Equipment for Wireless CCTV Camera System

The main issue with wireless CCTV surveillance video transmission is that the video signal from the camera must be converted to digital from the analog (CCTV) coaxial cable. Therefore, video encoders and decoders are necessary with traditional CCTV equipment. First, the encoder converts the signal from CCTV camera to the wireless transmitter. Wireless Transmitter (Client Bridge) sends to wireless receiver. Wireless Receiver (Access Point) then splits the signal back out to analog RG-59 (coax cable) to the DVR.

Video encoders / decoders are $220 to $350 each and wireless transmitters / receivers are $160 – 1,300 each. So the question becomes whether the cost of pulling or dredging coaxial cable is even possible or less expensive. Many times the cost of running coax cable is still significantly more affordable when spread over several cameras. You must also power the camera locally or via PoE (Power over Ethernet) injectors or PoE rated Ethernet switches. To avoid encoders and decoders, one could use IP cameras that already transmit a digital video signal over CAT-5 cable, using the same type of wireless access points.