Subscriber Discussion
Should I Decode IP Cameras To Integrate With An Existing Analog System?
Are these a good option if a customer wants to add IP cameras to an existing analog system or should we avoid decoders?
In general, avoid decoders. The problem is that you have to decode the video and then re-encode it. That process losses quality. Plus, of course, one is constained to the quality of the existing analog system's encoding (which is typically not great, certainly compared to the resolution/quality of modern HD IP cameras).
How big is the system you are dealing with? Does the manufacturer offer an option to add IP cameras to an NVR and then display it on the same management software (i.e., the client can pull video from DVRs and NVRs)?
No other options at the moment. Just curious of how well decoders work with IP camera's and its video quality.
Another option would be to use an IP camera that has a full-time analog output.
Maybe consider a hybrid recorder.
I have been told that the analog outs on IP cameras are not for constant use (only for focusing etc). If you use them on a permanent basis do they cause problems/failure?
We looked at both the analog/IP camera option and the decoder option ourselves but decided the cost and limitations of decoders and the need for two transport paths outweighed the ability to retain our analog matrix. Decoders are at least as expensive as encoders and we found that typically we would have to match them to a system. In other words, we couldn't use manufacturer A's decoders on manufacturer B's NVR/VMS. Decoders also add latency just as encoders do.
In the end, we chose to deploy a hybrid system, using encoders for our analog cameras and recording IP cameras' streams directly through the VMS.
By the way, there is a downside to our choice: analog cameras can display far better images on analog monitors than on a digital display via encoders. The encode process itself limits resolution and adds encoding artifacts. To minimize the degradation, we specified higher bitrates than the VMS manufacturers and Integrators recommended based on our system evaluation tests. Most manufacturers and Integrators recommended 2Mbps while we chose 3Mbps for around half of our cameras and 2.5Mbps for the rest. Our tests of several encoders revealed diminishing improvements above those bitrates.
Of course the downside to our choice was increased storage requirements.
"GE Truvision 1.3 MP camera" are in fact HIKVISION cameras. That's why the are working so good with DM or NUUO. :D
If you really need to install IP camera with IP trasmission but with analog signal output at the end I would recommend o use HIKVISION cam and their decoder of DS-63xx serie. But you must be aware that you can not downscale HD signal to BNC - rather use 4CIF on both digital and analog platforms.
There is also option of Sony hybrid cameras - they have analog and IP signal in signal coax output. To retrieve pure analog and transmit IP via UTP Ethernet network you need special decoder unfortunatelly. It is not cheap solution.
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