CCTV Camera picture quality - What does Mp & Tvl resolution mean?

What is Mega pixel (Mp) and Tvl on CCTV Cameras?

 Tvl or Television line is the old system for measuring camera quality, it is the number of lines running up (or down) a tv screen to create a picture on analogue or tube televisions. Cameras using tvl reached a maximum of 1000 Tvl and were analogue, these cameras have not been produced in over 5 years.
Mp or Mega pixel is what is used to measure the image quality on an image. So basically if you draw a 1 inch square box on a piece of paper and put 1000 dots of ink in the box that is 1 mega pixel – (1000 pixels per square inch) so the higher the mega pixel the more dots in the box the sharper or clearer the image will be and also the better the digital zoom will be.

So for camera image quality

8 Mp (8 Mega pixel) Resolution, also known as Ultra Hd, 4K - these cctv cameras would be your highest specification cctv camera on the market. They offer a crystal clear quality image with outstanding digital zoom. All 8Mp cameras have a downwards resolution function and so the output resolution of these cameras can be lowered or reduced to 8Mp / 3K, 3Mp, 1080p, 720p or even analogue to accommodate an older or lower resolution dvr recorder.

5 Mp (5 Mega pixel) Resolution, also known as 3K Resolution - these cctv cameras would be your current entry level cctv, however they offer a very high quality image with excellent digital zoom. All 5Mp cameras have a downwards resolution function and so the output resolution of these cameras can be lowered or reduced to 3Mp, 1080p, 720p or even analogue to accommodate an older or lower resolution dvr recorder.

4Mp (3.7Mega pixel) - these cctv cameras were only made for a short time as chip manufacturers Hisilicon & fulhan progressed to 5Mp shorty after these were developed and production of the 4Mp chips stopped.

1080p+ is 3 Mega Pixel (3Mp) - these cctv cameras have not been made in 2 years

1080p is 2.3 Mega Pixel (2.3Mp) - these cctv cameras have not been made in 3 years

1080n is 2 Mega Pixel (2.0Mp) – These cctv cameras are slightly below 1080p quality, in fact they are 960p. These cameras were only produced for a short time and have not been made in 4 years

720p cctv camera would be 1.3 Mega Pixel (1Mp) - these cctv cameras have not been made in 4 years

1000Tvl cctv camera would be 0.75 Mp, although an old camera these cameras were able to plug directly into a tube tv and produce an image on the tv’s through the av channel / port.