Where to Start

I’m thinking about purchasing a Video Security system for my home and business. What is my next step?

The process is simple. Simply click on our “contact” page and send us your info. We will schedule a time to meet at your business location. We would walk around for about 15-30 minutes discussing what your main concerns and problem areas are. After we gather all the info, take it back to our office and put together several options for you to choose from. You also have the option to call or text us directly. We can set up a meeting over the phone or if you prefer you can send us a text describing what your needs are if you’re ready for a walkthrough. Our time and the estimates are free, so you have nothing to lose.

When gathering estimates, is there any other info I need to make an informed decision?

If you have received an estimate from our security company, you will most likely have more than enough information to make a decision. Along with the estimate we send over CCTV pictures/video evidence, warranty info, scope of work, testimonials, maps, diagrams, etc. (most can be found on our website)

Also. a layout or description of camera placements, total amount of cameras, and number of inputs you want for the NVR (recorder), as well as any other info we discussed. We will write up and include an itemized estimate and description of the materials to be used, labor to install, and total cost of the project. If you are taking advantage of our interest free payment plans (no credit check) we will write that out as well. We can email you or send it though post office for you to review. We usually follow up a week or so to find out if you have any other questions or need more info.

Can we see your security cameras in person and or how they compare to what other companies are selling?

There are multiple ways to see examples of the security systems we install. If you are in Fresno, Clovis, Tulare, Madera, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Hanford, Bakersfield, San Jose, San Diego, or Redding, we can notify one of our clients to set up a time for you to visit their sites surveillance cameras. These clients have allowed us to utilize their site and welcome us to bring in potential customer to see for themselves the quality of our security systems.

Another option which sets us apart from any other security company is the option to have a demo security system installed into your site. This system would be temporary and usually includes a couple cameras mounted at your site which are plugged into a network recorder we can place on your desk. We can leave this demo CCTV system there for a couple weeks or up to a month. This way you can see and learn firsthand exactly what you will be receiving when you choose Protec Security for your install. The installation for the demo is free and usually only takes a couple hours from start to finish.

How long has Protec HD Video Security been in business?

We’ve been in business a decent amount of time (since 2001). I would recommend when getting estimates you look for companies that have been around at least 10 or more years. The reason this is important is because that’s about the time if you do start having any issues with your surveillance it will be around the 10-year mark for cameras and recorders. Remember the system will be running 24hrs days 256 days a year and that’s a lot of wear and tear. You want a company that will still be around to help resolve these issues especially if the company promised you a long warranty to get your business. What good is a warranty if the company went out of business or was a “fly by Night Company”. So we recommend getting three quotes from at least three different companies who have been around for 5 plus years.

I received multiple bids and am a little confused. Why is there such a big difference in pricing I received from three different companies?

It could be several different things. Some of these things can be products being quoted, total number of cameras quoted is different, quality and materials left off by accident, miscommunication on labor involved, warranty coverage, or any number of other things. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us and we can go over the estimate we sent to better clarify our pricing and products.

Are estimates always free?

The estimates you receive should always be free if you are local to the company.  If you are out 100 miles from the nearest CCTV Company expect a fee between $50-100 for time and mileage to your business unless waived by the owner.

How long are the warranties on your security products and what does the warranty include?

In this business warranties and after care service are what separates good companies from great companies. When the representative comes to your business you will need to ask them how long the warranties are for the cameras, Network recorder, and hard-drives inside the recorder. You will also need to know what the warranty covers and does not cover. (Usually not discussed) Knowing these questions and having them in writing will either save you or cost you thousands of dollars down the line.

Warranties for our IP based security cameras.

The length of our advanced warranties for our entire IP-based ViewStar camera line is 5 years.  Think about that for a moment. For 5 years you will not have to lift a finger or spend one penny to replace any camera we have installed into your site. Even laptops, TV’s, and phones don’t come with a warranty like that and our cameras are out in the elements everyday taking a beating. We also guarantee that no one in the Central Valley will come close to the length of warranty or what our warranties include. So when you buy one of our surveillance cameras we take the hassle away from the customer and onto ourselves. If within 5 years of the Invoice date one of our cameras stops working due to any manufactures defect we will come to your site with the new camera in hand, remove and replace the old camera, and ship the old cameras back to the vendor. This is called our advanced replacement guarantee. Of course, the warranty does not cover vandalism, acts of god, fire, power surges, etc and it will all be written out for you in the warranty agreement.

Network IP-based recorders:

With all our ViewStar IP-Based Network recorders the standard warranty we give we every unit sold is three years (hard-drive is one-year manufactures warranty). These security recorders have the same warranty coverages as our IP security cameras. For the first three years of the date on the Invoice your security recorder will be covered for all manufacture’s defects. The hard drives installed are only covered by a one-year advanced warranty. This is due to the fact that our security hard drives come straight from a different manufacture called Seagate. Although they are one of the world’s leading hard-drive companies with more than 100 million drives out in the world, the one-year warranty is the standard amongst all hard-drive companies. Hard-drives themselves are relatively inexpensive and it is the main security recorder that is the bulk of the cost which is covered for 3-years.

If I find another company with a lower quote do you offer price matching?

Because we are the only Gold Star Vendor in Fresno and the entire Central Valley, we are able to offer our clients incredible pricing and warranties. If you find a lower quote on a security system from any of our local competitors, we will not only match the pricing but also offer you an extended warranty one over what that competitor offers. However, since we offer 3 years warranty on security recorders and 5-year warranty on our cameras, most of the time you will end up with a significantly longer and better warranty with our company regardless.

What is the difference between your advanced warranties and the standard warranties of your competitors?

A lot of people shopping around for pricing on these security systems only look at the initial cost of the security system and not much else. In this industry having a warranty that covers the entire system costs should issues arise down the line is a huge time and money savor. Because we are a Gold Star Vendor we must comply with our vendors regulations for every product of theirs we sell and install. They require we must remove and replace any defective camera or recorder within 24hrs. We have taken it a step further. We come out to the site, remove the defective product, and install the replacement product at the same time. This is important because our competitors have to remove the defective product and send it back to wait for the repair or replacement to be taken care of before they will install the new product. We don’t believe the customer should have to wait so we have the replacement item shipped out first so we can fix the issue. We worry about the return process later on our end, so it doesn’t hold the process up. This advanced warranty is included with every IP based ViewStar product we sell and install. No other local security company offers this warranty.

What does it cost to install one of your company’s security systems?

This is a very difficult if not impossible question to answer without knowing the how many cameras, layout of the home or building, attic space type, ceiling type, length of wire runs, quality of cameras, model of security recorder etc. Please give us a call or email for a free estimate.

At the local Fresno and Clovis Best Buy and Costco I’ve seen what looks like a great deal on their security cameras. Are these security systems and good? Do you install these types of systems?

It depends on your situation and what you’re trying to accomplish. You must remember that Costco and Best Buy don’t even use the very products they sell to protect their own stores. They use professional installers to install their systems and the products they have installed into their stores are some of the products we sell. At Costco and Best Buy they sell products that are made more for a homeowner who wants to see around the house or the mom and po store trying to keep an eye on who’s inside their store. The products are entry level and not made for larger installs.

When we first started out as a company, we used to install these Costco systems for our clients. However, after several years the systems would fail and even though they were not our products we ended up getting the blame for the security system failing in such a short amount of time. For that reason, we are unable to install any other systems other than the products we have researched and know to be quality products. We have a very high reputation to uphold and apologize for any inconvenience.

Do you offer any wireless security systems?

Yes, we do. We recently installed a rather large wireless security system in the Kearney Cooley apartments located in west side of Fresno. We were able to overcome the problems of not being able to get wire runs from one location of the complex to the other. Using Wi-Fi bridges, we were able to shoot that signal over 1500ft so they could capture parking lots on from one side of the complex to the other. Although you still need power at the camera location to power up the Wi-Fi it gives you the option to get cameras to locations you otherwise used to have to rule out. These Wi-Fi systems are outdoor rated and can go up to over a mile to send that video image back to your main office.

Do all your security cameras capture license plates?

That’s one of the most frequently answered questions. With the new 4K technology most of the video security cameras we install can capture license plates during the day when properly located at the site.

However, if you wish to capture plates at night you will need dedicated specialized LPR (license plate recognition) cameras. This will allow the for the camera to block out the headlights and reflect the image off the license plate for a clear view of the plate info. These cameras almost guarantee you will be able to track down anyone on your property who should not be there rather then just having a video of the person.

Do your cameras see at night?

Yes. All our cameras have color images during the day and can be set to automatically switch over to black and white to see better at night once the sun goes down. It has a built-in sensor to make this switch over and it turns on the infrared sensors. We have cameras that can see up to 300 ft at night in complete darkness using advanced IR matrix Infrared. Take a look at this PTZ (pan/tilt/zoom) camera below and how it can see over three hundred feet at night with little or no light!

This security system was installed into the Clovis Veterans Memorial District site in Clovis, ca in 2015. In the top picture you can see a long alley which is pitch black about 300ft away. After we zoom in with this specialized video security camera, we can see a fire hydrant appear. These surveillance cameras are truly incredible.