360 PREDATOR Round up…..

As readers of this blog will know we have followed the journey of the Predator cameras from new kid on the block to seasoned professional. Our first post all the way back in 2010, we talked about its new patented technology and our most recent where we caught up with Mark Rees from 360 for an interview.

Below are just a few of our articles.

Inside Story Read More

Jack of all trade, Master of all Read More

Success of the Predator Read More

360 Launch Enhanced Patented White Light Predator Read More

Predator gets thermal Read More

Mickey versus Predator Read More

Hikvision: Why has it become such a popular choice for installers?

The History of Hikvision

Hikvision Digital Technology Co Ltd was founded in 2001 and is now the worlds largest supplier of electronic video surveillance products. Today,  Hikvision employs over 13,000 employees,  a very impressive total for a company that started just a few years ago. Perhaps though, the real secret of its recent  success lies in the fact that Hikvision currently employs over 4500 research and development staff, these guys form the backbone of the organisation.

Hikvision’s product range is extensive and there is little that they do not manufacture in the way of surveillance related products. IP cameras now form the hub of their product base but analogue is still an important part of their portfolio even now,  as many commentators  predicted it was tailing off as a technology.

Hikvision first started their rise to success by moving into embedded DVRs after moving away from PC-based systems. These early systems were  more sophisticated but ultimately more  complicated to use. The benefits of going embedded were the costs dropped significantly and the operation became far easier, this met market requirements at the time. The move to embedded corresponded with a boom in DVR products across the CCTV industry. By continuing to employ a large workforce in their R& D department they were able to forge ahead of the competition constantly moving things forward at pace.

Hikvision 3 MP AV IR Dome - DS-2CD2132-I

Hikvision, from small beginnings are a very well known name in the industry now. Just a few years earlier however the company evolved quietly from within a Chinese government research facility that specialized in video surveillance. The original research was based around video compression and was the basis for the development of the analogue DVR,  at the time this was hailed as a refreshing replacement for the humble video recorder. Even with lots of new ideas and innovation Hikvision still did not become part of the consciousness of the CCTV surveillance community until 2009 when they shifted from PC based video capture cards to launch an embedded DVR range.

The company grew incredibly quickly and it was IFSEC 2011 when you could not move around the show  without seeing a Hikvision bag or some form of advertising with their name on it. It seemed even then that the whole CCTV world revolved around their cameras and DVR’s.

Hikvision’s success today lies in their extensive range of products. Cameras, both analogue and IP together with DVRs , NVRs as well as ancillary devices to compliment the range. However it is some of the clever features they have built into their IP based devices that are really catching the eye right now. We will outline many of these features later in this article.

The question many have asked though  is how have Hikvision managed to gain such a market presence? It would seem the simple answer to this is to concentrate on quality,  then invest heavily to ensure each item within the Hikvision portfolio is laden  with a number of clever and desirable features. Then finally brand it (Hikvision) and continue to promote this brand relentlessly. Eventually it becomes self perpetuating as installers realize that the quality is easily associated with the Hikvision brand by end users. Finally and probably most importantly Hikvision sell at a price point that makes room for profit but screams competitiveness and with all that together you have a natural winner.

Today Hikvision are regarded as a total solution provider.  With the industry marching towards IP,  Hikvision has developed some simple but brilliant features to help it win market share. Take the HIKvision 3 MP bullet camera for example. Take a look at the spec and features below.

Hikvision 2 MP Full HD IR Bullet Camera - DS-2CD4232FWD-IZ

“a 1/3 progressive scan CMOS chipset, a graphic display resolution of 2048 x 1536@12.5 FPS,  IP66 rated,  this camera is built to perform in all sorts of  external applications. Equipped with a clever DWDR function the camera is able to give a far better image where back-light would normally be a problem. In effect DWDR is a digital version of WDR and provides colour images with light conditions as low as 0.01 Lux. The F1.2 appeture lets plenty of light onto the chipset however once conditions reach 0 Lux the infrared cut filter switches the camera to monocrome and combines built in IR  for an excellent night time image.  The range of 20m – 30m IR coverage outdoors is achieved. As standard the camera can be powered by either 12VDC or PoE (power over ethernet) and comes with a fixed  4mm lens. The 3D digital noise reduction feature allows for noise filtering of each individual frame this means quality images even in noisy environments. The camera comes with a full 2 Year Warranty”. This camera represents quite outstanding value. This is the spec of just 1 camera out of a huge range Hikvision offer.

Perhaps one of the biggest features end users want these days is to be able to connect remotely to their cameras. Many DVR’s can do this and Hivision DVR’s and NVR’s are no exception. However one market they have cleverly broken into here in the UK is central station monitoring. Custodian, one of the biggest CCTV monitoring central stations in the UK have found their products a highly effective way of monitoring remote sites. IMMIX compatible, the transmitted images are second to none and operators find their simple menus easy to navigate, it is currently specified by many now as the most cost effective way of monitoring CCTV and as result is playing its part in generating revenue for central stations and installers alike.

Hikvision 32 Channel Network Video Recorder - DS-8632NI-ST-12TB

Hikvision is focused clearly on the future. Features within the product range include algorithms for encoding and decoding, compression, video analytics, facial recognition and storage solutions, everything you can think of in fact. ONVIF compliant and now truly worldwide Hikvision are offering a camera and recording range that is literally catching the imagination of all those in the industry and beyond. I would add,  remember the name but its more than likely you have already heard of it. What you may not have known but do now is just how advanced the product range is and what exceptional value for money it offers.

 

Essen 2012

The bi-annual Essen Security exhibition has now closed for another 2 years.

Boasting a huge array of Halls and technology to visit, surely Essen has now rightfully claimed its title as THE Security Exhibition to visit ahead of rivals such as IFSEC?

Essen security show

Spread over 11, yes that’s 11 Halls, Essen needed a transport system of its own inside just to get us from hall to hall !

Talking of transportation, the travel system, namely the hugely efficient DB Train system, delivered us on time every day – if the platform board showed 1 minute until the next train, 1 minute it was!

Anyway, back to the show.

Notable massive stands (or booths as our European friends referred to ) were Bosch, Honeywell, Siemans.

Bosch had their representation of an aircraft, complete with actual airline seats to sit and listen to the presentations! Rumour has it (and only rumour because we weren’t invited!) that all visitors to their stand (oops, booth) were taken out to the back of the Bosch area and treated to a full 3 course cooked lunch!!! Now that is customer care!

security shows

Interesting that their flagship new MIC 550 was represented by one, solitary lonely looking model on top of one of their product podiums…….

The British contingent were represented in the BSIA section by the likes of GJD with their HD CCTV lighting solutions, Elmdene and NVT. Also present for the first time at ESSEN was 360 Vision Technology, brave guys taking their range of Predators into the back garden of Bosch MICS!!!!

Talking of 360 Vision, they certainly flooded their stand with multiple-coloured Predators! Gold, orange, green and JCB Yellow ensured that sun glasses were needed for this UK manufacturer!

Into Hall 2 and the mighty Geutebrueck had an amazing stand – packed with staff and visitors it seemed for the full 4 days!

Some great video Analytics were observed over at the UDP Technology stand – fully expecting these guys to be taking the UK by storm real soon with their very clever technology!

MP was represented amply by the usual guys – Arecont and Avigilon had excellent displays.

We spotted  Todd Rockoff  at the show as well spreading the word about HDcctv . Keep watching this space for more news from Todd soon.

Visitors attending the show were from far flung regions – talking with some of the exhibitors, they had seen good quality leads from US, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Middle East and of course the main Euro regions – affirming Security Essen’s status as a truly International show.

It therefore must beg the question, with such a high quality show held only every 2 years, is there now room for a smaller, certainly less well presented IFSEC anymore in the UK? We paid fairly low airline fares to Dusseldorf, stayed in a clean, functional but inexpensive hotel (compared to London or Birmingham hotels) and travelled effortlessly, cheaply and efficiently on excellent transport to and from the halls.

Our opinion? Security Essen is the show that is worth visiting……and waiting for!

What sets Avigilon apart from other HD IP CCTV systems.

Avigilon first came to the attention of UK installers around 3 years ago when the quality of their products were displayed at IFSEC. It was then that the JPEG 2000 format and their 16 megapixel camera was able to demonstrate what HD could really do for the end user. Since then Avigilon have introduced a number of  H.264 cameras and at the same time they have been building a network of quality installers that can both sell and do justice to their products. All of this now means that Avigilon UK are now taking a large market share of the HD upgrades here in this country.

HD CCTV UK
Avigilon CCTV

The main selling point for Avigilon HD here in the UK is not just the HD cameras that are on offer but the ability to upgrade analogue CCTV systems and bring legacy cameras into their recording platform using very competitively priced 4 way encoders. Avigilon’s video encoder converts a standard analogue video signal into an IP stream, this means you can send the captured digital images over an IP network making best use of existing CCTV systems. This then allows you to view live images from your existing cameras on your IP network. Once the conversion from analogue to IP is made you will then view your cameras using video management software.

Avigilon encoder
Avigilon encoder

 

 

Avigilon Control Center is the video management software at the heart of an Avigilon CCTV system and once the analogue conversion is made it is then possible to add IP-based cameras as budget allows. The Avigilon video encoder is the most cost-effective way to migrate your current legacy system to a network-based IP-system. Immediately you will get the significant benefits of a digital CCTV system re-using the investment already made in your current analogue CCTV system. This impressive software allows you to migrate to a fully digital system when you’re ready and includes advanced features making it the most powerful, open HD surveillance platform we have seen. The Avigilon control centre supports an unlimited number of cameras and servers making it ideal for large-scale needs.

Avigilon ACC-4.6 Range

Control centre 5 as it is called has deployed some very impressive features. You will be able to zoom in on objects to get unparalleled images and it is the detail and clarity that sets Avigilon apart from the rest. Read number plates and get quality facial recognition something that would have proved impossible before using your analogue CCTV. Advanced search features within the software save hours of time trawling through video and once you have experienced  Avigilon Control Center using HDSM technology you will be very reluctant to return to analogue CCTV and your old DVR.

Price is of importance of course  and because Avigilon use a scaled approach to upgrades it puts the power back into the hands of the end user exactly how much he wishes to invest at any one time into his security system. However most peoples current conception of HD is that it is expensive. Avigilon are able to quash this by deploying  a highly competitive pricing structure.

If remote viewing is important to you then you can now see everything from everywhere. ACC Mobile lets you monitor your system remotely over any wireless IP network using any Apple or Android device. View live and recorded video from any location with a wireless connection reducing response times.

Avigilon iPhone app

So Avigilon have made huge strides in the UK CCTV market place, perhaps the only thing currently lacking is a full time UK base to reduce delivery times and eliminate import duties. This however in the scheme of things is a small price to pay for what could arguably be said is the best IP HD CCTV system available at present.

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Samsung SRN1670D

The Samsung SRN1670D is designed to make the installation of an IP system simpler and cost effective. The Samsung SRN1670D is an NVR that can support up to 16 cameras and deliver real time recording capability at a resolution of 4CIF.

Samsung SRN1670D

One of the main benefits that Samsung are promoting is that the 1670D operates in the exactly the same way as a traditional analogue DVR as far as the installer and end user are concerned. This is seen as a feature that will encourage upgrades to IP cameras for those who have shied away from this technology previously. The SRN 1670D quickly is able to discover Samsung IP cameras on a network and is capable of recording full HD Samsung IP cameras. With mouse driven control and the ability to back up recordings during playback makes this an easy to operate IP CCTV solution.

Full features include

16 IP camera recording

Full HD resolution

64 Mb bandwidth recording

4 CIF images at 400 FPS

VGA and HDMI outputs for monitors

Web browser

16 alarm inputs

DVD writer.

At just £1290 the Samsung SRN1670D is certainly pitched at a price to sell.