| Two Technologies | | | | cameras have turned to PC based these days. |
| Briefly speaking, there are 2 generations of | | | | They do not look like PC and cannot be opened |
| technology for video surveillance systems. They | | | | or modified like a standard PC. These Recorders |
| are the older analogue based system and the | | | | use electronics to convert analogue signals from |
| modern Internet Protocol (IP) based system | | | | the camera to digital on an individual camera basis. |
| respectively. The demarcation criterion of what | | | | The design of DVR is therefore dependent on the |
| constitute analogue and IP is not clear cut and this | | | | number of these converters built in. Common |
| article attempts to clear the confusion. The | | | | numbers are 4, 8 and 16. If you install a DVR with |
| biggest confusion is however on the costing of | | | | 16 camera capacity, you will need to buy another |
| the 2 technologies and also the relative | | | | DVR when you want to install the 17th camera at |
| effectiveness of them. This article attempts to | | | | a later date. IP based video recorders do not |
| provide a more precise big picture of cost | | | | have this limitation and the maximum number is |
| benefits to people who are considering a video | | | | whatever the software people set for their |
| surveillance system for their organizations. | | | | software design. |
| | | | Cost Profiles of Two Technologies |
| There are 3 major cost areas as far as the | | | | We provide some cost-benefit information of 5 |
| installation of video surveillance system is | | | | types of surveillance systems herewith. We use |
| concerned. System design is another cost area | | | | the maximum camera number of the system as |
| although some organizations apply common | | | | the index and the cost per camera as the |
| layman sense in lieu of engaging consultants for | | | | indicator. The cost per camera (NZD) does not |
| design.o Cameras at various specified locations of | | | | include cabling or site work as they cannot be |
| the organizationo Cabling fabric connecting | | | | easily assumed. |
| cameras to the monitoring centreo Video Footage | | | | At the low cost and low benefit end are 2 DVR |
| recorder at the monitoring centre | | | | systems based on analogue cameras with 720 x |
| Cameras | | | | 576 resolutions. The cheapest one can handle 4 |
| Roughly an IP camera is 5 times the cost of an | | | | cameras max and the next one up is for 8 |
| analogue camera. What does the big extra price | | | | cameras max. |
| offer to the customer? Top of the list is clarity. | | | | The other 3 systems are IP based. They are for |
| The maximum clarity of an analogue camera is | | | | 12, 32 and 64 maximum cameras respectively. |
| lower than 800 x 600 dots of resolution (called | | | | The price goes up gradually. |
| VGA) on a display screen. An IP camera provides | | | | Interesting Observations |
| 1280 x 1024 dots (Super VGA) and this resolution | | | | The price of IP-12 is higher than analogue-12 if the |
| is about 3 times higher than VGA. There are IP | | | | latter exists. However, it is utmost interesting to |
| cameras with VGA resolution and they are | | | | note that the cost of analogue systems will go up |
| cheaper than SVGA. There is no analogue camera | | | | very fast at the level of 32 or 64 cameras if |
| with SVGA as VGA is the limit imposed by | | | | such systems exist. If we use 2 DVR systems of |
| analogue production technology. The higher | | | | 16 cameras each to get 32 cameras max, the |
| resolution means higher clarity. It allows IP camera | | | | total cost would be cheaper than one IP-32 |
| footage to be used by the police to track down | | | | system. However, some people prefer having one |
| criminals or to cover a wider geographic area. An | | | | system to two or multiple systems from an |
| IP camera also consists of computer chips to give | | | | operation and maintenance perspective. |
| them some level of intelligence. The intelligence | | | | The graphs (not shown in this text based article) |
| allows us to talk to the camera at the monitoring | | | | are meant for illustrating the effect of camera |
| centre or over the Internet. | | | | number in the system on the cost of the system. |
| Cabling Fabric | | | | We wish to summarize into 3 observations |
| IP camera uses standard and low cost computer | | | | below.o Cost per camera goes up with the |
| cabling system for connection whereas analogue | | | | number of camera. This is a phenomenon most |
| camera uses co-axial cable which is more | | | | people do not expect. In fact, the benefits also go |
| expensive and being phased out. Cabling is very | | | | up because larger systems provide a better |
| site dependent but it is certain that IP has cost | | | | economic basis for development.o IP appears to |
| advantages in many respects. One important | | | | be more expensive than analogue if we ignore |
| implication is the potential for integrating video | | | | the maximum camera limitation and forget about |
| surveillance into standard information system | | | | benefits.o It is fair to say that analogue systems |
| networks for operation and maintenance. | | | | would be adequate for very small sites, and IP |
| Video Recorders | | | | system should be given preference for bigger |
| With the advent of low cost PC systems, most | | | | sites. |
| Digital Video Recorders (DVR) for analogue | | | | |