Camera

Copyright (c) 2008 Wes Fernley

An IP camera offers many benefits over a standard CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) camera. The following article will bring out many advantages of IP cameras compared to traditional CCTV cameras.

Remote Viewing

The most common known benefit of an IP camera is the ability to view live video over the Internet from anywhere in the world. This offers the advantage of monitoring a location or property while you are not physically there to observe activity for suspicious behaviour. It is possible to view CCTV cameras over the Internet however additional hardware and software are required. An IP camera has this ability built-in so only an Internet connection is required without any software.

Many new IP cameras now have the ability to view live video via a cell phone or mobile device via 3GPP. You will want to make sure your cell phone and provider support 3GPP.

Recording to Remote Locations

The main job of a surveillance camera is to monitor an area when you cannot do so yourself. You will want the camera to record video so if the security of the location is breached, you could easily access recorded video to view and obtain details regarding the intruder. What if the video was compromised or stolen because it was being recorded at the location that was breached? Considering IP cameras can be access remotely, it is also possible to record remotely to avoid this unfortunate possibility.

Recording to a remote location offers the peace of mind, knowing your recorded video is safe. This can be done by having a PC at a remote location with recording software that accesses the IP camera over the Internet.

Once an intruder is recorded by the camera, he cannot steal the tape or recording device because it is at another physical location.

Go Wireless! Less Cables - Less Mess

Considering an IP camera uses a standard IP network, it is possible to buy wireless IP cameras which gives you two advantages - less wires and versatility. Considering a wireless IP camera does not need an RJ45 network cable run between your router and the camera, only one cable is required for the camera to operate - power. Less work is required to install the camera in its recording location and it can be easily placed anywhere near a power source.

Motion Detection and Video Analytics

Some IP cameras have built-in motion detection and alerts. This allows you to configure "windows" within the IP camera video screen that will monitor that area for motion. If motion is detected, an alert can be sent via email, SMS, FTP or I/O. By having this feature built-in, no software is required for the IP camera to offer a stand-alone solution for monitoring.

Video Analytics are also being incorporated into IP cameras to offer advanced motion detection and tracking. Video Analytics is smart enough to distinguish between a person walking, a car driving or just a bush swaying in the wind. Considering most Video Analytics software requires a lot of PC system resources, it is wise to purchase an IP camera with Video Analytics built-in.

Conclusion

IP cameras offer many advantages over traditional CCTV cameras. By adopting this new technology, you can monitor your home or business easily and effectively. We only touched some of the most common advantages however IP cameras offer many additional benefits over CCTV cameras. Only time will show what else you can do with an IP camera.

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