What a well-planned CCTV system is for
A CCTV installation has two jobs: to put people off, and to let you see what happened. Doing both takes more than sticking cameras up. You have to decide what each camera must show, in how much detail, and for how many days the footage is kept. Knowing that somebody came in is not the same as recognising a face or reading a number plate.
That is why every job starts with a site survey. We walk the place with you, mark the entrances and the sensitive areas, and put a plan together: how many cameras, what lens, where the recorder goes and how the cable runs.
What we install
- IP cameras connected to an NVR recorder and powered over the network cable with PoE, so no socket is needed beside each camera.
- DVR or hybrid recorders where existing analogue cameras and coaxial cable are worth keeping.
- Outdoor cameras with infrared night vision and housings built for rain and salt air, which makes a real difference on the coast.
- Hard disks sized for the number of recording days you need.
- Remote access through the manufacturer’s app, with separate users and permissions.
A CCTV system needs a stable network. If the recorder or a camera ends up a long way from the router, we solve it with cable or with our wifi solutions.
Apartment blocks
In a block, the usual points are the entrance, the lobby, the lifts, the storage units and, above all, the garage, where thefts from vehicles and damage to the door tend to happen. Three things matter for a residents’ association:
- A decision at the owners’ meeting before anything is installed.
- Limited access to the recorder, normally the chairman or the property manager, with a password.
- The recorder in a protected spot, so it does not walk off along with everything it recorded.
If you also want to control who gets into the entrance or the garage, it combines with alarms and access control using key fobs. There is more in the article on CCTV cameras for apartment blocks.
Shops, storerooms and offices
In a shop, the cameras usually cover the till, the door, the shop floor and the stockroom. In warehouses and units it is the loading bays, the perimeter and the vehicle entrances. We pick the resolution and the lens according to what has to be identifiable, and put the recorder out of the public’s sight. In a business, remember that staff have to be told the cameras are there.
Homes and second homes
In a house the usual coverage is the front door, the gate, the garage and the routes through the garden. Pointing at the street or at a neighbour’s property has to be avoided. In coastal second homes that stand empty for months, being able to look at the cameras from your phone is a real comfort and lets you check whether an alert is genuine.
Car parks and storage units
Ramps, bays and storage corridors have poor light and a lot of ground to cover. We use cameras that perform well at night, recording on motion detection to save disk space, and positions that cover both the vehicle door and the pedestrian entrances.
Data protection: GDPR and signage
Images of identifiable people are personal data, so the installation has to comply with the GDPR and the Spanish LOPDGDD:
- A CCTV warning sign visible at the entrances.
- No recording of the public street beyond what is unavoidable.
- Limited retention: as a general rule, a month at most.
- No audio, and no cameras where they would intrude on privacy, such as toilets or changing rooms.
We configure the system so compliance is easy (automatic overwriting, permissions and camera angles) and hand you the sign. Responsibility for the data itself sits with the owner of the system; for specific questions, check with your adviser.
What we do and what we do not
We are a telecoms company: we install and set up cameras and recorders you can reach from your phone. We do not provide guarding services or connection to an alarm receiving centre, which are the preserve of licensed private security firms.
What affects the quote
- Number of cameras and whether they are indoors or outdoors.
- Resolution and type of lens.
- Recording days, which set the disk capacity.
- Cabling: distances, false ceilings or facades.
We give you a free quote once we have seen the site.
How we work
- A survey on site.
- A plan with camera positions and a clear quote.
- Installation and setup of the recorder.
- The app set up on your phone.
- We show you how to watch live, find a recording and export a clip.
Where we work
We install CCTV in Tarragona, Reus, Salou, Cambrils, La Canonja, Constantí, Valls and El Vendrell, and across the rest of the areas we cover, working out from Salou.