Category: HDCCTV

Hikvision HD static dome camera

Hikvision-DS-2CD4124F-IZ

This compact HD static dome from Hikvision is a networked camera capable of delivering 1080p streams in triplicate. As  standard the camera comes with a 2.8 -12mm varifocal lens with integrated IR leds for night time viewing. The range of the high powered LEDs can operate up to 30 metres. As this is a networked camera it comes with Video motion detection built in and is able to activate alarms on facial detection. Audio is also a feature of this camera and as with all the top cameras in the Hikvision suite it supports edge recording via it’s SD slot. You can also choose how to power this unit, POE or 12V DC are both provided for.

 

A recent independent assessment  of the camera carried out by Benchmark magazine gave this camera an 80% mark, a percentage ranking that was only bettered by the AXISP3365-V, no disgrace there.

Setting up the unit is simple but any problems are easily solved by reading through the CD provided with the camera. Image quality is not the best when compared with the AXIS camera equivalent . The pictures are darker than some may expect and this has been noted but from a price point much lower than most HD static domes it can be overlooked.

Hikvision have also been able to gain a large amount of the monitoring market place. Their NVR and DVR integrate nicely into the IMMIX monitoring platform and as result Hikvision are selling into the UK on a huge scale. It looks like Hivision are here to stay.

 

Video Encoders

Video encoders are taken for granted in the CCTV industry today but perhaps without realizing it they are the most underestimated tool in the box. Traditionally expensive, with little thought as to how they may be best deployed, manufacturers have been churning out various offerings in the last few years. Used to transform analogue cameras onto an IP platform they offer the ability to re-use existing infrastructure and insert it into new Video management software to give end users an upgrade path to IP.

 

There are an estimated 100 million or more analogue CCTV cameras installed in the world today . With IP grabbing all the headlines most would have you believe that they are of no use going forward. Nothing could be further from the truth. The average lifetime of many of these cameras is six to eight years, so many systems out there have plenty of life left in them yet.

Video encoders can bridge between analogue CCTV and IP this offers a world of opportunity.

 

As a result we would expect to see the following happen.

 

1)      The price of encoders to half in the next year.

2)      More companies who have committed to IP appreciate that supplying a cost effective encoder will mean more chance of sales further down the line.

3)      More installers encouraging the use of encoders to prolong the life of existing infrastructure.

 

Slow growth of IP has been blamed on analogue technology becoming cheaper, but in reality it is more likely people are reluctant to throw away what they have. It seems that if we make it easier for people to get into a position where they can have HD cameras without losing what they have already installed then we will all be onto a winner.

 

 

 

Hikvision HD CCTV

Once again Hikvision is making the headlines for all the right reasons. Their market share has risen significantly last year and is expected to continue this trend during 2014. This was outlined when for the third year on the run, Hikvision has dominated the rankings for sales of CCTV and Video Surveillance Equipment. The 10.9% market share makes it the largest seller of CCTV products in the world. The upward trend in 2013 means that sales are up from 8% in 2012 an advance of over 30%.

Hikvision HD-SDI IR Bullet Camera DS-2CC11D3S-IR 3.6

What is more Hikvison either maintained or advanced its stake in every single market segment that was measured. Perhaps the biggest achievement was becoming the top Hardware NVR manufacturer and this from an almost standing start as in 2012. Remember Hikvision did not even appear in the top ten NVR providers last year.

Other factors to note is that Hikvision maintained its run at the top as the world number 1 DVR manufacturer, this was the for the fifth year in a row that this feat has been achieved . Analogue CCTV cameras are another big area of growth seeing an 11.9% market share. Network Security Cameras with a 13% share of the market signals a heavy bias on the growing demand for HD CCTV. Hikvision continue to work on VMS solutions and these are expected to figure heavily next year in the growth of this remarkable success storey

The outstanding performance across the board does seem to prove that Hikvision’s continued investment and innovation in the field of video surveillance products is paying off. In addition they have made a heavy investment into marketing. In the UK the Hikvison brand is now easily recognisable and HD CCTV solutions are proud to be selling the Hikvision brand as part of its portfolio of  HD cameras and NVRs. Increased sales are also evidence of a quality product at the right price.

The global CCTV market will continue to move towards HD CCTV as a minimum standard that the customer will be of expecting. As a result Hikvision has accelerated development of HD IP products and at the forefront of this is easy-to-use IP solution and Smart IP solution. It will be no surprise to see Hikvision continue to dominate the market with competitively priced systems for installers who need both quality and reliability to help their own businesses grow.

IDIS DirectIP. A high quality HD CCTV solution.

IDIS DirectIP is system that has been developed to seriously address some of the issues with installing IPCCTV. Below is the review of  the DirectIP offering from IDIS, a combination of equipment that makes installation simple and brings HDCCTV solutions to many.

Below is feature from the  IFSEC website listing the reasons why IDIS are now challenging in the marketplace when it comes to high quality HD CCTV over IP.

 

“Produced in IDIS’ state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, DirectIP resoundingly meets these challenges.

Surveillance solutions are rarely developed, designed and manufactured by a single company. Comprising all necessary cameras, recorders, video management software and accessories, DirectIP is a one-stop, end-to-end HD surveillance solution available from a single vendor.

Cost-effectiveness

Complexity, cost and time: overwhelmingly the biggest installation, maintenance and usage challenges facing installers and end users of surveillance solutions.
Installers struggle to absorb the cost of training staff or hiring IT engineers. Expensive, convoluted installation and maintenance, lengthy personnel training and burdensome annual software license fees, meanwhile, deter end users from upgrading their analogue systems.

Small wonder that IP-surveillance adoption was slower than first predicted.

DirectIP solves these problems: it’s quicker to install and maintain – and therefore cheaper, because time equals money – and requires little training and no software licences, bundling Video Management Software (VMS) for free.

DirectIP cuts costs and frees up time and resources – for both installers and end users. Installers, who can service clients with fewer man hours and less training, become much more competitive in the price-sensitive SME markets.

End users will relish the simplicity of DirectIP, as it’s so similar to their analogue systems that there’s little to no training required, making networked and HD surveillance possible without setting up a router or server, or configuring the network. IT expertise is not required.

Performance

Until DirectIP, HD surveillance systems fell woefully short of home TV experiences, with real-time viewing scuppered by network latency. Early HD systems lacked recording, playback and simultaneous viewing capabilities too.EASY TO INSTALL_02

DirectIP simultaneously performs multiple, full-HD, two-megapixel, 30ips, real-time streams per channel for up to 16 connections with live monitoring, playback and recording. Seeing is believing, so IDIS offer demos and training for end-users and installers at their dedicated training and demo facilities in Brentford, London as well as their other sites across the globe.

Storage and reliability

End users often view IP storage solutions as risky or expensive. SD cards and cloud storage are seen as vulnerable, while most organisations begrudge having to buy additional servers and IT equipment. At the same time, HD CCTV recording platforms are often sluggish in retrieving recorded footage because Windows file systems usually operate on a random access and random writing basis.”

Mindful of this, IDIS leveraged 17 years’ of recording expertise to develop a robust, resilient and compliant recording and storage capability through its DirectIP NVRs. Using patented technology, DirectIP NVRs achieve unprecedentedly rapid footage retrieval through its multimedia database, iBankDB. A highly optimised database designed for video footage, iBankDB uses very high input/output throughput combined with proprietary algorithms, to access data faster and operate even in the event of 90% damage to hard disks, ensuring recording and playback continues on the remaining 10%.

The suite of DirectIP NVRs provide 6TB of storage for the 4-channel range and up to 18TB for 32-channels expanding to 66TB with DirectIP eSata devices. Featuring a patent-protected anti-shock and vibration design, combined with high-performance ventilation systems, DirectIP NVRs have a failure rate of below 0.5% per annum, making them financial institute level security standards, no less.

Data security

The integrity of footage is a paramount concern when organisations upgrade to network surveillance. A package of innovative security protections, such as “Chained Fingerprint”, a proprietary encryption algorithm, SSL encryption and password encryption protects data from tampering and unauthorised access.
For more information on IDIS and DirectIP solutions, go to www.idisglobal.com or e-mail info@idisglobal.com.

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HD CCTV, maintenance and deterrent

Maintenance has always been a critical part of ensuring that a HD CCTV system operates correctly and gives the optimum picture quality at all times. It is easy to forget that a CCTV is a 24 hour seven day a week 356 day of the year operating system. Not many other products are asked to perform such a task so it is no surprise that it needs looking after. CCTV monitors are often at the forefront of problems. Too many companies simply sell monitors that are not fit for purpose and quickly burn out as a result. The same can be said for the cameras. It is so easy to go on line and buy Chinese manufactured products at a fraction of the price of some of the bigger more proven makes on the market. It is as always the same story though . You will get what you pay for . So either you have a system that has constant blank images on the split screens where cameras have gone down or you pay a lot of money calling out engineers to mend what you have.

Alternatively of course you can buy quality goods. A good example of this is when we talk about HD products is one of the best products on the market right now for both quality and reliability. It  is the HD Predator by 360 vision.

This camera is unique to the market place and has some fantastic features. You can have IR ,white light as well as HD and what is more you get multiple views from this camera . The camera concentrates on deterrent and crime prevention as its main selling point and below is an excerpt from the 360 website describing the benefits. Prevention is always better than cure . Any act of theft or vandalism that is prevented and this ultimately pays of the capital cost of the CCTV system. So what can the Predator do for you?

In the words of 360 themselves “The Patented Combined IR/White Light Technology on the 360 Vision “Predator” Rugged Camera range is widely recognised to be off a massive financial benefit in relation to its deterrent nature.

Security Managers have spent hours and hours trawling through pre-recorded video footage after an incident has occurred trying to locate relevant small sections to the respective incidents.

However, it is widely established that combined IR/White Light Technology deters many breaches of security occurring in the first place, there by eradicating the need for expensive, labour intensive post event video searches.

An aspect most prudent Senior Security Managers in Local Authorities, Blue Chip Companies and Public Utilities readily recognise the benefit, especially during the current tough economic climate.”

So going back to the subject of maintenance we know that buying a quality product will reduce costs in the long run. Buying HD will increase the value of the system to the end user and produce results worthy of the initial cost of the system. Combining the two and adding deterrent features will give you the best value in the long run.