No-one can say for sure how many CCTV cameras are in operation in Australia, but back in 2007 the Australian Security Industry Association (ASIAL) made a rough estimate that in Sydney alone there are between 40,000 to 60,0000 cameras. In the UK it is thought that there could be up to a staggering 6 million cameras!

What this says about the importance of CCTV, or it’s overuse for that matter, is a subject for another day. But in our experience one things is for certain, a vast number of those video surveillance cameras are no longer serving much purpose. Dirty lenses due to lack of maintenance, overgrown trees or new buildings blocking camera views may be some of the reasons, but out-dated systems that have fallen into disrepair and now only provide grainy black and white images (especially at night) are likely to be the biggest cause.

A reluctance to upgrade and repair CCTV systems by building owners may partly be due to a fear of costs. A worry that a repeat of the big investment made many years ago when the system was installed may be required again. But these fears are often unfounded. Sure, there have been huge advances in video technology over the last decade with digital high definition IP network-based cameras now the norm. But manufactures have also created technologies that allow CCTV systems to be upgraded without a large outlay.

HD-TVI is an example of this. HD-TVI operates on the same cabling, connectors and power supplies as existing analogue systems, making an upgrade quick and easy without requiring the expense of replacing existing cabling infrastructure, yet still providing the benefits of a modern CCTV system – high definition 4K (8 Megapixel) cameras with smart analytics are a real possibility.