There are many ways to stream your CCTV video clips on TVs. We would have only looked into analogue CCTV systems if we were a decade behind, but since digital technology has taken over the security industry, here we have looked at both digital and analogue systems to see how they can be best linked to TVs.

 

How do you link analogue CCTV video to a television?

Most video and audio devices, including DVRs and TVs, now use HDMI as a universal standard connector. Connecting an HDMI lead between your DVR and your TV is the easiest way to get a CCTV picture from your DVR onto your TV. To get a crisp, clear picture, choose a high-quality lead. The most significant difficulty is that HDMI cables are challenging to deal with due to their size, and they can be costly at times. HDMI splitters or distributors are an ideal way to send a CCTV signal from your DVR to several screens or TVs. Simply mount the splitter and DVR in a locked cupboard or roof space and display the videos from any room in the house.

Alternatively, you can adjust the TV to AV input by connecting one end of the coaxial cable to the video output on the DVR, and the other end to the yellow composite AV port on your TV. This is another straightforward way of connecting your CCTV video to a television. However, to convert BNC male to phono, you’ll need a phono converter.

Some televisions have a VGA input, which you can use by connecting a VGA cable to the DVR’s VGA port and the VGA port on your TV. VGA, on the other hand, is a serial port and should not be used in a long cable run. You can convert VGA to an Ethernet cable such as CAT5 with an adapter. This may require the purchase of additional adapters.

 

 

How do you watch CCTV video clips on your smart TV using a smartphone app?

If you don’t want to run cables directly to your TV, Google Chromecast or Apple TV are excellent alternatives, assuming your viewing apps support casting. Apple TV can be used to display IP camera videos on a smart television by mirroring video feeds from surveillance camera smartphone apps. You can use Google Chromecast to mirror what’s on your Android phone to your screen.

Of course, there are other options: you can install IP camera viewing apps on your Android TV, as well as Smart TVs from Samsung and LG. You can use IP Cam Viewer or tinyCam Monitor on your TV with a Mini Android PC like the UG802 Mini PC, which supports TV (Android TV, Amazon Fire TV) viewing, but the apps may be slow to load or react or navigate.

Now you know the best options to connect CCTV to TV, sign up to our mailing list here for articles like these straight to your inbox, or follow us on Facebook where we share our latest technical advice.