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Dispelling the myths of IP video: Myth#8: If I already have analog cameras installed, IP surveillance is not an option because I need a DVR

In this series, Roy Alves, country manager of Axis Communications South Africa, examines 10 myths about IP video.

A significant barrier to entry for IP (Internet Protocol) or network-surveillance in the South African market has been the belief that to convert to a digital surveillance system, you need to discard your current analog investment. This has been one of the reasons why some people have been reluctant in making the switch from analog to network-based surveillance systems.

It is now possible to migrate to a network system and still use your current analog cameras. By integrating a video server into the current system, you can convert your analog images into a digital format and still enjoy the benefits of remote access.

Remote accessibility is just one of the advantages IP systems bring into the surveillance game. Through an IP system, multiple users at different locations can access the same camera simultaneously. Furthermore, the cost of storage is significantly lower, because all the captured footage is saved to an increasingly more affordable conventional PC hard-drive. IP systems also offer intelligence at the camera level. Motion detection and alarm activation are just some of the smart features inherent in IP cameras.

History of CCTV

When they were first introduced, CCTV (closed circuit television) systems depended on VCRs (video cassette recorders) as a storage medium, but with the growing adoption of digital systems, DVRs (digital video recorders) quickly replaced the VCR as a preferred means of image storage. The main advantage provided by DVRs was that images were stored in digital format, which provide better quality than the redundant video cassette.

Even though a DVR format is far better than recording and storing images on a VCR, the conversion of images from their original analog format into a digital format, via DVR, does compromise some of the image quality in the conversion process. In addition, the DVR format still does not allow for the remote accessibility offered by network systems.

In order to harness the power of remote access, as well as the other advantages offered by a fully networked system, users need to connect their current analog surveillance systems, through a video server, to an IP network.

Depending on the user's storage requirements, IP systems can be set up using an ordinary PC set up as a network video recorder or server. As compared to DVRs, which are very rigid in their design and operation standards, PCs are multistandard-based, providing more flexibility in their set up.

Other areas where DVRs lag behind are performance and access. The least expensive PC available nowadays, running as a network video recorder, can out-perform many DVRs and allows for multiple access from anywhere via the Internet.

What this shows is that it is very possible to harness the benefits of IP surveillance through analog infrastructure. However, to get the full benefits of an IP system, it is best to use it with IP cameras.

From their picture quality through to performance, IP cameras are far superior to their analog counterparts, and because they do not need dedicated coaxial cabling, can easily be integrated into an existing analog system.

Going the IP route

Adding IP cameras to an existing analog system is a relatively hassle free exercise. IP cameras can easily be connected directly to a company's existing computer network, either wirelessly or by wired means, drastically cutting system upgrading costs by eliminating the need for additional coaxial cabling.

Furthermore, because of their wireless connectivity, IP cameras are not subject to the cabling limitations that are such a reality for analog cameras. Both Ethernet and coax cables have limits to the lengths to which they can be laid, a maximum of 100 m for Ethernet and 500 m for coax.

Wireless connectivity frees IP cameras from this limitation, providing reliable connectivity up to 800 m from the server.

This makes it possible to add up to 100 cameras to any network, and placing them at where they are needed within and around the business premises.

From their storage capabilities to their multiple user accessibility, IP or network surveillance systems provide numerous advantages. Advantages that can easily be introduced to ageing analog systems by connecting existing analog systems to an IP network, either via a video server.

IP cameras, with their wide array of functionality, can also significantly improve the performance of analog systems by bringing to the system better image quality and extended coverage through their wireless connectivity, while cutting system upgrade costs by eliminating the need for expensive cabling.

Taking all this into consideration, migrating from an analog system to a digital infrastructure using a hybrid environment is possible and financially viable.

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