CCTV Design Guides

Technical references for security integrators, consultants, and engineers — written by the team behind the free CCTV Design Tool. Accurate math, no vendor fluff.

DORI & Pixel Density at Distance

The trigonometry behind identifiable footage: PD(d), HFOV, and the four DORI tiers (25/63/125/250 px/m) per IEC 62676-4, with worked examples.

Field of View & Focal Length

How sensor format and focal length set HFOV/VFOV, and how to pick a lens for a target coverage width — with a worked example.

ANPR / LPR Camera Placement

Plate-read pixel density, approach angle, shutter speed, and lane geometry for reliable licence-plate capture.

Eliminating Blind Spots

Coverage scoring, FOV overlap, mounting dead zones, and wall-aware clipping to remove gaps before installation.

CCTV Standards & Compliance

BS EN 62676, IEC 62676-4 DORI tiers, GDPR compliance, NSI/SSAIB certification, and regional standards worldwide.

PoE & CCTV Cable Distance

Maximum cable lengths, voltage drop calculations, PoE/PoE+/PoE++ power budgets, and structured cabling best practices.

CCTV Design Methodology

Why planning determines surveillance performance. A structured lifecycle from site assessment through risk analysis, camera placement, commissioning, and operational handover.

Site Survey & Risk Assessment

How to conduct a CCTV site survey: lighting assessment, obstacle mapping, infrastructure auditing, and threat profiling to translate operational needs into coverage requirements.

Storage & Bandwidth Planning

Bitrate calculation, H.264 vs H.265 codec comparison, retention modelling, network switch sizing, and recording architecture for IP camera systems.

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