ip camera
The simplest definition of an IP (or network) camera is a CCTV camera with a minicomputer built in. Although the latest CCTV cameras have digital capabilities, they convert back to analogue. An IP camera keeps the image in digital format and transmits it directly over a computer network to a receiving device such as a PC or Network Video Recorder (NVR).
As such, the IP camera has many of the technical features of a CCTV camera and a computer network device, using the same CCD and image processing technologies of the former and using many of the standards and protocols of the latter. In addition the IP camera will also contain image compression technologies to convert the raw digital image into a standardised image format suitable for network transmission and display by computer device.
IP camera products match analogue cameras in style, being available as fixed cameras, fixed domes, vandal resistant domes and fully functional dome formats; the choice of colour or day/night is also available. IP cameras tend to have similar imaging performance in terms of resolution, compression and frame rates and are more readily distinguished by other characteristics such as day/night, CS lens mount or audio capability.
IP Camera Connectivity
Like DVRs, many IP Cameras (and Encoders) are able to directly interface with other types of security equipment such as PIR sensors or loudspeakers. The key difference to a DVR installation is that all this equipment can be connected to the nearest camera rather than having to run various types of equipment cabling back to the DVRs central location. Only a single network connection is required to provide full interaction with the equipment anywhere on the network.
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