What is the Difference Between Analog and IP Cameras in a CCTV System?
When you are considering different security systems and potentially implementing surveillance cameras into your home or business, a big question is whether you want IP or analog cameras. Global Market Insights estimates that the IP camera market will be worth more than 20 billion by 2025.
With today’s technology both IP and analog systems can be viewed from a multitude of platforms including your pc, television, and through a network connection to your smartphone or tablet. The principal differences between the two systems are cost and video quality. Analog systems are less expensive, but the quality of the picture is limited to HD. IP systems, although more expensive, provide extremely high-quality video.
Analog Cameras
Analog cameras are what most people think of when thinking of a CCTV, aka closed-circuit television, system. Typically, an analog system was a camera or cameras connected to a VCR and every day or two the tape had to be changed. Over the years, analog became a bit more complex using multiplexers and multiple VCRs. In more recent years, analog to digital converters were introduced making analog cameras more sophisticated. In today’s world, analog cameras are very similar to digital IP cameras less the picture quality and the cost. Like IP, analog can be streamed, viewed remotely, and stored in the cloud.
IP Cameras
Internet Protocol cameras, also known as network cameras, are what most businesses today are choosing because of their flexibility. IP camera systems are a bit more complex to install than analog systems since each device has its own IP address on the network. In most cases, the CCTV system will reside on its own network because the CCTV system will demand more bandwidth than is typically available on a company’s internal network. Each camera is connected directly to the network and its video is sent through routers and switches to a location determined by the user. Some cameras may be viewed live, others recorded for later viewing, and others may be sent to a mobile phone or other device. All, or a select few, can be recorded and saved either on an internal or cloud-based server.
Wireless IP cameras can also be used for small applications, such as in-home use or just for a couple of cameras in your small business. These are easy to setup in your home or small business, but again be aware that too many wireless cameras will bog down your internet speed and you may not be able to view them live remotely if you do not have enough bandwidth. The typical home might have a doorbell camera, a back patio camera, and one or two others. Any more than that and your internet speeds may be compromised.
Considerations
Designing a CCTV system can be complex. Without the proper guidance, you may not get the system you want. There are a ton of CCTV systems available online, and out of the box options at your local retail store, but none of these can give you the quality and personal service you will get from a professional. Don’t waste your money on these cheap camera systems. Use a reputable firm that provides service, support, and warranties for their products and will help you design a system that works for you.
If you are interested in learning more about different security cameras and want to find out which one will suit your needs, give the FSS Technologies experts a call!
Explore Our Other Blogs
Reasons to Choose a Local Security Company
Whether you’re considering investing in a home or commercial security system or switching providers, you may be weighing local and national companies. Which companies can you trust? Is there a difference in service between your options? Does a larger company necessarily mean better service? There are pros and cons to both sizes of company, but…
What Do Villages Require to Add a Security System?
What Is a Village? A village in the United States is defined as a small municipality with limited corporate powers. A village government usually consists of a village board made up of trustees and a village president. Village Building Codes Have Minimum Requirements Every village adopts its own building codes to establish minimum requirements for…
What are the Different Types of Smoke Detectors?
Smoke detectors are vital to fire safety for homes and businesses. Because they protect lives from fires or gas leaks, it’s essential to choose the best detector for your environment. There are various options to choose from, meaning you need to understand the benefits each one offers before making a selection. Learn more about the…
What is an Emergency Action Plan?
The purpose of an Emergency Action Plan is to inform employees of what actions they should take if an emergency occurs at work. It’s required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and it can be critical in preventing the loss of property, or lives, in a crisis. If an emergency alarm went off…
How Do Wireless Doorbells Work?
A doorbell is a pretty self-explanatory tool—you press the button outside, and a chime goes off inside, alerting the homeowner that someone is at the front door. Like everything else, though, today’s technology has brought even the humble doorbell into the limelight as an indispensable tool for convenience and security. Pros and Cons of Wireless…
Items Burglars Want Most
Burglars move quickly. Because they tend to spend as little as ten minutes inside a home or business, several big-ticket items tend to fall prey to thieves. While some items on our list come to mind instantly, some may be more subtle. Outside of installing a security system, taking extra steps to secure your items…
Wired vs. Wireless Security Cameras
Wired or Wireless? When we talk about wired versus wireless in-home security, it has little to do with whether a piece of equipment has physical wires attached to it. The terms wired and wireless refer to the communication signal that is transmitted from one piece of security equipment to another. For a security system to…
Can Video Surveillance Be Used In Court?
You should talk to a law enforcement professional in your area to know for sure what is admissible in your local court, but here are some general guidelines about criteria that law enforcement will take into consideration regarding your security camera video. Authenticity A digital watermark is undetectable to the human eye, but it can…
The Safest Neighborhoods in Detroit
Low-Crime Neighborhoods of Detroit SafeWise released its rankings of Michigan’s 20 Safest Cities of 2021. On the 2021 list, 9 of the 20 cities are considered suburbs of Detroit. They include: Gross Ile Township #3 Oakland Township #4 Huntington Woods #9 South Lyon #13 Addison Township #16 Highland Township #17 Rochester #18 Berkley #19 Brandon Township…
Holiday Safety Tips for Homes and Businesses
With the holiday season right around the corner, burglars are on the lookout for unguarded homes or businesses to prey on. Unlike the Grinch, holiday robbers don’t often have a heart that grows three sizes, making it more important than ever to protect your valuables and your loved ones. Our security experts have come up…