The IP tetwork camera has existed since 1996. During its release, network cameras lagged a mile behind analog cameras in professionalism. In the early years, IP network cameras were simply thought of as web cameras used for broadcasting events or objects over the Internet. Fast forward to a decade later, and the good ol' web cams are now part of hundreds of operating surveillance systems.

Catching Up with the Analog Camera

A few years after it's introduction, the IP network cameras have been updated and upgraded to catch up with the analog camera in terms of function. Today, the IP camera is at par with the best analog camera in the market, even surpassing it in some aspects.

Winning the Race Against the Analog Camera

Before you choose the model of the camera you want for your surveillance system, you will first have to decide whether you're getting an analog cam or an IP network camera. For you to make the right choice, it is important that you first understand the important differences between two. By the end of this article, you should be able to understand how the IP network surveillance camera gives you more value for your money.

Interlacing

The first notable difference is seen in the camera's interlacing. The IP network surveillance camera is at an advantage in this criteria as analog cameras have significant problems with interlacing. High resolution analog camera are not able to capture fast-moving objects and keep the quality of the image because, with in an analog video signal, images are made of lines and all images are created from two interlaced fields. While the analog camera produces blurry images of fast-moving objects, the IP network camera provides crystal clear images because the whole image is captured at one time.

Power Over Ethernet

Getting power to an analog camera means hurdling a major obstacle and shelling out a major amount of cash. With the IP network camera, you have an IEEE 802.3af standard PoE (Power over Ethernet), which means that your networking devices get its power from an PoE-enabled switch over a standard cable that transmits data and video. The device offers major savings to IP camera users as the standard in place means all models or equipment are compatible with the device. PoE also gives the camera centralized backup power, so they continue to work even with a power failure.

Megapixel Resolution

The analog camera follows the olf NTSC/PAl specifications, which corresponds to 0.4 megapixels at 4CIF. The newer IP Network cameras require a higher megapixel range. The higher the resolution of the camera, the more the detailed the coverage of large areas. The camera's higher resolution also enables essential surveillance functions such as tilt, pan, and zoom.

The above mentioned comparisons are just three of many advantages offered by IP cameras over the analog version. If you want to get a good surveillance camera, get an IP network camera.