4K CCTV: What You Need to Know

The movement beyond 1080p resolution is in full swing and everyone is looking to upgrade to 4K CCTV cameras. Perhaps you’ve heard people talk about 4K or Ultra HD, but what do these mean exactly? And why should you even consider 4K CCTV cameras in the first place? This article will discuss everything you need to know about 4K CCTV so that you can determine whether or not it’s worth upgrading to a higher resolution.

Why should you consider 4K CCTV cameras?

Before we talk about the specifications of 4K cameras, we first need to discuss the applications of this improved technology. The point of using CCTVs is to gather and store information. If you plan on using surveillance to obtain as much information as possible, then 4k CCTV should be your top priority. Regardless of whether you’ll use it for home or commercial applications, 4K technology records and stores 4x more information compared to other alternatives.

Now you may be thinking, “aren’t 4K surveillance systems expensive?” Well yes, they are. But even as a frugal business owner, upgrading to 4K is still feasible. By using enhanced technology, you’re basically future-proofing your security system. It won’t be too long before mainstream CCTV solutions are offered in Ultra HD resolution, making other resolutions like 1080p irrelevant.

Technology moves fast and if you plan on staying ahead of the curve, then embracing 4K CCTVs now may be a good idea.

What Does 4K Mean?

If you’ve been keeping track of the technological developments in the camera industry, then it’s likely that you’re familiar with 4K cameras (also known as 8MP cameras). 4K simply refers to the camera’s resolution of 3840 x 2160. Conventional wisdom states that the higher the resolution, the more pixel information you can store. In the case of 4K, it has four times the resolution of 1080p, meaning you get clearer footage and higher-quality images.

4K technology also lets you zoom in on images without a considerable loss in quality. Say you want to zoom in on a license plate. 4K resolution makes it possible for the details to stay legible even if you move in super-close on the image.

An added benefit of 4K is improved low-light performance. 4K CCTV cameras can produce clean and coloured images even in challenging situations like an overcast day or during night time. To summarize, 4K Ultra HD is miles ahead in terms of imaging, night vision capabilities, and zooming compared to Full HD (1080P) cameras.

When is 4K an ideal solution?

We all know that the higher the resolution, the better the overall quality of the image. With a resolution of 3840×2160 and at 8 megapixels, 4K CCTV cameras are at the upper echelon of video surveillance quality. If you’re planning on using 4K CCTVs, take note of the following considerations:

• You need to capture surveillance footage at the highest quality possible
• You have the budget for 4K cameras and recorders
• You want to monitor large areas with a single camera
• You want to upgrade to a 4K surveillance system
• You want to make your CCTV system future-proof

Ultra HD cameras are usually paired with a high-quality lens to ensure consistent image quality.  Many 1080p cameras are being sold with lenses that are not perfect. The result is that the centre of the image looks clean but the details in the edges look muddy, especially when applying deep digital zooms. This might motivate a buyer to consider 4K CCTV cameras instead of 1080 devices.

But there’s a catch. 4K CCTV cameras require more resources to set up. Because you’re capturing a lot of pixel information, you’ll need a 4K monitor to avoid compatibility issues. 4K CCTVs also require more bandwidth and storage space than 1080p cameras which can get very expensive if you don’t have the resources yet.

The good news is that newer video compression technology is making it easier for everyone to adopt 4K resolution. Cameras that feature H.265 video encoding can greatly reduce your storage consumption by up to 50% compared to older H.264 encoding. As 4K becomes mainstream in the security system industry, the prices will start to go down and people will be encouraged to upgrade to a higher resolution.

4K CCTV cameras are ideal for both residential and commercial applications. Think of driveways, parking lots, multi-tenant buildings, retail stores, and hotels as some examples. With a powerful surveillance system, you can feel at ease knowing that your CCTV cameras are capturing information at a very high quality.

How Smart Security can help

As one of the leading security system providers in Perth, Smart Security prides itself on offering the latest security solutions available. We offer a comprehensive range of security products to meet the unique needs of every client. To learn more about our services, feel free to contact us today and we’ll get in touch with you as soon as possible.