May 2011 - Integrated CCTV

CCTV Cameras – Back to the Future???

CCTV cameras …..constantly evolving.

One of the various technologies on display at IFSEC was the variety of HD and Megapixel cameras.

But, despite the hype ongoing regarding ‘Megapixel cameras to replace PTZ’, there were actually a lot of HD cameras with ZOOM lenses on them….yes, you are reading correctly, Optical ZOOM lenses!!!

So, it seems with CCTV cameras there is in fact very much a place for zoom lenses on megapixel / HD cameras – and it makes sense

We have posted before that HD should be viewed as complementary technology – sticking to what it does best, providing stunning OVERVIEW coverage of a scene and potentially passing detail and/or data to PTZ cameras to take over and provide close in detail….

There have been various shoot outs recently between HD CCTV cameras and PTZ CCTV cameras and, the PTZ wins on many fronts……

So it was interesting to see some companies fighting back, accepting defeat, producing HD cameras with optical zoom lenses.

Sony have two modules out for use in Domes and PTZ heads – a 20x that is lifted right from their established and popular AutoFocus range, and a brand spanking new 28x module with Ultra Low Light capabilities and a host of new features designed for night time surveillance – both with 1080p outputs for HD quality recording…..Hitachi are promising similar, even to the point of increasing the optic zoom to 36x !!!

Two decades ago, CCD was just emerging, replacing the tube technology of old…..lenses were selected based on specific field of view requirements…..object 2m size at a distance of 30m away….the amount of CCTV surveyors (and sales guys) that had lens viewfinders to calculate the required lens…..

Then, all turned lazy. Varifocals were introduced to take away the specific element, allowing a little latitude to the installation engineer if he/she had to move the camera to a slightly different location. Varifocals got longer and longer until, in the end, the specific lenses were early used.

Megapixel brought all that back in again. Starting initially with specific, fixed focal length lenses, HD and Megapixel have slowly crept back towards varifocal lenses as the preferred choice.

Now, with optical zoom, it makes perfect sense that a detailed HD picture should have the ability to optically zoom as well as digitally……….what is viewed is recorded and of course, that stunning post zoom offered by most of the HD cameras out there is still available.

The next step for CCTV cameras ? Well, it makes perfect sense to take that glorious HD resolution, coupled with a decent optical zoom, and place inside a Pan and Tilt device such as a dome or similar……imagine having 360 degree movement HD resolution with optical zoom! Sounds like utopia…….and companies are working now on units that incorporate exactly that – more info to come in the near future.

We will keep a close eye on these developments but it certainly seems like manufacturers are looking at the old ways to enhance and evolve their CCTV cameras to suit new technologies!!!

HDCCTV perfect for the UK CCTV installer

HDCCTV . Why it will sell more cameras than IPCCTV in the UK.

How many miles of coaxial cable currently service CCTV camera systems here in the UK? Well I don’t know and I would suggest that this has never been documented. But lets consider. CCTV has been actively sold into UK business’s on a large commercial scale since the early 70’s and there must be hundreds of thousands if not millions of miles of coax still servicing perfectly good CCTV systems right now.

Is HDCCTV better than IPCCTV?

IPCCTV must not be discounted in fact in most other countries across the world IPCCTV will take off , it already has and we embrace this technology completely. But in the UK we have a slightly different scenario right now and that’s why HDCCTV will be the main technology installed here over the next 10 years.

HDCCTV installers in the UK.

So what’s unique about the UK CCTV market place and why will HDCCTV be so popular. Well we have already mentioned the vast amount of legacy coax that is waiting to be used. In addition, as salesmen we hear the same story time and time again. Customers want quality images, customers want to be able to zoom in on an image ,either in live mode or in recorded mode and see a face or see a number plate, they all hate pixelation as it effectively renders current analogue CCTV systems useless and is the biggest downfall of analogue CCTV. What’s more everyone in the UK knows it.

Cheap HDCCTV?

So why don’t all these disgruntled customers go over to IPCCTV and megapixel cameras, surely that’s the way forward? Well again as we mentioned earlier there are a couple of factors here in the UK that are ideal for HDCCTV to find its footing. 1) cheap analogue CCTV from the far east currently supplied by the likes of Maplins and other cheap Internet sites mean that many companies struggle to justify the huge difference in cost between the two technologies (analogue CCTV and IPCCTV). HDCCTV can give quality images but maintain current infrastructure, so costs can be kept right down in an upgrade situation. Secondly UK installers are struggling with IP. From experience I can confirm that contrary to popular belief IPCCTV takes much more resource than many would care to admit. The plug and play concept of IP is not quite as its made out to be and most installers are finding it very difficult to get the cooperation of IT departments in order to get network points adjacent to cameras or use existing switches and networks. So much so, its now almost the norm with IPCCTV to run your own local network for the camera system and supply your own POE switch, this completely defeats the point of IPCCTV in many cases and makes the whole job far less profitable.

Servicing IPCCTV

Further problems still exist with servicing, If you have a national contract every engineer you have needs a laptop, IT training, remote access and current software and so the list goes on. Software conflicts are a complete nightmare and a CCTV installer without its own IT support will not be able to overcome many of the problems that are facing him. That’s why IPCCTV still has not taken off in the UK.

HDCCTV sales

So how does HDCCTV find its way into the mainstream security market place? Well here in the UK we have sales guys. Sales guys love to sell the sizzle! HD is a buzz word that consumers know and have seen at home on their own TV sets. All who have experienced this technology will agree that its quite brilliant in the quality of images that are provided. So straight away HDCCTV is something the end user will feel comfortable with.

Price of HDCCTV

Price of an HDCCTV system will be important. Again we all know we have to pay more for HD, this is already accepted by the end user, but if we are able to keep this cost reasonable by using an existing coax infrastructure then we have a sale. Add to this the fact that CCTV engineers don’t need re-training and will feel entirely at home with the installation then again we have a winner. No software, no laptops, no IT department to deal with. Just on and off site with maximum profit and no costly revisits to upgrade software or program an IP address. This means on going service will be easy and profitable… even more reason for the CCTV industry to embrace HDCCTV.

HDCCTV alliance

HDCCTV – what’s it all about?

HDCCTV over coax…the perfect solution?

Having been around since 2009, you could be forgiven for thinking that this technology simply hasn’t caught on…..the Betamax of the CCTV world

But, having seen some kit at IFSEC, and looking further into the technology, it strikes us that this Betamax is not destined for the same fate.

First of all, what is HDCCTV ?

It’s the concept that allows uncompressed, real time HD and megapixel images to be transferred over conventional and existing coaxial cables and BNCs……. The better the cable quality, the further it will travel

RG59 promises distances of 150m+, with CT125 and above offering even further…..and if you need even further, you simply put in a repeater…..and unlike some technologies, there is NO limit to the repeaters!

And uncompressed? Because technically the camera is wired directly to the recorder, similar to conventional CCTV, point to point, there is no ‘network’ and bandwidth considerations to make – remember that RG59 cable? That’s capable of 1.5Gbps per second and that is enough to transmit 25fps real time, uncompressed glorious HD video to the recorder – no latency, no network packet losses….perfect.

The upside? Well, all those CCTV systems you have out there with analogue cameras and DVRs can be upgraded simply by removing and replacing the camera and removing replacing the DVR….same cables, same connectors, but HD images!!!

The downside? At the moment, a shortage of choice of both cameras and recorders. Some areas of the industry blame this on uptake, lack of interest, lack of manufacturers…….but we think that manufacturers are missing a trick

It’s not about whether it should be EITHER IP or HDCCTV……..it should be about BOTH…… If an installer has a new build, the sure, a network IP based system, probably works out more cost effectively, probably easier to install, easier to maintain etc

But an existing system? If an end user had a network that is unable or not capable of taking HD cameras with the bandwidth load they bring with them, then replacing existing cameras directly on the existing cable means not only can they enjoy and benefit from HD technology, but it won’t interfere with their network.

So, on our opinion, we think that HDCCTV offers choice….not a replacement, but simply another way to do a similar job….

And with the economy still struggling on to come back to some form of strength, surely it makes sense to be able to breathe life into older systems by re-utilising existing infrastructure? As well as the reduction in labour costs associated with installing new infrastructure….

That has to be a good thing….. And we intend to bring more news on HDCCTV as it becomes available…..the more it is talked about, the less chance this great technology will not go the way of the Betamax recorder!

search for the HDCCTV alliance logo to find out more

HDCCTV

IQinVision. The interview.

IQinVision are one of the largest and most progressive technology companies in the USA, but what is the secret of their success and where did it all start. In a frank interview with Ian Johnston, Integrated CCTV find out all the detail on how IQinVision has become one of the biggest names in the security industry.

1. Ian, what is your role within IQeye?

– I am IQinVision’s Vice President of Engineering

2. IQinVision is a well established company now but how did it all start and who was behind the company formation.

– We were established more than 12 years ago out of an Engineering Design services firm called Gordian. Our current President and CEO, Peter DeAngelis, was one of the founders of IQinVision. I personally have been with IQinVision for almost 5 years now. IQinVision is the oldest company in the very new, exciting industry space of megapixel technology. We are known as a company of technology “firsts”. Please visit our website to view our full full range of technology achievements.

3. You have just exhibited at ISC West and you featured your now complete Alliance line of dome cameras. What are the main features and benefits of this camera and how was it received at the show?

– The updated Alliance-pro uses cutting edge encoding technology to provide high quality H.264 encoding at high resolutions. It also offers many features such as multi-stream video and on camera recording. This camera is offered in true day/night as well as a rugged IP66 rated outdoor version.

– Our mid-tier dome, Alliance-mx bridges the gap for folks who need an outdoor vandal resistant dome that features a verifocal lens, but at a very aggressive price. It offers a full suite of H.264 resolutions and since it’s a true day/night camera, the low light performance of this device is outstanding.

– The Alliance-mini is perfect for those who require a very small form-factor dome with stunning image quality. It’s also priced very aggressively and is offered in both a vandal resistant and standard configuration.

So, IQinVision can now offer our end users a dome camera solution with the price point and feature combinations that fit all their specific needs.

IQinVision also announced at ISC West, what we believe is one of the largest all-megapixel camera installations—the 3,200+ HD megapixel cameras installed in 336 buildings on 12 separate campuses throughout the state of Texas for their Department of Aging and Disabilities.

Alliance-pro IQinVision

4. Will you be at IFSEC this year if not what is your marketing strategy here in the UK?

– IQinVision will be exhibiting at IFSEC with a stand in Hall 4, space F143 and is a finalist in the Security Project of the Year category of the IFSEC Security Industry Awards. We have been participating at IFSEC for a number of years and the level of our business in EMEA continues to grow nicely. IQinVision will continue to build key partnerships and relationships throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia to support our growing business model. In 2011, we expanded our advertising, support, education and training programs and will continue to do so in 2012 in conjunction with an increased focus on our vertical markets.

5. Who are your nearest competitors ? do you try to beat them on price, quality or both?

– Our largest competitor is Axis and we beat them both on price and quality.

6. IQinVision seems to be very forward thinking. What are your plans over the coming year and do you have any new products being released here in the UK?

– Over the coming year, we will be extending the resolutions of our product line up to 10 megapixels H.264. We are also adding focus assist features to all of our higher-end products.

7. NEW IQsentry VMS looks like a great product but is this an expensive piece of software?

– We’ve worked very hard to make it available at a price point our end users can readily afford.

IQinVision IQ sentry VMS

8. We have asked others their opinion on this but will a megapixel camera replace a dome PTZ camera?

– Yes, it’s already happening. The two will continue to co-exist as they sometimes serve very different purposes, but it’s now possible for megapixel cameras to capture a much wider field of view and still see everything that you would see using a PTZ speed dome.

9. Can you run video analytics on your HD and megapixel cameras?

– Yes, we work with quite a few analytic vendors to host their solutions on our higher-end devices.

10. VMS and servers are the future. Do your cameras integrate with third party software out there? Do you have a way of fully integrating with access control?

– Yes we integrate and work seamlessly with all the major VMS players in the market today. We work with a few access control solutions and also provide a software solution called IQaccess ourselves.

11. You have been involved several projects but which one are you most proud of and why?

– We have thousands of cameras installed in many very interesting locations and we have IQeye cameras that have been running continuously for 5, 7, and even 10 years. While it’s difficult to choose one, the project I’m most proud of is the Texas Department of Aging and Disabilities. The installation comprises more than 3,200 H.264 HD megapixel cameras installed in 336 buildings on 12 separate campuses located throughout the state. The project was completed on budget and ahead of schedule and it is probably one of the largest all-megapixel camera installations in the world.

12. Finally can you give us 3 reasons why customers should consider IQinVision products over your many competitors out there?

– Q³ is a symbol of IQinVision’s continuing commitment toQuality Engineering, Quality Service, and Quality Support. As one of the only IP camera manufacturers to design and engineer our full line of products, IQinVision ensures consistent camera quality through the thorough testing of each and every camera shipped, onsite at our San Juan Capistrano, California headquarters. As a result, IQinVision boasts a truly impressive 0.7% return rate and an unprecedented 0% out-of-box failure rate on our IQD3 and IQD4 cameras since shipping commenced April 2009. These rates have resulted in the newly established 5-year “bumper-to-bumper” warranty on the IQeye Alliance-mini dome camera line and 3-year warranty on all other IQeye cameras. In addition to extending our warranty, IQinVision has increased standard operations to include 17-hour live service, support and training, which is available in 7 languages: English, Spanish, German, French, Dutch, Japanese and Portuguese.

Some great information and answers there as to why IQinVision will be a name we hear about more and more for many years to come so many thanks to Ian for his time .

IFSEC 2011 – an alternative view

IFSEC 2011

So, all the hype and advertising is now over….for another year

Was it worth the visit?

Well, this is just my take on it, but here goes….

Spread over 2 halls, Hall 4 and 5, IFSEC was probably no bigger than last year….something of a surprise in that much had been made of exhibitors returning after a year or two absence…..but we couldn’t really find much evidence of that – sure, Norbain were there in all of their fantastic glory (not to mention a dedicated stand purely for their new ‘entry level’ range of kit, SupaVu, yet another Vista or is that Xeno??? Confusion reigns!)

Stand of the show had to be Samsung…..word has it that it cost £750,000 !!!! it was stunning, but for £750k we imagine they could invest that more wisely in e-commerce/advertising etc and gain perhaps a comparable return to IFSEC?? Each to their own !! (Samsung – take note, we do a good deal on advertising!!!)

The Far Eastern section has now been split into Far Eastern country sections, something we feared would happen – China Village, Korea Village and also Taiwan Village….. We’re sure we spotted a few credit card machines and that doesn’t bode well – IFSEC is a trade show to view new technology and make decisions on new product lines – if stands (or booths as our Far Eastern friends like to call them) are taking orders from ANYONE what confidence do you have that they won’t be selling directly to YOUR end user customers……..not good for a fragile enough UK security industry….

What stood out? Well, a couple of things….. HD-CCTV seemed to be gaining traction (something we will post in another section) – There were a few stands offering HD-CCTV cameras and recorders as an alternative to the IP and HD standard offerings via Ethernet…

Rapid Deployment was prominent – CCTV, both static and PTZ – situated on poles, columns, vehicle trailers – all with the common theme, battery backed up, wireless transmission and on board recording to HDDs…. WCCTV, MEL Secure, DM/TransVu to name but a few.

It slowly dawned on us that the main cluster of the ‘big’ names were literally centred in the middle of both halls……as you moved slowly to the edge of each hall then the names were less known….but, not without interesting technology to view – Loc8tor to name one very interesting product offering….

But, with previous shows, you could easily spend a full day, perhaps even two, walking the aisles…….somehow, this years IFSEC was pretty much a couple of hours worth of viewing….unless you stopped for long periods at any of the stands, realistically it was possible to completely view the two halls by early afternoon…..

And, with more and more Far Eastern companies taking up more and more real estate, it does make us wonder if IFSEC has perhaps had it’s day? Contentious we know, but, it is a point to debate!!!