6 Reasons why now is the ideal time to switch to IP CCTV
Regular readers of our blog- we know you’re out there- may have noticed a recurring theme over the last few weeks, with quite a few posts extolling the virtues of IP CCTV cameras. These advanced devices record digital video and send it down a network cable, as opposed to traditional analogue cameras that use a composite AV cable. Really, this is because they have some distinct advantages of standard security systems, making them an ideal future-proofed option for business and commercial security, or even more demanding home systems. But if your business already has a CCTV system, is the upgrade cost worth the extra money? Or is it worth holding off until the IP camera market has matured a bit? Well here are some reasons why right now is the ideal time to make that upgrade:
IP cameras allows security footage with increased resolution and detail
Massively improved video quality. IP Cameras use an all-digital imaging system, so they do not lose any quality due to being encoded from an analogue format. This means that the resulting images they can record have notably improved resolution and detail. It also means you can record in true High Definition, with cameras available in both 1280x720p and 1920x1080p. This in turn makes it much easier to take usable details from the video such as faces or even vehicle licence plates in certain situations.
Online viewing Whilst you have been able to view your CCTV cameras online for a while using external recorders, IP cameras make this set up much simpler letting you connect directly to the camera, instead of having to use an additional device. This is because they are connected with network cables, so you can just plug them straight into your router or switch.
Online Control In addition to viewing live footage from cameras online, connecting to one of our Network Video Recorders allows you to control almost every recording setting remotely using your PC. Recording times, motion detection, formats, you name it!
Using an ethernet switch allows much more freedom when installing cameras
Flexible Installation Standard CCTV systems have to all be wired back to one place- the back of your DVR. Because IP systems work over a network, this frees you up to have much more flexible setups. For example, you can have the cameras connected to one point, and then your recorder connected to a switch in a completely different room.
Competitive Prices Let’s be honest- the reason why many businesses make do with substandard CCTV is the perceived cost of upgrading, especially with some of the prices for high-end IP camera systems. Whilst this may have once been true, there are now some truly high-quality models available at costs much lower than before. For example, we have many options in our HD IP camera range available for under £100.
Not your average IP camera- we now have full HD pinhole cameras for covert IP surveillance
New Designs Once upon a time, IP camera ranges were solely composed of beastly dome and bullet cameras- perfect for outdoor commercial security, but not ideal for many other applications. Now however, the range is much more mature, with everything from compact night vision cameras, to pinholes and even cameras disguised as smoke detectors.
