A camera that alerts you for a person, not a palm tree.
An ordinary camera alerts you every time something moves: the wind, a cat, a car's headlights. Within a week, nobody looks at the alerts. Smart detection changes that: the camera itself recognises whether what is moving is a person or a vehicle, and only then does it alert you. OK Computer installs and configures Dahua, Hikvision and Ajax cameras with this analytics in homes, businesses, warehouses and residents' communities in Tenerife, recording on your own premises with no fees.
Camera brands with smart detection that OK Computer installs
What is smart detection in a security camera?
Smart detection is the ability of a CCTV camera to recognise what is moving in front of it, rather than just that something is moving. A processor inside the camera, or in the recorder, analyses the image and classifies what it sees: a person, a vehicle or neither. That classification decides whether an alert is sent. Manufacturers use different trade names (Dahua calls it WizSense; Hikvision, AcuSense), but the idea is the same.
The practical difference is huge. A camera with classic motion detection can send dozens of alerts a day on a plot in Tenerife, almost all of them caused by wind, animals or changes in light. With smart detection only the ones that matter remain, so the alert can stay switched on on your phone without ending up muted.
It is not a cloud service and carries no fee: the analytics run on the equipment installed on your premises and the footage is recorded to your own drive. OK Computer chooses the model according to what needs watching, places each camera at the height and angle the analytics need, and tests the alerts, at night too, before considering the installation finished.
What can a camera with video analytics detect?
Not every model does everything. These are the functions OK Computer sets up most often; the quote states which ones each camera has.
People and vehicles
The basis of everything: the alert goes off only if what appears is a person or a vehicle. Animals, branches, rain and reflections are ignored.
Virtual line
A line is drawn over the wall or fence. If someone crosses it in the direction set, you get an alert. What happens outside does not count.
Intrusion zone
Instead of a line, an area: the terrace closed at night, the garage door or the back of a warehouse.
Loitering
Alerts you when someone stays too long in a place people should only pass through, such as a garage or an entrance hall.
Number plate recognition
Dedicated cameras read the plate at the barrier or entrance, to let authorised vehicles in or keep a record.
Headcount
Counts the people going in and out through a door. Useful in shops and premises to see footfall by the hour.
Quick search of the recording
Instead of going through hours of video, the recorder shows only the stretches where a person or a vehicle appeared.
Deterrence and alarm
Some models switch on a light and sound a warning when they detect a person; and the event can trigger the alarm siren.
Smart detection vs classic motion detection
Both record the same thing. What changes is when they alert you and how long it takes to find something in the recording.
| Smart detection | Classic motion | |
|---|---|---|
| What triggers the alert | A person or a vehicle | Any change in the image |
| Wind, animals and lights | Ignored | Cause most of the alerts |
| Phone alerts | Few and meaningful: they can be left on | So many that they end up muted |
| Searching the recording | Filter by person or vehicle and go straight to the moment | You have to go through the video or hundreds of events |
| With the alarm | The event can trigger the siren or serve as verification | Not reliable enough to trigger anything |
| What it needs | A camera or recorder with analytics, properly positioned | Any camera |
How does the virtual line work on a plot or in a warehouse?
A line is drawn over the camera image following the wall, fence or edge of the garden, and you set which direction counts as a crossing. If a person crosses it from outside to inside, the camera sends an alert to your phone with the image of that moment. That way you find out when someone enters the plot, before they reach the house.
- Person climbing the wall in the early hours: alert with image
- Cat on the same wall or palm tree moved by the wind: nothing
- Vehicle coming in along the service track: alert, if set up for vehicles
- Schedules: the zone can be watched only at night or when the premises are closed
What kind of place is smart detection worth it for?
Anywhere the camera alerts are currently switched off because they were a nuisance. Four common cases in Tenerife.
Know they have entered the grounds, not the living room
The virtual line follows the outer wall and the garden cameras only alert for people. If the house is empty for stretches of time, the alert also goes to whoever you choose.
- Alerts only for people, not animals
- Colour night vision to tell clothes and cars apart
- Images on your phone wherever you are
- Integrates with the alarm
After-hours alerts and a count of who comes in
With the premises closed, anyone inside or on the terrace triggers an alert. With the premises open, the camera on the door counts footfall and the one at the till lets you find a specific payment in seconds.
- Alert for a person outside opening hours
- Closed terrace as an intrusion zone
- Entry count by the hour
- Quick search for a moment in the recording
A long stretch of fence watched by a single camera
At night the inside is empty and what matters is the perimeter. Cameras with analytics watch the fence and the entrances; for long distances or unlit areas, thermal cameras detect a person by their heat.
- Virtual line along the fence
- Vehicle alerts at service entrances
- Thermal cameras for dark or foggy perimeters
- Video verification for the monitoring station
Loitering in the garage and number plates at the barrier
In a residents' community you want to know if someone is lingering where people should only pass through, who comes in by vehicle and whether anyone is in the pool outside opening hours. The images are viewed by whoever the community authorises.
- Loitering detection in garages and entrance halls
- Number plate recognition at the entrance
- Intrusion zone on the pool at night
- Access for the administrator
Common questions about smart detection in cameras
Can my current cameras have smart detection?
It depends on the model. If the camera already has analytics, it just needs to be switched on and configured. If it does not, sometimes the fix is to replace only the recorder with one that does the analysis for it, and other times the cameras at the key points need replacing. OK Computer checks this during the visit before proposing anything.
Do I have to pay a fee for the camera's artificial intelligence?
No. On the Dahua, Hikvision and Ajax cameras that OK Computer installs, the analytics run in the camera itself or in the recorder, the images are stored on a drive on your premises and the manufacturers' apps are free. The only optional fee is the maintenance plan.
Does it really not go off for animals?
It greatly reduces false alarms, but no analytics is infallible. The result depends on the camera being at the right height, with a good angle and enough light or suitable infrared. That is why OK Computer tests the alerts by day and by night and adjusts the sensitivity before finishing.
Does it work at night?
Yes. The cameras detect using infrared or, on models with colour night vision, with very little light. On long, unlit perimeters, thermal cameras detect a person by their heat even in complete darkness or fog.
Does the camera recognise faces?
There are cameras with facial recognition, but identifying people by their face is biometric data processing and data protection rules restrict it heavily. The smart detection this page is about does not identify anyone: it only tells whether what is moving is a person or a vehicle.
Can it be connected to the alarm?
Yes. Crossing a line or entering a zone can trigger the siren or the alarm alert, and the images let the monitoring station verify what has happened. With Ajax, cameras and alarm are also managed from the same app.
What are the legal requirements when installing cameras with analytics?
The same as for any CCTV: a visible information sign, not recording the public road beyond what is strictly necessary or your neighbour's property, and keeping the footage for a maximum of one month unless it captures an incident. OK Computer supplies the sign and advises on where cameras may point.
How much does it cost and how do I ask for a quote?
It depends on the number of cameras, the model and the existing cabling. OK Computer visits the site, decides with you which areas to cover and provides a written quote; in the south of Tenerife the visit is free of charge. You can request one with the form on this page, on WhatsApp at 608 99 15 38 or by calling 922 71 73 90.
Tell us what you need. We'll prepare a quote tailored to you.
Every quote is personalised: for a shop, a home, a chain of venues or a large project. We come and take a look, propose only what you need and put it in writing, with no obligation. If you prefer, drop by our shop in Adeje.
Personalised, no-obligation quote. We reply during shop hours, Monday to Friday.