IP camera Choices?

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Here’s a conundrum….

Do you, as a valuable IP surveillance Installer, install a system because of the camera choice or because of the Software / Recording choice?

We posted a while back about how in the good old days, it simply didn’t matter whose camera you wanted to use, whose DVR (actually, multiplexer and VCR!) you wanted to use etc etc

Today, we have stunning HD and Mexgapixel ip cameras coming from the likes of March Networks, Arecont, Avigilon, Sanyo etc and on the other hand, great Software VMS solutions from the likes of Milestone, IndigoVision, March etc

Don’t get me wrong, each PIXC manufacturer is trying real hard to get their cameras compatible with everything and anything….and there is RTP/RTSP standard protocol that ‘sort of’ gets around things (streaming video but without the settings/config capabilities)

ONVIF promises to deliver a ‘uniform’ experience – we don’t think it can happen fast enough really…… the industry, particularly the IP camera industry, will get choked if it doesn’t open itself up more to co-existence and compatibility….

CCTV Users, get the right kit!

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Does anyone else think that maybe there is a disparity in our industry?

Does a manufacturer make CCTV kit based on what they think the end user wants?

Does the installer install the CCTV kit based on what they think the end user wants?

Does the end user buy the CCTV kit based on what they are told they want?

Potentially, this means somewhere down the supply line, someone might be dissatisfied?

There is an increasing potential need for all 3 in the supply chain to come together – put the end user, manufacturer and installer together……discuss the end user issues and goals, discuss the kit’s capabilities, discuss the installation considerations….

not only would the system be EXACTLY as described (at least 2 other witnesses!) but maybe it would breed a new element of loyalty……….it could save the end user having to chop and change installer whenever a service level dropped…..or replace kit that didn’t provide what was required….because all 3 parties would have a direct dialogue to each other……

In this day and age of economic unrest, loyalty and service, along with maximising expenditure, is absolutely key in our industry….. it can be the difference between ‘making do’ with ageing systems or ‘upgrading’ to the latest technologies………

We have seen of late a few proactive installers shun the industry norm of keeping their end user customers secret – instead, bringing in their trusted manufacturing suppliers to be a part of the triumvirate partnership…..actively involved in the development of systems and roll outs……and those manufacturers feel more obliged to develop new systems, tweak new software, add new features, because they are actively involved and can see first hand what the end user wants and needs – in a real world scenario and not in a nice, clean sterile manufacturing environment….

So Installers and End Users, unite with the Manufacturers……..you might find the benefits are long lasting and profitable !

The real cost of CCTV security Systems

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Over the last few years during the good times, many companies especially in the UK have used surplus funds to beef up their security systems. As a result they have seen losses reduced and enjoy the benefits of cameras and access control for management tools. Things though have changed over the last couple of years and especially after the events over last weekend when the bomb was discovered on the freight airliner . Cut backs have meant that new spending on security has reduced or stopped and ongoing maintenance has been neglected. It is only now that some are beginning to regret this lack of investment and are starting to realize the true value of having security in the first place. Global forwarding springs to mind!
The trouble is that with CCTV and access control systems we have no way of actually measuring their effectiveness, it is only when they are removed or left to go into decline that the real cost effectiveness is suddenly obvious. Imagine the disruption to a business if a break in does occur worse still a plane is bought down over the skies of the UK . It is not just the damage that is obvious i.e. the smashed up doors or the stolen lorry, the total disruption to air travel!!! but when your business is totally bought to a halt or a vital piece of kit goes missing for your most important customer then the embarrassment of telling them your security system did not work becomes apparent. To lose an important client because they have had to go elsewhere creates far more problems and costs more than if the security system had been maintained and upgraded in the first place. So next time you think about cutting back on security think about the cost savings that CCTV and access control really bring to your business. Dont they say spend a little now and you will save a lot later?

Megapixel IP cameras – the death of PTZ?

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Recently I took a look at the Arecont AV8185 180 degree Panoramic 8  PIXC camera…..wow, what a completely astonishing beast it is ! It got me thinking….a single camera that can span through 180 degrees both pre and post recording with amazing detail…… some of their AVI samples show retail environments and warehouses where, on full wide angle, objects at distance are merely specks on the picture….but using zooming techniques, detail can be achieved at huge distance without compromising quality……. So, could one single 180 degree camera replace a PTZ camera?? Well, in essence, yes it can….. the advantage to a 180 or 360 degree camera is the ability to see EVERYTHING and zoom later, as opposed to the PTZ dome or similar only seeing what it is looking at – move it to another area and it is no longer looking the other way……and whilst the optical zoom produces great images on PTZ cameras, newer megapixel technologies are producing similar results post zoom through electronic magnification…. But, and there is a but…….megapixel IP cameras cannot ‘follow’ someone…..so, no matter where a person is within a scene, there is no ‘dynamic’ zooming or detail enhancement….it is simply a camera that is looking at everything and if real detail is required, then the operator just has to hope it will show up on post zoom… So what is the answer?? Well, maybe megapixel should complement PTZ cameras? co-exist? Work together??? Scenario…… 1 x Megapixel 180degree Panoramic camera looking at EVERYTHING 1 x PTZ camera, centrally located 1 x Analytic box/widget/software that takes the feed from the EVERYTHING seeing megapixel camera, feeds it to the PTZ camera to DYNAMICALLY move, zoom and track the object….. Utopia ! Of course, real utopia would be for the PTZ to ALSO be using megapixel or HD cameras…..and we hear rumours of such products coming up soon from the likes of 360 Vision, March Networks and similar… but how much are they?….. what is the price?………if the price is right ….. the best of both worlds? Maybe !!

Light or Dark?

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An interesting conversation came up the other day…..

PTZ cameras with IR….. the IR is pretty discreet, no beam, just a subtle red glow, almost invisible…….there are even ‘black’ glow versions that are completely invisible….

But one application was calling for white light illumination…..apparently, it would be useful for the PTZ camera to move around with a powerful, white LED beam shining forward to assist the camera to see in the darkest of areas….

Not really very covert….but then again, nor is IR really…..if you were looking at a PTZ camera moving around, you could make out the faint glow of the IR if it were pointing forwards.

But, the white light ‘beam’…..well, it does the job of probably being a deterrent as well as an aid to the camera……a bit like security lighting……..if a park or grounds were completely pitch black and the camera were able to shine a powerful beam right into path of the intruder, it would certainly be effective!

It’s the old age question – Deterrent or Capture….!

What do you think?