Lesson 1Camera placement and coverage planning: entrances, reception, corridors, treatment rooms, pharmacy, parking, side passage, emergency exitsThis part discusses practical camera positioning and coverage planning for common locations. You will learn to place cameras at entrances, corridors, treatment zones, parking, and exits to meet identification, coverage, and safety aims.
Entrances, reception, and face captureCorridors, stairwells, and choke pointsTreatment rooms and sensitive areasPharmacy, safes, and high-value storageParking lots, driveways, and side passagesEmergency exits and evacuation routesLesson 2Indoor vs outdoor environmental ratings (IP, IK) and mounting considerationsThis part concentrates on environmental ratings and mounting options for reliable camera function. You will learn how IP and IK ratings, temperature ranges, and mounting gear influence durability, image steadiness, and ongoing upkeep.
IP ratings for dust and water protectionIK ratings and vandal-resistant housingsTemperature, humidity, and enclosure choicePole, wall, and ceiling mounting optionsVibration, wind load, and image stabilityLesson 3Camera specifications: resolution, frame rate, lens focal length, IR/night vision, WDR, low-light performanceHere we review key camera specs and their impact on image quality and identification. You will learn to align resolution, frame rate, lens, IR, WDR, and low-light performance with scene risks, distances, and regulatory needs.
Pixels per foot and identification targetsChoosing frame rate for scenes and motionFixed, varifocal, and motorised zoom lensesIR illumination range and reflection issuesWDR handling of backlight and contrastLow-light sensitivity and noise trade-offsLesson 4Camera selection by location: fixed dome, turret, bullet, PTZ, and specialised cameras (varifocal, fisheye)You will learn how to choose camera types suited to each location and risk level. This part compares domes, turrets, bullets, PTZ, and specialised models, emphasising deterrence, coverage, tamper resistance, and maintenance.
Fixed dome cameras for public interiorsTurret cameras for flexible aimingBullet cameras for long exterior viewsPTZ cameras for active monitoringFisheye and panoramic coverage usesSpecialised thermal and covert camerasLesson 5Remote access, secure video streaming, user roles, and authenticationThis part explains how to enable remote access to CCTV while ensuring confidentiality and integrity. You will learn secure streaming techniques, user roles, authentication methods, and how to strengthen remote viewing clients and mobile apps.
Encrypted streaming with TLS and SRTPVPN, jump hosts, and remote access controlRole-based access and least privilegeStrong passwords, MFA, and SSO optionsAccount lifecycle and session managementLesson 6Video encoding, bandwidth considerations, PoE vs separate power, and network design basicsHere we look at video encoding, bandwidth, and power choices that influence network design. You will learn codec selection, bitrate management, PoE planning, VLAN application, and how to prevent congestion and single failure points in CCTV networks.
H.264, H.265, and smart codec featuresCBR vs VBR and bitrate budgetingMulticast, unicast, and viewing impactPoE classes, power budgets, and cablingSegmentation with VLANs and QoS rulesRedundancy and network health monitoringLesson 7Recorder and storage strategy: NVR selection, RAID, retention periods (days), storage calculations, cyclic overwriteThis part explains how to plan recorder and storage approaches that fulfil retention and performance targets. You will learn NVR selection, RAID levels, storage estimates, overwrite policies, and monitoring of disk health and capacity.
NVR vs server-based VMS architecturesRAID levels, redundancy, and rebuild riskCalculating storage from bitrate and daysCyclic overwrite and retention tiersDisk health checks and SMART alertsLesson 8Standards and good practices for video quality, evidence-grade capture, and system documentationThis part addresses standards and best practices to ensure CCTV video serves as legal evidence. You will learn how to record system design, check image quality, and keep consistent configurations and audit records.
Evidence-grade image quality requirementsScene illumination and test chart proceduresTime synchronisation and watermarkingConfiguration baselines and change controlOperational logs and incident documentationLesson 9Privacy protections: masking/privacy zones, signage, retention policies, and chain-of-custody for evidenceYou will learn how to plan CCTV systems that comply with privacy laws and organisational policies. This part covers masking, signage, retention limits, and evidence chain-of-custody, including records and secure handling of exported clips.
Legal bases and privacy impact assessmentsPrivacy zones and masking configurationSignage, consent, and staff awarenessRetention schedules and auto deletionExport procedures and access loggingEvidence sealing and transfer records