In most instances today, and the foreseeable future, systems integrators and end-users who wish to make the transition to a networked-based system begin with the deployment of cameras – usually in remote areas such as a parking facility or satellite location that may or may not be part of an existing network infrastructure. Cameras operating on a network are truly digital by definition. Digital signals being transmitted from a camera’s output across a network do not undergo any analog-to-digital conversion. Hence, there is little to no concern about signal loss down the systems’ chain as video signals are processed and eventually recorded. This presents a significant performance advantage over conventional analog-based systems products.
Ease of transmission and camera access are two other important operational benefits. Cameras can be accessed by their assigned addresses on an Ethernet-based LAN (large area network) or WAN (wide are network) in most cases using a standard Internet browser – just as you would access your favorite Web sites by their URL. This provides system designers with many different options when establishing the control and access parameters for a video surveillance system, especially in the areas of software-based control and digital video recording.