printer friendly version

Advantages of IP surveillance

The surveillance market globally has tipped from traditional CCTV to IP cameras. “In the last year, for new projects in the US and Europe, it has become clear that IP camera sales are outpacing analogue sales. Among enterprise projects, IP’s predominance is almost shocking with more than 75% of new projects going with IP.” (Source: ipvm.com, 2011.)

This list draws on our experience as a specialist distributor, training and supporting traditional CCTV installers, and enabling them to make the transition to IP surveillance. As we see it, these are the top 10 benefits and reasons to choose IP surveillance over CCTV.

1. Resolution: An analogue camera of 540TVL equates to about 0,4 MP, whereas a standard IP camera of 2 MP can give over five times that resolution. With some IP cameras ranging up to 10 MP, it is easy to see how the technology can cut down on the number of cameras required.

2. Remote access: You can login to a secure server remotely, using a Web-based interface to view real-time footage on PCs or Macs, as well as mobile devices such as the iPhone, iPad, and Android.

3. Analytics: The dramatic improvements in hardware have been matched by powerful analytics software.

4. Power: IP cameras utilise Ethernet cables which allow for Power over Ethernet (PoE), meaning only one cable per camera is required to carry both power and data. Furthermore, if re-wiring would prove too costly, it is possible to allow data and PoE over coax cable.

5. Hybrid: High end network video recorders (NVRs), such as the Minotaur Server, allow existing CCTV cameras to be incorporated into the IP system. This can reduce the initial costs, and allow a phased approach towards an IP surveillance solution.

6. Scalability: Utilising edge processing and individual camera licensing, it is possible to scale from a single camera up to thousands.

7. Redundancy: It is possible to record simultaneously to a network video recorder (NVR), and a SD card installed locally on the IP camera. This offers an additional safety net to recover footage in the event of damage/corruption to data on the main NVR.

8. Lossless playback: Footage can be reviewed with multiple zoom on playback, even on fixed lens cameras, with no image degradation.

9. Open standards: VMS such as ExacqVision, are based on the global standards defined by ONVIF. This allows for interoperability of cameras from various manufacturers, across a single network.

10. Wireless: If it is possible to get a line-of-sight between the camera and the server’s location, it is possible to reduce cabling costs by transmitting the data wirelessly.

Videnda Distribution is a specialist trade-only distributor of IP surveillance equipment. This article was first published in www.riskmanager.ie.

Share this article:

Further reading: