Video door entry systems can employ different technologies, including digital and IP, the two most popular types in the market today. Understanding the differences between the two is critical as the user chooses which one to deploy.
Video door entry systems can employ different technologies, including digital and IP, the two most popular types in the market today. Understanding the differences between the two is critical as the user chooses which one to deploy.
That was the main point raised by
Fermax in a recent
blog post titled “8 differences between digital and IP video door entry systems.”
According to Fermax, the intercom has gone through several transformations over the years. “In earlier times, the task of communicating a message or receiving a visit to an apartment was the task of a guard. Currently, this job position is maintained in certain buildings and they also provide other services to tenants,” the post said. “The first patented devices operated like a telephone – an electronic system that allowed the communication between the street and the home, and it also had the possibility to open the door thanks to an electric door lock release. This system generalized the electronic door entry system as a measure of security and privacy.
Then in 1980, Fermax manufactured the first Spanish video door entry system, a patented digital video door entry system. During the following years the sector developed new automatic door entry systems, adding excellence to the design of products and improving capacities, the post said.
Currently there is a wide range of analog intercoms, video door entry systems and IP video door entry systems in the market. According to the post, lots of companies have jumped directly into the digital transformation. “This is due to the upcoming generations of video door entry systems users are demanding modern and innovative services according to their digital needs,” it said.
Comparison between digital and IP
According to Fermax, several factors made digital video door entry systems evolve into a more versatile solution, among them the popularity of the TCP/IP protocol in the daily life, the wide range of wiring systems with optical fiber, the development of home automation solutions and the consolidation of the smartphones. Today, digital and IP video door entry systems have emerged as the two dominant technologies, and a comparison between them is warranted, Fermax said.
“Therefore, we want to tell you what are the main differences between IP video door entry systems and digital video door entry systems, the two most popular types of video intercoms for buildings, single-family homes, businesses or any type of building,” it said. The differences are summarized as below.
- IP technology is very powerful and allows to perform much more advanced communication functionalities than conventional video door entry systems.
- IP video door entry systems are the evolution of the digital ones, according to the present communication technologies.
- Digital video door entry systems mainly serve as the door openers and communicating with the exterior. In contrast, an IP system allows to connect the home with other additional services.
- IP technology improves the image and audio quality in the video door entry systems.
- IP video door entry systems use structured cabling unlike the digital ones that need specific wiring for the system.
- Thanks to TCP/IP based systems, the intercommunication from anywhere in the world is achieved, as the system is connected to the Internet.
- IP video door entry systems offer the smart functionalities that similar digital systems do not allow, for example forwarding the call to mobile devices, intercommunication between neighbors, send messages and remote device activation.
- The interconnection by the cabling eliminates need of a central server. Each device has its own autonomy and is connected to a common network.
According to Fermax, these are some of the direct causes for the transformation of the intercommunication in the homes. “Along with the differences of IP video door entry systems and digital video door entry systems, you can know the particularities of each system,” it said.