Abbreviations used in CCTV and Network industry.

This article is for CCTV professionals and knowledge seekers; here we are covering all the acronyms of the CCTV field with a short definition. It also helps to crack the technical interview for the installer, technical support and CCTV operator job.


Poster for Abbreviations used in CCTV

DVR:

DVR is part of a closed-circuit system. It stands for Digital Video Recorder, which is a device that records video in a digital format from the camera to a hard disk drive or any external storage.

NVR:

NVR stands for Network Video Recorder is a specialized system that includes a software program to record video in a digital format. An NVR is typically an IP-based video surveillance system.

RG-59:

RG-59 stands for Radio Guide-59 it is a type of coaxial cable used for Analog cameras and for television signals.

RG-6:

Radio Guide-6 is a coaxial cable used for CCTV cameras and television signals. It can carry a signal larger distances than Rg-59.

BNC:

BNC stands for Bayonet Neill-Concelman, It is used as a connector on both ends of the coaxial cable.

RJ-45:

RJ stands for Radio jack generally used to connect Ethernet devices like IP cameras, computer internet, printers etc.

HDD:

Stands for Hard Disk Drive; is a storage device used for storing video and audio coming through video cameras.

NTSC:

Stands for National Television System Committee, It is the Analog color television standard. NTSC standards are used by countries like America, Japan, Taiwan Brazil etc.

PAL:

Stands for Phase Alternating Line is also an Analog color television standard. PAL standards are used by countries like Europe, Asia Pacific, India and Argentina etc.

MEGAPIXEL:

This means 1 Million pixels; are the resolution measuring tool of the video cameras.

POE:

Stands for Power Over Ethernet to allow pass electric power and also along with data on a single twisted pair Ethernet cable.

POC:

Stands for Power Over Coaxial is the new technology that allows data and Power on a single coaxial cable. There are some DVRs or devices that support this.

PTZ:

Stands for Pan-Tilt Zoom. Cameras which come with PTZ technology can change the direction and zoom control. Due to these features, cameras can cover a wide range of areas and have flexibility for 360-degree surveillance.
Generally, PTZ cameras are used where real-time monitoring and surveillance are critical.

RCA:

RCA is an audio-video connector that usually carries the audio and video signal. It is developed by Radio Corporation of America. This connector is also known as a Phono connector.

HTTP:

HyperText Transfer Protocol is a set of rules and techniques for transferring files, text, images and other multimedia files through the web. It is an application layer protocol.

RTSP:

Stands for Real-Time Streaming Protocol is used to set real-time media streams.
TCP and UDP ports used 554 RTSP traffic.

UPnP:

Stands for Universal Plug and Play is a networking protocol that allows the router to forward a specific camera port for remote views.

H.265:

H.265 also known as High-Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) is a video compression standard designed for high-resolution video.
It supports 8K and Ultra High Definition resolution.

IP:

This stands for Internet Protocol, it is a set of rules that allow how the data is sent from one system to another system. It comes under the Network Layer.

IPv4:

Internet Protocol version 4 has a 32-bit IP addressing system. It is divided into 4 sections. Example - 192.168.1.1
IPv4 support 4294967296 addresses.

IPv6:

Internet Protocol version 6 uses a 128-bit IP addressing system. Ipv6 comes with 8 groups separated by a column.
Example: 2008:ABCF:ZC12:1265:0000:0000:0JK4:8844
IPv6 supports 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,456 addresses.

FPS:

Frame per second, In CCTV 30fps means the camera records 30 frames in one second of video.

VCA:

Stands for Video Content Analysis; VCA refers to the ability of the camera to analyze and determine a specific activity or event and assist the operator and security personnel.
After VCA came into existence CCTV industry experienced a boom in growth.

DDNS:

DDNS acronym stands for Dynamic Domain Name System is a method of automatically updating a name server in the domain name system.

ONVIF:

An acronym that stands for Open Network Video Interface Forum, ONVIF created a standard for how IP products and video surveillance communicate with each other. Onvif is an organization created in 2008 by Axis Communication, Sony and Bosh Communication.

NAT:

Network address translation is a technique to change the IP address or network address of the source and destination with the help of a router, internet and public network. NAT operates in the router generally connecting two networks together and converting private addresses to local addresses.

TCP:

Stands for Transmission Control Protocol is a communication protocol that sends data in bytes. TCP is a reliable stream delivery technique that guarantees all bytes are same order and similar to those sent.

UDP:

User Datagram Protocol is a communication protocol that is generally used for time-sensitive information such as video streaming and Voice Over IP.

FTP:

This stands for File transfer protocol, FTP allows transferring, copying, deleting, and accessing files over the internet through connected IP addresses.

PPPoE:

This stands for Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet is a network protocol used to manage communication between network endpoints.

HDMI:

This stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface; HDMI is the replacement for Analog video standards. It is an audio/video interface for transmitting compressed or uncompressed audio or video from HDMI sources.

DHCP:

Stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol can maintain the network and assign automatic IP addresses and another connecting parameter to the client-server architecture.
All modern DVRs/NVRs have DHCP and Static IP management.

UTP:

Stands for Unshielded-Twisted-Pair Cable is a type of cable made of copper generally used in telephone and local area networks.

SATA:

SATA stands for Serial Advanced Technology Attachment is a data transport and command protocol that defines how to communicate with DVRs/NVR and mass storage devices.

HD-CVI:

HD-CVI stands for High-Definition Composite Video Interface, This technology allows Analog cameras to transmit high-quality video signals over coaxial cables.
Before this technology, CCTV cameras just transmitted 960*480 pixel resolution over coax.

DMSS:

DMSS stands for Dahua Mobile Security Surveillance is an app for remote monitoring of Dahua devices like DVR/NVR and IP cameras.
The app supports live monitoring, playback, receiving notifications and controlling the PTZ cameras.

ANPR:

Stands for Automatic Number Plate Recognition.
ANPR is a technology that allows CCTV cameras to read the vehicle number plate and store it on their respective NVR without human intervention.

EXIR:

Exir stands for EXtended InfraRed, technology that improves the CCTV camera visual at night.

IR:

IR stands for "Infrared". Due to this technology, CCTV cameras can record and capture video footage in low light or no light. IR inbuilt cameras are also referred to as Night Vision Cameras.

WDR:

WDR stands for Wide Dynamic Range, A feature which enhances the CCTV cameras to handle high contrast lightning and provide clear details in both bright, low and also no light.