CCTV Recording Resolution

Digital Video Recorders (DVR) and Network Video Recorders (NVR) are the heart of every security camera system. Customers often ask us about recording quality from CCTV cameras, things can seem relatively straightforward: you’ll need a DVR/NVR that can handle as many channels as you have cameras, and the more hard drive space you have for archiving all that video, the better. Naturally a customer wants to know how clear the video resolution will be from a system before making a purchase decision. Final outcome of your captured footage, 

Recording resolution is the number of pixels (dots) used to create an image. Higher resolutions use more pixels to create an image. This means that greater amounts of detail can be expressed in the image, but larger files sizes and a greater amount of storage (i.e. Hard drive space) are required to save the images or video. See the example below.

The resolution is increasing from left to right

Recording resolution is measured as the number of horizontal pixels by the number of vertical pixels (Width x Height). The following table shows some common recording resolutions.

Name	Width (Horizontal Pixels)	Height (Vertical Pixels)	Total Number of Pixels	Recommended Camera Equipment
CIF	360	240	86,400	320TVL, 400TVL, 420TVL, 480TVL,
2CIF	720	240	172,800	420TVL, 480TVL, 540TVL
VGA	640	480	307,200	540TVL, 600TVL, 1MP
D1	720	480	345,600	600TVL, 650TVL, 700TVL, 800TVL
720p	1,280	720	921,600	720p, 1.3MP
QVGA	1280	960	1228,800	960p, 1.3MP
1080p	1,920	1,080	2,073,600	1080p, 2.1MP
3MP	2048	1536	3145,728	3MP
5MP	2560	1920	4915,200	5MP
6MP	3032	2008	6088,256	6MP
8MP	3264	2448	7990,272	8MP

Notice the increase in the total number of pixels as the resolution increases. Because the total number of pixels is determined by the number of horizontal pixels times the number of vertical pixels, if both horizontal and vertical pixels are doubled, the total number of pixels increases by a factor of 4. This means that the amount of hard drive space needed to store an image or a given duration of video will also increase by a factor of 4 (given factors such as the frame rate remain equal). It is recommended to try different configurations on your system to balance image quality against the amount of storage space available.

Now based on the capabilities of your DVR you may choose to record in a certain picture resolution based on certain requirements unbeknownst to anyone but you.

I have seen a lot of misconceptions of the newly introduced 960H. Amongst the confusion, I have seen a statement along the lines of 960H provides you a 960x480 and/or 720x480 picture; as well that it improves the picture of any camera fitted with a 960H sensor via your current DVR. This is a BIG misconstrued myth. Submitted for your approval are the facts of 960H

1.   960H is NOT a megapixel resolution

2.   960H sizes are NOT 960x480 or 720 x 480 formats

3.   Cameras equipped with 960H alone, will NOT provide you with a refined captured footage of 960x480

The graphic below shows a comparison of the resolutions listed if each pixel takes up the same amount of space.

F.Y.I For all footage across every system, after video is recorded it can be magnified (zoomed in) but only digitally either through a computer or the DVR (if capable). That means, the individual pixels that create the picture can be made bigger. However, for analog footage, there will be no real advantage at detail due to the low-res of pixels.

Resolution of Network Camera

Resolution of Network Camera

This time I will try to discuss the resolution of the image of the network camera. Resolution which is the number of pixels (pixel) different in each dimension that can be displayed. The greater the resolution of an image, the more have the number of dots and more detailed image will be displayed.

If you want to buy a camera network device that can display video images are detailed and clear, then you should choose a network camera that has high resolution. Currently network video camera technology has a lot to offer features Full HD resolution (1080p).But perhaps for the people of Indonesia arguably the price is still relatively expensive, because there are around 4 million more.

The following table resolution network camera.

Term	Horizontal Px	Vertical Px	Pixel
QSXGA	2560	2048	5.2MP
WQXGA	2560	1600	4.1MP
QXGA	2048	1536	3.1MP
WUXGA	1920	1200	2.3MP
UXGA	1600	1200	1.9MP
Full HD (1080p)	1920	1080	2MP
SXGA	1280	1024	1.3MP
960P	1280	720	HD
720P	1280	720	0.9MP
D1	720	480	NTSC/PAL
VGA	640	480	0.3MP
QVGA	320	240	0.1MP

How To Convince Your Customers To Choose IP Cameras Over Analog

As IP surveillance technology becomes more affordable, it’s also becoming a more attractive solution for smaller installations – installations that used to be the sole domain of analog product. But how do you convince your customers to upgrade their analog to IP, preferably before an incident forces their hand? There are three primary selling points for an IP system of an Analog system – higher resolution, more in-depth analytics, and the ease of new network configuration.

Modern IP cameras generally offer a higher level of resolution than analog cameras. Almost all analog cameras will be limited to the equivalence of a 4CIF or D1 resolution (that is, 704 x 480 or 720 x 480). Many IP cameras boast 5MP resolutions or higher – that’s 15.5 times more pixels than a standard analog camera! And a higher pixel count means more usable surveillance information. This is especially important when it comes to identifying intruders. For positive identification, a general guideline is to have at least 12.7 pixels per inch across the face of a suspect. It’s much better to have that resolution in place during an incident, rather than upgrading to that resolution because the suspect could not be identified with footage from the existing system.

For positive identification, a general guideline is to have at least 12.7 pixels per inch across the face of a suspect.

Another way to utilize this higher resolution as a selling point is the potential lower cost of the total installation. A camera with 5MP mounted 10 feet away from the viewing area will be able to provide identification level resolution across 17 feet horizontally, while a standard analog camera can only cover just over a quarter of this area. This means that you would need four analog cameras to provide the same level of coverage as one 5MP IP camera. When cables, software licenses, mounting hardware, lenses, and all other costs are factored in this can make the IP installation much more appealing from a cost basis.

Another advantage that IP cameras have is the ability to perform increasingly sophisticated analytics onboard the camera itself. Most recorded video is never watched – typically, footage is only reviewed when there is an incident. This is especially true on small installations that do not have a dedicated security guard. With the advent of on-board analytics, IP cameras themselves can now be programmed to independently analyze events, interact with other alarm systems, and send email or text alerts with pictures to interested parties. For example, a camera can be programmed to watch a specific door and only send an alert if that door is opened after regular business hours. At the very least, analytics can make it easier to sift through footage after the fact.

Finally, a lot of customers are concerned that IP video is overly complicated to manage when compared to an analog system. It’s true, earlier versions of IP cameras did require some level of networking know-how. But newer cameras are getting extremely close to plug-and-play with features that automatically detect and configure cameras added to a network through tools such as DDNS, DHCP, and other networking protocols. Depending on the brand selected, all that could be involved in the installation of a new device is plugging the camera into the switch and then selecting “Detect New Hardware” in the accompanying software. Network cameras can also run on existing network infrastructure and only one cable is required for both data and power with Power over Ethernet technology.

As every device begins to merge onto the network, it makes sense that security cameras move there as well. An IP video installation may cost more than a conventional analog system, but the price difference is getting smaller – and the benefits are increasing.