What Are IP Cameras?

In the world of CCTV, there are two main types of systems you may come across: analogue and IP. In this article, we’ll explore the IP side of things, how they work and how they are set up.

Firstly, let’s define the term IP - it stands for Internet Protocol. In simple terms, this literally means that the images that are captured by IP cameras are sent over the internet. So, let’s dive in and see how it all works.

How Do IP Cameras Work?

In order to know how IP cameras function, it’s worthwhile to understand how their analogue counterparts work. Analogue cameras record footage and send it directly to a DVR (digital video recorder) over coaxial cable. The DVR then converts this to a digital signal, compresses it and stores it on a hard drive for playback.

IP cameras work slightly differently. When footage is recorded on an IP camera, the camera itself converts the analogue signal into a digital one; they essentially have small computers on-board to do this. The signal is then sent over the LAN (local area network) via an ethernet cable to an NVR (network video recorder) – some cameras are able to send a signal to an NVR over WiFi, though we’ll compare the two in a future article.

IP cameras also support PoE (Power over Ethernet). This means that the camera can be powered and transfer data over a single cable, making for cleaner installs.

What Are The Downsides?

While IP cameras are very useful and provide plenty of advantages over Analogue systems, there are a few pitfalls associated with them. Firstly, because the cameras are on a network, they are naturally open to attacks from hackers. Secondly, there is a small amount of latency because of the processing that occurs on the camera side. Lastly, due to the extra functionality, they are more expensive.

NVRs

IP cameras usually connect to an NVR (network video recorder). This is essentially a small computer with a large amount of storage, dedicated to storing and playback of recorded footage. Generally, if you invest in an IP camera system, you will need an NVR (though you can record to SD cards).

However, the recent explosion of cloud technology means that it is possible to bypass this and store all your footage on the cloud. Having said this, you will need to pay for the cloud storage space, and access may be limited by maintenance.

Wrapping Up

All in all, while the debate between IP and Analogue may be fierce, IP camera systems are only going to become more and more prominent, especially in a business setting, due to the interconnected world we now live in.

If you are looking for a CCTV system that works across your local network, IP is the route to go down.

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