IP cameras
IP cameras offer the following features that analog cameras do not:
• 2 way data/audio - the device can send and receive information to almost any digital device. This allows users to communicate what they are seeing (e.g. Petrol station clerk assisting a customer on how to use the prepay pumps), or warn off perpetrators via the camera's speakers.
• High Resolution - as with digital still cameras, the resolution of IP cameras is superior to analog cameras and is increasing. There is no cap or restriction on resolution, as is the case with CCTV cameras which are restricted by the PAL/NTSC standards.
• Smart phone - some, but not all, IP cameras have built-in VoIP function enabling the device to send and receive phone calls based on events, allowing voice and video interaction via a smart phone (e.g. iPhone).