Business owners generally know that it is beneficial for them to have security cameras installed, because no matter what business they run, they experience some kind of loss. Business losses generally include theft or vandalism by employees, customers or sometimes both. When it comes to selecting an IP camera system, it has traditionally been a difficult process of weighing resolution and quality versus cost. Business security camera systems come in two major varieties, IP camera NVR systems and traditional standard definition CCTV security cameras. The IP Camera systems have traditionally been more expensive, and only some of the IP cams will deliver high definition quality. Standard definition CCTV security camera systems have generally provided a more affordable option.

Traditional CCTV security camera systems connect to a PC-Based DVR or Standalone DVR recorder with an RG-59 Coaxial cable. Each camera runs all the way back to the DVR to provide a traditional video feed over the analog video line with NTSC video standard (up to ~720x480 resolution). These cameras come in many different varieties, housings and quality, but all are limited to the video standard of NTSC. A common misconception with traditional DVR systems, is that they are not accessible over the internet, but that would not be correct. Many DVR systems and PC Based DVR Systems also have internet capabilities, which allow business owners to view their c-store, gas station or retail facility over the internet from their PC, laptop, iPhone, Android or other PDA phones. The DVR records the video digitally, and even performs motion detection recording in most cases, then connects to the Ethernet cable from a router. This allows the DVR to use your internet connection and view the security cameras remotely over the internet.

IP systems come in several varieties, delivering a wide range of resolutions, from standard VGA to High Definition MegaPixel resolution. The VGA resolution IP cams deliver 640x480 resolution, below the NTSC resolution of traditional CCTV security cameras. Even though the resolution of these cameras is inferior to the traditional security cameras, they are often more expensive, because each IP camera has an image sensor, video processor and network card to communicate with a PC and NVR software directly over the network. These cameras are the equivalent of a small computer that sits on your business network, sending video over the Ethernet cable to a PC running an NVR (Network Video Recorder) software. The NVR PC will also deliver capabilities to remotely view the cameras over the internet from a PC, Laptop, iPhone, Android or BlackBerry PDA phone in many cases, so that poe camera can view the IP cameras from anywhere in the world. The common misconception is that you should plug an IP cam directly into an internet connection and then view it remotely. This is not advisable, because these cameras will consume a great amount of bandwidth, using up the majority of most internet connections with just a single camera. Therefore, the NVR PC should be placed on the network with the IP cameras, so that the recorder will be able to record the maximum frame rate and resolution, even when the internet connection is down.

More advanced IP Cameras have also been available on the market for several years, which will allow business owners a greater level of clarity in the picture. These cameras deliver HD resolution MegaPixel video feeds, and plug into a single Ethernet cable, just like the VGA resolution IP cameras, only at a much higher resolution. These high def cameras use the true benefit of IP cameras, being able to break through the NTSC resolution standard, and deliver 5 to 25 times the resolution of a standard traditional CCTV camera, or more. Because the video is sent over an Ethernet cable instead of traditional coaxial cable with NTSC, these higher video resolutions can be achieved. With HD resolution cameras, business owners can record from multiple cameras at high definition TV resolutions, delivering greater clarity with fewer cameras. These cameras can also help reduce the cost of cabling, by requiring only a single CAT-5 or CAT-6 Ethernet cable for each camera, and all cameras can connect to a PoE switch (with PoE compliant cameras), so that only 1 cable will have to run back to the NVR recorder. One limitation of these MegaPixel IP cameras has traditionally been the cost. Even though they have been available for years, many business owners have opted to select traditional CCTV cameras instead, because MegaPixel IP cameras can often cost $1000/camera or more. Now, advances in the MegaPixel IP camera technology has made these high definition IP cameras available even to smaller businesses with smaller budgets.