What's the difference between HD and Megapixel Cameras?

Date: 24/05/2014 - View(s): 4202 times

What's the difference between HD and Megapixel Cameras?

While 2009 was the year of megapixel surveillance cameras, it was also the year where confusion between HD and megapixel cameras began. Historically, everyone who sold cameras with 1 million pixels or more called them megapixel cameras. However, in the last 6 months, a number of manufacturers have begun touting their new megapixel cameras as HD.

HD vs. Megapixel

HD is a type of megapixel camera.  All HD cameras are megapixel but not all megapixel cameras are HD.

While standard definition cameras (e.g., analog cameras and 4CIF IP cameras) have no more than 400,000 pixels, all megapixel cameras (including HD) have 1,000,000 or more pixels.

HD's Key Features Compared to Typical Megapixel

• Maximum HD resolution is 2.1MP, maximum megapixel resolution is 20MP or more with 5MP cameras are common from numerous vendors
• HD video format is 1280 x 720 or 1920 x 1080, megapixel cameras can offer many more formats
• HD aspect ratio is 16:9, compared to 5:4 or 4:3 in other surveillance cameras
• HD frame rate is 30/25, where megapixel cameras are often 3 - 15 frames
• HD has quality compliance standards, where megapixel simply specifies the number of pixels

Which is Better?
 
This is not a clear cut case - it will depend on applications. Some applications really need more than 2.1MP (the maximum for HD today) and do not need high frame rates (those should choose non-HD megapixel cameras). Other applications will care more about high frame rate and maximum image quality (where HD cameras will be best).