IP video surveillance can be defined as the transmission of video utilizing open internet protocols and standards for the purpose of recording and monitoring.

Some of the advantages of IP-based video surveillance include:

• Reduced system cost and added functionality due to general-purpose IP networking equipment infrastructure.
• Choice of open-platform video recording hardware and software.
• Greatly reduced system cost due to low-cost cabling in large installations (CAT5e instead of RG-59 coaxial cable).
• Ability to use Power over Ethernet allowing for one cable to handle power and data.
• Flexible and seamless support for a variety of standard and multi-megapixel image resolutions way beyond NTSC, PAL and SECAM.
• Transmission of commands for PTZ (pan, tilt, zoom) cameras via the same cable.
• On-camera automated alerting via email or file transfer in response to video motion detection or dry-contact alarms.
• Support for different streaming media and compression formats to relieve transmission bandwidth and data storage requirements.
• Support for new embedded intelligent video motion detection with shape recognition/counting applied to objects, people, and vehicles.
• Integration of video surveillance with other systems and functions such as access control, alarm systems, building management, traffic management, etc.
• Future-proof installations with field-upgradeable products due to the ability to upgrade camera firmware over the network
• Higher resolution. Megapixel cameras can far exceed image detail from conventional CCTV cameras.
• Convergence onto existing IP cabling infrastructure
• Easy to route long distances over existing IP infrastructure on multibuilding sites
• Reduced space requirements in large (many camera) CCTV setups as video switching and routing is done via computer and does not need physically large and expensive video matrix switchers.
• Progressive scan (versus interlaced scanning). Allows still images to be removed in better quality from a video feed and can render clearer images from a fast moving target (interlaced scanning will have shutter blind artifacting). Not all IP cameras are progressive scan. Those that are currently progressive scan seem to use CMOS image sensors (as opposed to CCD sensors) and have some disadvantages.
• No additional hardware required to convert vision signal into computer domain for recording onto hard drives.