Which Type of CCTV Camera Connection Is Right for You?

All of our high-definition cameras use the same cable for both power and video/audio, making it easy to install these cameras yourself. Simply put, all CCTV Camera Connection are divided into two main categories according to the connection method:

• IP cameras
• High-definition cameras with coaxial cable connection

Each of these technologies has its own advantages and disadvantages, which we will discuss below. To determine which type of video surveillance system is best for you, answer the following questions:

• Do you need to transmit a signal with a resolution higher than 4K?
• Are you going to use your existing cabling infrastructure to connect the cameras?
• Will you need to pull the cable more than 300 feet (90 meters)?

Now let’s see how coaxial cameras and IP cameras answer these questions.

High Definition (HD) Surveillance Cameras with Coaxial Cable CCTV Camera Connection

Modern HD surveillance cameras have replaced the older generation of CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) cameras, which transmit video over coaxial cable. CCTV Camera Connection have been in use since the 1970s, and many homes and businesses have installed coaxial cables since then. 

To reduce the cost of video surveillance upgrades, state-of-the-art HD cameras with coaxial connectivity have been developed so that video up to 4K resolution can be transmitted using the existing coaxial cabling infrastructure. The illustration shows the different versions of coax cables you may already have. We note here that the quality of coaxial cables matters, as will be discussed later.

We offer two kinds of HD cameras:

• HDCVI cameras – up to 4K resolution available, all signals – video / audio / view control signal (PTZ) – are transmitted over coaxial cable using HDCVI technology, which is supported by almost all DVRs.
• 4-in-1 cameras – support four types of output signal – HDCVI, HDTVI, AHD and analog (CVBS). Compatibility of 4-in-1 cameras with other systems is ensured by the ability to switch to the desired signal type. HDTVI and AHD signals are used in some budget cameras.

The 4-in-1 cameras offer resolutions up to 2K and transmit video/PTZ control over coaxial cable in HDCVI, HDTVI or AHD mode. They can also work in CVBS mode with older equipment or TVs that only accept analog video, providing a non-HD picture.

Like older CCTV cameras, HD cameras with coaxial connections use combined “Siamese” cables, in which power is supplied through one trunk, and the video signal is transmitted through the other (coaxial) cable. Given the high-quality copper wires of the coaxial cable, HDCVI cameras can transmit video over distances up to 1600 feet (487 meters). 

Both ends of the video surveillance coaxial cable are terminated with BNC Twist connectors. The two wires of the power cable at the end that connects to the camera end with a male connector. The other end of the power cable is connected to the power adapter, the RG59 coaxial video cable is connected to the DVR.

If the cables are already laid, connecting cameras with a coaxial interface is not a big problem.

IP cameras

In video surveillance systems with IP cameras, the signal from the cameras is transmitted to the video recorder via a computer network. Depending on the outdoor poe camera model, the signal may contain video, audio, PTZ control data, and metadata for video analysis. These cameras use network cables such as CAT5e or CAT6 for data transmission and are powered by PoE (Power over Ethernet) technology, which simplifies the cabling infrastructure, since now both data and power are transmitted over a single common cable. Since network cables have a lot of bandwidth, IP cameras can support resolutions even higher than 4K, surpassing HD cameras in this aspect.

But while IP cameras have all the benefits of PoE technology, which simplifies power and cabling, and has virtually no limits in terms of transmitted resolution, they do have one limitation.

This limitation, common to all IP cameras, is that the maximum distance that a signal can be transmitted over a network cable is 100 meters. For cable signal transmission over long distances, you need to use a PoE amplifier that allows you to amplify the information signal by partially redistributing the current of the PoE component of the signal, which reduces the power budget available to power the camera. Thus, powerful cameras with high power consumption (more than 12 W) will not be able to use PoE with a cable length of more than 100 meters, because after amplifying the video signal due to the PoE component, the necessary power will not be provided. Modern PoE amplification technologies provide cable signal transmission from network cameras over distances up to 300 meters, but their scope is limited to relatively low-power cameras,

Conclusion

Regardless of which type of camera connection you choose, the remainder of this article will go over the questions to help you choose the most suitable security camera models for your home and/or business.