Anlogue vs HD-SDI vs IP

A common question always asked is which is best between Analogue, HD-SDI and IP.

IP Systems

The overall answer is IP for its image quality,scale-ability and potential for future product development . That being said it is by far the most expensive and the set up has been traditionally more difficult for DIYers withou an IT background as some knowledge of networking is required. However, there are some plug and play IP camera systems available as seen in the video clip below. It must be noted that such systems are not scaleable and does not have a high build quality.If you're on a budget or live in a small apartment or townhouse a DIY package may be sufficient.Alternatively for larger applications a scaleable, Onvif compliant system. If you can afford it .....go for it!!!!!

HD-SDI

As mentioned in my earlier post HD-SDI falls between Analogue and IP systems. It main benefits is that it is easier to upgrade to a HD-SDI from an Analogue system as any existing analogue wiring can be re-used. The image quality is also quite comparable to lower quality IP cameras. This is a cost effective option if you require an entire analogue chang eout but please note that IP will still out perform HD-SDI. A better option may be a Hybrid NVR.




Here's a little more on HD-SDI Systems

Analogue

Cheapo, outdated and poor image quality are usually used to describe these systems!! Yes that may be true but these are the most sold DIY systems currently. They are easy to set up and very cheap.The highest quality analogue quality analogue camera will be out performed by the lowest quality IP camera. This is for the budget minded  first time consumer. The following video link looks at some of the short comings of an Analogue system versus an HD-SDI system.

Image quality compared IP vs Analog