Gone are the days of the traditional (Closed Circuit) CCTV Cameras introduced in the early 1940s. The time has come to shift to the newer and better IP security Cameras introduced in the late 90s.
CCTV Cameras Vs. IP Security Cameras
1. A CCTV Camera is a simple lens with a closed circuit which terminates into a switcher / DVR which then shows / records video in compressed format. An IP Camera on the other hand has a built in Web Server which enables it to be accessed from multiple locations simultaneously with no limitation of distance. Moreover, the video compression is better as it requires less space.
2. Wire Free Environment. Most IP Cameras nowadays are wireless and work on the 2.4GHz de-licensed frequency of a Wi Fi Network. Generally wired, CCTV cameras also come in wireless but would be using a separate frequency which might require licensing for the local govt. authorities.
3. MPEG4 Video High quality compression for good quality streaming video over the internet at low bandwidth. Works successfully with Data Cards. CCTV Camera require DVR to convert it’s video into digital format and so the quality of compression depends upon the capabilities of the DVR.
4. No limitation of a central access control room. One / Some / All IP Cameras can be viewed using bundled software on multiple PCs. Whereas on a CCTV Camera you need to have a central control room, where all the activity can be monitored over a large screen.
5. IP Cameras save investment on expensive DVRs / PC setups for recording. The highly compressed video enables you to save data on your regular PCs over the network. CCTV Cameras require DVR Card / DVR which would enable recording.
