Practical ONVIF dividing line
About 2012
Most IP cameras after this support Profile S.
We will tell you which of your existing cameras are worth keeping and which are not, and we will put it in writing before you spend anything.
This is the most common question we get, and it deserves a real answer rather than a sales answer. The honest version has four variables in it, and camera age is not one of them.
Encoder cost for analog
55 to 100 dollars
Per channel. Budgeting range.
Codec floor
H.264
H.265 roughly halves bandwidth and storage.
Security cliff
Before about 2015
Frequently no usable TLS and no firmware updates.
The four variables that actually decide it
Age is a proxy, and a bad one. These four are what a designer actually checks.
- ONVIF conformance and profile, with roughly 2012 to 2013 as the practical dividing line for Profile S support.
- Codec, with H.264 as the realistic floor. H.265 roughly halves bandwidth and storage against H.264.
- Native driver support in the target platform, which is frequently better than ONVIF for older cameras because device packs reach back further than ONVIF conformance does.
- Security posture, which is usually the real reason to replace a camera.
Security posture is the real reason to replace
Cameras from before roughly 2015 frequently have no usable TLS, hardcoded or undocumented default credentials, no available firmware updates because the manufacturer has ended support, and no 802.1X support.
Say the line plainly. A camera that technically streams is still an unpatched Linux device on your network. That is a far better reason to replace it than the fact that it is old, and it is a reason your IT group and your auditor will both accept.
Federal procurement restrictions
Certain Chinese-manufactured video surveillance equipment is restricted from federal procurement and from use by federal contractors and grant recipients under Section 889 of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act.
That matters for any organization spending federal grant money, which includes school districts and transit agencies. We identify restricted equipment in an existing installed base as part of the assessment, so it does not surface later as a grant compliance problem. Confirm current applicability with your grant administrator, because interpretation and guidance change.
What you actually receive
The deliverable is a document, not a verbal opinion, and you keep it whether or not you buy from us.
- A camera-by-camera assessment with keep, replace or re-aim for each device.
- The pixel density on target at the intended coverage distance for each position.
- Firmware version and end-of-support status per device.
- Identification of any equipment restricted under federal procurement rules.
- A phased replacement order, highest risk first.
Common questions
How old can a security camera be and still work?
IP cameras made after about 2012 usually integrate through ONVIF Profile S, and older ones often work through a native manufacturer driver. Whether it should still be in service is a different question, answered by pixel density on target and firmware support.
Do I have to replace all my cameras?
No. Most sites keep the majority of their cameras and replace the identification-critical positions first, then retire the rest as they fail.
Are Hikvision or Dahua cameras allowed if we use federal grant funds?
Certain Chinese-manufactured video surveillance equipment is restricted from federal procurement and from use by federal contractors and grant recipients under Section 889 of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act. If you spend federal grant money, treat that equipment as a compliance issue and confirm current applicability with your grant administrator.
What is ONVIF Profile S?
It is the 2011 ONVIF profile covering video streaming and configuration, and it is the reason most cameras from roughly 2012 onward integrate with modern platforms. March 31, 2027 is the last date for new product conformance submissions to that profile.
Will my analog cameras work?
Yes, through an encoder at roughly 55 to 100 dollars per channel, without pulling new cable. Identify whether the camera is standard definition composite or one of the three incompatible high definition over coax formats before ordering.
Keep reading
We would rather help you make a good decision than win a bad one.
Analog vs IP cameras
Analog cameras can absolutely be integrated onto a modern platform. Doing it preserves the most expensive asset in an old system, which is the coax already in the walls. Encoders land around 55 to 100 dollars per channel at street pricing, and the usual right answer is a hybrid: keep the low-priority analog views, replace the identification-critical ones, and run all of them on one platform.
Read the full comparisonOpen architecture vs proprietary
Open architecture means the software layer supports hardware from many manufacturers, so you can change cameras without changing platforms and change platforms without changing cameras. Proprietary welds the two together, which puts the leverage with the vendor at every renewal. The real question is not what happens on install day. It is what happens in year seven.
Read the full comparisonSupport, warranty and SLA
Our service covers design, installation, configuration, documentation and on-site response. The platform manufacturer covers software releases, support cases and cloud availability under its own published programs. We keep that boundary explicit, because the most common support failure in this industry is a customer who assumed one party covered something the other party did.
Read the full comparisonTalk through the practical next step.
Send a camera list, a screenshot of your recorder or a few photos. We will come back with a written keep or replace assessment.
We'll get back to you ASAP
Kindly provide your contact info and a team member will get in touch shortly.
- Phone
- 303 596 7819
- Address
- 6105 S. Main St. Suite #200
Aurora, CO 80016