Category Archives: IP cameras

Has the NSI lost its way ?

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For those that don’t know, the NSI is the regulatory body that oversees the security industry, in the old days they were only interested in Intruder alarms and to be fair the regulation they imposed and enforced rigorously with member companies was very helpful to the industry. It meant standards were good amongst members and insurance companies would only insure those clients who had their intruder alarm installed to a “NACOSS standard”. In a way this was jobs for the boys.  If you were in the club then it would exclude electricians from poaching your business just because they could do it cheaper and were not burdened with the paperwork that goes with a properly installed intruder alarm system.

NSI GOLD installer

The NSI went further though, if you were a company that wanted to embrace other disciplines within your portfolio such as CCTV and access control,  the NSI insisted that if you wanted to display the NSI logo on your company paperwork or vans,  then you also had to install CCTV and access control to their standards and pay for and issue certificates accordingly. OK this was just about bearable and the additional costs could be absorbed. However insurance companies did not drive end users to use NSI approved installers for CCTV and access control in the same way they did for Intruder alarms therefore the commercial advantage was not so great to be a member of the NSI club.

Further standards were introduced though such BS8418 for monitored CCTV in order to involve insurance companies and the Police and it was hoped they would then insist all monitored CCTV could only be done by the NSI members. All in all though this initiative failed, the insurers either did not care or found it was of no advantage to them to insist on BS8418 systems to be installed, the Police were overcome with apathy.

Now though we have a whole new ball game. IP CCTV is changing everything. Security companies are competing with IT integrators and the IT boys are totally unburdened with regulation.The playing field is not fair anymore and security companies are being weighed down by the NSI.

We need changes and we need them fast. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. So NSI, either the IT integrators must be forced to issue certificates and install to the same high standards that is expected of security companies or CCTV must be deregulated to mean a company that installs both intruder alarms and CCTV does not have  suffer the overheads that the NSI brings with it.

WV-SW155 IP dome camera from Panasonic

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The new WV-SW155 IP dome camera is the latest offering from Panasonic in IP vandal resistant dome cameras. The camera boast several features that are aimed to enhance the iPro range.

WV-SW155
WV-SW155 vandal proof dome from Panasonic

The WV-SW155 IP dome camera has the ability to stream both JPEG and H.264 at up to 30 images per second and has true day/night functionality. The WV-SW155 IP dome camera comes in a vandal resistant body and is IP66 rated. It also produces images at 720P making definition sharper. With facial detection also a key feature this IP camera has the ability to offer end users excellent all round performance.

WV-SW155 demo video

With increased storage now available in the WJ-NV200 NVR, the WV-SW155 IP dome camera and Panasonic’s quality NVR make the perfect combination.

Avigilon encoder

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The Avigilon H.264 analogue video encoder has been designed and priced with a view to really encouraging affordable upgrades from analogue to IPCCTV. HD has always been Avigilon’s speciality but they know that by enabling installers to use legacy kit this will be the way to get their products installed, especially here in the UK. Avigilon has seen some remarkable growth over the last two years and their equipment is second to none. During the recent London riots their equipment was responsible for the majority of ID’s of the rioters and viewing footage of the riots the images they managed to capture really is a revelation.

Avigilon encoder
Avigilon encoder

However back to the encoder and with 4 analogue video inputs the Avigilon encoder is specifically designed to integrate legacy analog cameras into a High Definition IP surveillance system. At just 25% of the cost of some of its main rivals this encoder will be selling in its tens of thousands. When you connect an analogue camera into the Avigilon encoder it actually visibly up scales the picture, a fantastic improvement and one end users will love to see. The Avigilon encoder is designed to transmit images over 100BASE-TX. It compresses the images using  H.264 technology, and requires minimal storage for video even at high frame rates. The Avigilon encoder  uses an industry-leading motion adaptive 3D deinterlacing algorithm to produce sharper and more accurate video and includes an RS-485 interface for PTZ support. For those requiring relay switching an external I/O interface is included, this of course is ideal for alarms.The Avigilon encoder also interfaces with Avigilon Control Center NVMS and HD NVRs.

To ensure that the Avigilon encoder can also be used with other IP surveillance systems Avigilon have made the encoder ONVIF compliant. In addition the encoder can be powered by either P O E, 12 Volts DC or 24 Volts AC, and up to 3 units can be stored on a single 1U rack mount space.

The unit also has a privacy zone per channel and 4 audio inputs. Add to this 30FPS per channel and this encoder is going to take a lot of beating.

We cannot recommend highly enough how important it is to get a demonstration of this equipment. Seeing is believing so the saying goes and once you have seen the quality images that an Avigilon encoder and camera can produce then you will be wanting to to get them on your price list at the earliest possibility.

how to install an IP camera

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Below we direct you to a useful link on how to install an IP camera. In this particular case the video gives instructions on a Wireless IP camera installation however it also applies if the camera was wired through a hard wired network.

Brickcom 130N

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Brickcom 130N

Brickcom have released the new 130N camera series. The camera series is being touted as ideal for surveillance solutions that require high quality video. It is a wide dynamic solution that works well in high contrast lighting conditions to allow night time pictures to be of exceptional quality.

The Brickcom 130N series camera provides the advanced image sensor profile management function to adapt to the variable environments. This feature enables the user to set up different sensor and lens attributes in a profile, adjusting the sharpness, saturation, exposure, brightness, contrast , white balance, iris and IR-cut. In addition the attributes can be switched automatically. Up to 3 pre-set profiles and 2 user-defined profiles are provided in order that the Brickcom 130N series provides superb flexibility.

Brickcom is a leading network video manufacturer of IP surveillance solutions. Brickcom  is located in many different countries across the world gaining a foothold and increasing reputation for high quality IP cameras. The company aims to provide prompt quality and excellent service to its end users and has a solid foundation for engineering quality IP cameras and network accessories with over 20 years experience in wireless network solutions. The Brickcom 130N series is just another step forward for them as one of the top IP camera providers around.