What is an Ip camera

An IP camera, or Internet Protocol Camera, is commonly used for surveillance. IP camera can send and receive signals over internet and computer network. It is different from CCTV cameras because of its superior connectivity over the internet and computer networks. The CCTV cameras can only operate in a closed circuit television network.

Kinds of IP cameras

IP cameras are either centralized or decentralized. A centralized IP camera requires a network video recorder for recording the output video. Even for alarm management, it requires network video recorder. Without this central recorder, the centralized IP camera would be useless.

The decentralized IP cameras work independently of central network video recorder. These cameras can record directly to the media due to built-in recording ability. These cameras can store video output to hard disk, network storage and flash drive.

Standard features of IP camera

Before you buy an IP camera for your surveillance needs, you should completely understand the features that are standard for any IP camera. Some of the major features of IP cameras are their ability to record videos in various formats such as CIF, PAL, SECAM and NTSC.

The IP cameras vary in features. Cameras with advanced features will cost more than the cameras with standard features. However, most people will only require standard features with added night vision. Cameras with these features are cheap and can be easily found everywhere.

When you search for ‘what is IP camera’, you will see hundreds of results featuring different top line products. You will have to go through details to know the features of each of these cameras. Just make sure that you only buy products that come from reliable companies. You should not compromise on security and surveillance.

Why buy an IP camera?

Once you have learnt what is a IP camera, you may want to buy one for your own needs. Even if you still think that you do not need an IP camera, you can look at some of the advantages below to easily finalize your decision.

You can use the two way audio to your advantage. In fact, it is one of the most appreciated features of an IP camera. You can communicate while you continue seeing the visual.
The image resolution of IP camera is higher than the other standard surveillance cameras. The minimum resolution is 640 x 480.
IP cameras often operate wirelessly allowing them flexibility of movement and placement. You will be able to access these cameras from anywhere within the range of wireless network. Thankfully, you can secure the access to camera by using authentication.
Some cameras even allow remote accessibility. You will not only be able to view video through any computer but you can also view video output of your camera through your smart phone.
These cameras also have power over Ethernet, which means you do not have to dedicate an additional power supply to them.
Most modern IP cameras have distributed intelligence built into them. This allows scalability for analytics solutions within the camera.