Analog Cameras Still Have Their Uses in IP Systems
When it comes to specialty applications, analog cameras continue to have their advantages. Infrared (IR) cameras, for example, use IR lighting so even where there is no or low ambient light, the IR image is still visible.
Wide dynamic cameras balance backlight with images in the foreground so both are visible. These products are good for lobbies where there is bright light outside, but the inside is relatively dark.
Fortunately, specialty cameras can be incorporated into IP video systems. “Increasingly we’re seeing them being hooked up to an encoder, which then goes into the IP-based system so you get all of the benefits of this wide selection of cameras,” says Ryerson.
Encoders can also be used to connect older analog cameras to IP systems, thus eliminating the need for a campus to swap out all of its legacy analog cameras. Systems that use both IP and analog technology are commonly called hybrids.
More Cameras are Being Installed on Campuses
According to Nilsson, “When we started to do school systems a couple of years ago, we were amazed when we got a 25, 30 or 50 camera system,” he says. “Today, there are 2,000-3,000 camera systems out there in school systems, and I know some hospitals that have hundreds of cameras as well.”
The increasing number of cameras makes it easier for a campus to go IP. According to Piran, in many cases, 20 cameras is the break-even point between traditional (analog) and IP video.
IP-based Video Installation Costs are Falling
Because IP cameras are connected to the network much like telephony systems and computers, major savings in infrastructure costs can be realized when a campus switches to IP video. According to Piran, network cables are much less expensive than the coaxial cables used by traditional cameras. “Network cables can literally carry hundreds of cameras, rather than having each cable carry a single camera,” he says.
The capability of camera signals to be sent via a wireless network is another way installation expenses are being kept in check. For example, a campus wanting to install a video unit attached to a light pole in a parking lot can avoid the costs and hassles associated with wire trenching by connecting the camera via a hotspot or WiFi service. Point-to-point, point-to-multi-point and other broadband technologies can back-haul the video.
