The effect of IP cameras is affected by many factors. The use of cameras in the market is already very extensive, but IP cameras have become one of the most popular cameras. So what is it affected by?
What factors affect the effect of IP cameras
1. Lens
The lens is the first checkpoint of video capture. The quality of the lens will naturally affect the effect of the video. Although there are many kinds of lenses, they have a great impact on the video effect. The price of the lens ranges from tens of yuan to tens of thousands of yuan. But in the surveillance field, it is unrealistic to buy a lens of tens of thousands of yuan, so basically the lenses on the market are almost the same. However, the impact of the focal length of the lens on the video effect is worth noting, which means that you should consider whether to choose a model with replaceable lens or whether to choose a zoom lens when buying a product. Having said that, I have to mention that zoom means that the focal length of the lens can be changed. Some IP cameras have the function of digital zooming. Digital zooming means that the video image can be magnified and it will not change the clarity of the image at all, which is of little value to the application of IP cameras. Especially customers should beware of disguised replacement of concept of some unprofessional sales staff or unscrupulous merchants.
2. Image sensor
This is a key factor that affects the effect of the video. At present, there are two kinds of CMOS and CCD image sensors on the market. In terms of imaging, the imaging permeability and sharpness of the CCD under the condition that the pixel is the same are very good, and the color rendition and exposure can be guaranteed to be basically accurate. While ordinary CMOS products are often weak in permeability and have weak color rendition capabilities (the color of the monitored object is quite different from the one seen on the monitor, or even the object is completely discolored), and the exposure is not very good. Due to its own physical characteristics, there is still a certain gap between the imaging quality of ordinary CMOS and CCD. CMOS video images have better artistic effects, just like people taking artistic photos. Everyone knows that artistic photos are beautiful but not realistic. People are usually confused by their artistic effects and ignore the importance of clarity and fidelity. In fact, these two points are very important in the monitoring industry.
3. Video compression algorithm (also called video compression format).
This is the most important key factor in an industrial IP camera, because it directly determines video clarity, video fluency, and video storage space. According to our experience in the industry for many years, this most important factor is always ignored by the sellers intentionally or unintentionally. The reason may be that the sellers themselves cannot tell the truth, or they want to sell seconds at best quality prices. But as a savvy buyer, you should understand this point clearly. Currently, the IP cameras on the market mainly have two video compression algorithms, H.264 and MPEG4. The former has stronger compression capability and less video loss, so it is clearer and smoother. The former can support a frame rate of 25 frames per second, and the latter generally can support the frame rate that does not exceed 10 frames per second. This means that the latter's video is incoherent and not real-time; because the MPEG4 compression rate is not enough, if the full real-time video is done, the code stream is too large, and it is difficult to see it remotely.
4. Image format
The image format determines the actual pixels of the video image. It is divided into DVD format, VGA (640*480) format and CIF (352*288) format. The DVD image formats include five kinds of image formats, D1 (720*576 interlaced scanning), D2 ( 1048*720), D3 (1920*1080 interlaced scanning), D4 (1280*720 progressive scanning) and D5 (1920*1080 progressive scanning). The mainstream currently on the market is D1. Now cameras with megapixels that support D3 and D4 are also on the market, but because they occupy too much bandwidth, they are not widely used.
Different image formats have different pixels and sizes of video file. If the image format is not the same, we cannot determine the pros and cons of an IP camera based on the size of the hard disk required for video. The image format of an IP camera can often be adjusted, which means that if your hard disk space is not large enough, but you need to record a video for a long time, you can reduce the image format to achieve this.
5. Frame rate
As we all know, any video file is composed of continuous pictures. A picture is called a frame. For example, a second video is composed of 25 continuous pictures, and the frame rate at this time is 25 frames per second. In the PAL format, video with 25 frames per second can perform very realistic actions. If it is less than 25 frames, the motion in the video will not be coherent enough. Therefore, the frame rate is very important in video surveillance. This parameter will be displayed on the video monitoring interface. This parameter is also avoided to talk about by many unprofessional salesmen. Everyone must pay attention to this factor when buying products, because the cost of the IP camera that can support 25 frames per second is also quite different from the cost of camera that cannot.
6. Dual stream
Some IP cameras are designed to support two video signals, the so-called dual stream. The advantage of dual stream is that using one stream to watch and another one to store can prevent network congestion more effectively than using only one stream for viewing and storage, so as to better ensure the smoothness of the video on the effective network bandwidth.
7. Front-end storage
Some IP cameras have SD card slots or USB mobile storage interfaces, which we call front-end storage. Front-end storage is often used in monitoring environments with insufficient bandwidth. In some environments, it is inconvenient to install broadband. Using the front-end storage function to save the surveillance video so as to achieve a certain surveillance effect is also an applicable method.
8. Product line
In most large surveillance systems, multiple models of products are often used, because the current video management software of various manufacturers is difficult to be compatible with IP cameras of other brands. Therefore, when we are choosing a brand for the monitoring system, it is necessary to consider whether the brand has a rich product line to meet the needs of various environments, as well as great system resolution capabilities. For example, whether the products support infrared, WIFI wireless, POE, fiber access, PTZ, zoom, and whether there is a video server so that it can be combined with some special analog cameras, and whether there is a video decoder that can be connected to the TV wall, etc.
9. Software functions
Most surveillance systems need to be managed centrally, so whether the video management software is powerful and whether the interface is user-friendly are also issues that must be considered during product selection. There are many functional modules of management software. Therefore, the evaluation of the pros and cons of video management software requires comprehensive consideration. A certain function cannot be exaggerated or ignored. The selection must be based on actual needs.
In addition to the above nine items, functions such as infrared night vision, ultra-low illumination, wide dynamic range, and strong light suppression are also some of the important parameters of IP cameras. In summary, the selection of IP cameras requires certain professional knowledge and patience. Don't choose the expensive one, just choose the right one. I hope you can choose your own suitable IP camera.
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