Axis Cameras Consume 7x Less Power Than Analog?

JH
John Honovich
Jun 04, 2014
IPVM

Check this out - Axis new 'green security installations' / sustainability effort:

Does this make any sense to you?

Avatar
Ethan Ace
Jun 04, 2014

Well I happened to be on Dahua's site and hopped over to the analog section.

Their non-IR minidome has a max wattage rating of 2W.

The IR bullet has a max consumption of 4W.

Is there something in these calculations they're not sharing?

JH
John Honovich
Jun 04, 2014
IPVM

I think Axis is confusing the power consumption requirement of a DVR (i.e., an analog camera requires a DVR).

Of course, unless they are selling edge only storage, for IP, one needs to power an NVR / VMS / server, which consumes power too.

SM
Steve Mitchell
Jun 04, 2014

I assume the "standard DVR server" comment means they're dividing the number of cameras by the total power consumption of the DVR and adding the camera power to that.

I assume for the IP camera they're not including the power consumption of a recorder. Or maybe they're assuming that NVRs use less power than analog DVRs.

Camera vs camera: an M300x will use about 2.2-4.6 watts. Let's say a Pelco FD1 (similar form factor fixed dome, but analog) uses 1W (or at most 2.7W w/IR). The M300x is pretty good on power as far as IP cameras go. But if you're really comparing apples to apples with power efficient cameras the argument is definitely about the power consumption of DVRs vs NVRs.

Some DVRs I'm familiar with are on the order of twice as power hungry as a comparable PC that one might use for VMS software/recording. But I don't think that makes up the 7x number they're claiming.

We do argue that one particular solution we have saves money on power. A 30W recorder, 1.2W cameras and even with a 12W POE switch a 12 camera system is only 56 watts. But this is a deliberately low power recorder (for thermal managment reasons) and about as low as you can go in terms of power in an IP camera.

Point being, I don't think it's fair to assume all DVRs are expensive to run and all NVRs are really cheap. And both IP and analog cameras can be thrifty on power.

JH
John Honovich
Jun 04, 2014
IPVM

With regards to IP power consumption, the lowest in our PoE power consumption test was 1.9 watts and the median was 3 to 4 watts.

I would also suspect, an analog camera with the same core features (IR vs non IR, etc.) would have lower power consumption than an IP one, simply because the IP one needs to power the encoder chip. Yes/no?

If Axis could get rid of the VMS / NVR recorder, they might have a case (not 7x) but, at least a case of being lower overall, yes?

RW
Rukmini Wilson
Jun 04, 2014

Notice how it doesn't say an analog camera, but says analog cameras.

That's right, Power Per Pixel! No matter what other shanningans they are pulling, the Mega-adjustment must be employed, right?

SM
Steve Mitchell
Jun 04, 2014

Yes in terms of power consumption a lot depends on the architecture of the IP camera. Many today are on an SoC that has a certain power draw depending on which model you design in and what clock speed you run it at. The more (power) the merrier in terms of features/capabilities.

Yeah I guess if you ignore the other infrastructure necessary to run a complete system the power is minimized with low power IP cameras all by themselves. (Maybe I can add: if all I sold was cameras *ehem* I'd be sure to make that point :)

RW
Rukmini Wilson
Jun 04, 2014

Actually, it worse than Power Per Pixel, Axis is counting the power draw of all the IR illuminators that you don't need with lightcatcher cameras. Read their examples...

Avatar
Carl Lindgren
Jun 05, 2014

Another in a long line of dubious Axis claims. Remember the Axis study that claimed a 40-camera IP system had a lower TCO than a 40-camera analog system? That "study" was based on the questionable assumptions that a network was already in place, that IP cameras were only 50% more expensive than analog cameras, that the added cost of camera power cables tripled the cost of cabling and that installation, configuration and training for an analog system cost 50% more for the analog system.

I have to wonder why Axis continues to publish these blatantly biased "studies" when there are many less questionable points of comparison between the two technologies. It tends to make them look desparate.

Avatar
Jon Dillabaugh
Jun 05, 2014
Pro Focus LLC

John,

I believe they are counting only the IP camera vs the Analog Camera + DVR. Obviously, if you don't have headend equipment, the IP camera is going to consume less power. But, this isn't apples and apples.

RW
Rukmini Wilson
Jun 05, 2014

I believe they are counting only the IP camera vs the Analog Camera + DVR

You may be right because what comprises an "analog DVR camera system" is never fully defined. Nor do they speak of a corresponding NVR (that I've seen). However the bulk of the difference is clearly the huge amount of external lighting costs which they then embed in the net camera cost: (from John's link above)

New discussion

Ask questions and get answers to your physical security questions from IPVM team members and fellow subscribers.

Newest discussions