If your considering a surveillance systems there are many factors to consider. First dont use dummy surveillance cameras in place of real surveillance cameras because this gives a false sense of safety and can be a legal liability. Also do not record audio on your surveillance systems because the laws for audio recording is much more restrictive than recording images. Use signs to let people know there are surveillance cameras present. The more people know there are surveillance cameras, the better chance of deterring potential problems. Use professional signs, people will take them more seriously. Before buying a surveillance system, know exactly what you want to monitor and at what quality the recording should be. Also figure out how many surveillance cameras you will need. Also remember your new surveillance system will work better if you have proper lighting. Color surveillance monitors are becoming more and more popular, and cheaper. Consider the possibility of going color on your surveillance systems. Its very important to remember that your monitor needs to display at the same resolution as your surveillance cameras. Televisions are generally not good surveillance monitors because they are not built to run at extreme duration. There are two types of surveillance systems recorders VCR and DVR. DVR is better but more expensive. Using hard drives instead of tape means more quality images, long duration, easy data retrieval, and smaller storage.