add one or two more cameras, and having spare channels available on the recorder makes this simple and cheap. Buying a recorder with more channels than you currently need costs very little extra and saves having to replace the recorder later.

Recording Resolution

A recorder should be capable of recording at the full native resolution of the cameras connected to it. Most modern DVRs and NVRs support up to 8MP / 4K recording, and many support mixed-resolution systems where cameras of different resolutions are connected to the same recorder. Check the recorder specification to confirm maximum recording resolution per channel.

Frame Rate

Frame rate is measured in frames per second (fps). 25fps per channel is considered real time, meaning the footage plays back at the same speed as the original event, with no gaps between frames. This is the standard we recommend for most installations.

Lower frame rates (12fps, 6fps) use less storage but produce footage that can look slightly jerky, with small gaps between frames. For most general security monitoring this is acceptable. However, if you need to capture fast movement clearly - vehicles passing a camera, for example - real-time recording at 25fps per channel is important.

Motion Detection and Smart Detection

All recorders we sell include motion detection as standard. Rather than recording continuously 24 hours a day, the recorder monitors for movement in the camera's field of view and only begins recording when movement is detected. This significantly extends the useful recording time on the hard drive.

Modern recorders and cameras from Hikvision use AcuSense technology, which takes motion detection considerably further. Instead of detecting any pixel change (which can trigger false alerts from moving trees, rain, or passing headlights), AcuSense uses AI processing to distinguish specifically between human beings and vehicles. This means you receive alerts only when an actual person or vehicle enters the scene, not every time a branch moves in the wind. This is a significant practical improvement and is available across much of our current Hikvision and HiLook range.

Hard Drive Bays

Most recorders have one or two internal hard drive bays. For a small home system, a single drive is usually sufficient. For a larger or longer-retention installation, having two bays gives you the option to install a larger total capacity or to run RAID for redundancy. We recommend always using a surveillance-rated hard drive (see the next section).

Remote Viewing

All recorders in our range support remote viewing via smartphone or PC. For Hikvision and HiLook products this is done through the free Hik-Connect app (iOS and Android). Setup requires connecting the recorder to your internet router and completing a straightforward activation process. Once set up, you can view live footage from any camera on your phone from anywhere in the world, receive motion detection alerts, and play back recorded footage remotely.

Step 4 - Hard Drive and Storage

Unless you purchase a complete kit and select a hard drive from the options on the product page (by default hard drives are optional extras), you will need to add one separately. This is an area where it is important to buy the right product.

Always Use a Surveillance-Grade Hard Drive

A standard desktop PC hard drive is not designed to run continuously 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. CCTV recorders write data constantly, and a standard drive will fail much sooner under this workload than a drive designed for the purpose. Surveillance-grade drives from manufacturers such as Seagate (SkyHawk range) and Western Digital (Purple range) are specifically engineered for always-on CCTV use and will last considerably longer. We strongly recommend using a purpose-built CCTV hard drive with any recorder you purchase.

How Much Storage Do You Need?

This depends on several variables: the number of cameras, the recording resolution, the frame rate, whether you record continuously or only on motion, and how many days of footage you want to retain. As a rough guide for a typical modern system recording on motion detection:

The above figures are approximate guides only. When a hard drive reaches capacity, CCTV recorders automatically overwrite the oldest footage first, so the system continues recording indefinitely without any intervention needed. Most home and small business users find 2–4 weeks of retention more than sufficient. If you need a more precise calculation for your specific setup, please call us.

Step 5 - Cabling

Cabling is often underestimated at the planning stage, but getting it right is critical to a reliable system. The cabling requirements differ between the two formats.

HD over Coax Cabling

HD-TVI cameras use RG59 coaxial cable for the video signal. Each camera also needs a separate power cable (typically a 2-core power cable run alongside the coax, or combined in a pre-made siamese cable which carries both). The video and power are separate - there is no PoE equivalent in HD over Coax. Power is supplied either via individual 12V DC power supplies at each camera location, or via a multi-output power supply box located centrally near the DVR.

It is worth noting that Hikvision do produce a PoC (Power over Coax) range, which eliminates the need for a separate power run by carrying power through the coax cable alongside the video signal. However, PoC products are only available through Hikvision's trade-only channel and cannot be purchased directly by end users. If you are interested in a PoC installation, you would need to speak with a qualified CCTV installer who has access to the Hikvision trade range.

The maximum video cable run for HD-TVI over RG59 is generally up to 300 metres at 1080p/2MP, reducing to around 200 metres at higher resolutions such as 5MP and 8MP. Bear in mind this refers to the video signal only. Power is supplied separately, and the maximum practical power cable run is considerably shorter - typically 30-50 metres using standard 2-core power cable, depending on the cable gauge and the camera's power draw. For longer runs, heavier gauge cable or a local power supply positioned closer to the camera will be needed. This is worth factoring in at the planning stage, as the power run rather than the video run is often the limiting factor on longer camera positions.

RG59 siamese cable (video + power combined in one cable) is the most common solution and makes installation tidier and quicker. BNC connectors are used to terminate the coax at each end.

IP / PoE Cabling

IP PoE cameras use Cat5e or Cat6 ethernet cable. A single cable carries both the video data and the power to the camera - there is nothing else needed at the camera end. The maximum run length per cable segment is 100 metres from the PoE source (either the NVR's built-in PoE port or a PoE switch) to the camera.

If you need to cover a distance beyond 100 metres, there are several options:

Long Distance PoE mode - Most Hikvision and HiLook NVRs include a built-in Long Distance PoE mode which allows 1-2 channels (depending on NVR size) to run a camera up to 300 metres on a single cable with no switch, extender, or additional equipment needed. This is enabled per-channel in the NVR settings. There are some important limitations to be aware of:

• The camera bandwidth on a long distance channel cannot exceed 6 Mbps - this effectively limits the camera to lower bitrate settings, so it is not suitable for very high resolution streams at maximum quality
• Cable runs of 100-250 metres require Cat5e or Cat6
• Cable runs of 250-300 metres require Cat6
• The maximum achievable distance may be less than 300 metres depending on the camera model and cable quality

For runs beyond 300 metres, or where more than 1-2 long distance channels are needed, the alternatives are:

• Use a PoE network switch at an intermediate point to extend the run
• Use a PoE extender, which can push a single cable run to 200 metres or more
• Use fibre optic cable for very long runs (specialist installation)

Cat5e is adequate for most CCTV installations up to 4K resolution. Cat6 provides more headroom and is a sensible upgrade if you are running cable through walls that would be difficult to re-cable in the future. Always use solid-core cable rather than stranded for fixed installation - stranded cable is designed for patch leads and will not perform as well over longer runs.

Cables should be terminated with RJ45 connectors (or into keystone jacks on a patch panel) at each end. For outdoor cable runs, use an outdoor-rated cable with UV-resistant sheathing.

Planning Your Cable Runs

Before purchasing cable, plan all your camera positions and map out the route each cable will need to take back to the recorder location. Measure each run and add at least 10-15% extra to account for routing around obstacles, drops through walls, and working slack at each end. It is always better to have cable left over than to run short by a metre halfway through an install.

Step 6 - Remote Viewing

Remote viewing allows you to watch your cameras live on a smartphone, tablet, or PC from anywhere in the world, and to play back recorded footage remotely. It is one of the most practically useful features of a modern CCTV system and is included as standard on all recorders in our range.

How It Works

Your CCTV recorder connects to your internet router via a standard ethernet cable. Once connected and activated, the recorder registers with the manufacturer's cloud service. You then install the app on your phone (for Hikvision and HiLook products this is the free Hik-Connect app) and add the recorder to the app using a QR code. From that point you can view all cameras from anywhere with an internet connection.

You do not need a static IP address or to open ports on your router. The cloud relay service handles the connection automatically.

Motion Alerts

Recorders and cameras with AcuSense AI detection can push instant notifications to your phone when a person or vehicle is detected. This is considerably more useful than traditional motion alerts, which fire on any pixel movement and typically result in so many false notifications that most people turn them off. With human/vehicle filtering, you only receive an alert when it genuinely matters.

Internet Speed Requirements

Remote viewing requires a reasonable broadband connection at the property where the cameras are installed. For most modern broadband connections this is not an issue. As a rough guide, each camera being streamed remotely requires approximately 2–4 Mbps of upload bandwidth from the property. For a 4-camera system, 10–16 Mbps upload is comfortable. Most standard UK broadband connections will handle this without issue.

Buying a Complete Kit vs. Building Your Own System

We sell CCTV in two ways: as complete kits, and as individual components.

Complete kits include a recorder, a set of cameras, and optional hard drive. Everything in the kit is pre-matched and guaranteed to be compatible. This is the simplest option for most customers and is usually the most cost-effective way to buy. If you want to add a camera to a kit system in the future, you can purchase additional compatible cameras separately.

• Browse HD over Coax complete systems
• Browse IP PoE complete systems
• Browse all CCTV systems

Building your own system from individual components gives you full control over the specification. You choose the exact cameras, the recorder, and the hard drive independently. This is the right approach if you have specific requirements that no off-the-shelf kit meets, if you are adding cameras to an existing system, or if you are a trade buyer specifying a bespoke installation.

Common CCTV Mistakes to Avoid

Even good quality equipment can disappoint if the system is not planned properly. Most problems customers come back to us about can be traced to one of the following at the planning stage rather than a fault with the equipment itself.

Mounting cameras too high

This is probably the most common mistake. Cameras mounted very high on a wall or under a high eave will capture the tops of heads rather than faces. For identification purposes, a camera mounted at around 2.5 to 3 metres and angled correctly will almost always produce more useful footage than one mounted at 5 or 6 metres pointing steeply downward. Height can feel more secure, but it often works against you when you actually need to identify someone from the footage.

Choosing a lens that is too wide for the detail required

A 2.8mm wide angle lens is excellent for general area awareness, but if your main goal is identifying a face or reading a number plate at any real distance, a wider lens will let you down. Match the lens to what you actually need to see at the distance you need to see it - see the lens section above for guidance.

Pointing cameras into bright light or reflective surfaces

A camera facing directly into the sun, a bright sky, or highly reflective surfaces will produce silhouetted, washed-out images that are of little evidential value. Where possible, cameras should be positioned so that light falls onto the subject rather than into the lens. If a position cannot be avoided, look for cameras with strong wide dynamic range (WDR) capability, which is designed to handle high contrast lighting conditions.

Trying to cover too large an area with a single camera

Spreading one camera across a very wide area in the hope of capturing everything often results in footage where nothing is captured well. It is generally better to use correctly positioned cameras covering specific zones than to rely on one camera trying to do too much.

Ignoring night-time conditions at the planning stage

A camera position that works well in daylight may perform poorly at night if there is no useful ambient light, or if a nearby wall or soffit causes IR reflection. Think about night performance for every camera position before installation, not after. See the night vision section above for more detail.

Underestimating storage requirements

It is very common for customers to realise after installation that they want more retention time than their hard drive comfortably allows. Storage is cheap relative to the rest of the system - if in doubt, buy a larger drive from the start rather than replacing it later.

Buying on specification numbers alone

Resolution, IR range, and channel count are all useful reference points, but they do not tell the whole story. A well-positioned 5MP camera with the right lens will consistently outperform a poorly positioned 8MP camera with the wrong one. Specification should inform your decision, but scene design and camera placement are what determine the real-world result.

UK CCTV Law - What You Need to Know

CCTV is regulated in the UK. Most home and small business users will have no issue complying with the relevant rules, but it is worth being aware of the basics.

Domestic Use

If your CCTV only records within the boundaries of your own private property, it is generally covered by the domestic purposes exemption, meaning UK data protection law does not apply.

However, if your cameras capture images of the public footpath, neighbouring properties, or shared areas, you become subject to data protection obligations. In practice this means:

• You should have a legitimate purpose for the surveillance (security is a legitimate purpose)
• You should display a visible CCTV warning sign at the entrance to the area being monitored
• You should not record more than is necessary - do not angle cameras to look into a neighbour's garden or through their windows
• You should not keep footage longer than necessary (30 days is a commonly cited guideline, but there is no fixed legal limit)
• Individuals have the right to request a copy of footage that contains their image

Business Use

If you install CCTV at a business premises, you are a data controller under the UK GDPR and must comply fully with data protection law. Key requirements include:

• Registering with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you are not already registered
• Having a documented legitimate purpose for using CCTV
• Displaying clear signage in all areas covered by cameras, before people enter those areas
• Having a written data retention policy and not keeping footage longer than necessary
• Ensuring footage is stored securely and access is restricted to authorised personnel
• Being able to respond to Subject Access Requests (SARs) from individuals who appear in your footage

For further guidance, the ICO publishes a detailed CCTV code of practice which is worth reading before installation.

Audio Recording

Recording audio alongside video brings additional legal considerations. In most circumstances, covert audio recording in the UK requires specific justification and carries greater compliance obligations. If you plan to use cameras with microphones, take advice from the ICO or a legal professional if you are uncertain about your obligations.