Network
IP Cameras have been around for at over a decade now. Only recently have
cabling installers began to pay attention to the technology because
surveillance cameras have traditionally run on separate coaxial cable. Around
10 years ago, the first digital IP camera connected directly to a data network which
changed the future of the surveillance camera industry.
During
the early stages, the technology was not as professional as analog cameras.
Most cameras were seen as ‘web cameras’, which were used to view objects or
events over the internet or a LAN.
Today
IP network cameras meet the same requirements and specifications as analog
counterparts and in many areas surpass analog camera performance and features .
Forecasts show that the network IP camera market share is growing at a much
faster rate than its analog competitor and has surpassed the analog camera in
market share.
An
IP Camera is a networked digital video camera that transmits data over a Fast
Ethernet link. IP Cameras (also called “network cameras”) are most often
used for IP surveillance, a digitized and networked version of closed-circuit
television (CCTV).
Benefits
of IP camera over analog technology include:
- Remote administration from any location.
- Digital zoom.
- The ability to easily send images and video anywhere with an Internet connection.
- Progressive scanning, which enables better quality images extracted from the video, especially for moving targets.
- Adjustable frame rates and resolution to meet specific needs.
- Two-way communication.
- The ability to send alerts if suspicious activity is detected.
- Lower cabling requirements.
- Support for intelligent video.
Disadvantages
of IP surveillance include greater complexity and bandwidth demands. One
alternative for organizations with substantial investment in analog technology
is to use a video server to, in effect, turn analog CCTV cameras to IP cameras.
A video server is a small standalone server that converts analog signals to a
digital format and provides the analog cameras with IP addresses.
Nevertheless,
because it offers much more sophisticated capabilities, IP surveillance is
increasingly replacing analog CCTV. An industry report from International Data
Corporation (IDC) predicts that shipments of IP cameras and related products
will increase 75% between 2012 and 2015.