Tag Archives: megapixel IP camera

Megapixel IP camera, set up instructions!

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We like megapixel IP cameras….. High quality images, excellent replay pictures, post-zoom functions

But have you tried setting them up!!???

These clever PIXC manufacturers invest thousands, probably millions, developing amazing technology, but we wonder if they ever ACTUALLY install them…..sure, we bet they test them extensively, but actually setting them up?

Take a 1080P mini dome with varifocal lens…..adjust the lens to the widest field of view….obviously it needs to be focused…… Ensure your fingers are no larger than a matchstick in order to reach the tiniest locking screw known to man located under the tightest plastic ring surrounding the camera module…….slowly turn (whilst stripping layer 1 of your fingers skin) until focus is achieved….no, back a bit, forward, no just missed it, back, yep that’s it, no wait, you breathed, a bit more yep, quick, lock it (cue small finger requirement again)

You see, we are amazed that, with all the amazing minds that sit around the table designing the most beautiful of megapixel IP cameras, that no-one had thought to have some form of electronic adjustment, even perhaps an auto or software adjustment……or just plain old decent access points !!!

Come on Manufacturers, give the installer the tools to install quickly and painlessly and this IP lark will soon catch on!!

Vigilant CCTV systems the New kids on the block

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We have been keeping an eye recently on an up and coming, home grown, good old UK based DVR and Hybrid/IP manufacturer…… Vigilant Systems, based in Somerset……

Unlike so many of the far eastern in-flux of DVR and NVR solutions, Vigilant Systems offer something quite unique!

Sure, their ‘engine’ is based on a Far Eastern software development – but we understand they have had considerable input to the ongoing development of the software, in a relationship they have had for a considerable period of time…..

But, their USP is that they assemble all the hardware here in the UK……that means the quality and reliability of the components are completely within their control….. they have their own assembly line and in-house Technical Support engineers and this UK time zone and UK language approach to the NVR/DVR market is refreshing……how many DVR suppliers can boast that they ACTUALLY make the units here, in the UK ??

Products ranging from small 4 & 8 channel right up to huge, scalable systems are available, backed by great software and very clever add-ons (keyboards, monitor walls, analytics, EPOS and analytics)…….. they’ve even worked hard to get their CCTV software into Central Stations of note to offer a complete Remote Managed solution too.

With HD and Megapixel cameras and a range of IP Encoders, Vigilant are another company that can offer a complete ‘system solution’

We think we will see more of Vigilant Systems in the near future…….

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!

Arecont v Avigilon Battle of the HD Camera Giants!

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Arecont vs Avigilon.

Both HD camera experts….both American….both high quality product offerings….both begin with ‘A’…….!

So which one?

Well, like most system selection questions, it is pretty much always down to a question of taste…

But, we think there may be enough differences to perhaps make the selection easier

Arecont….

Out and out IP camera manufacturers…..take a look at the extensive list of different products, almost to the point of exhaustion! But, there is no doubting that their products are awesome…. we tested their 2megapixel AV2110 Megapixel IP camera….and quite simply, it was stunning……sure, there are higher megapixel PIXC offerings out there, but put simply, when a camera produces a high quality image, is there a limit reached that does not need to be extended??

On an earlier post, we discussed the trade off between high quality vs bandwidth and really, with pictures as pin sharp and easy to set up as the Arecont AV2110, then it is a struggle to look elsewhere……

But…..

Avigilon….

Same selection of camera offerings……and boy, some beauties in that range – we checked out at IFSEC 2010 the 16megapixel 16-PRO-HD-C unit, looking at a section of crowd at a football match (ok, ‘soccer’ for our Atlantic friends!)……..

The thing that perhaps starts to separate these guys is that Avigilon are perhaps a little more ’rounded’ in the complete system solution offering…..they offer the software, NVR, encoders etc etc to enable a complete end to end solution….and lets face it, most installers appreciate the ease of dealing with one supplier – March Networks springs to mind……

Don’t get us wrong, Arecont have worked VERY hard to get themselves integrated into pretty much everyone – and that gives credence to their mentality that they want to concentrate on simply making brilliant cameras…….. on the other hand, Avigilon are showing that they can offer complete systems that rival other CCTV software, NVR and encoder manufacturers, taking away the need to have to shop around or re-train….

Interesting choice…….more will be heard from these 2 great companies no doubt.

CCTV acronyms

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Megapixel IP video systems.
Over the next few days we will be looking at some of the features that are being built into the latest IP Megapixel cameras in order to show some of the major benefits that can be achieved through this new technology. Firstly below we list some of the acronyms being used and what they actually mean.  There is nothing worse than a 3 letter abbreviation that everyone is talking about but no one has actually told you.!
PVO progressive video output – essentially this ensures clearer images and less motion blur ABS adaptive black stretch – increases visibility of subjects in dark areas.
WDF wide dynamic feature – a feature within an ip camera used to reproduce a balanced image when looking at at areas of high contrast, such as doorways.
ABF – auto back focus – automatically adjusts the back focus to ensure crisp images day and night without the need to manually adjust this at the camera.
DNR – digital noise reduction – in low light conditions there is a need to amplify images this also however amplifies any noise on the picture.  DNR technology reduces the noise viewed by the end user.
AIS – auto image stabilizer – cancels out vibrations on the image caused during windy conditions.
MSV- multi streamed video – IP cameras come equipped to send video streams to more than one location at reduced bandwidth if necessary.
VMD – video motion detection – when changes in the view of the camera are detected an alarm can be raised to alert an operator or start recording on an NVR
Just a few listed above and many more round the corner we suspect as the technology advances so more and more features and those dreaded three letter acronyms will be introduced.