The 5 Best CCTV Testers [Ranked]
Closed-circuit television testers are a style of service monitors (Source).
They are convenient tools for professional CCTV security-system installers, or just the home hobbyist, to set up and properly configure CCTV cameras (Source).
If you are a professional installer, you may have heard these devices referred to as LCD field monitors, CCTV video testers, CCTV camera testing tools, or IP camera testing equipment.
Our top pick is the NKTech 3.5 inch CCTV tester. It is a handheld device specifically designed for on-site installations and the maintenance of existing CCTV video monitoring systems.
Our Top Pick: The NKTech CCTV Tester
- VoltAlert technology for non-contact voltage detection
It effectively displays video, generates images, captures the data of RS485, tests LAN cables, as well as controls PTZ.
It allows you to easily display the video input images, with pan and tilt and zoom functionalities, allowing you to easily control parameters like communication ports, pan and tilt speeds, as well as preset positions, etc.
Video Overview
Let's take a look at 5 of the best-selling CCTV camera testers on the market today and evaluate how they compare!
Contents
Best CCTV Testers For 2023
| CCTV Tester | Price | Our Rating | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Evertech 4.3" LCD CCTV Video Camera Tester | $ | 4.2 | 1.4 lbs | |
| The Electop 3.5" LCD CCTV Tester | $$ | 4.7 | 2.65 lbs | |
| The Woshida 7" Touch Screen 1080P CCTV Tester | $$$ | 4.0 | 5.2 lbs | |
| The Logisaf 3.5" LCD CCTV Tester | $$ | 4.5 | 2.2 lbs |
Examining The NKTech 3.5 inch CCTV Tester
Effectiveness
Price
Ease of Use
Users love that it has enough power to run itself and the camera, so when you have to go up on a ladder to adjust a CCTV camera don't have to go up and down to consult a plugged in unit.
Your CCTV cameras can be adjusted on the fly with this handy portable device.
One professional security installation technician writes that his NKTech is essential for any installation he does- writing that after only one use it as paid for itself. He recommends it to anybody who needs to service or install CCTV cameras.
Setting up the NKTech
Pros
- Works out of the box
- Good picture clarity
- Time and energy saver- test and assess on the fly
Cons
- Doesn't show on HD-SDI
- Output Poor quality written instructions
What Are Users Saying?
We examined a bunch of popular forums to see what sort of advice buyers have after having purchased one of these high-tech tools. Scroll through to get a jump on best practices.
- One buyer who purchased a CCTV camera tester used it to test his cameras as he began installing them around his house.
- He was pleased with the Evertech CCTV camera testing tool because it provided sharp and clear video allowing him to view and test the angles of the cameras he had set up.
- CCTV testers will commonly include color LCD screens, video in connections, rechargeable lithium batteries, & multiple types of color bar signal outputs.
- He also writes that the security camera tester could be hung around his neck, or strapped to his wrist, or even have it sit on a flat work surface.
- Another IP camera test equipment purchaser writes that the it was worth every penny. It was really convenient when he was standing on a ladder adjusting cameras because the strap kept it securely affixed to his wrist, preventing it from potentially falling.
- Another HD CCTV tester reviewer writes that the Evertech was an exceptional with a monitor for the work that he was doing.
- It helped him set up cameras throughout his property while avoiding the hassle of having to sprint back-and-forth to the main monitor.
- While the Evertech screen wasn't the best, he wrote, it was completely fine considering the cost of the item.
- Yet another reviewer who have been shopping around the market looking for a CCTV tester and IP camera monitor kit writes that it shipped quickly and the price was unbeatable considering he only needed it for a one-time home security set up.
- Specifically, he was able to use this CCTV tester to get the angle and view area of the camera set up the way he wanted it to function.
- Most users were pretty satisfied with the Evertech unit, the one user writes that while it is an exceptional tool for doing CCTV positioning, though it's kind of small and the screen's only passable resolution made it unsuitable for higher-position focusing purposes.
Using Them In The Wild
If you are wondering what a CCTV camera installation looks like at a commercial scale, the CCTVcamerapros.com site has detailed one of their installations. They write that some of the specific requirements included the ability to record video and audio from six separate medical training rooms and have it be ported to a central location or monitoring room.
They also wanted the ability to be able to display live video from each of the rooms to a separate and dedicated computer monitor inside the monitoring room. Further, they required that extra monitor be used solely to display multi-camera views.
Another important requirement for them was that they needed the functionality to be able to log into the system over their personal business network to be able to view the cameras and also hear audio.
One final requirement, that was a little tricky, was that this university system wanted to be able to get live audio from their dedicated monitors, they also want to be able to plug in headphones and tap into the individual audio of that particular camera's view.
The CCTV camera installation specialists got to work installing CCTV cameras in the ceilings of rooms with 2.8 mm lenses for high-quality and wide-angle views.
They also began installing stand-alone surveillance microphones in the ceiling tiles of specific rooms. They used an 18 channel and 12 volt DC central power supply unit to provide power to all of the different microphones and cameras. They used pre-made Siamese cables to connect between the video cameras.
The dedicated displays were built out using 19 inch computer monitors. And a high-tech CCTV DVR was used to enable the video recordings. Display monitors were then connected to DVR displays to enable multi-camera CCTV camera views.
And all of the audio output of the dedicated monitors was then split and input into DVR audio inputs as well as the plate-mounted jacks to enable headphone connections. A tricky install, but one that the end user was evidently satisfied with.
Final thoughts
If you're looking to purchase a quality closed-circuit television security system to help protect your home, your business or for a much larger commercial facility, it's crucial to use a CCTV tester to make sure that all of the vulnerabilities and functionalities are accurately assessed at the time of install.
Some people prefer to have units that operate 24x7, while other users prefer to monitor their homes or businesses only during specific times.
Researching reviews of CCTV security systems and closed-circuit television testers is an important part of the purchasing process that should not be neglected. If you're working with a small budget, you can certainly find CCTV equipment that is in line with your expectations.
While if you are working for an organization, or are doing a really large install, there is some really high-and equipment on the market today that will provide you all of the advanced functionalities you would require.
