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| End users should consider the cost of an entire surveillance system rather than the cost of a single megapixel camera |
Are megapixel surveillance cameras more expensive than conventional cameras? Yes, if one were to believe a common misconception in the security industry. But, to get a clear picture of the reality, one should consider the cost of an entire video surveillance system rather than evaluating the cost of a single megapixel camera. A holistic evaluation of the cost versus benefit clearly indicates the cost-effectiveness and better ROI that a megapixel camera system provides, says Scott Schafer, Executive Vice President of Arecont Vision, a leading maker of network megapixel surveillance cameras.
Megapixel cameras provide superior performance and imaging capabilities versus analog and standard definition IP cameras and are field-proven to deliver the most cost-effective video surveillance solutions. In comparison, analog and standard definition IP cameras -while relatively less expensive than megapixel cameras- work out to be costlier when considering the cost of the complete surveillance system. The truth is that analog and standard IP cameras provide a weaker value proposition and a poor return on investment (ROI).
Buying Cameras or Results?
When end user customers buy cameras, what they are really purchasing is the ability to view surveillance video that effectively achieves the goals of the application. They need video cameras that provide facial identification, recognize license plates and capture numbers from shipping crates. End users also need video cameras that capture images of activity in retail stores, bank branches, company or government facilities or at borders, airports or ports. They are purchasing the capabilities and the functionality that cameras can provide. When you consider the price of analog or VGA cameras compared to their functionality, megapixel cameras provide much more bang for the buck – that is, more value for the price –than lower-resolution security cameras.
Megapixel cameras provide a |
Megapixel cameras do a better job of capturing more information than standard-resolution cameras, and that superior performance translates into ROI in a number of ways. If you consider the concept of “pixels per meter” (meaning a certain number of pixels are required to depict one meter of a scene for a specific application), it's clear that more pixels equate to being able to view larger areas. For example, where ten standard-resolution cameras might have previously been required to cover a parking lot, the same application can now be served using three or four strategically-positioned 3 megapixel cameras, or even a single megapixel panoramic camera, depending on the application requirements.
'Resolution per Dollar'
A real value of megapixel surveillance cameras is the ability to provide more 'resolution per dollar' than analog or VGA cameras. Using estimated pricing and number of pixels as a quantitative measure of resolution, it's easy to demonstrate that megapixel cameras provide more resolution for your money.
The following grid illustrates the real cost effectiveness among various camera resolutions. VGA or standard definition cameras provide about 300,000 pixels per camera. Megapixel cameras provide 1,300,000 to 10,000,000 pixels per camera, or more.
| Class | Resolution | Pixels | Pixels/$1 |
| VGA | 640 x 480 | 307,200 | 1,536 |
| HDTV 720p | 1,280 x 720 | 921,600 | 3,686 |
| 1.3MP | 1,280 x 1,024 | 1,310,000 | 4,188 |
| 2MP | 1,600 x 1,200 | 1,920,000 | 5,714 |
| HDTV 1080p | 1,920 x 1,080 | 2,073,000 | 6,170 |
| 3MP | 2,048 x 1,536 | 3,145,728 | 5,454 |
| 5MP | 2,592 x 1,944 | 5,038,848 | 8,333 |
| 10MP | 3,648 x 2,752 | 10,039,296 | 15,385 |
This grid clearly shows that the most cost-effective solutions are multi-megapixel cameras. The VGA camera only provides 1,536 pixels per US dollar ($). Compare that to 1080p cameras at 5,714 pixels/dollar and 10MP cameras at15,385 pixels/dollar.
Understanding 'resolution per dollar' makes it simple to evaluate which number of cameras are appropriate for a given application. Based on “pixels per meter”, you know how many pixels you need to view a certain area. “Resolution per dollar” makes it clearer which camera (or group of cameras) can provide that needed number of pixels most cost-effectively.
Surveillance System Cost vs. Camera Cost
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| When crunching the numbers on a new surveillance system, end users should consider overall system costs |
When crunching the numbers on a new surveillance system installation, it is helpful to take a broad view of overall system costs. The complete cost of the system is obviously a better measure than the price of a single component. The price of a single component is not a good reason to dismiss a new technology as too expensive without considering how the extra expense will be offset by added functionality and other system cost savings. In the case of megapixel cameras, beyond camera price, other factors include a decrease in installation costs by using fewer cameras, the elimination of mechanical pan-tilt-zoom (ptz) devices and a reduction in operations staff. Using fewer cameras to cover larger areas also translates into cost savings related to infrastructure, for example cables, mounts and, which makes it easier to reach an ROI.
So now you know. Analog and standard definition VGA IP cameras provide the worst value and therefore are the most expensive security cameras you can buy. Next time, go for the best image quality and best price by choosing megapixel cameras. They deliver the best ROI.
 | Scott Schafer Executive Vice President of Arecont Vision |
