Megapixel Security Camera
Differences

I recently read a short article by John Honovich with ipvidoemarket.info about 3 important differences among Megapixel Security Cameras. The 3 main differentiators he noted were 1. Resolution, 2. Bandwidth consumption variation and 3. Handling low or changing bandwidth levels. His comments were brief so I wanted to expand upon them to shed some more light on the issue.

1. Resolution

This is the first measurement that is used to compare the differences between MP Security Cameras. You will see numbers like 1.3MP all the way up to 16MP. However, even though these numbers are used it is not a true measure of the actual resolution that can be attained. The effective or true resolution can vary greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer. This makes it that much more difficult to choose a camera that is going to deliver on its promise of increased resolution and better image quality. This is the primary premise behind MP cameras. After all it is the premise that you will be able to see much smaller details using digital zoom and therefore will be able to improve your overall video security system. So it is important to look deeper into the resolution claims of manufacturers to be sure you will get what you are expecting.

2. Bandwidth consumption variation

There are wide variances in how much bandwidth is consumed between manufacturers. It is not uncommon for one camera to use 2MB per second for a given scene and another camera to be at 6MB per second. One of the main reasons for this is the wide variation there is in compression technology. It seems each manufacturer is coming up with their own standard rather than adopting an industry wide standard. The main concern with this is the difference in storage that will be needed. More storage means more cost. So again we see a variable that adds more difficulty in choosing one manufacturer over another.

3. Handling low or changing bandwidth levels

Having sufficient bandwidth is a major concern with the large amount of data that can be produced by a IP Megapixel security camera. The weakest part of any network is the available bandwidth there is today without having to upgrade and rewire the system. There are many users that want to use IP Cameras on existing systems. The challenge is that many of these MP cameras do not perform well if the bandwidth gets to low. It is one thing to lower the resolution and frame rates on the camera to accommodate the bandwidth but it is another thing altogether if the images begin to break up and are lost. This makes it important to ask for testing information and examples of how a camera handles low bandwidth.

Having said all that there are many great applications for using Megapixel security cameras. It just means that making the choice is not necessarily that easy. I recommend you ask lots of questions and look for real data that can be used to make your decision. As alway if your not sure please contact us and we can help you figure it out.

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