IP Surveillance Cameras
The IP surveillance camera systems are the updated forms of CCTVs. They are in fact, the networked and digitized versions of the close-circuit television. This means that the system includes an IP camera, that records footage and then shares it on the internet protocol network. The system was first introduced by the Axis communication in 1996.
Centralized IP cameras include a central Network Video Recorder (NVR) that is responsible for recording and taking on-time decisions regarding video and alarm management.
Decentralized IP cameras are used in places where on time surveillance is not required. These cameras do not require a central NVR as they capture and record, and save it in the allocated storage media like SD cards.
ADVANTAGES OF IP SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS
The reason why IP technology has taken over in present times is the multiple benefits that it brings along including user-friendliness, advanced search capabilities, better compression and storage. Some of the best benefits of IP cameras are briefly explained below:
Accessibility
The main reason to choose IP cameras over CCTV is the accessibility of the images. Since the cameras will be connected to a network, the user can see the images or recordings without any extra hardware or software requirements. All you need is the access to the internet to connect securely to your surveillance system from anywhere in the world. Even though the access is easy and user-friendly, it doesn’t allow any unauthorized persons to view the surveillance images as you can protect the access passwords by using the Virtual Private Network or the company intranet.
Storage
There is no limit to the amount of images or recordings that you can store, other than the capacity of the storage media. Using the different types of IP cameras, you can view recordings of any location, or save them to view later.
Alerts and Alarms
This is one of the most helpful parts of IP cameras. Whenever there is an alarming image or recording, the video server can send an email to the saved email addresses. This is extremely important where immediate actions are to be taken.
The Costs
Even though the initial cost of installing the IP cameras can be a bit high, there are no further costs of hardware or software, or the maintenance of the system. Also, since the system performance and the outcomes get better, the total cost of ownership can greatly decrease.
Flexibility
Another helpful feature of IP cameras is that they can be easily moved around, as they do not need any wires or other hardware resources. Since they’re connected to the network, they can be moved and accessed from anywhere in the network.
Distributed Intelligence
IP cameras allow users to add video analytics in them that allows the system to take analytics solutions. This is extremely helpful in alarming situations where timely actions must be taken.
Factors to be considered when implementing IP Cameras
While surveillance through IP cameras is easy and has numerous advantages, there are some limitations, or say, the factors that need to be looked into to attain the desired output.
Network Bandwidth: It is important if the images taken by the camera are sent by PSTN. For good and helpful results, at least 30 frames per second are required, which needs a minimum bandwidth of 120 KB per second.
Hard disk space: As discussed above, the storage is one main factor when opting for IP surveillance. The storage requirements mainly depend on the frame rate of the video that you want to store.
Considering to install IP Surveillance CCTV Camera for your home or office? Browse various types of IP Surveillance CCTV Camera packages, or find out more distinct features of our High Resolution IP Surveillance Cameras with NVR!