Most new CCTV installations in Northern Ireland use IP cameras. Analogue cameras are still around, particularly in older systems, but they are rarely the right choice for a new installation today. Understanding the difference helps you make a sensible decision when replacing an old system or installing a new one.
How Analogue CCTV Works
Analogue cameras send a video signal along a coaxial cable to a Digital Video Recorder (DVR). The DVR converts the analogue signal to digital format and stores it. Each camera needs its own coaxial cable run back to the DVR.
Analogue systems were the standard for many years and are well understood. Older systems installed in the 2000s and early 2010s in Northern Ireland offices, shops and farms are predominantly analogue.
How IP CCTV Works
IP (Internet Protocol) cameras connect to a standard network switch using Cat5e or Cat6 ethernet cable, the same cabling used for computers and Wi-Fi access points. The camera sends digital video data over the network to a Network Video Recorder (NVR), or to cloud storage.
PoE (Power over Ethernet) switches supply both data and power through the same cable, eliminating the need for a separate power supply at each camera location. This simplifies installation considerably.
Key Differences
Image quality
This is the most significant practical difference. Analogue cameras are limited in resolution. Even modern HD-CVI and HD-TVI analogue cameras top out at around 8MP (4K), and most installed analogue systems are considerably lower resolution than this.
IP cameras routinely offer 4MP, 8MP and higher resolution, with better low-light performance and wider dynamic range. For a business that needs to identify a person's face, read a vehicle registration plate at a distance, or review footage taken in poor lighting, IP cameras provide usable images where analogue often does not.
Cabling
Analogue uses coaxial cable. IP uses Cat5e or Cat6. If you already have coaxial cabling from an existing analogue system, it may be possible to reuse it with an HD analogue upgrade (HD-CVI, HD-TVI or AHD systems). If you are starting from scratch, Cat6 is more flexible, cheaper per metre, and the same cable type used for the rest of your network.
Remote viewing
IP cameras connect directly to your network. Remote viewing is set up by connecting the NVR to the internet via your router or by using manufacturer cloud services. Modern IP NVR systems make remote viewing straightforward to configure.
Analogue DVR systems can also support remote viewing, but the setup is typically more cumbersome and the image quality is limited by the analogue resolution.
Network integration and security
Because IP cameras are network devices, they can be placed on a dedicated VLAN that isolates them from other business devices. This is standard practice in a properly installed business CCTV system: cameras can reach the NVR and the internet for remote viewing, but cannot communicate with staff laptops, servers or other business equipment.
Analogue systems do not connect to the network directly, which limits some attack vectors but also limits the system's capabilities.
Scalability
Adding cameras to an IP system is straightforward: add a PoE switch port and run a Cat6 cable. Adding cameras to an analogue system requires running a new coaxial cable to the DVR for each camera, and the DVR must have a spare input. IP systems are generally easier and cheaper to expand.
When Analogue Still Makes Sense
If you have an existing analogue system with coaxial cabling already in place, upgrading to HD analogue cameras (rather than replacing the entire cabling infrastructure) can be a cost-effective short-term option. HD-CVI and HD-TVI cameras can deliver better resolution than older analogue cameras while reusing existing coaxial cable runs.
This is a practical choice for businesses that want improved image quality without the disruption of full re-cabling, or as a temporary measure before a planned IP system installation.
For New Installations in Northern Ireland
For any new CCTV installation, IP cameras are the right choice in almost every case. Better image quality, simpler cabling, easier remote access, better network integration and greater flexibility when expanding the system all point in the same direction.
The main exception is where coaxial cabling is already installed and the budget is limited. In that situation, an HD analogue upgrade may be the most practical option.
Get Advice on Your CCTV System
Whether you are replacing an old analogue system or installing CCTV for the first time, we can advise on the right approach for your site. Free surveys across all of Northern Ireland.