What Is The Difference Between Analog And Digital Security Cameras?
KEY TAKEAWAYS
In today’s modern world, technology advances every day. And with the rising popularity of security cameras, when it comes to choosing a physical security system, you can now choose between analog and digital. Analog security cameras capture images and send them to a digital recorder, which converts the video to digital format. To view the video, you just have to connect to a monitor or router and broadcast it through an internal network for remote access.
On the other hand, digital security cameras record in digital format so there is no need for a conversion process. The digital data is routed through the existing network to a dedicated network video recorder, which can be accessed remotely. Each option has pros and cons which we’ve listed below:
Analog Security Cameras
Pros
- It’s a lot cheaper than the digital alternative
- It’s easier to set up and understand and the installation is very straightforward
- It tends to be smaller so transmitting them requires very little bandwidth
- It has a wider variety of camera designs so you won’t have trouble finding a camera model with all of the features you need
Cons
- It require a lot of wiring
- It produces low image quality and don’t have a digital zoom feature
- It has a narrow field of view so you might have to install more cameras
- It needs to be kept within a reasonable range
- It has a limited number of ports so you can only connect a limited number of cameras
- It can’t be encrypted so it could be easy for anyone to view the signal
Digital Security Camera Systems
Pros
- It’s capable of recording and transmitting high-definition video with digital zoom
- It can cover an area that would require three or even four of its analog counterparts
- It requires fewer cables and can have multiple cameras connected to a switch
- It does not have port limitations since cameras merely need to be connected to your local access network (LAN)
- It enables your signal cables to provide power to the cameras via ethernet
- It is insusceptible to interference that affects analog counterparts
- It has built-in encryption, so data remains safe at all times
Cons
- It may have a higher initial cost on an individual basis versus analog counterparts
- It requires a lot more bandwidth than analog systems
- It produces larger files that require a lot of storage space on your hard drive
The better option depends on what level of security you require. If you need surveillance security at home, an analog security camera system can do the trick so you won’t need to shell out a lot of money. Businesses, however, would benefit from the additional features of a digital security camera system.
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