P

PAL (Phase Alternating Line)

Europe's television video signal standard is known as PAL. PAL uses 625 picture lines and a 50Hz field frequency, and is incompatible with NTSC.

Passive

If a system component is non-powered, it is considered passive.

PCMCIA Card (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association)

These storage devices resemble a credit card and are typically used to expand the hardware functionality of portable devices such as laptops. In video surveillance application, PCMCIA cards can be used with portable PCs to add real-time full motion video capture of live security video. When used with digital cameras, they provide portable storage and a method for saving and transferring photos between digital cameras and PCs.

Pelco-D

This Pelco created protocol is used to control PTZ security camera movement.

Pinhole Camera

Perfect for covert surveillance, this quarter sized camera is nearly impossible to detect. With its small size comes limited abilities though, primarily a small lens and limited zoom capabilities.

Pixel (Picture Element)

Pixels are the smallest possible display unit of visual information available for building a graphical image. It is also the basic unit of a CCD chip, with most CCD chips being comprised of over 300,000 pixels.

PoE (Power over Ethernet)

This abbreviation refers to a method of supplying power to an IP camera using Category 5 Ethernet cables over a physically wired LAN network.

Polarizer

This filter eliminates light reflected from glass, water, and other surfaces, thereby minimizing unwanted visual glare affects from glass and other non-metallic surfaces.

Post-Record

Sometimes referred to as post-record time, this is a DVR's ability to record after a motion detection event has occurred. It records for a specified amount of time after the event has been triggered, even though the motion may have ceased.

Power supply

Most security cameras utilize 24V AC or 12V DC power supplies. A power supply is usually plugged into a regular electrical outlet or part of a centralized power supply.

PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol)

Point-to-point Protocol is the primary method used in establishing a direct connection between two devices on a network (usually a computer and the Internet). It is a communication protocol between computers using one of several methods: usually TCP/IP, telephone lines, or ISDN.

Pre-Record

This DVR capability will record video prior to motion being detected, then send to the disk as much prior video as memory allows and video of the motion itself.

Pressure mat

Placed before doorways, gates, and other entrances, this device responds to pressure (usually being walked or stood upon) to either open doors or activate the surveillance camera trained on that area.

Progressive

Also known as sequential scanning, a video component or signal that processes or displays each scan line of a video frame in sequence. This method reduces flicker and increases stability. Denoted by "p" in the DTV standards

Protocol

Protocols are standard procedures used for regulating data transmission between computers. Protocols exist to minimize errors during the exchange of data.

PTZ Camera

PTZ stands for Pan, Tilt, and Zoom. These cameras are usually remotely controlled by software or a joystick. PTZ cameras are used when active real time monitoring with the ability to point the camera's viewing area to a specific action or event is desired.

PTZ controller

The controller used to control PTZ camera movement, usually software or a joystick.