Closed-circuit television (CCTV) is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors. It differs from broadcast television in that the signal is not openly transmitted, though it may employ point to point (P2P), point to multipoint, or mesh wireless links. Though almost all video cameras fit this definition, the term is most often applied to those used for surveillance in areas that may need monitoring such as banks, casinos, airports, military installations, and convenience stores.
An Internet Protocol camera, or IP camera, is a type of digital video camera commonly employed for surveillance, and which unlike analog closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras can send and receive data via a computer network and the Internet. Although most cameras that do this are webcams, the term "IP camera" or "netcam" is usually applied only to those used for surveillance.
There are two kinds of IP cameras:
- Centralized IP cameras, which require a central Network Video Recorder(NVR) to handle the recording, video and alarm management.
- Decentralized IP cameras, which do not require a central Network Video Recorder (NVR), as the cameras have recording function built-in and can thus record directly to local storage media, such as flash drives and hard disk drives or to standard network attached storage.
Analogue video camera transmits signals via coaxial cable to a single central location for monitoring, recording, and video analysis.
Pros of Analogue CCTV:
- Lower initial cost – In most cases, analogue cameras cost less up front than IP network cameras. Analogue cameras tend to handle low-light situations better than IP cameras on average, though IP camera technology is improving in this regard.
- Wide-spread compatibility – Mixing and matching camera models and surveillance equipment form different manufacturers is easy with an analogue CCTV setup.