What is a 4K Security Camera?
Video surveillance has been around for many of years, and the resolutions and megapixels just continue to improve. It used to be 600TVL or less, now it is up to 3840TVL with the new 4K 8MP cameras. We have moved on from 1080p HD terminology, and now everyone is saying 2K 4MP and 4K 8MP.
You may get caught up with those numbers and always jump to the newest product, but you need to ask yourself what do those numbers really mean, and has technology actually caught up with the newest sensor to deliver you fluid crystal clear images.
So what exactly makes an image 2K or 4K?
It all has to do with the amount of horizontal pixels, the number of little squares in a screen. Back in the day, pixels were noticeable as they were so large, now they are so small it is almost impossible to distinguish the squares. In order for an image to be classified as 2K Extreme HD it must have 2000 horizontal pixels, or squares, hence the 2K. For 4K Ultra HD it must have 4000 horizontal pixels. The more squares/pixels in the same screen gives you higher resolution and a clearer image.
How do the image sensors relate to the 2K and 4K numbers?
Image sensors are what take in the colors and the light to create your video or photo. One major factor in determining image quality is the camera’s image sensor and how many megapixels it is. Megapixels are the equivalent to one million pixels, so a 4-megapixel camera has a pixel resolution of 2688 x 1520, which is 4,085,760 pixels resulting in calling that sensor 4MP. So the 8MP camera has over 8,000,000 pixels, which is a much higher resolution, but that isn’t all that determines image quality.
2K 4MP IP Cameras still produce a very clear image and are a great value if you are on a budget
It all has to do with the number of horizontal pixels, the number of little squares in a screen. Back in the day, pixels were noticeable as they were so large, now they are so small it is almost impossible to distinguish the squares. In order for an image to be classified as 2K Extreme HD it must have 2000 horizontal pixels, or squares, hence the 2K. For 4K Ultra HD it must have 4000 horizontal pixels. The more squares/pixels in the same screen gives you higher resolution and a clearer image.
If you are limited to 15FPS @ 4K, 2K may be a better option
| Frames per second (FPS) is the recording speed. 20-30FPS is considered real-time. Anything less there will be a blur with moving objects. When comparing the 8MP 15FPS camera to the the 4MP 30FPS camera, the 4MP camera had a much clearer image with moving objects. Montavue does offer 4K @ 30FPS as well, so remember to check your frame rate when buying 4K cameras. |
