Are IP Cameras really better?

Asking why IP cameras are better than analog cameras is a loaded question. Surely, you can find IP and analog cameras on eBay for $30-50, but these are toys with poor optics, low resolution and cheaply made. The main reason I believe people are going to IP cameras is resolution. Buying IP cameras that mimic analog cameras in resolution and image quality surely are missing the point of IP cameras. There are IP camera with up to 29MP of resolution, PTZ IP cameras able to process analytics and track people as they move, IP cameras capable of storing event recording individually without intervention from an NVR/DVR. Also there are companies that make NAS devices at affordable prices that have recently been allowing cameras to record as though they were an NVR.

You have the fixed limitations of a DVR solution, the expensive siamese coax cable, the hard limitation on the DVR, for example, what if you buy a 4 channel analog DVR and want to add a 5th camera, do you throw it away, do you have two 4 channel DVRs? What if you just want one camera, is a 4 channel DVR overkill? Ask yourself, what resolution is your cell phone camera, what resolution is your TV, what resolution is your digital camera. My cell phone can do 1080P HD video with audio and take 8MP snapshots. With consumers demanding better quality imagining electronics, why would anyone want to stick their head in the sand and use technology invented and has not changed much since 1949?