As technology has advanced, there are now a lot of options available to power your surveillance system. Whether they are wired or wireless forms of IP cameras, there are many ways to go about finding the right way to power them up and make sure that they will be functional in your IP camera setup. Local Area Network based systems can be powered by conventional AC/ DC adapters or even batteries. There are also a number of environmentally friendly alternatives that you might want to consider when looking for ways to power up your network from your network.

Home or business security cameras may need to be powered by one of a variety of feeds such as audio/video coax, power over Ethernet cables, connect via AC to DC power plug, or standard wire feed with multiple-outlet extension cords. In this article, we’re going to talk about how many different methods exist for supplying power to an IP camera so that you’ll be better equipped with the information needed when designing and installing your IP camera system.

There are two categories for the supply of power as follow:

1. Power generating equipment
2. Power over Ethernet

1.    Power Generating Equipment

DC Power Supply

The kinds of power supply options available to you will be dependent on the type of security camera you’re using. For example, outdoor cameras are often mounted far from an electrical outlet and therefore require long cables in order to reach the nearest wall socket. If PoE (Power over Ethernet) isn’t a possibility for your specific hardwired security camera or one with a dedicated DC port, then you may have only one other option at your disposal——direct current power.

This is supplied by DC adapters that come with just about every security camera purchase and gadgets like car chargers work just as well as long as they provide 5V of DC power or 12 V DC power depending on what kind of device you’re plugging in!

Use the Right 12V DC Power Supply

Powering a security camera is very important and will likely determine whether or not you’ll have monitoring capabilities, especially if you are using wireless cameras. Security cameras should be hard-wired due to the stability of power supply since wireless connections tend to be much more susceptible to interference and interruptions. When it comes to figuring out the right kind of power supply: labeling is key when making sure that what type of wire connector each end has. For instance, a 12 Volt DC power supply with center positive connectors would require your camera to have a 12V DC power outlet with center positive connections. Incorrect wire connectors could potentially damage your equipment, so make sure that both ends match!

AC Power Supply

As an application developer who has already gained some experience, you will likely be working with high-capacity cameras that require a power supply other than DC. Typically, these are the larger PTZ models and they tend to require AC power via 24V AC adapters or direct 220V AC.

Fortunately, the adapters distributed by high-end manufacturers tend to include a small step-down transformer so as not to shock the operator by delivering an electric current exceeding what the equipment requires. This is highly advantageous for those working in close proximity to these large cameras because if anyone should accidentally trip over one of the cables then there would likely be a result that is hazardous to both human life and equipment.

One way some cameras with AC power can be connected wirelessly is by the use of Power over Ethernet (PoE), a popularly used method which uses your switch to share an Ethernet connection in order to communicate power demand info back and forth to your camera. Both wired and wireless technologies have their efficiency rates, so ultimately you will have collectively with your team of experts to decide what solution would work best for you.

Battery

One issue that most people run into with them is the fact that they have rechargeable batteries, but as long as you’re aware of that before going in, it shouldn’t be much of an issue later on. The major drawback of these cameras, other than the lack of 24/7 footage, is having to regularly climb a tall ladder to remove the battery, charge it and then reload minutes later. These camera will enter the deep sleep mode while there no objects moving in front of the camera. Basically the camera will go into deep sleep until it detects the movement. Most of these cameras do not require a home server and instead use cloud storage or a local storage drive such as an SD card. The battery life of these devices varies according to the settings and activity levels. However, on average, you will be able to squeeze in more than 30 days of battery life from many well-known wireless cameras.

Before deciding whether the wireless option is best for you, it’s important to take into consideration the motion sensor’s accuracy, image quality of each camera, storage options in terms of where footage will be stored on a remote cloud service or locally on an SD memory card, and necessary accessories such as a built-in solar panel.

Solar Power

Wireless outdoor cameras are especially suited for use in remote areas that are not accessible through the outlets of traditional power sources. The solar PV unit provides solar power generation by converting the energy of the sun, which means that users don’t have to expend money on expensive and bulky batteries or electrical wires.

The camera device connects to a battery but no the solar panel directly. There is always solar charge controller in the solar panel power system. The solar charge controller will control the charge processing as well as the power discharge to the camera. The still can be working when it’s cloudy out, at night if it’s an infrared camera or during the early morning/late evening hours when the sun is low in the sky as long as you have equipped large enough batteries.

2.    Power Over Ethernet (PoE)

The most convenient way to wire up an IP camera is over ethernet in combination with Power over Ethernet (PoE). These systems transmit power and data on one cable, eliminating the need for a separate DC wire/adapter. Ethernet ports are not the same as PoE ports. Plugging a Ethernet cable into any standard Ethernet port won’t make anything happen. A device needs to have a specific type of Ethernet port that can support powering right through it. Most older cameras don’t have these, so check the specs if you’re shopping for devices!

To determine whether your existing camera supports PoE or not, look for a label that reads “PoE In” under the camera’s Ethernet port. If you cannot locate the label, there is another way to tell if your device is compatible——some newer cameras offer both PoE and DC options, while older cameras with Ethernet and DC ports may not offer PoE support.

You can use PoE splitter if your camera doesn’t support PoE to transmit power and data. You will have to use PoE injectors and splitters to combine the power and data signal at the injector and split the power into two powerlines at the camera’s end using a  splitter. This method eliminates the need to carry a secondary power wire to the camera’s location, or it might help you when placed cameras outdoor because there aren’t any nearby electric lines.

If your camera supports PoE, there’s good news. Unfortunately, this is only half of a successful setup. You need to be sure that the NVR can also support PoE ports or else you’ll need an additional piece of equipment called a PSE (Power supply equipment) such as PoE switch in order to pump power over the network cables and into the IP cameras.

Lastly, one last thing to note when setting up PoE is knowing the power budget your PoE cameras need. Some IP cameras may need upwards of 30W. Since more often than not, this requirement won’t be met by a single port of PoE on any given NVR, a much more powerful solution will have to be employed new PoE++ solution for the camera itself.

Does IP Camera Work When Power Is Out?

This is a matter that can easily be decided on. Wireless and wired cameras have this in common: they depend on electricity. If there’s no power, you won’t be able to use them. Battery-powered and solar-powered wire-free cameras are a little different though——but only in certain cases. For example, they might be able to transmit data through the computer cables plugged into the network’s nodes when there’s no electricity available. This type of camera would not require an electric power supply, so it would still work even without current.

Conclusion

When picking out a new IP camera, there are many ways to power up the unit. You can go with the plug-and-play security cameras that have all of the functionality you need built into their plugs. Alternatively, you could go for a DIY-intensive route and install cameras with dedicated wall sockets or power supply units, or maybe go PoE switch for a little less electrical work. The choice to pick which type of solution suits your needs best is going to vary depending on what kind of user you are, so if you’re interested in getting some power for your security camera units, either way may be suitable for you.

A Network Video Recorder (NVR) is a complete IP video surveillance system that uses dedicated hardware for video capture. It records video, audio, and saves it to the recording medium such as a hard drive. You can playback footage on the NVR later. You also can access live video and images from the NVR.

NVRs are seen as the successor to digital video capture cards. As NVRs offer more flexibility, such as remote management over the Internet. They come with other benefits, including better viewing and recognition of faces and license plates.

How NVR Camera Systems Work?

There are three components in an NVR camera system: a network, cameras, and NVRs. All of these parts work together to function as one system.

Network video recorder systems are newer than the traditional security camera system. The benefits of recording and storing digital data which is more convenient than an analog Digital Video Recorder system (DVR), is what makes these systems so popular.

An NVR system consists of IP cameras that encode and transfer video footage over a WiFi or wired connection to the recorder. In a wireless network, the camera still needs to be connected to a power source, and video is transferred over WiFi. The wireless camera is NOT a wired-free camera. In a wired camera system, the power and video can be transmitted over one single cable by using the PoE (Power Over Ethernet) technology.

Let’s take a look at how three components of an NVR camera system work together

NVRs: Video is received over the network in the form of data, and is stored for later review. The NVR comprises corresponding Ethernet ports which can connect to multiple IP cameras on one side.

Cameras: The camera captures the image and digitalized it before it sends it to an NVR. In general, an IP camera must connect to the NVR via either Ethernet or Wi-Fi, although wired connections give a more reliable video feed than wireless.

Network connection: If you have a wired Ethernet connection, use an Ethernet cable to connect it to the NVR. For a wireless connection, you will need to configure your settings on the IP camera. As there is no screen to input the WiFi password like on your mobile phone, the connection could become a mess, especially if you are working with a WiFi mesh network.

What Are the Types of NVRs?

Network video recorders can be generally classified by whether they have PoE ports or not.

PoE NVR: This type of NVR has a PoE switch integrated into the box. All the cameras will be attached to the PoE ports at the rear of the NVR, and the NVR can provide both power and data exchange with all the cameras at the edge. The camera needs to be PoE compatible, there is no need for a power source present at each of the IP cameras.

Non-PoE NVR: A non-PoE NVR does not have any ports for cameras to plug into on the back panel and instead requires a separate power adapter for cameras to function. However, this can be solved with an independent PoE switch to supply the power and data exchange to each of the cameras.

According to the number of channels:

The number of channels of NVRs can be divided into 4, 8, 16, or 32, 64. These channels refer to the number of supported cameras. If you are just building a basic video surveillance system, 4 or 8 channels will be enough. They are the best option for homes, retail stores, or small office applications. 16 channels are better for large buildings and factories. If you need more devices, but also need to consider budget constraints, 32 channels are recommended.

Features of NVR Systems

There are many features of NVR systems, Some of them are listed below.

• NVR systems can record both video and audio.

• This leads to improved image quality over CCTV cameras.

• NVR systems provide higher image quality than traditional DVRs

• multiple lenses IP camera lets you cover more areas with a panoramic view.

• NVR can be wired or wireless.

• You just need only one cable for the video, audio, and power.

• NVR systems have the ability to identify faces, license plates, etc. due to high image quality.

Let’s answer some of the command questions below.

Will there be a video lag on an NVR camera system?

No lag should not be experienced on an IP camera system if the installation is correct. You will need to make sure that your NVR supports the cameras you want to connect, and it can handle the bandwidth and video quality. That being said, there may be some small lag in a properly designed network, but it should be minimal (0.5s or 1s). If you notice any lag after that, inspect your network for any bandwidth bottlenecks.

Does an NVR system consume more bandwidth than a DVR system?

The answer is that it doesn’t matter much, as long as the system is aware of all the recordings and saves. An NVR with a built-in PoE will have each camera connected to the back of the NVR, so the network stays unaffected. External PoE switches that are placed on a separate network will not affect the network at all.

Moreover, remember that NVR systems do not need to use the internet to save and store footage. You’ll only consume bandwidth when you connect to these systems remotely using your phone or computer——which really doesn’t matter since both systems use similar amounts of bandwidth. Additionally, these systems will only use substream mode when being accessed remotely, which has a lower bandwidth than mainstream mode.

What Cable Do I Need for a Network Video Recorder?

When it comes to wiring a PoE camera to the back of an NVR or PoE switch, Ethernet cabling is a good option. It provides power, audio, and video over one cable. Ethernet cabling comes in different standards. We recommend using CAT5e or CAT6. If you are getting the long run, it is important to choose the 100% pure copper-made cable. The CCA-type Ethernet cable causes serious power loss. The distance between the camera and PoE NVR is limited to 100 328ft (100 meters). You will need a PoE extender to extend the distance beyond 100 meters.

Can NVR Work Without Internet?

An NVR can be used without connecting it to an internet connection. However, NVRs offer features like remote viewing, and not being connected to the internet can make these features unavailable.

The recorder will still store video content, but you’ll have to watch at the site of the NVR which may defeat the point of having installed an NVR.

Surveillance systems have become an important requisite for commercial and residential areas. They play a vital role in numerous applications, including crime prevention, personal privacy, and more. A video surveillance system is needed to keep your business safe and secure. With different security systems out there with different types of cameras and equipment, it’s hard to choose the right surveillance system.

When choosing between a network video recorder (NVR) and a digital video recorder (DVR), think about what you need the system for and which type of camera will work best. Keep in mind that both types of devices are becoming increasingly popular. This article discusses NVRs and DVRs in detail.

What’s the Main Difference Between NVR vs DVR Systems?

Apart from the storage differences, the main difference between an NVR and DVR is in their processing of raw video data. DVRs process data at the recorder, while NVRs encode and process data at the camera before transmitting it to the recorder for storage and remote viewing. Unless they’ve been reconfigured, DVR systems connect to an analog CCTV system through coaxial cables, while NVRs communicate with IP cameras over Ethernet or WiFi.

NVR Systems——The Basics & Components

NVR stands for Network Video Recorder. It’s a computer system that includes a software program for recording video in a digital format to storage devices such as disks, USB flash drives, SD memory cards, and more. It’s more flexible than DVR systems. Here are the components required to set up an NVR system:

IP Cameras-NVRs work with IP cameras, including PoE (Power over Ethernet) cameras and WiFi cameras. Both types of cameras can process their raw video data to digital signals and transmit it to the NVR to be saved. PoE cameras are convenient because you only need to run one cable between the camera and the NVR.

WiFi IP cameras-The second type is a wireless camera that can be connected to the NVR through a WiFi router or network. They are not difficult to set up, which is an advantage because they don‘t require wiring. On the other hand, their reliability is reduced by the reliance on a stable connection. Just remember the WiFi IP camera still needs a power source. It is not a wire-free camera with a battery built-in.

Each type offers different pros and cons, which will be explained in a bit. Regardless of the type you choose, it is important to make sure the recorder supports the manufacturer of the camera you’re buying.

Ethernet Cables-Ethernet cables are what are used to connect a PoE camera to the back of an NVR. They provide video, audio, and power. Cat5e or Cat6 cables are recommended, and they typically shouldn’t be run more than 328 feet (100 meters). But if you need to extend the distance, the PoE extender is a handy tool to go for, You can extend PoE up to 1500ft (500 meters).

NVR recorder-Video is encoded before it reaches the recorder, which means that the NVR recorder only really does recording and storage.

NVR Camera Systems——Pros & Cons

NVR Pros:

• The PoE camera system allow single Ethernet cable to send power both and data to the IP camera. No need for power source present at the edge.
• Wireless installation is almost always possible with minimal wiring.
• The NVR system can work with WiFi and PoE wired IP cameras, which allows for greater camera placement freedom.
• The system is capable of working with cameras that provide better resolutions or other features such as human shape detection.
• The hybrid NVR system can also use analog video from a camera and turn it into digital data, which gives the system more efficient.
• The data can also be given extra protection by encrypting it.

NVR Cons:

• Overall, an NVR video surveillance system is more expensive.
• Learning the software for NVR video surveillance systems can take some time for beginners.
• Slow internet speed can make the technology difficult to use.

DVR Systems——The Basics & Components

DVR systems are designed to record videos in digital format. They are cheaper than NVR security systems, and this is one of the advantages of DVR systems, especially for small or domestic applications. A DVR system can’t store as much data as an NVR system, so it’s not the first option for large and industrial applications.

Analog Cameras-Analog security cameras are typically used in DVR systems. NVR systems are generally more expensive due to the camera, which typically transmits video data. While DVR security systems are less expensive and complicated.

Coaxial Cables-Data transmission is mostly done over coaxial cables. But due to their limitations, coaxial cable is not the best form of transmission when it comes to power supply devices on the same line. A separate cable needs to be used to carry electrical signals. Coaxial cables are sturdier and thicker than Ethernet cables, making installation a bit of a challenge. Audio is another limitation, as the standard coaxial cable may not support audio transmission.

Coaxial cables don’t provide power, so you need to install the analog camera near an outlet. If your property has a coaxial connection from a previous system, that cable can be re-used.

Standard coax cables won’t carry audio. A variant with an added RCA connection is needed, but even those have a limited number of audio input ports, and only a few cameras will be able to record audio.

The image quality on standard coax cables starts to degrade at around 300ft/90m, which might be enough for some applications, but not others.

DVR Camera Systems——Pros & Cons

DVR Pros:

• Low cost, easy to use option for businesses with low bandwidth internet connection.

• Great for small businesses in need of security surveillance.

• Easy to operate, requires no special expertise.

DVR Cons:

• The biggest disadvantage of the DVR is lower image quality. As the video is being encoded after it reaches the DVR. There is signal loss during the transmission of the analog video.

• It requires more cables and wires because there is a need for a separate power source, which means if any of the cable disconnects, you lose your streaming.

• DVR systems typically cover less area than IP cameras in the exact location.

• The number of features and flexibility is lesser than that of an NVR system.

• Audio recording on the NVR is limited to a specific channel.

DVR vs NVR——Which One to Choose?

When it comes to choosing between a DVR system and an NVR system, there are many factors at play. DVR systems are typically cheaper, which is why they’re more popular with smaller companies. They also take less bandwidth and have better signal stability, which makes them more reliable than an NVR solution. However, they don’t offer as good sound quality or image quality as a standalone NVR system.

NVR systems offer better image quality and system flexibility, which can be hard to come by when using a DVR system. While these systems cost more in the long run, you’ll at least have an excellent resolution of what you’re looking at. Plus, you can put IP cameras anywhere without having to worry about the cable running too far up into the walls or ceiling.

Ultimately, there is no “best” system for everyone. If you don’t need top-of-the-line image quality and have low bandwidth usage, you might want to consider a DVR unit. But if you have higher bandwidth usage and want more features than a simple DVR recorder then an NVR option might be better for you.

To start with the topic, let’s make clear the definition between PoE IP camera and analog camera. PoE IP camera, also called IP camera, is a digital video camera. It receives data over the Internet through Ethernet cable. Every IP camera has its own IP address in order to connect to network to transfer images. Analog camera captures analog video image and transfers it with coax cable. The analog camera needs to convert the video to analog so that video can be received by analog devices.

Actually the comparison of IP camera and analog camera is the comparison of the traditional and new technology.

4 main differences of these two cameras will be discussed in the following.

• Video Quality.

Undoubtedly, IP camera has higher video quality than analog camera. It offers wide or narrow field of view and better zoom-in capability. Since it uses digital signal to transmit the video, it can recognize the faces and numbers clearly. Compared with IP camera, analog camera has a overall lower video quality. Zoom-in capability doesn’t exist in the camera and the site range is limited. Not to mention the facial and number recognition.

• Distance

IP camera has 100 meters distance limitation with Ethernet cable. Because the IP camera sends digital image, the clarity of the image will be 100% percent maintained and sent back to NVR. Analog camera can be set up to 300 meters over coax cable. Although analog connection is longer, the clarity will lose as the distance increases.

• Cost

 Building up IP camera system is expensive. The cost of IP cameras is higher than analog cameras.

• PoE capability

 IP camera can be powered by twisted Ethernet cable instead of running the electrical wire. But analog camera is not PoE-supported.

Except for the different features below, PoE IP camera and analog camera are powered and connected to different devices. IP camera needs to be linked to Network Video Recorder(NVR) to record videos down. There is a product called PoE NVR which can provide both power and network solutions to cameras. To build the NVR system Cat 5e/Cat 6 Ethernet cable should be applied to transmit data. Besides, IP camera is not necessary to link directly to the NVR. As the camera is on the same network that connects to the NVR, the videos can be recorded down. However, analog camera can only be connected to Digital Video Recorder(DVR). Analog cameras connect to the DVR via the coaxial cable. In the DVR system, power will not be sent directly to cameras. So, if you choose to use the DVR system, you have to solve the problem of power.

Generally speaking, IP camera and analog camera has its own pros and cons. Hope this article would give you some tips on choosing the camera system. Click here to learn more about the differences between DVR and PoE NVR.   Click here to know how to Set up Home IP Camera System with Power over Ethernet.