We often get asked, “What’s the best security camera?” That question, as with most computer related questions, has different answers based on the customer needs. This article will describe basic options for network security cameras. A second article will cover other available camera options.
An important feature for network security cameras is resolution. Camera resolution is measured in pixels, specifically megapixels (MP). A megapixel is a rounded number found by multiplying the total number of horizontal pixels by the total number of vertical pixels. For example a 1920×1080 image is 2,073,600 pixels, which is rounded to 2 MP. The higher the MPs the better the image, but the larger the file size. You will need to balance resolution with file size, so you can have nice quality images if you want to store a few days’ worth of video. Almost all cameras allow their resolution to be adjusted.
Color depth is also very important. The deeper the color the better the image, and as you may have guessed, the larger the file size. Color depth is measured in bits. 8 bit color is 256 colors, 32 bit color is 68,719,476,736 colors. For most situations anything under 24 bit color will suffice. Also know, black and white (or grayscale) is even better for file size, but it is not recommended because one can identify features better in color.
Frame rate is another important feature. Frame rate is measured in frames per second. Most TV shows and movies and games are displayed at 24 to 30 frames per second. Generally 15 frames per second will suffice. We do not recommend anything lower than 8 frames per second, but we know of situations that 1 frame per second will suffice. The more frames per second the larger the file size.
With resolution, color depth and frame rate, your situation and preference will dictate the settings you use. We highly recommend purchasing the largest hard drive(s) if you intend to store your video. The more storage you have, the more recordings you can keep and the better the settings you can use.
The second part of this article is located here. (Will be posted 08/25/14) If you have any questions about this article feel free to contact us.
Network security cameras – part i
We often get asked, “What’s the best security camera?” That question, as with most computer related questions, has different answers based on the customer needs. This article will describe basic options for network security cameras. A second article will cover other available camera options.
An important feature for network security cameras is resolution. Camera resolution is measured in pixels, specifically megapixels (MP). A megapixel is a rounded number found by multiplying the total number of horizontal pixels by the total number of vertical pixels. For example a 1920×1080 image is 2,073,600 pixels, which is rounded to 2 MP. The higher the MPs the better the image, but the larger the file size. You will need to balance resolution with file size, so you can have nice quality images if you want to store a few days’ worth of video. Almost all cameras allow their resolution to be adjusted.
Color depth is also very important. The deeper the color the better the image, and as you may have guessed, the larger the file size. Color depth is measured in bits. 8 bit color is 256 colors, 32 bit color is 68,719,476,736 colors. For most situations anything under 24 bit color will suffice. Also know, black and white (or grayscale) is even better for file size, but it is not recommended because one can identify features better in color.
Frame rate is another important feature. Frame rate is measured in frames per second. Most TV shows and movies and games are displayed at 24 to 30 frames per second. Generally 15 frames per second will suffice. We do not recommend anything lower than 8 frames per second, but we know of situations that 1 frame per second will suffice. The more frames per second the larger the file size.
With resolution, color depth and frame rate, your situation and preference will dictate the settings you use. We highly recommend purchasing the largest hard drive(s) if you intend to store your video. The more storage you have, the more recordings you can keep and the better the settings you can use.
The second part of this article is located here. (Will be posted 08/25/14) If you have any questions about this article feel free to contact us.
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