Today’s digital security cameras are light years ahead of older CCTV analog models. But what is the main difference? IP (Internet Protocol) cameras digitally transmit a signal, while analog CCTV (closed-circuit television) cameras send footage over a cable the old-fashioned way. But these aren’t the only difference between analog vs. IP cameras. There are also a host of advanced features in new, digital, Internet-enabled cameras that older analog CCTV cameras simply lack. These features give business owners new ways to keep an eye on their properties and deter any malicious activity. Here’s what you should know about analog CCTV cameras vs. IP cameras.
What Are Analog Cameras? What Are IP Cameras?
Before we can really dive into the differences between analog CCTV vs. IP cameras, we need to understand what we mean when we talk about these things. So, let’s answer the question: What is an analog camera, exactly? What is a digital camera?
What Is An Analog Camera?
“Analog” refers to methods of transmitting data and feedback through physical means, rather than digital ones. If you listen to music in an .mp3 format, it’s digital; if you’re listening to it on a vinyl record, it’s analog.
An analog camera records video by taking in light through a lens and recording it on a physical medium, usually tape or film. It is possible to monitor the feed of an analog CCTV camera in real time — imagine a security guard watching a bank of monitors in a movie — but it almost always requires a hard-wired connection, i.e., there must be a physical cable between the monitor and the camera.
What Is An IP Camera?
As opposed to analog formats, an IP camera records data digitally and stores it on a hard drive. IP cameras aren’t just digital cameras, though. “IP camera” is short for “Internet Protocol camera,” and it’s called that because it can connect to the internet.
Because IP cameras store images as data rather than physically on a tape, the image feed can be viewed from just about anywhere with an internet connection. IP cameras don’t need to be hard-wired; they can connect to Wi-Fi networks and send data wirelessly.
Now that we know what an analog camera is and what an IP camera is, let’s dive into the question: How does an analog CCTV vs. IP camera compare?
What is the Difference Between IP and CCTV Cameras?
Image Quality
It’s not just the Internet connectivity that makes the latest generation of security cameras different from older models. Here’s one of the biggest differences in analog vs. IP cameras: picture quality.
IP cameras have a much better picture quality over CCTV analog security monitors. We’ve all seen grainy images of criminals in our favorite murder mystery shows. If only fictional businesses switched to high-quality IP cameras, these detectives would have a much easier time solving crimes!
In reality, there is no “high-resolution CCTV” when compared to the digital images captured by an IP camera. The highest-resolution CCTV security camera will capture images that are blurry or grainy compared to digital cameras. This is especially true if the object is moving quickly or the environment is dark.
The problem is that when compared to IP cameras, analog CCTV technology itself is simply outdated, causing distortion of the video images no matter how much you paid for the camera. You can add a DVR to record the images you film on a CCTV camera. However, even though the analog signal converts to digital to record to the DVR, the footage itself will still be blurrier than that of a completely digital camera.
Footage quality is a top benefit of IP cameras vs. analog ones, because seeing and recording an image is the entire point. However, there are pros and cons when comparing CCTV analog vs. IP Cameras.
Image Transmission and Storage
When compared to analog cameras, IP cameras use technology that transmits the video signal through the cloud. An IP security camera digitizes the video by using an encoder with an onboard web server. The camera then uses a Wi-Fi or hard-wired Internet signal to transmit data online. This allows you to view the images in a web browser.
Prior to the widespread adoption of broadband Internet, analog CCTV was the only option. These cameras still exist today, but they work quite differently from IP cameras. Analog security cameras capture images then convert the video signal so it can be viewed by a TV monitor or stored on a hard drive.
Analog CCTV Camera vs. IP Camera – Main Benefits
Analog CCTV Cameras Over IP Cameras
While the picture quality is a strong drawback of analog cameras vs. IP cameras, there are benefits to analog CCTV cameras that include:
IP Security Cameras Over Analog CCTV Cameras
An IP camera vs. an analog CCTV camera offers a number of superior security features to protect your business besides the high resolution:
We live in a world filled with risks. Video security tools give you a way to help mitigate risk while letting you rest a little easier at night.
Which is Better for Your Business: Analog CCTV Camera vs. IP Camera
There are pros and cons to both analog CCTV cameras and IP cameras. If you’re buying a camera solely for a smaller location and price is a major issue, the analog CCTV camera won’t break your bank. However, in almost all cases, an IP camera will provide more advanced security, and will be more effective if you can accommodate it in your budget. This is especially true if you have a larger business, since more hidden egresses create vulnerabilities and increase risk. In these cases, an IP security camera is the best tool to protect your assets.
Pro-Vigil works with businesses just like yours to design and install security systems to protect your assets. Whether your goal is to deter employee theft or catch thieves and trespassers after hours, our line of sophisticated, intelligence surveillance tools can meet your goals and lessen your risks. Call on us to discuss your options.
