What is the difference between CMOS and CCD camera?
The technologies and the markets that use them continue to mature, but the comparison is still a lot like apples vs. oranges: they can both be good for you. HW-Security offers both.

The image sensor of the camera is responsible for transforming light into electrical signals. When building a camera, there are two possible technologies for the camera's image sensor:

- CCD (Charged Coupled Device)
- CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor)

CCD sensors are produced using a technology developed specifically for the camera industry, while CMOS sensors are based on standard technology already extensively used in memory chips, inside PCs for example.

CCD technology
CCD sensors have been used in cameras for more than 20 years and present many advantageous qualities; among them, better light sensitivity than CMOS sensors. This higher light sensitivity translates into better images in low light conditions. CCD sensors are, however, more expensive as they are made in a non-standard process and more complex to incorporate into a camera. In addition, when there is a very bright object in the scene (such as a lamp or direct sunlight), the CCD may bleed, causing vertical stripes below and above the object. This phenomenon is called a smear.

CMOS technology
Recent advances in CMOS sensors bring them closer to their CCD counterparts in terms of image quality. CMOS sensors provide a lower total cost for the cameras since they contain all the logics needed to build cameras around them. They make it possible to produce smaller-sized cameras. Large-sized sensors are available, providing megapixel resolution to a variety of network cameras. A current limitation with CMOS sensors is their lower light sensitivity.

For more detailed information, see:

What do resolution & lux mean?
Resolution measures the cameras ability to reproduce an image. The higher resolution is the better picture quality. Lux is the measure of light the camera requires to reproduce an image. The lower number the less light the camera requires to reproduce an image.

What is the difference between wired and wireless cameras?
Wired cameras have a video cable that runs from the camera to the video input jack on your recording or viewing device. Wireless cameras have a built-in transmitter that sends the video signal to a receiver. The receiver connects to the video input jack on your recording or viewing device.

Do you have sample images of your B/W cameras and color cameras?
The below images were captured via our B/W and Color CCD cameras.

Why is Digital Video recording better than my VHS machine?
The main advantages of digital recording are maintenance-free operation for longer periods of time and increased stream resolution. Consider a 24 hours time lapse VCR, which does the job in most cases. Every 24 hours, one has to change the tape, or program the VCR to automatically start over when the tape reaches the end. Time-lapse VCRs that record hundreds of hours on a tape - they just do not record every fraction of a second, but merely one image at every x seconds. If recording is not triggered by motion detectors, one can fail to catch the very important moment on tape. In another words, in order to record continuously (say 30 frames per second), there is only so much a tape can take. Digital technologies increase the storage ten or even hundred fold: a 60 GB hard drive stores live video for a week.