Note: Security Camera Resolution Is Not the Only Contributor to Sharp Images
Believe it or not:
Security camera resolution is not the only factor that affects the videos that you finally see on a screen.
And here are some of the other factors that will make a difference to the image quality:
1. Focal Length:
The focal length of the lens determines how wide the viewing angle of a high resolution security camera will be. The longer focal length that your security camera has, the wider field of view you will get. However, that may end up with lesser details you will get in the longer distance.
So, if you want to monitor a large area like the front of your house, a crossroad or a parking lot, it is best to apply multiple fixed lens security cameras or a varifocal lens security camera with sharp image quality.
2. Sensor Size:
You will get more details in the images by using CCTV cameras with a smaller image sensor. For example, a security camera with a 1/3'' image sensor produces a narrower field of view and images with greater details than one with a 2/3'' image sensor.
3. Frame Rates:
By recording your security camera footage at a higher frame rate, you will get a smoother video without any blurry images. So, chances are higher that you can recognize the license plate or intruder's face (and it may slow down your network as well).
4. Monitors:
The security camera resolution can be affected by the screen that you are looking at as well. In fact, most security cameras with high resolution will resize their stream display automatically to fit on a screen that doesn't support a higher resolution.
For example, you wouldn't be able to view the videos captured by a 5MP security camera on a monitor that supports 1080p only.
5. Installation Spots:
If you face high resolutions security cameras to the sun or any light sources directly, you will only get washed-out images without any details.
In addition, it is not a wise choice to install high resolution behind glass windows since the IR reflection may result in overexposed images, making it impossible to identify any details.
Hottest Questions on IP Security Camera Resolution (Answers Included)
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions on security camera resolution.
Read on to find the explicit answers in case you have the same questions.
#1. When Viewing a 4K Resolution Security Camera Remotely, Will the Videos Be Transmitted in 4K?
The answer is yes, definitely.
Under most situations, the video of a 4K security camera will be transmitted into 4K when you monitor remotely under the stable network connection via your phones, PCs and even TVs & monitors, as long as they support 4K image format.
And this applies to 5MP, 4MP and 1080p CCTV cameras as well – videos can be transmitted in the highest resolution.
However, as explained earlier, if the network status is unstable, your 4K security cameras may transmit videos in lower resolution like 5MP or even 1080p.
#2. I Can't Tell Different Security Camera Resolution Apart When Viewing on My Smartphone. Why?
Some complaint that when they watch CCTV footage via cellphone, videos in 1080p and 5MP resolution look alike, making it hard to tell any difference.
Wait…are you fooled by the 5MP security cameras?
Of course, NOT!
That's because the size of the screen may also affect the image that you finally see and screen on your smartphone is too small to show the differences in each resolution. So, you may think they are quite the same.
When you view security cameras with the different resolution on larger screens like TVs or PC monitors, you can tell the difference immediately: videos in higher resolution show more details than that with lower resolution when shown on bigger screens.
#3. Why Security Camera Resolution Is Lower Than That of Smartphones
Two major factors can explain: working time and storage.
Most security cameras record videos when they are triggered by motion or even throughout the day, while you only use the phone or camera to take photos and record videos when necessary.
So, the surveillance cameras can produce a large amount of video footage during the day, which requires a lot of storage space.
Meanwhile, the higher the resolution is, the larger the storage space a security camera needs.
With these factors combined, most users prefer security cameras with moderate and sufficient resolution at present.
Source: Reolink