TVI vs AHD - HD Security Camera Comparison Videos

TVI vs AHD. Which HD security camera type is best? This is a common question that we receive at CCTV Camera Pros. This video will compare TVI vs AHD by looking at normal light and infrared video surveillance captured by 2 cameras with identical specs. Here are the 2 cameras that we use for our test. The 2 cameras are virtually identical. Both capture 1080p HD video over coax cable. They are both enclosed in the same IP68 weatherproof housing. They have the same number of infrared LEDs, and they both have a 2.8 to 12 millimeter varifocal lens. The only difference is that one uses a TVI processor and firmware, and the other uses AHD. You can learn more about each camera by clicking on or visiting these URLs.

Here's the video surveillance footage captured by the TVI camera. I have all the lights on in the warehouse initially, so that you can see the color daytime mode. Next I turn all the lights off in the warehouse, so that you can see the infrared video captured by the TVI camera. Notice how the infrared of this camera evenly illuminates this entire space. When I turn the lights back on, the infrared mode is turned off, and the camera captures color video again.

Now you will see the surveillance video captured by the AHD camera. The camera is installed in the exact same spot. We start with the lights on in the warehouse, just as we did with the TVI test. Although the colors are a little different, the clarity of the video from the AHD camera is very similar on quality to the TVI camera. Those letters on the Siamese cable boxes may be just a little bit clearer with the TVI camera. I think that I like the color of the AHD a little better though. The infrared performance is similar too. The IR LEDs on the HD camera illuminate this entire space adequately, and the video looks just as clear.

To capture the video surveillance footage, both cameras were connected to an iDVR-PRO Hybrid DVR that works with both AHD and TVI cameras. The iDVR-PRO also works with standard definition analogue CCTV cameras. Here's a side-by-side comparison of the normal light and infrared images that I captured from those videos. In my opinion, these 2 cameras are pretty equal in both daytime and nighttime infrared performance. I thought the TVI camera may be a little clearer, but now that I'm looking at the still images, I noticed that the TVI's camera angle is a bit more narrow and zoomed in.

Notice that the AHD's view extends beyond the edge of that shelf in the warehouse, but the TVI camera cuts it off. This may be the reason that the letters on those boxes are just a touch more clear on the TVI video. In my opinion, TVI and AHD cameras are pretty equal in performance when you're comparing cameras with the exact same spec otherwise. You can see my complete write-up on TVI vs AHD on this webpage. The page also contains additional information and additional HD photos captured during my testing.

Thank you for watching.

HD-TVI-BL2 Info

Click here to learn more about the HD-TVI-BL2 Outdoor Infrared HD-TVI Camera used in this video.

AHD-BL5H Info

Click here to learn more about the AHD-BL5H 1080P HD CCTV Camera used in this video.

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