They cover choosing a system, site surveys and project advice, UK CCTV law, ordering, trade accounts, delivery, returns and warranty.
How much storage do I need for my cameras?
It depends on how many cameras you have, their resolution, and how many days of footage you need to keep. Use our CCTV storage calculator to enter your setup and get a recommended WD Purple or Toshiba drive. More: CCTV storage calculator.
Which Hikvision NVR should I buy?
It comes down to five things: how many cameras, whether the recorder needs to power them over PoE, how long footage must be kept, what resolution the cameras are, and whether anyone will actually search the recordings. Our Hikvision NVR buying guide works through every series from the value K-series up to DeepinMind, and covers the PoE and bandwidth traps that catch people out, including the fact that a 32-channel recorder usually powers only 16 cameras. More: Hikvision NVR buying guide.
Which Hikvision IP camera should I buy?
Start with what you need to see and how far away it is, because that decides resolution and lens far more than the megapixel figure does. Our Hikvision IP camera buying guide explains every series, decodes the model number suffixes, and covers pixels per metre — the calculation that determines whether you get a usable face or just a grey shape. More: Hikvision IP camera buying guide.
Which Hikvision video intercom should I buy?
It depends on the building. A single house takes an IP villa door station plus a 7-inch indoor station, or a boxed intercom kit; two to four flats share a multi-button villa station; a block of flats needs the KD8 modular door station built from nametag, keypad and display modules; and a building with an old two-wire intercom can be upgraded with Hikvision 2-wire over the existing cable. The IP, 2-wire HD and 2-wire IP families do not mix. Our Hikvision video intercom buying guide works through each system, the compatibility rules and every model we stock. Hikvision is a trade product, so pricing is shown to trade account holders when logged in. More: Hikvision video intercom buying guide.
How do I decode a Hikvision model number?
Hikvision model numbers describe the product: what it records, whether it hears, whether it lights up. Our guide Hikvision model numbers explained decodes the whole range, including iDS, HQHI, HUHI, HTHI, ColorVu, AcuSense, PoC and every camera suffix letter. More: Hikvision model numbers explained.
What is the difference between AcuSense, ColorVu and DarkFighter cameras?
AcuSense separates people and vehicles from rain, foliage, shadows and animals, which is the single biggest reduction in false alarms. ColorVu records in full colour after dark using a very wide lens and a warm supplement light. DarkFighter is the specialist low-light tier for scenes where you cannot add any light. Our Hikvision IP camera buying guide explains each series, including Smart Hybrid Light, Active Deterrence and PanoVu, and what the model number suffixes mean. More: IP camera buying guide.
What's the difference between G2H and G3 cameras?
G3 is the newer generation and the difference is not resolution, since most models in both are 4MP or 8MP. G3 brings wider dynamic range (130 dB against 120 dB), memory card encryption and health detection, and on some models a gigabit network port. What it does not always bring is better low-light performance: the G3 AcuSense cameras use an F1.6 aperture on a 1/3 inch sensor and reach 0.001 lux, the same figure as the G2H turrets, which use a wider F1.0 lens. Choose G3 for difficult backlight and remote lens adjustment, and G2H where the scene is genuinely dark. More: Hikvision IP camera buying guide.
What does (2.8/4mm) mean in a model number?
It is a motorised varifocal lens spanning 2.8mm to 4mm, one camera rather than two lens options. The lens is adjusted remotely from the software after mounting, so an installer can fine-tune the framing without going back up a ladder. Across the whole zoom range it is worth about one extra metre of identification distance, so specify it for mounting flexibility rather than reach. If you need reach, the 2.8 to 12mm models roughly double it.
Will these cameras run on my existing PoE switch?
Check before you order, because it catches people out. Most plain cameras run on standard 802.3af, some as low as 6.5 W. Add a strobe and siren and the same camera needs 802.3at, typically 16 to 18 W. The DS-2CD2047G3-LI2UY draws 6.5 W and the /SL version of the identical camera draws 16 W. On a recorder with a fixed PoE budget that is the difference between filling every port and running out halfway. Send us your camera list and switch or NVR model and we will confirm it before you buy.
Which cameras record in colour at night?
ColorVu and Smart Hybrid Light models. AcuSense cameras use infrared only, so night footage is monochrome no matter how good the camera. Watch the supplement light range too: a camera that detects to 89 m but only lights to 30 m will not give you colour at the far end of its own view. The full-size bullets carry 60 m and match their optics far better than the compact models do. Ask us if you are unsure which a specific model is.
Do dual-lens cameras use one channel on my recorder or two?
Two. A dual-lens camera such as the DS-2CD2346G3D produces two independent streams, so budget recorder channels accordingly. What you save is cabling rather than capacity: one cable run, one PoE port, one bracket and one hole in the wall instead of two of each. That is why they earn their price on long runs to a gate, remote yard corners, or buildings where drilling is restricted.
Do I need AcuSense cameras to use AcuSearch or AcuSeek on my NVR?
Yes. AcuSearch and AcuSeek only work with AcuSense cameras that have the function enabled. Pairing an AcuSeek recorder with older or third-party cameras means paying for an AI engine that has nothing to work with. Send us your camera list and we will confirm what will and will not work before you order. More: NVR buying guide.
Is it simple to set up a CCTV or alarm system myself?
Wireless kits are largely plug and play. Wired PoE CCTV and hard-wired alarm panels are more capable and reliable long-term, but running cable and configuring the recorder properly is where most self-installers get stuck, so a professional installer is worth it for anything beyond a simple wireless kit. More: technical support and fault-finder page.
What's the difference between an NVR and a DVR?
An NVR records IP PoE cameras over a network cable. A DVR records HD-TVI cameras over coax. Which one you need depends on the cameras you're buying, not personal preference. If you are choosing an NVR, our Hikvision NVR buying guide covers channels, PoE budgets, bandwidth per camera and storage. More: NVR · DVR · Hikvision NVR buying guide.
Do you offer a CCTV site survey?
Yes. For commercial and larger installs, send us photos, a sketch or site details and we will help scope camera count, positions, cabling and NVR channels. For domestic and smaller jobs, the same advice is available by phone, email or in the Wolverhampton showroom, at no cost and with no obligation to buy. More: Wolverhampton showroom.
How many cameras do I need for my shop, warehouse or home?
It depends on your entrances, blind spots, lighting and what you actually need to see, such as faces at a till, number plates in a car park, or general activity along a warehouse aisle. This is hard to judge from a product listing alone, so talk to us with a rough idea of the site and we will suggest a realistic camera count and positions rather than just selling the kit with the most cameras in the box.
What should I ask before buying a CCTV or alarm system?
The key questions are: what resolution do you need for the distances involved, how much storage and retention, do you need remote viewing on your phone, what cable runs and PoE power budget does the site need, and does the job need a professional installer. We will talk through all of this with you before you order, whether you are a trade installer or buying for yourself. More: storage and retention.
Do I have to be a trade customer to get project advice before I buy?
No. Project and technical advice before you buy is available to trade installers and DIY or first-time buyers alike. Trade accounts unlock trade pricing, not access to advice — anyone can call, email or visit the showroom for help specifying a system. More: trade account.
This is general information based on published ICO and GOV.UK guidance, not legal advice. For anything beyond a straightforward domestic setup, check the
ICO's own CCTV guidance or get independent legal advice.
Is it legal to install CCTV at my home in the UK?
Yes. If your cameras only cover your own property, UK GDPR generally does not apply. The moment a camera captures a neighbour's garden, a shared space, or a public area such as the street, data protection law does apply to you, even as a homeowner, and the ICO's guidance on domestic CCTV sets out what you need to do.
Can my CCTV camera record my neighbour's garden or a public street?
It can, but the ICO recommends angling cameras to minimise capture of areas outside your own property, using privacy masking where your camera or NVR software supports it, and being transparent with neighbours about what the camera covers. A 2021 court case, Fairhurst v Woodard, is the leading example of how this plays out in a neighbour dispute over a doorbell camera.
Do I need to put up a CCTV sign?
Signage is legally required for business use and strongly recommended for domestic use, even where it is not strictly mandatory. The ICO advises a clearly visible sign stating that CCTV is in use, and businesses should also be able to point people to fuller information such as a privacy notice.
How long can I legally keep CCTV footage?
There is no single fixed legal number, but 30 days is the retention period most commonly used in practice unless there is a specific reason to keep footage longer, such as an ongoing investigation. Footage should be deleted once it is no longer needed for the purpose it was recorded for.
Does my business need to register with the ICO to use CCTV?
Most businesses using CCTV need to register with the ICO and pay the data protection fee. Homeowners using CCTV purely for domestic purposes normally do not need to register, but data protection law still applies if the camera captures anything beyond their own property.
How quickly will my order be delivered?
Orders are delivered within 1–2 working days of payment being received, to addresses in England, Scotland and Wales. We do not currently ship to Northern Ireland. If we cannot meet that, we will contact you to arrange an alternative date.
Can I collect my order instead of having it delivered?
Yes. Order online and choose collection, or call ahead, and we will have it ready to collect from our Dudley Road counter in Wolverhampton, often the same day from stock. Call: 01902 902251.
Do you deliver outside the UK?
No. We only cover the UK — every order ships from genuine UK stock to a UK address, we do not deliver internationally. The Wolverhampton showroom and trade counter serve the West Midlands in person, and the full range is available to order online with delivery across England, Scotland and Wales.
Which brands do you stock?
Hikvision, HiLook, Dahua and Uniview for CCTV; Texecom, Pyronix, Honeywell and Visonic for intruder alarms; Paxton for access control; Ubiquiti and Excel for networking and cabling; plus Yale, SPRO and Ring. More: full brand list.
Do you stock cameras in black or grey as well as white?
Yes. Most Hikvision models are available in white, black and grey at the same specification. Black disappears against dark brickwork, steelwork or a slate soffit, grey suits galvanised steel, render and concrete, and white is the right choice where the camera is meant to be seen as a deterrent. One thing worth knowing: on a black /SL model the strobe is still white light, because body colour does not change it. If you want a red and blue police-style strobe, that is the /SRB version.
Are you an authorised Hikvision partner?
Yes, we are an authorised Hikvision partner, and separately an approved UK distributor of HiLook by Hikvision. Both mean genuine, UK-spec stock rather than grey imports. More: authorised Hikvision partner · HiLook by Hikvision.
