Choosing a Display for a Video Surveillance System

What the display does in a surveillance system

The display shows live feeds, recorded playback and, in larger systems, a split screen of many feeds at once. Its job is to make detail visible: a face, a number plate, a package label or a movement in a doorway. That job depends on resolution, on size and on viewing distance together. A high resolution camera feed shown on a low resolution screen loses detail, because the screen cannot show what the camera captured. A high resolution screen fed by a low resolution camera also wastes its capability, because the screen cannot invent detail that the feed does not contain. A buyer should therefore check the camera resolution, the recorder output resolution and the screen resolution together, and should treat the lowest of the three as the effective detail of the system.

Viewing distance changes the calculation. A screen watched from a desk can be smaller, because the viewer sits close and can see fine detail. A screen watched from across a control room needs to be larger, because the same detail must stay visible at a greater distance. A wall of screens in a control room needs a planned layout, with the most important feeds on the screens that are easiest to see, rather than a row of identical screens chosen by size alone. The layout should be planned before the screens are ordered, because a layout that looks balanced on paper can still fail if the most important feed ends up on the hardest screen to see.

Size, resolution and split screens

A split screen divides one display into several smaller windows, and each window shows less detail than a full-screen feed. A four-way split on a 1920 by 1080 screen gives each feed roughly a quarter of the screen, which is usually enough to recognise activity, but may not be enough to read fine detail. A sixteen-way split on the same screen gives each feed a small window that suits overview watching but not detail checking. A buyer should therefore decide how many feeds will be shown at once, and how much detail each feed window needs, before choosing a screen size and resolution. A larger screen helps a split layout, but only up to the point where the feed resolution itself becomes the limit.

Touch is not always needed for surveillance viewing. A display that only shows feeds may not need a touch layer, and a buyer who does not need touch should say so in the enquiry, so the touch question is settled explicitly. Where touch is wanted, for example to switch feeds, to call up a camera or to control a view, the touch type should follow the working conditions, including gloves where they are used. A control room screen that is touched occasionally suits a different touch choice from a public information screen that is touched all day.

Interfaces and the recorder connection

The display connects to the recorder or the viewing station, and the interface must match the recorder's outputs. Older recorders may use BNC or VGA, while newer recorders and viewing stations usually use HDMI. The two smallest listed models on this site offer BNC alongside HDMI, VGA, AV and USB, which suits a mixed system with both older and newer equipment, while the larger listed models offer HDMI, VGA and USB. A buyer should list the recorder outputs in the enquiry, so the interface match can be checked before the viewing station is built. Cable length also matters: a long cable run between the recorder and the display can affect signal quality, especially for analogue video, so the cable route should be planned with the layout.

Brightness matters for a viewing station that sits in a bright room or near a window, because reflected light competes with the screen's own light. A screen in a dim control room needs less brightness than a screen in a bright reception area, and the brightness figures listed per model on this site should be compared with the room light in mind. A sample tested in the real room is the best check, because brightness on paper does not always predict readability in use.

Planning a viewing layout

A viewing layout should start from the feeds, not from the screens. List the feeds that must always be visible, the feeds that can rotate, and the feeds that only need to be checked on demand. Then decide how many screens are needed, how large each screen should be, and where each screen will sit. Then check the resolution of each screen against the detail its feeds need, and check the interfaces against the recorder outputs. Only then should models be compared, using their own product pages for size, resolution, interfaces and touch. An enquiry that follows that order is easier to answer, because it states the system the display must serve, rather than asking for a display in isolation.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get a quotation?

Send an enquiry with the size, touch type, interface list and quantity you need, plus the application. Quotations are confirmed per order, and specifications are confirmed per model before payment. This site does not list fixed selling figures.

What certification documents can you provide?

CCC, CE, FCC and RoHS are stated by the company. Certificates are available upon request. If a buyer needs a certificate for a specific model, ask for it in the enquiry and name the model, so the correct document can be checked.

Are the specifications on this page valid for every model?

No. Specifications are shown per model and must not be read across the whole range. Where a value is not listed for a model, the page says to confirm per model rather than filling in a generic figure.