What is an IP Surveillance System and Its Benefits?

IP or Internet Protocol is basically a networked and digitised version of the CCTV (Closed Circuit Television). In this type of system, video footage is recorded by an IP camera and then the content gets distributed cover an internet protocol network.

Why opt for digitisation?

It is better to reap the benefits of digitisation and invest in an IP surveillance system. Digitisation not only offers improved search capabilities but it is also easy to use. You can get high quality of images and the content won’t degrade over time. You can record as well as play videos on an IP system simultaneously. It also offers the ability to compress your content so that storage becomes easy.

The trend of replacing analog CCTV with IP surveillance systems has picked up pace, thanks to the many benefits it offers.

IP surveillance systems make use of IP cameras. Such cameras are digital video cameras that are employed for surveillance and can send as well as receive data through a network and the internet. IP is a term applied only on cameras that are used for surveillance. They are typically centralised for handling the recording or decentralised. Centralised IP cameras need a central NVR (Network Video Recorder) whereas decentralised cameras need no NVR. One can find IP cameras in resolutions starting from 0.3 (VGA resolution) to 29 megapixels.

Compared to the analog cameras, IP cameras offer various benefits:

1. Users can listen to and speak to the subjects of the video with two-way audio via a single network cable2. It offers the benefit of remote accessibility. This allows live videos to be viewed from any device3. Use of wireless network or Wi-Fi4. Transmission of secure data with ease5. IP cameras also offer the benefit of distributed intelligence such as video analytics

The internet protocol standard of communication is used by the IP surveillance system for storage, transmission and networking of surveillance images. IP is an open standard and it makes it easy for manufacturers of surveillance equipment to standardise on this protocol.

There are several advantages offered by the IP surveillance system. For instance, it offers the advantage of using the existing "structured cabling" infrastructure that is commonly used in IT networks.

Here are two ways in which IP cameras are different from analog cameras:

1. As far as scalability and flexibility is concerned, IP cameras have switches that allow cameras in proximity to be connected to a switch. This then runs a single wire to the Network Video Recorder (NVR), reducing the amount of cabling runs and making it easy to connect more cameras with ease.

2. Another difference is on the basis of video analytics. Network can be set to flag "events" and this can be anything from missing objects to motion detection and tampering with the camera. Compared to analog metro CCTV or any other analog CCTV camera, IP cameras can tell the user exactly when the events occurred.