COMPARING LEGACY ANALOG CCTV SECURITY SYSTEMS TO DIGITAL VIDEO SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS
Before making a purchase, as a professional installer or owner, it is imperative to have a thorough awareness of the many types, specifications, and basic capabilities of CCTV and video security systems due to the market’s proliferation of these devices.
Two main categories of CCTV cameras exist:
- Analog (or Analogue) cameras.
- Network (or digital/IP) cameras.
The primary distinction is in the way they handle and send data — in this case, video footage.
To put it simply, analog cameras record video and send the data — which is processed and stored — to a recorder called a digital video recorder — or DVR for short — via coaxial cables.
Conversely, IP cameras record video, which is often processed by the camera before being sent in digital signal form to the recorder — in this case, a Network Video Recorder, or NVR for short — for archiving.
While IP or network cameras can employ a variety of media, including category 5 or 6 cables — also referred to as Ethernet, network, or LAN cables — for transmission, analog cameras often use coaxial cable. As long as the IP cameras support it, wireless transmission is an additional option to fiber cables for them. Generally speaking, IP or digital cameras are better than analog cameras, especially when it comes to resolution or image quality. However, there are some situations in which it may be more profitable to purchase and install one kind of system over another when several other considerations are taken into account.
Legacy Analog Camera Systems
Video signals from analog cameras are sent over coaxial cable to the Digital Video Recorder (DVR), which compresses, digitalizes, and stores the signal on a hard disk drive that comes pre-installed, or which can be purchased separately, size and type subject to budgets. The most widely used coaxial cables for analog CCTV are RG59 and RG6 cables; however, the former is more frequently utilized due to its affordability and suitability for the intended function.
Video baluns at each end of the cable are used to link it to the DVR and camera connections to transmit data in analog systems utilizing Ethernet or network cable in some situations. This idea can be applied in situations where a LAN cable would be a more sensible or affordable alternative.
Examining an analog camera physically is the simplest method of identification. Two input connectors are usually present on analog cameras: one for power and the other for incoming video signals. A typical male connector with a 12-volt DC (direct current) connection serves as the power input. The video signal is connected to a male BNC connector that is connected to a coaxial cable for transmission via a female BNC connector that resembles an F connector from a TV antenna.
A DVR contains several female BNC inputs that link to male BNC connectors on incoming coaxial cables from cameras. DVR inputs, also called ports, can be 4, 8, 16, or 32 depending on the system size. Essentially, a DVR with eight ports may accept input from up to eight cameras. If more cameras are required, either a second DVR or a higher capacity DVR (with more ports) must be purchased.
Why should you go with a legacy video surveillance system?
Although analog cameras are considered a legacy technology, they are far from outdated and offer substantial advantages over their digital counterparts.
Ease of Installation
Compared to a network video recorder (NVR), a digital video recorder (DVR) may be simpler to set up. The majority of DVRs are plug-and-play, meaning that no additional settings or configurations are needed to view a live image on the associated monitoring screen as soon as a camera is powered on and connected to one end of the input signal wire. Simple Do-It-Yourself installs are made easier by this because there isn’t a significant learning curve.
Cost
Analog cameras are typically less expensive than IP cameras on a per-camera basis. Furthermore, the ease of installation and simple plug-and-play functionality allows anyone with basic electrical understanding to perform a DIY installation, removing the need for a professional installer.
Minimal Bandwidth Needs
When a security system is connected to a local network for remote access or video backup, analog cameras typically have lesser quality, which results in smaller video files that are easier on the network to handle. A large number of cameras wouldn’t put too much strain on the network to potentially harm other network-dependent devices and systems.
Zero / few compatibility issues
Unlike IP cameras, which are typically more brand- or standard-specific, analog cameras from one brand may typically be used with analog systems from other manufacturers so that one is not restricted to a certain unobtainable or expensive brand if expansion or replacement is necessary.
The case against legacy video surveillance systems
Picture Quality
Their poor image quality makes it more difficult to see details in an image or video clip, especially when you’re far away. If the recovered data is worthless, then even with the zoom functionality, the image becomes too grainy to be of any value, and the entire purchase may have been a waste of money. In low light, analog cameras, however, might function better.
Data Integrity & Security
Unlike digital communications, analog signals from analog cameras cannot be encrypted. The transmission is now vulnerable to interception.
Area of Coverage
The field of vision of analog cameras is usually smaller than that of IP cameras. This eliminates the economic benefit because more analog cameras might be required to cover the same area as fewer IP cameras.
Wiring and cabling
A video cable and a power cable are required to be connected to analog cameras. The large nature of Siamese cables, which combine coaxial wire for video transmission and power cable for power, makes them difficult to handle when the number of cameras increases. Additionally, the cost of coaxial cables is typically higher than that of the same lengths of LAN/network cable used for IP cameras.
Limitations on Installation and Positioning
Every time an analog camera is installed, a cable must come straight from the rear of the recording device to the camera. Long-distance cameras are more expensive to install and require more cabling, but they also run the risk of signal degradation because signals weaken with distance, especially on coaxial cable. On the other hand, IP cameras do not require a physical connection to the recording apparatus. With careful planning, of course, they can connect to strategically placed network switches or leverage the current network.
For this reason, analog cameras would therefore be ideal for smaller installations like medium-sized houses or office buildings but would be inconvenient and expensive for larger spaces and structures.
Port Restrictions
DVRs have port limitations; that is, they can have up to 32 ports total, ranging from 4 input ports. More than 32 input ports on a DVR are becoming increasingly unusual. This implies that when more cameras are required, there is always a maximum number of cameras that may be linked to a single DVR without requiring the addition of another recording device. This isn’t always the case with IP systems, though.
IP/Network/Digital Video Surveillance Systems
When using IP cameras, the picture is first digitally signaled and then sent to the Network Video Recorder (NVR). The signal can be delivered over a variety of methods, including optical fiber cables, Wi-Fi, and LAN cables — also referred to as network or Ethernet cables or any other digital medium — depending on the kind of camera.
In layman’s terms, the Internet Protocol is a means of transmitting digital signals between devices, and it is how digital cameras transfer data. Despite their name, IP cameras do not require the internet to function — that is unless they are utilized in special circumstances to connect geographically dispersed cameras to a server or recording device.
Physical inspection can be used to identify IP cameras, just like it can with analog cameras. An incoming male 12v DC jack is usually used for power on a wired IP camera. The other input port is for a network cable with a connected network jack, commonly referred to as an RJ45 jack.
There are IP cameras that are capable of power over Ethernet (POE), but they may not come with a 12V DC female outlet. Since wireless cameras also use the Internet Protocol to transfer data and communicate with the Internet/Wi-Fi router or NVR, they are also categorized as IP/Network cameras. Because they may operate independently of an NVR or any other external recording device, these cameras are also referred to as stand-alone cameras.
The digital signals from the cameras are received by a Network Video Recorder (NVR) for processing and archiving. Similar to their analog counterparts, some NVRs provide 4 to 64 Ethernet connections on the back for connecting network cables from the cameras. An IP system can support more cameras than a 4 port NVR, which can only support up to 4 cameras, or a 16 port NVR, which can support up to 16 cameras. Even though a 32-channel NVR normally only has 16 ports, network switches allow it to accept input from up to 32 cameras.
While cameras farther away can be connected to one or more thoughtfully placed switches and linked to the NVR with a single cable, cameras closer to the NVR can be connected directly to the NVR. Moreover, cameras that can communicate with the NVR can also utilize the current local network. Planning is necessary for this, though. Some NVRs rely only on an existing network to display cameras; they don’t even have network ports on the back.
Even though IP systems can be configured in virtually infinite ways, they may cause more issues than they fix if they are not properly planned for and understood in depth, especially in large, complex office or commercial settings.
The case for digital/ network video security surveillance systems
Wiring and Cabling
An IP system can make use of switches, where cameras connect to a switch closer to the cameras and one link cable is linked to the NVR, unlike analog cameras, which must be individually wired to the recording device. This is particularly beneficial for medium-sized to large-scale deployments because it reduces labour and cable expenses.
Additionally, some IP cameras have POE capability, which means that they may be powered by the Ethernet connection, doing away with the requirement for extra power supplies and cables. As opposed to analog cameras, which may require separate connections for a PTZ connector and an audio jack connector, all other supplementary capabilities, such as PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) and audio, can be handled with a single cable. This has the potential to save expenses related to power supply equipment and cabling.
It’s even better with wireless cameras that may only need a little amount of power, or in certain situations, none at all if they have an inbuilt battery. In this instance, even a DIY installation is possible. For the devices that are designed to function with current cellular networks, this makes them simple to install even in remote locations.
Picture quality
Image quality is one of the most noticeable ways that IP cameras outperform traditional cameras. When comparing a 2-megapixel analog camera and a 2-megapixel IP camera side by side, the differences are obvious. They have a wider view and capture angle than the latter, in addition to clearer, more detailed photos.
Data Integrity and Security
Unlike analog cameras, IP cameras use digital signals to capture images. These signals are encrypted and delivered via a network medium to an NVR, which decodes and decrypts them before storing them. This protects the files from being decrypted and intercepted.
Area of Coverage
In connection with the previous point, the coverage area of IP cameras is larger. This implies that one IP camera may be sufficient for a large region when multiple analog cameras may be needed for complete coverage, reducing the total number of cameras placed and thereby lowering expenses.
Smart Integrations and Interactivity
Many IP cameras, especially Wi-Fi cameras, have intelligent interactive processes built into them that allow them to send alerts like emails and texts or activate lights, sounds, and other features in response to pre-set events like motion detection and scene changes. This indicates that, as opposed to being passive recording equipment, digital cameras are an active security component. This is an important characteristic in the era of automation.
Recording and archiving
A micro SD card that is inserted into the camera is usually the storage card that is used to store video files after they are sent to an NVR by certain IP cameras that have the option of onboard storage. If the hard disk drive or NVR is compromised, this guarantees data redundancy. If expenses are taken into account, IP cameras can be set up to store video files not just on-board or on the NVR, but also on a computer, a local server, or a remote cloud facility.
Port Restrictions
In terms of input ports, IP systems offer more versatility. A maximum of 16 cameras can be connected to a 16-port, 16-channel NVR, although IP cameras can be set up to save video files directly on the device, on a computer, on a server, or in the cloud. There may be situations where the NVR is unnecessary and a software client is utilized to manage the network cameras instead, removing any numerical restrictions.
Limitations of Positioning and Installation
Compared to analog systems, an IP system offers much more flexibility in terms of where cameras may be mounted because not every camera needs to be wired to the NVR. Wireless cameras, network switches, or connecting the cameras to the NVR via the current local area network are all options for locations where cabling is not feasible or suitable. Sufficient awareness and expertise in networking are necessary for such installations.
This is useful for expanding as well. By installing a network switch and connecting the additional cameras to it — which are connected to the network via a single cable — more IP cameras can be added. Conversely, analog cameras require direct wiring to the DVR, regardless of the distance between the camera and the DVR. This is particularly helpful with huge buildings or open areas because scaling may be done easily.
The case against digital/ network video security surveillance systems
Even though IP cameras and systems are generally better than analog systems, there are some situations when choosing analog cameras and systems makes the most sense.
Costs and Prices
Since the regions and distances to be covered are modest enough, analog systems would be sufficient for small deployments of 4 to 8 cameras as well as tiny houses, businesses, or structures. In this instance, certain analog High-definition cameras with improved resolution are on par with some IP cameras. IP cameras and systems are always more expensive than their analog equivalents, which range from cameras to NVRs and related accessories. Due to their greater coverage area, IP cameras — despite being significantly more expensive — may require fewer cameras to cover a given area, which balances out the cost effect by reducing the quantity of cabling and associated labour costs.
High demands for bandwidth
Since IP cameras require a lot more capacity for data transfer than analog cameras, the network may be negatively impacted by their greater resolution and frame rate, which produce sharper images. This may put a strain on the current local network and require a network upgrade, which would undoubtedly result in increased expenses.
Having said that, IP cameras are becoming more and more bandwidth-efficient thanks to compression technologies like H265+, which lightens their traffic and significantly solves this issue.
Complicated Setup
For IP cameras to function at their best, an understanding of network systems is often necessary, particularly in more sophisticated installations with more than eight cameras or in large buildings and expansive locations.
If a company already has a network, much care must be taken to see if it can handle the additional burden that an IP system would put on it, or if a separate network needs to be set up. As a result, hiring a professional networking specialist is necessary, which may increase expenses. The risk of not performing a network assessment is that the IP system may get overloaded and crash the network, which would negatively impact all other connected devices. This might not be a major issue for small businesses and houses that are straightforward to deploy.
Storage and archiving
Larger files from higher resolution images at greater frame rates mean that more hard drive space is needed for storing. On the other hand, as compression technology advances, digital files get smaller and take up less space on storage media.
Conclusion
The budget and circumstances will determine which technology is best. Even if the number of analog cameras and systems is decreasing, there is still valuable analog technology available that may adequately suit specific settings’ security needs.
Higher-definition analog cameras, or Analog HD cameras, have made it possible to get images that are as clear as those from some IP cameras.
Because analog systems are inexpensive and easy to install, they may even be the best choice for small businesses with tight budgets. There are also systems referred to as XVRs. These recorders are hybrids, meaning that analog and IP cameras can be mounted side by side because they can process and receive both analog and digital signals.
Despite the greater cost of individual components, IP cameras would be the most sensible choice beyond a certain point. When wide, expansive areas need to be covered, analog systems become quite expensive, especially because of labour-intensive cabling. In contrast to analog cameras, IP cameras can be integrated with other smart interactive systems like TVs, lighting, doorbells, access control, alarms, and other security systems. This is because most home and commercial systems are becoming more automated.
However, whether the project is basic or complicated, IP systems are usually the best option due to forward compatibility and technology obsolescence. For marginally better image clarity, analog HD cameras can be purchased and replaced with older analog cameras that already have coaxial cabling installed if cost is an issue. It might merit an improvement. When considering the technology and system to use, it is always important to speak with a trained and informed specialist. They can provide accurate advice based on context, budget, and future demands, which would greatly reduce buyer’s remorse.
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