The short definition

An IP camera is a small networked computer with an image sensor, lens, video encoder, and Ethernet interface. It captures light at the sensor, processes it through an image-signal-processing pipeline (white balance, gain, noise reduction), encodes the result as H.264 or H.265, and streams it over the network. A VMS or NVR pulls that stream and writes it to disk. The camera also serves a web interface for setup and exposes ONVIF or vendor APIs for integration.

Power comes through the same Cat6 cable via PoE: one run, one termination, one switch port. That's the install economics that pushed analog out of new commercial builds.

Resolution and sensor formats

Resolution is measured in megapixels. Common formats:

  • 1080p (2MP). 1920 by 1080. Adequate for short-range identification (under 25 feet). The legacy default; uncommon in current commercial bids.
  • 4MP. 2688 by 1520. The current commercial standard. Good face identification at 30 to 40 feet, plate readability at 60 feet on a fixed lens.
  • 4K (8MP). 3840 by 2160. Doubled pixel count over 4MP. Useful for wide-coverage cameras where you need digital zoom into a face or plate, or for parking-deck and warehouse spans.
  • Multi-sensor (4x or 8x lens, panoramic). 12 to 40MP combined across multiple lenses. One camera covers what 4 fixed cameras would, useful at intersections, parking lots, and large open spaces.

Higher resolution doesn't always mean better video. Sensor size, lens quality, and low-light performance matter more on dark or backlit scenes. Axis Q-line, Hanwha P-series, and Avigilon H6A are widely benchmarked for low-light at the same 4MP resolution.

The major IP-camera manufacturers

For NDAA-compliant commercial installs in the US, six manufacturers cover most procurement.

  • Axis Communications (Sweden). Premium, broad model range, strong low-light. The reference benchmark for picture quality.
  • Hanwha Vision (South Korea). Wisenet line. Strong AI-on-camera, competitive price, broad model coverage.
  • Avigilon (Motorola Solutions, US/Canada). H6A and H5A series. Tight integration with Avigilon Unity and Avigilon Alta VMS.
  • Verkada (US). Cloud-native, edge AI on-camera. Single-vendor stack with Verkada Command VMS.
  • Bosch (Germany). Industrial-grade, excellent in harsh environments.
  • Pelco (US, Motorola). Sarix line. Strong in transportation and government.

Hikvision and Dahua are the largest manufacturers globally by unit volume but are excluded from federal-touching installs per NDAA Section 889. Tec-Tel doesn't install them.

Where IP cameras show up in real installs

Three install patterns drive most of our IP-camera scoping:

  • New commercial build. Default to IP cameras on Cat6, PoE+ at every drop, NVR or VMS at the IDF. The economics favor IP at any scale above 8 cameras when wiring is going in fresh.
  • Analog-to-IP migration. Existing coax DVR install, end of camera lifecycle. Replace cameras with IP, replace DVR with NVR, pull Cat6 to ceilings as opportunity allows. Hybrid DVRs bridge the gap during multi-year transitions.
  • Multi-site retail rollout. Standardized camera spec across 200 stores. One vendor, one model per use case (indoor dome, outdoor bullet, entry PTZ). Procurement, installation, and ongoing support all benefit from the standardization.

For RTSP-level integration questions, see the RTSP entry.

When to ask Tec-Tel about IP cameras

We've installed cameras from each of the six vendors above. Picking the right one depends on the use case (warehouse, retail, parking deck, hospital), the VMS, the existing wiring, and the buyer's NDAA exposure.