No matter the business or its location, you’ll need some form of CCTV security to make sure that you, your staff and your business are safe. Finding out what cameras your business is suited to may not be as black and white as it may seem, within this blog, we’ll go over the differences between the two types of cameras and what we’d recommend you invest in.
What is an IP CCTV Camera?
With how far technology has advanced over the years, surveillance cameras are among one of many things that have been improved overall. The IP CCTV Camera gives you features to access all of your surveillance footage on a digital basis, backing the footage onto hard drives that can be evaluated and managed as much as the owner of the system would like as the cameras are all run within the host’s network.
Advantages of IP CCTV cameras
With how modernised these cameras have become, the accessibility to CCTV footage has never been easier, being able to live view the cameras and pull footage at the same time from certain time slots makes it an essential piece of equipment for businesses who want to monitor their CCTV throughout the day. Depending on how you store your footage whether it be on SD cards, hard drives or any storage device you can keep an extensive amount of footage without the need to take up too much space, this allows you to backlog your footage to view at any given time.
When technology advances as far as it has, it’s only right that the overall image/video quality of the cameras evolves, with most modern cameras sitting at 8 megapixels or higher, this allows you to gain a clear view of whatever is happening in your CCTV’s area. The IP CCTV camera also has advanced features such as infrared night vision allowing you to have a clear view of a specific area at any given time.
Disadvantages of IP CCTV cameras
Even though advancing into the modern era may seem like a seamless transition, it comes with a fair amount of issues, especially with the fact that you’re using the internet alongside your cameras. Quite ironic that one of the biggest problems with having IP CCTV cameras is the threat of cybersecurity, due to the fact that the cameras are on the same network as everything else you use and could be subject to hacks. The use of the cameras in the same network actually affects the performance of the cameras when using other internet-based devices alongside the cameras, such as streaming services.
The setup of the cameras can become an issue as well when it comes to your business’s building, compared to the HD analogue CCTV cameras, these cameras need to be set up in a network which is an extra step for a company to take when implementing the new cameras. On top of that, the IP CCTV cameras need to be on a different cabling system which would be an issue for businesses that previously had HD analogue CCTV camera setups.
What is an HD Analogue CCTV Camera?
The classic way that video monitoring is done is on an HD Analogue CCTV camera, very much the polar opposite of its modernised counterpart that we have previously gone over, the analogue video recording systems are built around DVR systems for gathering footage. Even though its modern counterpart shares a bunch of similarities with the analogue cameras, they’re aspects to each that make them useful depending on what the business needs.
Advantages of HD Analogue CCTV Camera
The simplicity of the analogue cameras applies perfectly to small businesses that need the bare minimum video surveillance, it can monitor the business premise to ensure it is safe throughout the day. Besides the fact it’s far cheaper compared to the IP CCTV because the analogue cameras aren’t traditionally linked up to a network there’s so there is no need to worry about cybersecurity.
If the business’s commercial building has previously had an analogue CCTV system installed it should be easy to install a new one as all of the wiring should match any camera system making it a breeze if you want to upgrade your CCTV system or change the placements of the camera.
Disadvantages of HD Analogue CCTV Camera
When using an HD analogue CCTV camera set up there is one main disadvantage that comes to mind, this is that the HD analogue CCTV cameras have far fewer advanced features compared to the IP CCTV Camera. HD cameras can’t offer advanced features such as line crossing and motion detection which may be crucial features that the business needs or may need in the future.
Which CCTV camera is best for your business?
Comparing the two cameras comes purely down to what security camera set-up the business wants on their commercial premises, companies that want the most modern CCTV system will usually choose the IP cameras. IP CCTV cameras are the perfect option for companies who need the advanced features that only IP cameras can offer and have more of a budget to spend. Whereas the Analogue CCTV system is the standard CCTV camera which lacks these advanced features of the IP camera, however, this can accommodate smaller businesses perfectly as they may be looking for a high-quality standard CCTV system at a lower price. Also, it is way more convenient to set up compared to the IP CCTV if the business has previously had the wiring in place for a similar analogue camera system. If you are a smaller business looking for a basic CCTV option then the HD analogue system is for you.
Need help choosing the right CCTV camera system?
If you need help and advice on choosing the correct Commercial CCTV System for your commercial premises call our team directly on 01492 547997 or send us an email at info@active-cctv.co.uk and we will be happy to offer free commercial CCTV advice.
