Safety concerns are boosting demand for video surveillance. As a result, the market is saturated with companies trying to capitalize on the trend, says Sammy Sze of Cypress Video Surveillance Systems. People are pushing into the surveillance business from other industries, he says, without the experience or specialized knowledge required to do the job well.
Mr. Sze warns against basing your decision solely on price. Often, these “deals” include equipment nobody really wants, sold at a package price that exceeds the value of its parts. “They buy some amateur-grade equipment, package them as so-called professional grade and resell them,” he says. “If people just shop for the cheapest price, a lot of times they’ll fall for these tricks.”
Should the equipment fail, warns Mr. Sze, it can be impossible to track down the installer, since these companies often go out of business quickly. In the long run, bargain hunters might end up with hundreds of dollars of worthless equipment. “There are no shortcuts in the camera industry,” he says. “Price should be based on cost plus a reasonable markup.” Huge bargains can be a gimmick, and sometimes something far worse—inferior equipment passed off on unsuspecting customers.
Mr. Sze also cautions to be realistic about the limitations of surveillance equipment. For example, low lighting conditions will always degrade video quality—and in complete darkness, your system will never product true-color pictures. “Don’t believe anyone who promises otherwise,” he says.
