Why Can't I Have Wireless Security Cameras?

This question comes up from time to time, especially in the residential and small business market.

The conversation usually goes something like;

Customer: “And id like 2 cameras here, and I want them to be wireless” .....

Me: “Well, um, there are no real wireless solutions out there”

Customer: “oh, but I can get other things wireless, wont it make it cheaper?”

Me: “well, yes, but battery technology is not quite there yet, and if you need to run power cables to your camera, you might as well run one cable for both power and signal”

Customer: “ohhh. ok... “

Its probably best from here to outline the key technologies in the security camera market. (Article continued after video) 

Standard Definition (Analog) Cameras & Digital Video Recorders (DVR's)

Standard Definition Cameras & DVRs is what most of the market currently use.

These systems have 'evolved' from the old VCR based old-school systems. And like a lot of technologies that evolve, manufacturers strech the technology until

they hit certain brick walls – as has happened with analog cameras. But, there's one fantastic thing about having a system that is mature and standards based - and that is you can use cameras, accessories and DVRs from a massive slew of suppliers. And this is where you might see the use of wireless product – as a way of transmitting a video signal from one point to another.

These wireless transmitters are often built into some hobbyist type cameras, but they have a few key limitations that make them unsuitable for most situations:

Range: in the real world, these units tend to be impacted by structures and interference, so they tend to do a maximum of around 100m.

Resolution: wireless transmission in this form tends to reduce image clarity – something most people are not too happy to compromise on.

Still Needs Power: these units still typically need power. This needs to be cabled, and if your going to cable power, you might as well cable a single CAT5 cable that carries both power and signal.

There is of course a place for wireless transmitters such as these, but they are limited to wireless links and bridging, and very specific scenarios that call for this type of solution. Not really usable in a typical installation environment.

High Definition (HD-SDI) Cameras & HD Digital Video Recorders (HD-DVR's)

HD-SDI systems are the new kid on the block, and are really considered high performance systems.

There are no native wireless solutions for these kinds of systems, and cameras still need a direct cable link back to the DVR.

These systems have similar cabling structures as Analog DVR systems, but being HD-SDI, at this time there are no commercially available wireless SDI transmitters available.

I would expect its something that would not be common in the future either – considering density of these images.

There are only so many frequencies that can be used for consumer grade products, and the key issues of Range, Resolution, and still needing a power source would become more of a prevalent issue with the higher end products.

IP Cameras & Network Video Recorders (NVR's)

IP cameras and NVR's have a slightly different cabling structure than the above systems, in that each camera, and the recorder (NVR) have independent network links to an IP LAN.

So yes, you could use WiFi 2.4ghz IP based products in conjunction with IP Cameras. This overcomes the image quality issue to a large extent – as images converted to IP packets tend not to loose as much quality as their analog couterparts.

Range can also be improved somewhat, but its still an issue – like any wifi network.

However, the ever present requirement of constant power still remains. Combine that with the more intense processors that are in IP products, and these cameras certainly chew their fair share of power.

Snapshot Cameras

These are your typical Ebay/Jaycar solutions that are one piece, often have SD card for storage, and batteries built in.

These units can sometimes have GSM/3G options to send you a MMS/Email if theres any movement.

Batteries can last for around a week – thats based on a unit I have tested.

A week is pretty good – actually. But heres the thing – cameras are usually a set and forget. Only if theres an incident do you then want to retrieve the footage.

Imagine changing or charging batteries on a weekly basis, for multiple cameras.

At the same time – these cameras typically are low resolution, and tend to store only snapshots, not actual video.

And then you really need the GSM/3G version for them to be of any use. That means a sim card PER camera, and movement tends to cause these units to send a MMS – which adds up.

So, great to catch that rare creature in the woods, but not so great for any urban installation.

Nothing beats Hardwired!

Well, not yet. Im sure that technology, if it keeps going at this pace, will solve these problems. In-fact, I am always on the lookout for any supplier that can bring some innovation, big or small to our field.

The trend is definitely to more personal, portable solutions – theres no question there, and that why the adoption of smart phones has been explosive.

And isnt that what people really want? And all the professional grade solutions, even the analog systems, offer remote view of all your cameras, via 3G, from your smartphone.

Just like a base-station needs to be pinned down to the ground, for the foreseeable future, a good, professional camera system will have to be hardwired.