For a long time, CCTV has been limited to having very few choices when it comes to video resolution and quality; but this is no longer true. Within the last few years megapixel cameras have started appearing in the market as a popular choice for security systems both small and large. Many customers ask if the difference in price is justified and how much better of a picture they will get.

The most significant difference between megapixel and analog cameras is resolution. In the chart below you can see that a 1.2MP camera has 3.5 times the resolution of an analog camera in its largest format (D1). This gives the images more detail and color clarity which increases your chances of capturing important elements of a situation, such as a person's tattoo, a license plate or exactly what change is being counted at a register.

High resolution images also provide the ability to enlarge or zoom portions of the image without the same degree of pixelation and distortion that would be present in images taken with an analog camera.  This allows you to perform post-processing on images, to read further detail from a given scene.

Most megapixel cameras are network cameras, giving you a variety of added benefits over analog cameras. IP cameras have many options like PoE (which allows you to run power and video over one Ethernet cable), wireless capabilities, and network storage (which means no need for a DVR!), not to mention you can view these cameras from anywhere in the world with just a few network settings. All of these features in a package no bigger than its analog counterpart keep the megapixel camera on top of the surveillance food chain.