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Analogue is dead?

Bruno Jones discusses the future of analogue CCTV in South Africa.

Although IP CCTV system sales have increased and in some First World countries have overtaken analogue CCTV system sales. In South Africa and other Third World countries, analogue CCTV systems still dominate the market.

It is reasonable to think that in a few years one will only find an analogue CCTV camera as part of a museum display along with vidicon and ultracon cameras. Especially with IP creating an extraordinary amount of hype in the CCTV market. With all this hype you would think that IP sales are rocketing, but this is not the case.

Analog Devices says, “Analogue is everywhere”. Although an IP camera produces a digital output, once this signal leaves the camera it enters the analogue world. This digital signal is still influenced by surges, induction and cable attention, which limits the cable distance to 95 metres between devices. This is a challenge for system integrators that are accustomed to transmitting analogue CCTV video signals up 1000 metres on copper cable. Not only is the IP CCTV camera equipment more expensive, but the infrastructure required for an IP CCTV system is also substantially more expensive as a fibre-optic cable infrastructure is required to guarantee throughput on cable distances greater than 95 metres.

Major silicon manufacturers like; Intersil, Techwell and Maxim are manufacturing new devices that offer greater cable distance; in some cases up to 1600 metres on copper cable. Devices that compensate for high frequency cable losses and include automatic adaptive equalisers for varying lengths of cable. One manufacturer claims full signal recovery on 300 metres of cable. This means that the signal is the same quality at the end of a 300 metre length of cable as it was at the camera.

BFR Digital is always on the hunt for new technologies to implement in its products. Its products always feature the latest technology; watch this space for its next generation of Video CAT UTP transmission equipment.

You have to ask why these leading international companies that manufacture silicon devices for many leading CCTV brands are producing new analogue CCTV video devices? The answer is simple. CCTV camera and recorder manufacturers are demanding these devices.

Is analogue CCTV a thing of the past?

I think not!

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