I install DVRs now. Are IP cameras better? why?

[telespy 0]

I install DVRs now. Are IP cameras better? why? It seems to me like the network aspect is more difficult.

[Thomas 0]

I install DVRs now. Are IP cameras better? why? It seems to me like the network aspect is more difficult.

 

They are like any other camera in that they are a tool. Sometimes they are the right tool for the job, other times they aren't.

[Soundy 1]

I install DVRs now. Are IP cameras better? why? It seems to me like the network aspect is more difficult.

 

They are like any other camera in that they are a tool. Sometimes they are the right tool for the job, other times they aren't.

 

Well put.

 

There are several POTENTIAL benefits to IP cameras; not all designs will take advantage of them:

 

1. NTSC analog video capture is limited to about 720x480 pixels. IP cameras have no such limitations as they don't have to transmit analog video. Cheaper ones may not be higher resolutions, but the potential is there.

 

2. Easier future upgrades: start with low-cost, low-resolution cameras if budget dictates, but as the technology of megapixel cameras gets cheaper, you can simply plug in better cameras as the budget allows.

 

3. Because they're network devices, they can be attached like any other network devices. Say, for example, you have a half-dozen cameras in the opposite end of the building from your DVR - with analog, you typically have to run a separate video cable from each camera back to the DVR (unless you're using some sort of multiplexor solution, which can be very expensive). With networked cameras, you can run all the cameras into one network switch nearby, and then have a single network cable to connect that back to the DVR. In a pinch, you can even use an existing network (although the cameras can take a lot of bandwidth, so it's generally recommended they have their own physical network).

 

4. If the cameras support it, you can power them using Power-over-Ethernet, with an appropriately equipped switch or PoE "injectors". This eliminates the need for a separate power wire/supply for each camera - all that's required is a single Cat-5/5e/6 cable to the camera.

 

5. Direct network viewing: many (most?) IP cameras have built-in webservers so that you can view them from any browser on the network. In fact, if all you need to do is view them, you don't even need a DVR or NVR.

 

As Thomas notes, they may not be the RIGHT tool for every situation... but with the cost of technolgy dropping, they become a more attractive solution in a lot of instances.