What is analog versus IP video?
It may be hard to believe, but as per the question about cameras above, when the CCD captures the image, at this very point it is in fact digital video. So why do we convert it to analog for transmission to the head-end? Why not just convert it to Ethernet and stream it over the network? A simple answer- COST. The least expensive way to get the video from the camera to the monitor or recorder WAS to convert it to a composite image and send it on RG59U coaxial cable. The monitor and the VCR were both analog devices. Things have changed, but not all the way yet. So we started to take that same initial camera image (digital) and run it through an on camera 15 bit processor. Then we convert it to an analog signal and transmit to the head-end. Why? Again, COST. Now we take that same composite analog signal, run it into a DVR, which turns it back into digital format for storage on hard drives, viewing on VGA monitors and remote viewing over the Internet (invented by Al Gore for this specific
