How do I get from Here to There?

It’s important to note how easy or difficult it is to transmit a signal over distances.

The types of transmission media that can be used are as follows:

• Coaxial cable
  

• Fiber
  
  
  
  
• Internet Protocol (network) over UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair), e.g., Cat. 3 to Cat. 6
• Wireless LAN
  
  
• Wide Area Network
  
  
  
  
• Wireless Public Network

Coaxial cable has been the standard for wiring since 1945 and will remain a viable and inexpensive option for years to come.

This is because a video signal can be run over 1,000 linear feet using the proper cabling and even more with some small amount of amplification.

Its drawbacks are that it is a very tiny signal that is prone to loss as well as interference from other signal systems.

Baluns are “balancer-unbalancers” and are similar to miniature transformers – like we have outside our houses that increase or reduce voltages for 120 volts to our home.

For the same reason we boost the voltage, to reduce losses along lines, we boost the voltage of a video signal through the use of a transformer and then bring it back to its optimum voltage for reducing losses, thus confining the signal to smaller cables.

Baluns provide a unique opportunity to take large amounts of video signals in the tens or hundreds and combine them into small, network-like cables along with the power required, to bundled cables, almost one-sixth the size of an equal number of coaxial cables.

The efficiency, reduced cost, as well as reduced labor required is significant over that using coaxial cable by itself.

There are drawbacks though that are covered in the next table.

Unshielded Twisted Pair Cable is similar to high grade telephone or network cable and is used with baluns.

The size of the cable is significantly smaller than the use of a coaxial cable and is used with baluns.

Fiber is used for long distances and for combining signals for transmission over long distance.

Its use is as limited today as it was in the 1990’s due to the inefficiency of multiplexing photonic amplified signals.

There is only a certain number of signals that can be divided along the fiber path in a
cost-effective manner that’s available on the commercial market.

While hundreds of multiplexed signals for voice can be broadcast efficiently at great prices for public telephone networks, the opposite is true for video multiplexing in the commercial avenue.

Its price is prohibitive.

Only 12 to 24 signals can be multiplexed for any reasonable amount of money.

The other drawback to fiber is that the control signal and other signals such as power may still need to be produced through ordinary cable means, as fiber has no power.

Using Internet Protocol Over Network or UTP cables is a wonderful concept.

But, as you will see later in our tutorial, the IP camera is structured in such a way that real-time images are not a significant qualifying feature of this method of transmission.

It is more for structured recording at a speed that can be at times choppy, if bandwidth isn’t allocated properly for use.

At this time, IP over UTP is still in its pioneering stage but will progress within the next five years and perhaps be a frontrunner in ten or 20 years.

Wireless transmission, using local networks, is an acceptable but hardly recommended method for most uses since the wireless standard would require the IP camera to constantly emit a signal while the receiver is constantly on to receive it.

This would bypass the fundamental idea of wireless in its sharing of the wireless signal to provide the maximum bandwidth to each participant.

In essence, the video camera would become a hog.

Future generations of the wireless 11x standard (Part G) and MPEG compression will introduce opportunities that will make this a preferred method for quick camera installations with certain stakeholders.

Finally, the public wireless network, such as provided by your cellular provider, will become an opportunity within the next ten to 20 years for surveillance to be provided on a 24/7 basis.

At first, it will be almost laughable compared to the technology of even the 1960’s.  It will provide slow scan images but be able to broadcast from within or outside your home for security reasons.

Convenience stores may optionally be provided with this kind of technology.

Or, even banks, since these are like the “cold slaw” of consumerism when it comes to television surveillance cameras.

Their absolute ubiquitous use in these venues makes it worthwhile for the public wireless phone companies to invest in a technology suitable for its customers to do away with wired systems and provide virtual surveillance wherever and whenever needed in a “New York minute.”