Cable, DSL, 3G or Satellite Broadband?

If you are looking at wireless internet CCTV for the first time, you may also be faced with the decision of which type of broadband package to go for: DSL, cable, 3G or satellite? This article aims to help you choose.

If you have decided that you want to see your property from wherever you happen to be, by using CCTV over the internet, you may also be faced with trying to choose a broadband package if you don’t already have one. There are so many types of broadband on the market that it is a daunting task, but I am here to give you some information that should make this task easier.

Here are the main types of broadband available to the domestic customer:

1. DSL Broadband. (The most common form is ADSL.) This is broadband via your existing phone line.
2. Cable Broadband. This uses the line provided by a cable company.
3. 3G/Mobile Broadband. The connection is made through the mobile phone network.
4. Satellite Broadband. This comes through a satellite dish.

Items three and four are really problematic and not recommended for hosting wireless CCTV cameras. Without going too far into the technical details, these types of broadband often block the ports (the specific addresses) through which you connect to the camera from the internet. If you have no choice but to use one of these two options, be prepared for the fact that your wireless CCTV camera may not be viewable from the internet even after a long process of trial and error, reading forums and spending time on the phone to a helpdesk. For this reason alone, this article is going to focus on comparison between the most popular two types of broadband: cable and DSL.

Broadband speeds and packages are changing all the time, but companies always use the download speed as one of the headline selling points. This is unhelpful when it comes to wireless internet CCTV, because the cameras use mostly upload rather than download capacity, as almost all of a camera’s data traffic is made up of images sent up the line. So, when considering broadband for internet CCTV cameras, you need to dig deeply into the broadband provider’s website until you find the upload speed, and believe me, you will need to dig deeply because the upload speed is usually pitifully unimpressive. In home packages and most small business packages, it is often 10 or even 20 times slower than the download speed. In the next section we’re going to look at some of the numbers.

Cable broadband can in theory have a download speed of up to 30Mbps, but most packages offer something between 1 Mbps and 6 Mbps. On the upload side, cable offers between 128Kbps and 1Mbps. DSL comes in at between 2Mbps and 24Mbps on the download side and between 128Kbps and 1Mbps on the upload. Looking at the upload side of the equation which is what we’re interested in for internet CCTV, you can see that there is no difference between the ranges for cable and DSL. However, there will be a big difference in performance from a package with 128Kbps upload speed compared to one offering 1Mbps. Let’s say your camera produces a series of images that, when viewed one after another, appear as video.

If each of these images is 15Kb in size, the broadband upload speed has the following effect on the number of frames per second or fps:
Upload speed 128Kbps: 1fps
Upload speed 1Mbps: 8fps

This really makes a big difference. Viewing streaming images from an internet CCTV camera at 8fps gives a real approximation of movement, whereas 1fps certainly does not. So, whether you choose cable or DSL, be careful to get the best upload speed that you can.

Pricing for cable and DSL packages is very competitive these days, and as with upload speed, there is no clear winner. Suppliers are bundling in all sorts of other services that makes a direct comparison more complicated. All I can say is that it is definitely worth spending an hour on the internet looking at current offers and taking note of reviews, especially bearing in mind that you may have to sign up for as long as 18 months.

Overall then, for internet CCTV I would rule out 3G broadband and satellite broadband unless you have no other choice, and even then it is a gamble. As for the remaining options, either cable or satellite will work well with wireless CCTV cameras, but please get the very fastest upload speed that you can afford.

Advantages of IP-based video surveillance The leap into completely IP-based technology is the best bang for your buck both monetarily and in terms of security by far. Digital surveillance can be done over a LAN network, of course, but TCP/IP transmittal of surveillance makes sense for remote monitoring of multiple locations and for remote recording of data onto back-up servers and hard disks for long-term storage. 

With IP-based video surveillance, you can connect your surveillance camera or cameras to any network or wireless adapter, and you are extremely flexible in your placement of the camera itself. A typical PC-attached video camera, while providing digital picture image quality, still has to be within approximately ten feet of the computer itself. 

Set-up of an IP-based video system is easy -- once you’ve set up an IP address, you’re up and running and it’s extremely stable and reliable. Because this is the technology of the future, it is also upgradeable. You won’t be outgrowing an IP-based video surveillance system any time soon because new developments are based on improving this market. Therefore, you will be able to add on and improve this system for years to come while older, CCTV+DVR hybrids will dead-end and become obsolete. 

Comparing analog and IP-based video surveillance 

A better way to understand the differences between analog and IP-based video surveillance may be to compare the two and how they work: 

Analog or CCTV+DVR video surveillance 

 * Easy to use -- operates like a VCR 

 * Changing cassettes and rewinding regularly means human error frequently interferes with effectiveness 

 * Image quality is poor 

 * Storage tapes wear out over time 

 * Broadcasting images live isn’t practical 

 * Storage is bulky 

 * Uses analog recording, recording in low-grade picture quality and inability to search and track easily   * Adding DVR systems must be done in ‘blocks’ of 16 channels 

IP-based video surveillance 

 * IP-based recording means instant transmittal of images anywhere in the world 

 * Can monitor multiple cameras from one remote location 

 * No decrease in recording quality over time or with repeated replays 

 * Digital picture quality far superior to analog 

 * IP-base recording is highly compressed for easier storage and can be transported over a variety of media 

 * Digital images can be encrypted for security purposes 

 * Updates and add-ons are relatively inexpensive through software packages and Internet computer networking 

 * Adjustable frame rates 

 * Remote or shared viewing may be done over the Internet or a wireless connection 

 * Standard IP video compression techniques are used 

 * IP surveillance cameras may be added individually or in groups according to your needs 

If you’re considering switching to an IP camera security system, consider these 11 points

An analogue camera is a traditional camera used in CCTV systems. It sends video over cable to DVRs. IP cameras are all digital cameras that can send signals over cable to be stored NVR in the network. 

1. Video quality

IP cameras provide overall higher video quality than analogue cameras. They offer more video site ranges, such as a wide or narrow field of view, and better zoom-in capabilities. And because they transmit truly digital signals, they offer far greater video detail, which makes them much better for facial recognition or detecting license plate numbers.

Analogue cameras have overall lower quality than IP cameras, but perform better in low light conditions. Analogue cameras have more limited site ranges and don’t offer the zoom-in clarity of IP cameras. If you zoom in on the analogue images, you’re going to get a grainier, degraded picture.

2. Resolution

Generally, IP cameras provide resolutions 6 to 20 times higher than analogue cameras.

IP cameras offer resolutions that can range from 1.3 megapixels to 5 megapixels (2560 x 1920) of compressed, encoded transmissions.

Analogue cameras are limited to resolutions of the NTSC/PAL standard of 720 x 480 pixels (NTSC)/575 (PAL) or 0.4 megapixels (4CIF).

3. Transmission media

IP cameras also work over twisted-pair and with wireless connections.

Traditional analogue cameras operate over coax cable.

4. PoE capabilities

One of the advantages of IP cameras is that they can be powered over the twisted-pair Ethernet cable, thus eliminating worries over running electrical wire. No dedicated Power Supply also be need.

Older analogue cameras cannot be PoE powered.

5. Wireless

Wireless IP camera network connections can be a very practical solution in areas where it’s too difficult or expensive to run cable. Wireless can also be used in buildings where it’s impractical or impossible to run cable, such as in historical buildings. But Local power supply unit is required to On camera.

Older analogue cameras cannot be Wireless facility.

6. Distance

IP cameras can send digital video 100 metres over twisted-pair Ethernet cable and unlimited distances over IP networks. Because the images are digital, they maintain 100% of their clarity over long distances and when the signal is converted between different formats.

Analogue cameras can send video over coax cable up to 300 metres away over coax cable. But analogue transmissions lose clarity with increased distance and when the signal is converted from one format to another.

7. Ease of installation

IP cameras can accept power, video, audio, PTZ control, and control signals over a single CAT6 cable.

Analogue cameras require more cabling than IP cameras. For instance, they require a separate cable to control the pan, tilt, and zoom functions. If there is audio, another cable is required. One analogue camera may require three separate cables: power, audio, video.

8. Intelligence and manageability

IP cameras offer network intelligence and remote manageability. They can stream images, and different parts of images, to different recipients simultaneously. They can perform additional tasks such as sending a message when they detect motion. Various type Video verification can be added in footage analysis.

Not possible for analogue camera DVR based System.

9. Reliability

IP systems have built-in reliability due to the data encryption and compression. They are as reliable as the network is, although backup systems can be put in place to minimise outages.

Analogue security cameras have been around for more than half a century and have a long history of reliability.

10. Expandability

IP cameras offer more expandability and scalability than analogue cameras because their cabling requirements are less complex. But it is still possible to leverage your existing cabling infrastructure when migrating to IP cameras with the use of converters and extenders.

Analogue cameras is complex outdated technology.

11. Costs

IP camera systems are thought to be more expensive because the cost of the cameras is higher than for analogue cameras, although the price of IP cameras continues to drop. But the overall cost may be less than anticipated due to lower costs for cabling, recording equipment, and labor.

Analogue cameras is obsolete, now a days AHD technology is there in place of older technology. Older camera cannot support any AHD DVR. Yes AHD camera and AHD DVR are low cost then IP Camera.

Note: HikVision, Dahua Network camera and DVR-NVR both are less cyber security policy. Anyone can get video footage in outside of your Network. Both product has BAN from US, UK, Netherland, Australia etc. Both product are Chinese Govt owned company. HQ is in China. 

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CCTV IP Camera
IP cameras are Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras that use Internet Protocol to transmit image data and control signals over a Fast Ethernet link. As such, IP cameras are also commonly referred to as network cameras. IP cameras are primarily used for surveillance in the same manner as analog closed-circuit television. A number of IP cameras are normally deployed together with a digital video recorder (DVR) or a network video recorder (NVR) to form a video surveillance system.
A Network IP Camera is a stand-alone device which allows a user to view live, full motion video from anywhere on a computer network, even over the Internet, using a standard web-browser.
A network camera can be configured to send video over an IP network for live viewing and/or recording either continuously, at scheduled times, on an event or on request from authorized users. Captured images can be streamed as Motion JPEG, MPEG-4 or H.264 video using various networking protocols, or uploaded as individual JPEG images using FTP, e-mail or HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol).

Until very recently, video security and surveillance was accomplished using Closed Circuit Television or CCTV. This technology included analog cameras, coaxial cable and video tape recorders. Video security and surveillance started entering the digital age with the advent of CCD sensors which digitized image capture in the camera. However, transmission was still analog via coax to analog VCR's. The next step was the introduction of Digital Video Recorders (DVR's) connected directly to analog cameras, which made storing, searching and retrieving video much more efficient. PC's were then introduced for display of the images through a modem or network connection to the DVR.

The entire system has now been digitized with the introduction of Network Cameras incorporating onboard processors and web server software. These Network Cameras can be connected directly to existing IP networks, eliminating the need for separate and expensive coaxial cable networks. Images can be viewed and cameras managed from anywhere via a web browser, plus any hard disk on the network can be set up to record the video output.

Another significant technology called Video Servers, allow existing CCTV installations to gain the benefit of Network Video, while protecting investments in analog cameras. Video Servers connect to IP Networks and convert the signal from analog cameras to digital format. Like Network Cameras, Video Servers contain onboard processors and web server software that makes each camera IP addressable. Essentially, Video Servers turn CCTV cameras into IP Network Cameras.
When you’re shopping around for an IP-based video surveillance system, you will need to be particularly cautious about what exactly you’re looking at and what the individual terms mean. How IP-based video surveillance works is open to interpretation as far as some video surveillance and security salespeople are concerned -- not because they are trying to confuse the issues, but because there is no genuine consensus on what the term “IP-based” or related ones such as “networked” or “web-based” means.

In addition to capturing video, Axis network cameras provide event management and intelligent video functionalities such as video motion detection, audio detection, active tampering alarm and auto-tracking. Most network cameras also offer input/output (I/O) ports that enable connections to external devices such as sensors and relays. Other features may include audio capabilities and built-in support for Power over Ethernet (PoE). Axis network cameras also support advanced security and network management features.

If you are considering a network-based IP CCTV solution, we are able to offer the following three levels of service through our specialist IP CCTV Partner company:

1. Simply sales and supply of selected 'Best of Breed' IP CCTV hardware and software. You will be able to see the equipment and software solutions on the web, check the specifications, read the reviews and buy online. Our Partner offers Free Delivery, a Price Match Promise, and a 14-day 'Buy & Try' Scheme, so you can rest assured with these rock solid offers that you can select and prove your new IP CCTV solution in total confidence.
2. Expert professional advice and guidance; based upon years of CCTV design & application experience, our specialist IP CCTV Partner will discuss your application with you by phone or email and develop the optimum IP CCTV solution to meet your Operational Requirement. You can then revert to option 1 above and progress to build your solution in-house by purchasing IP CCTV components and software online OR you may opt to choose option 3 below and progress to have us manage a fully turnkey solution (including installation) for you.
3. Complete design service. Our Partner company will take a full brief from you, visit your site to fully understand your Operational Requirements and produce a professional specification which will be submited to three proven installation companies. Each company will then submit a tender directly to you. In the majority of cases this service is free of charge.