Tag Archives: Ip Camera

Honeywell Fusion IV DVR

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The Fusion IV is here! Honeywell’s hybrid 32 channel recorder has set a standard that will get the market place talking for some time. Not just an analogue DVR,the Fusion IV is equally at home recording IP cameras; Being Hybrid the unit bridges the gap between analogue and digital and has plenty of features to boot. The fusion IV is not just for recording either it can transmit up to 32 channels of analogue or IP video sources, and up to 16 channels of audio. POS/ATM text data can also be transmitted to provide an overall Ip video surveillance solution.

Devices that can be easily connected into the Fusion IV includes IP cameras, network encoders and megapixel cameras. Fusion IV also offers up to 32 channels of hybrid (analogue and/or IP) camera support. The hybrid DVR fully embraces H.264 video compression across all the inputs meaning reduced file sizes and longer recording times.

Multi-tasking of simultaneous operations including network cameras, megapixel cameras, point of- sale, video analytics and more are included in the Fusion IV portfolio. Dual video ports have also been added. Windows® XP is the preferred embedded operating system, and network security and firewall protection is a prerequisite, this also eliminates the need to format DVDs before back up. Hard drives can be easily replaced from the front panel meaning field replacement of hard drives is easy and efficient.

 
IP and megapixel camera technologies are now seen as the future of video surveillance systems and drive the need for new the functionality offered by the Fusion IV DVR. Fusion IV is ideal for systems requiring transition to IP from analogue to maximise the cost-savings benefits associated with IP networking. By using H.264 compression recording the  unparalleled image clarity using megapixel cameras is now perfectly possible. Many businesses will find the benefits of the fusion IV will fit seamlessly into their security operation and the hybrid functionality offers unparalelled options.

Some of the benefits of the Honeywell Fusion IV
Recording rates across all 32 channels for 100 to 400 at CIF resolution PAL
Recording resolutions up to 720 × 576 (D1)
VGA and DVI-D ports for local live viewing
Available with 8, 16 and 32 looping video inputs
Internal storage capacity up to 8 TB
External storage options
Analogue and IP recording across 32 channels
16 sensor inputs and 16 outputs
Multiplexed switched spot outputs
16 channels of audio on selected models
10/100/1000 gigabit network standard 
Windows® XP embedded operating system
 

Hybrid operation for analogue/IP camera mix based on DVR model – 8/16/32 channel video input
User software included with each DVR:
Fusion Server Software – Local user interface
4 channels of analytics on certain models

ACTi ACD- 2400 video encoder

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ACTI ACD-2400 video encoder.

The ACTI video encoder is a 16 way MPEG4 1U unit It looks sleek and well built and makes up just one more component in what is now an extensive range of products from the ACTI corporation.

Each channel of analogue video can be converted to IP at 25 FPS at full D1 resolution, in addition each channel boasts 2 way audio and video motion detection. With digital inputs and outputs and serial control ports for PTZ again per channel. ACTi have produced an encoder that fits well into a scenario that requires a hybrid CCTV solution.

Protocols included to allow PTZ control include Pelco-D and Pelco-P Sony VISCA and American Dynamics also with regard to integration  we can confirm the encoder is fully compatible with all ACTi software and there is an SDK available on request.

In order to to access the browser on the unit you will require Microsoft Internet explorer 6.0 or something newer.

So as we build on the portfolio of ACTi products we can see that by producing a 16 way encoder they are looking to create a situation for installers to start to create hybrid CCTV systems and use ACTi IP cameras as well.

Brickcom IP camera

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Brickcom IP camera solutions

Brickcom are now one of the leading IP camera manufacturers in the industry today. Clever sales strategy means that they are able to provide prompt service and technical support worldwide.

Quality IP surveillance solutions

Brickcom have always taken pride in its quality network solutions and have been supplying wireless solutions for over twenty years but now they are beginning to be noticed for their megapixel camera solutions.

Benefits.

One of the major benefits Brickcom are able to boast is they can provide a complete solution to those specifying a video surveillance sytem. They also manufacture routers and switches meaning compatibility issues are negligent and with a global presence and a focus on quality images they are starting to stand out from the crowd . Not least because the TCO of their video surveillance systems is so competitive. ONVIF compliant and offering a 2 year guarantee on all their products its easy to see why their name is now rated highly in the industry.

Lots of choice.

They also have an extensive portfolio that includes NVRs and CMS software, each camera also comes with its own recording software as standard.Their green policy is admirable and with a heavy emphasis on R&D they seek to incorporate all the latest developments that are being introduced into the Video surveillance systems of the future.

Selected products include

FB-110A- a megapixel fixed box camera with progressive scan and H.264 compression, POE and 12v DC or 24v AC adds to the features.

FD-130A – fixed dome camera with two way audio and POE a very economical buy.

CB-101A- a megapixel cube camera that uses 1/4 progressive scan H.264 compression and of course POE. This camera fits very nicely into many applications because of its small dimensions.

Just a small glimpse at the range we suggest you visit the website for a better look at what the have to offer.

CCTV engineer. What is your future?

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CCTV engineers are you listening?

CCTV engineers,  luddites! Harsh perhaps, but in our experience it is the CCTV engineers within the security industry who least like change. Over the years they have seen little change to how their basic job works. Yes regulation means they have had to embrace a few tweaks to the standards and to be fair most engineers are happy to take these on board, but new technology presents a different problem. Up until the last few years the only serious technology introduced into their job spec has been the DVR. Most engineers did come to terms quite quickly with the new menus and the general installation of the now common DVR. Rarely however did this require the use of a laptop to set up and any networking tended to be done by a commissioning engineer who swept up after them. Now however things are about to change in a big way and those who don’t make the effort to embrace new ideas will be left behind.

IP video systems.

IP video systems are here and this requires a whole new approach by CCTV engineers who to all intensive purposes will see many parts of their job disappear over the next 5 years. Basic IT skills are an essential and probably much more than just the basics will need to be instilled into the CCTV engineers job specs  to enable them to install and understand IP video in the new era.

IP CCTV Training courses.

To be fair to IP camera manufacturers, they are very keen to get training to everyone they can. Rarely does a day go by without an email landing into the inbox advertising a free training course for engineers to help them brush up on the skills they need . However in this climate of recession CCTV installers have cut back on all training and even if this training is free they still have to consider the cost implications of taking their engineers off the road for the duration of the course. So are CCTV engineers going to be left to hang out to dry and simply be replaced by IT network technicians? Well we will have to wait and see but a wake up call has been sent out …..is anyone listening?

TCO of an IP Surveillance system. The burning question!

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Analogue CCTV v IP camera solutions

An acquaintance  of mine is responsible for building very large hotels from the ground up to the handing over the finished building. Nice work if you can get it! Being a very astute kind of fellow he phoned me up for some advice regarding the security aspect of his newest project. The question he asked was one that is being put to many specifiers at the moment and is one that we believe is the burning question about IP surveillance systems today. That is the TCO or total cost of ownership of IP video systems v analogue CCTV.

Why do IP cameras cost more?

What was confusing my friend and quite rightly, was this. Why was his ME contractor charging him £500 per camera for a 68 way IP camera system? He saw this as costly and the first thing he did, as many would, is check this out on the Internet. He quite simply could not justify this cost when he saw that he could buy what seemed like a perfectly adequate analogue CCTV camera for not much more than £100. So armed with some prices he rang me to know what I thought and find out if he was about to get ripped off.

NVT

Firstly we explored how far the hotel build had advanced and how the cabling had been structured. It seemed that from day one the designers of the networking infrastructure were always intending to go down the IP camera route. I explained that if we wanted to use analogue cameras there was a little more we needed to cost in before we could make a fair comparison. Firstly there was a possibility that we may be able to use the CAT5 cable and by using an NVT solution we could encode and decode the analogue video at each camera and termination point. This however involved a cost and quite a bit more labour to make each end off. I also explained that cable distances were important to decide whether he would need active or passive transmitters and receivers. In addition I asked him if the analogue cameras he had sourced also came with lenses because other wise we need to add £50 per camera straight away, the answer to this was no.

PoE is so much quicker!

I then explained that each camera would need a power supply as the  IP cameras would be PoE, so perhaps another £30 for each PSU once installed needed to be added. In addition for each power supply we would need a fused spur, that would also need to be certificated, so add another £100 per camera. We were not finished yet as each camera would take longer to install and set up, perhaps another £25 or so per unit.

Is it still cheaper?

My friend could see that now costs were beginning to add up but still the analogue CCTV system still seemed a cheaper solution …just.

DVR  v NVR

I then asked him about what recording solution was going to be put in place. Although he was not exactly sure of the make , what he seemed to describe was Milestone software or something similar together with a server to record all his images, I asked if this needed to be accessed remotely and it seemed it did.

High quality DVR.

I then explained that to get a similar picture quality together with the 28 days recording he was asking for would mean he was going to need some high end spec DVRs and what was worse he was going to need 5 of them. I suggested that he check out the cost of these but said in reality this could potentially add at least another couple of thousand pounds to his cost of going analogue.

Clear crisp images

We then went onto picture quality and features that Megapixel IP cameras would be able to provide over an analogue CCTV solution. PoE , auto-focus and better flexibility with recorded images all added to the benefits of the IP option.

The decision.

In summary he was left to make some difficult decisions but in the end I believe that it was the future proofing that an IP surveillance system could give him,  just about made his mind up!