The unique CCTV Camera Evaluation Service

For quite some time, it’s become increasingly obvious that vast numbers of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) security cameras, are failing to produce any useful Evidential Quality video recordings, when required to assist with criminal investigations.

Time and again, both senior police officers and industry experts have revealed to the Press, the everyday problems facing investigators trying to recover poor quality images, often obtained from incorrectly installed and maintained surveillance cameras.

Now more than ever, with an increasing awareness of the absolutely vital role for CCTV, particularly in investigations involving serious crimes and terrorism, CCTV Operators really do need to take urgent steps to improve the effectiveness of their systems, to make sure they are truly “fit for purpose”.

October 1st 2008 saw the official launch of a unique new CCTV service called “VIPER”.

Designed to provide an easy, affordable expert assessment of security camera performance, the “Video Image Performance Evaluation Report” or VIPER, is now available to indicate how well an individual camera is performing as a vital evidential security tool.

UK based CCTV Advisor ‘Doktor Jon’, has introduced what is believed to be the first ever online service, that can actually provide CCTV Operators with an impartial and independent overview of precisely how their CCTV cameras are performing, and what technical issues may need to be addressed in order for the equipment to be able to provide useful and usable evidential quality images.

The service itself is very simple ... a CCTV User can forward an image captured from an individual surveillance camera (normally supplied as a JPEG file, sent as an e-mail attachment), and a resulting VIPER assessment will be produced to report on the cameras technical and operational capabilities in 38 key areas.

VIPER reports can be ordered up by CCTV users located anywhere around the globe, and in terms of built in client confidentiality, there is no requirement for either knowing the identity of the operator, or indeed the location of the camera. The evaluation is based purely on what is seen ‘on screen’, and so provides an exceptionally affordable, practical and secure solution, to an extremely common problem ... “how can I find out if my CCTV cameras are working well?”.

The first VIPER assessment is designed for fixed video surveillance cameras, and a number of additional VIPER evaluations are being developed for other types of CCTV, for example remote control Pan, Tilt and Zoom (PTZ) units.


Jon, the principle CCTV Advisor from the website doktorjon.co.uk has said that “Previously, cctv users have only been able to have their cameras performance evaluated independently, by employing the services of a specialist CCTV Consultant, and that can often prove to be very expensive. Now with the launch of VIPER, anyone can check whether their cameras are working well, and without breaking the bank”; -commenting on the importance of VIPER, he says “Law Enforcement Officers have long been complaining about the very poor quality of many CCTV recordings; from the extremely positive comments received to date, this looks like exactly what’s needed to help raise the performance, suitability and effectiveness of vital Forensic Surveillance evidence”.

More information at http://www.doktorjon.co.uk/cctvimage.html
or e-mail to:- viper[at]doktorjon.co.uk

Notes for Editors:- Doktor Jon is a UK based specialist CCTV Advisor working in the Industry since 1978. In June 2004, he launched his personal website project at http://www.doktorjon.co.uk , which has since grown into a unique site with almost 1,600 pages of information and advice on all aspects of “The Use and Application of CCTV”; to date it has attracted nearly two and a half million hits, and visitors from 141 countries.