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Top 10 myths about network video

The Top 10 Myths about Network Video
The IP-Surveillance solution shatters misperceptions surrounding networked video

By Fredrik Nilsson, General Manager, Axis Communications U.S. Inc.

Myth #7: Transferring all that video data over my network will overload it, making this an unworkable technology

Reality: If you will only have a few cameras, then an existing Fast Ethernet (100 Mbit) office network will normally meet any transmission demands. For comparison, a typical single network camera video feed is 0.2 to 2.0 Mbps depending on compression, size and frame rate.

For any larger deployment of network cameras and video servers, we recommend a separate network for the video. Think of it as similar to rail transportation—once the existing track becomes too congested, you simply build another set of tracks. For enterprise size, your local network core would probably be running at Gigabit Ethernet. With today's network switches and routers, separating networks is easy. In addition, other specific steps can be taken to ensure that IP-Surveillance technology can be integrated into an organization's operations and will not tax the network.

Additionally, because of the local intelligence inside a network camera, the camera can actually decide which frame rate to send over the network based on events, motion, time of day, etc. So in many cases the camera will only send video over the network if the video is worth recording, which might only be 10% of the time. Ninety percent of the time nothing is being transferred over the network.

Myth #8:
Transmitting video for security purposes over an IP network is not secure.

Top 10 myths

What is IP-Surveillance?
Why misperceptions about IP-Surveillance technology?

Myth #1:
DVRs are the latest, greatest CCTV security technology

Myth #2:
IP technology is unproven. If it's better, why aren't security solution providers selling more?

Myth #3:
IP-Surveillance cannot meet the demands of enterprise level applications.

Myth #4:
Networked video image quality is not as good as analog.

Myth #5:
Network cameras cost more than analog cameras, making IP-Surveillance too expensive.

Myth #6:
If I already have analog cameras installed, IP-Surveillance isn't an option because I need a DVR.

Myth #7:
Transferring all that video data over my network will overload it, making this an unworkable technology.

Myth #8:
Transmitting video for security purposes over an IP network is not secure.

Myth #9:
IP-Surveillance is less reliable than alternative technologies; for instance, the network go down.

Myth #10:
IP-Surveillance is still five years away.

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