For some home or business owners, a security system using run-of-the-mill recording devices is simply not enough. Using a CCTV camera for farm operations, for example, requires the selection of camera models utilising significantly higher capture resolutions. This is so distant but encroaching threats such as feral pigs, dingoes, or foxes can be spotted and identified quickly.
Why 4k?
4k cameras capture video at a 3840 x 2160 pixel resolution, which is four times the conventional 1920 x 1080 FHD recording output of a standard CCTV camera. This significant boost in detail allows for advanced analysis features including facial- and licence plate recognition, which are particularly important for commercial businesses or industrial complexes.
Who can benefit from the use of 4k cameras, and are they worth the extra cost? This post details their most important advantages over conventional camera models, along with factors worth considering for potential buyers.
Advantages of 4k Resolution Cameras
The ideal security camera recording resolution depends largely on the size of the home or business premises in question. For larger, more expansive spaces, there are a number of advantages to preserving as much detail as possible in captured footage. These include:
- Consistently sharper image: this allows security personnel to recognise intruders and objects of interest efficiently, allowing them to mobilise to problem areas within their work area as soon as possible.
- Field-of-view (FOV): Returning to the example of a farm CCTV security camera system, some use cases or facility types require capturing as much information as possible in every frame.
- Quality of evidence: during a police investigation, footage can be enhanced or upscaled in forensic analysis with minimal to no quality loss, ensuring the acquisition of actionable evidence.
Because of the results they produce, 4k CCTV cameras intuitively create increased deterrence in areas they monitor. This makes them a good fit for home- and business security applications, traffic monitoring, and construction worksites. For many criminals, an awareness of the operation of high quality surveillance systems in the area is enough to make them seek out softer targets elsewhere.
Potential Challenges and Long-Term Viability
The obvious and most notable drawbacks to 4k security cameras are their initial and ongoing costs. Not only do the devices themselves cost more up front, their output file sizes are significantly larger than those recorded in FHD, so larger storage solutions will be required for efficient operation. High resolution video also tends to consume significantly more bandwidth when streamed in real time.
It’s important to anticipate significantly increased costs when running security systems using 4k cameras. Certain cost-cutting practices, such as deleting every 24 hours of uneventful footage at the beginning of every business day, may also help offset ongoing costs.
As long as the cost overhead is available or appropriately budgeted for, 4k cameras are easily well worth the price of admission. While they’re certainly more expensive to acquire and run than their conventional counterparts, the security and peace of mind they provide more than justify their costs to serious homeowners or businesses.