What is the difference between wired and wireless cameras?

No home or business is adequately prepared to deal with intruders until it has a security system installed. If this is something that has been actively avoided due to being confused by all the latest technology and jargon, then hopefully this will help. There are many considerations to take into account when it comes to CCTV cameras; do I want the cameras to be waterproof? Do I need a hard drive to record the footage onto? Can I just have motion detection switched on to save power consumption? All these issues may be confusing upon first glance, but typically choosing CCTV cameras involves making a selection between wired and wireless cameras, so what’s the difference?

There are 2 types of wireless cameras, DIY with inbuilt transmitters and professional transmitters:

1. Built in transmitters tend to be really cost effective. They use lower cost technology to keep the costs down and it’s perfect for DIY CCTV, e.g. a camera over the door, a bird box camera for the garden or pinhole cameras for putting around the home. The shortcomings are that the cameras will only transmit through 1 external wall or 2 internal walls. Without the ability to move the aerial from the transmitter or camera end, it can be a little restrictive. However they are good cameras and easy to install and suitable for most home use.

2. Professional transmitters: These are units that will take any feed from any of CCTV camera – in fact any AV feed and send it up to 300m away. Because they are independent of the camera, there is more flexibility. So the transmitter can be up to 50m away from the camera running along a cable (the same on the receiver end), so you can make sure you have a clear line of sight. When you are going through a building this is the best way to do it. You can also use aerials to put on the outside of the building to get a clear line etc.

Wired cameras are the best way to run cameras and we always advise this where possible. With wireless you often have to run power. There are fewer parts to go wrong and wired cameras always give a better result.  The selection of wired cameras tends to be more diverse. Professional security systems are always run with wires with wireless only being used as a last result. It’s not to say wireless does not have its place, for example wireless cameras are ideal for customers who need cameras for horse foaling because they can bridge the connection between yards and fields.

Look out for future blog posts which will answer other commonly asked questions about CCTV security.