More and more companies are migrating from traditional analogue CCTV systems to IP network-based solutions, which offer next-gen multi-megapixel ultra-HD cameras and allow users to monitor and manage the system and record, store and retrieve images from anywhere in the network using a PC or smartphone.

Until recently, security managers faced a stark either/or choice between these two options, and making the switch risked a considerable impact on budgets and infrastructure. But in 2021, hybrid solutions have emerged that allow users to enhance, rather than replace, their CCTV systems.

Hybrid Video Surveillance

For those who want to be able to capture and record HD images without installing an IP-based system, HD analogue cameras can transmit zero-latency images up to 500m using standard coax.

XVR recorders

Hybrid XVR, or Pentabrid, recording devices allow CCTV systems to record images at resolutions up to 4K using a mix of analogue and IP cameras,  Recent models can allocate many more channels to IP cameras than before, and users can change the mix at will and upgrade at their leisure.

Transmission and Power

IP network-based cameras originally transferred images using a traditional coax cable that needed to be plugged in to a power supply. They then evolved to use ethernet cabling, and now they’ve combined the two with Power over Coax, allowing cameras to be powered directly from an XVR recorder over distances of 500 metres or more. The latest generation offers hybrid solutions for whatever type of cabling you have in place.

System Expansion

POC Ethernet Extender devices allow users to upgrade existing CCTV systems with extra IP cameras over existing coax. A 4-channel POC Ethernet Extender allows video and power to be transmitted to 4 cameras over a single cable, making upgrades highly cost-effective.