IP and HD analog cameras can both be used as home or business security cameras. The main difference between the two cameras lies in how footage is processed and stored.
Being the more modern solution, IP cameras are more affordable and offer more benefits to users than HD analog cameras.
In this article, we’ll explain the difference between IP vs HD analog cameras for your home or business place.
What is an IP Camera?Internet Protocol (IP) cameras are a modern type of security camera that capture footage, compress it, and transmit it via the internet. Wireless IP cameras usually use Wi-Fi to do this. Most commonly, the footage is stored in the Cloud or on an NVR (Network Video Recorder)
Some IP cameras, like AlfredCam, also allow for footage to be stored locally on a microSD card or on a paired phone’s onboard storage.
What is an HD Camera?An HD camera means any camera that is High Definition (HD) in terms of picture resolution (i.e. quality).
A camera is considered HD if it has an image resolution between 720p and 1080p. Images are clearer and crisper the higher the resolution. So, cameras that support up to 1080p resolution (like AlfredCam) have better image quality than those that support 720p.
The night vision is wonderful, especially with the HD 1080P 130-degree wide-angle view. Truly it is even better to have 24/7 continuous recording nowadays.
One AlfredCam user
Cameras with image resolution lower than 720p are considered SD or Standard Definition cameras.
What is Analog CCTV?Analog CCTV is a more traditional type of security camera. Because of the complexity of its installation and operations, it’s generally found in public places (like street footage) or on large business premises.
Unlike IP cameras, which transmit footage via the internet, analog CCTV cameras must be connected to a DVR before they can collate, compress, and store footage.
In practice, this means the camera needs to be hardwired and connected to a DVR. The recordings are accessed via the hard drive it’s saved on meaning they may need to be transferred to a USB flash drive to view on a computer.
Ready for an IP Camera? Start here
AlfredCam is an affordable security camera solution for small businesses.
With excellent infrared night vision and 1080p HD video resolution, business owners can capture high-quality footage inside shops, warehouses, and other indoor locations with ease, day or night.
Choose between 24/7 recording and motion detected recordings based on your needs and get easy access to footage of the premises any time of day via the AlfredCamera app.
Because IP cameras are a more modern solution, they are considered better than analog HD cameras for two main reasons: high image quality and convenient storage.
Firstly, IP cameras capture high-quality footage of what goes on around your home. Most home security cameras offer continuous 24/7 recording and/or motion detection recordings.
This means homeowners and businesses can access high-quality footage easily from any connected device, which makes them better for checking who is at the door or if an intruder is on the property.
Secondly, IP cameras are easier to set up and offer a more modern solution for storing, saving, and accessing footage. This makes it easier to check footage, save it, and share it with others.
For example, if a home security camera has picked up something funny a pet has done, it’s easy to review the footage and share it with other family members.
If an intruder is on the property, an instant push notification will tell the user motion has occurred, enabling the police to be called much faster.
What are the Benefits of IP Cameras Over Analog Cameras?The main benefits of IP cameras over analog cameras are:
High-quality footage is important for any property or business. IP cameras are the more modern solution to protecting a property or business premise with security cameras.
Because the models are newer, image resolution is significantly higher, leading to better quality footage.
This is unlike the grainy, blurry footage often produced by analog CCTV cameras.
A good security camera should be able to pick up faces, clothing, color, and other details about what the intruder is doing. Otherwise, they are pointless and ineffective.
Premium Footage
AlfredCam offers you the best quality recordings to keep your home, business, and family safe.
With 1080p Full HD live streaming, color night vision, a wide 136-degree field of view, and high-quality zooming during live sessions, you get premium footage of everything that goes on inside your home or business.
“This is a great budget cam that’s easy to set up and gets the job done. The app worked just fine, and the picture quality was shockingly good considering the price.” – One AlfredCam user
Another key difference between IP cameras and analog CCTV cameras is the way each type of camera processes and stores footage.
As explained above, analog cameras can only store footage on a connected hard drive. This means adequate storage is always needed to prevent recordings from not saving, plus a “base” to view the footage.
Secure and Easy Access
AlfredCam offers maximum security and protection of your data.
Footage of your home or business is encrypted with the support of top-tier cybersecurity mechanisms, including W3C, Google, Android, and Amazon.
Only you have access to your data. So you can rest assured that footage of your home or business is safe and protected.
Learn more about how AlfredCam can protect your home or business.
IP cameras digitize footage so it can be stored locally or in the Cloud. When stored in the Cloud, the footage can be accessed anywhere, including a phone, tablet, or computer.
With most IP cameras (including AlfredCam), Cloud storage can be increased by upgrading to a monthly or yearly plan subscription. This enables businesses to easily record and save as much footage as needed.
Another benefit of IP cameras over HD analog cameras is that they are significantly easier to install.
IP cameras can be wireless cameras or connected to an ethernet cable. Wireless IP cameras operate on Wi-Fi and need to be plugged in (either on occasion to charge or permanently).
Installation Made Simple
Even tech newbies find AlfredCam easier than ever to install in their homes or businesses.
In just three simple steps, you can have your AlfredCam installed, set up, and ready to start recording footage in your home.
AlfredCam users say:
“I was really surprised at how well this camera works and how easy it was to set up. The picture quality is excellent, the other features are nice, but my main use is the camera. I like it and recommend it with two thumbs up”.
“Once you download the app, it guides you through the quick, at most, 3-minute set up”.
Learn more about how to install home security cameras on your property and where to position security cameras for maximum security benefits.
IP cameras are easier to install because they simply need to be connected to the internet and a regular power source, like a USB port or wall socket.
Analog CCTV must be connected to a closed-circuit hard drive to process, save, and store footage.
What is the Disadvantage of IP Cameras?There are few disadvantages of IP cameras compared to analog CCTV. They are the more modern solution to home and business security.
The main disadvantages of IP cameras are:
The main difference between IP and HD cameras lies in how the cameras process, transmit, and store data.
IP cameras store and transmit data via the internet. Whereas analog HD cameras must be connected to a DVR before footage can be stored and viewed.
An IP camera, or internet protocol camera, is a type of digital security camera that receives and sends video footage via an IP network. They are commonly used for surveillance. Unlike analog closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV), IP cameras do not require a local recording device, only a local network. IP cameras connect to a network in the same way that phones and computers do so.
Analog and analog-over-digital security cameras require a coaxial video cable in order to transmit footage to a digital video recorder (DVR). On the other hand, an IP security camera can transmit footage over a wireless connection. Specifically, IP cameras connect to a network video recorder (NVR) via Wi-Fi, an Ethernet cable, or USB.
An IP camera captures footage in high definition—resolution can be as high as 16 megapixels, depending on the camera model. Each IP camera comes equipped with a processing chip, which compresses the video footage as it is recorded. What’s that mean? Well, the higher the camera resolution, the more data each video recording contains. High-resolution images require more storage space and more bandwidth for data transmission than lower-quality images. To transmit HD images over a network, IP cameras must compress the files, or make the files smaller, to avoid consuming too much bandwidth. Modern compression standards like h.264 and MPEG-4 mean that there is either no drop, or just a small drop in frame rate and resolution when the footage finally reaches your phone or computer.
Here are some additional benefits of using IP cameras over CCTV cameras:
A wireless network, or Wi-Fi network, sends and receives data to a wireless modem. Phones, computers, some TVs, game consoles, and other security devices are all connected via Wi-Fi, and your IP camera is no different. One way to view an IP camera’s footage is by entering its IP address in a web browser. Keep in mind that the IP address must be static. Some Internet providers supply their customers with dynamic IP addresses that change from time to time. You’ll want to speak with your provider about a static IP address to ensure you can access your IP camera.
A wired network connects an IP camera to the network via an Ethernet cable. This setup is considered the most secure, as there is little chance for signal interference or unauthorized access. Expect the fastest data transmission speeds with Ethernet, as a wired connection is much more efficient than Wi-Fi.
A cellular network is perhaps the most convenient of the three, but it is also the slowest. In general, Wi-Fi has faster upload and download speeds. Most IP cameras come equipped with a cellular transmitter out of the box, so set up, installation, and connection are easy.
Before installing an IP security camera system, you or your security camera provider should ask:
In 2014, a journalist stumbled onto a website that indexed 73,000 locations with unsecured IP cameras around the world. Creepy, to say the least, but the finding brought up a very important point. Most security cameras come with a default username and password. Though the default login is supposed to be changed, in many cases—at least 73,000 cases, apparently—it was left unchanged as the default login.
The website pulled security camera footage from a variety of businesses, including malls, warehouses, and parking lots. But far worse, there was also camera footage from inside the living rooms and bedrooms of private residences.
This ordeal exposes a harsh truth: unsecured IP cameras are surprisingly easy to hack.
The good news? It’s even easier to secure an IP camera! Really, it is—you just need to check two things. First, make sure that you change your camera’s default login credentials. If you’re not sure how, consult the camera’s instruction manual. A security professional can help you with this, should you hire a company to install your security camera system. The next thing you need to do is double-check that your Wi-Fi is private. If the cameras are connected to public Wi-Fi, anyone with the IP address may be able to gain access. With a private Wi-Fi connection, only users that are logged in to the Wi-Fi can access the camera footage.
Once the security camera and Wi-Fi are secure you will be set. Modern wireless modems use a data encryption system called Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA). Over the years, WPA standards have tightened. WPA3 is considered the most secure, and is equipped on some newer modems. WPA will further protect your security cameras against hacks and other types of unauthorized access.
Compared to analog cameras, IP security cameras offer convenient features and are suitable for any home or business. Whether you need just one camera or dozens, you can’t go wrong with IP cameras. Want to learn more? Get in touch with one of our security experts—we can answer any questions and get you a free system quote. Contact us today!