August 2011 - Integrated CCTV

VideoIQ iCVR edge recording solution

VideoIQ have claimed they have a unique product that can fulfil a niche in the IP video marketplace that as yet no one else has attempted. In effect they have managed to create analytics on a megapixel camera and use edge technology to achieve a simply better surveillance solution. A bold claim, but does it work and can the new technology really live up to the claim? As part of the day job we got VideoIQ to do us a demonstration. What was seen was an impressive product with some pretty impressive features.

iCVR VideoIQ camera — iCVR Video IQ camera

Firstly unlike most other IP video solutions there is no requirement for a NVR. The VideoIQ iCVR camera looks a pretty robust unit and all the recording is done at the edge of the network. This means that it’s a scaleable approach to recording. If you need just one camera then that’s all you buy, no need to buy expensive recording equipment that is under used, equally no need to upgrade each time you want to increase security across your company or group.
Because all the recordings are stored on the edge of the network, the iCVR camera only needs to stream what is requested or deemed an alarm event. The streamed video can be set up by the use of rules and this means that only minimal bandwidth is ever required, essentially by-passing the most expensive part of a new IP CCTV installation i.e the cabling infrastructure.
So have VideoIQ really achieved effective analytics with a megapixel camera? Yes is the answer, once installed the advanced analytics calibrate themselves. The self learning technology was demonstrated and the iCVR camera seems to get more intelligent with each object detected.

The whole point of this technology is no wasted network capacity but still be able to achieve excellent image quality. Alarms can be generated via email and advanced search facilities mean that objects can be easily tracked and zoomed into. With browser access, viewing is possible from any PC and an event driven alarm review screen incorporated into the VideoIQ view software makes operation easy. The software is included with the purchase of the camera.
VideoIQ claim the iCVR is a fully integrated solution, we tend agree. The package includes the iCVR camera, the embedded DVR, powerful analytics and the video management software.
A complete solution? Well there are those I’am sure who will dispute that, but from what we witnessed it goes a very long way towards one.

Ubiqz CCTV distribution

Ubiqz are starting to become a real force in the realms of CCTV and access control distribution. Conceived just 3 years ago by entrepreneur Anand Subbiah the company formed around the basis that they could offer an alternative to own branded security solutions. Ifsec this year was a launching pad for the company with Anand fronting his stand. This was deemed a great success for Ubiqz by many, including the manufacturers of the security equipment that Ubiqz supply and those who helped on the stand.

In 2010 they were acquired by Midwich already an established audio visual distributor with over 200 million in turnover. The rise of Ubiqz has since been relentless.

To this end they have now announced their technology exposed event on the 21st and 22nd of September. A dedicated vendor area including the likes of Panasonic, JVC, Bosch and Sanyo will be there for attendees to view. This event will present a great chance to meet Ubiqz employees and learn more about the company and the products on offer.

We look forward to hearing the feedback and find out how Ubiqz will be increasing their product range and market share over the coming year.

External security.

External security has been growing in the UK now for the last 25 years and has evolved now to cater for all types of businesses. When most people think of external security they instantly think of cameras, and quite correctly. External security cameras form the first line of defence for anyone’s property. They are visible and pretty much everyone would recognise one. Cameras themselves though are never going to stop crime on their own. Viewing an incident the following day and watching people disappear with your externally stored goods is not much fun , especially if the perpetrators have taken steps to ensure they wont be recognised.

remotely monitored CCTV

This is where a proactive approach to security becomes important. The cameras for the external security systems should be connected to a system of sensors that can alarm the images through to the central station. The central station is where CCTV can be remotely monitored and live images watched and reacted to . The operator will generally have at his disposal the ability to tannoy and warn the perpetrator that they are being watched he can also phone keyholders to get to site and catch the thieves.

The problem with remotely monitored CCTV systems is that the system relies on four parties to get it to work properly. Any failure in this chain of responsibility means that things could go wrong. The four parties involved are the installer, the central station, the line provider and the end user (customer).

The customer is important because site management of the external security system is crucial. Overgrowth or flapping plastic are going to cause false alarms and cameras can get switched off as a result.

The question though is regarding central stations. Can they staff for the number of false alarms they get and still provide an efficient service? Should they be allowed to turn cameras off as a result of false alarms? External security is difficult because of all the elements that can affect a PIR sensor when it is installed outside.

Central monitoring stations often find themselves in a difficult situation. We sympathize when they have to make judgement calls. Make a bad one and its going to cost everyone money.

For this reason we recommend that you use a central station that has a good name out their. Farsight are one such company together with Couger and RVRC . These 3 companies seem to have a grip of external security and how it should be monitored. No one is perfect of course and they need to ensure they only work together with good installers. Remember monitoring CCTV alarms involves teamwork between all 4 parties involved.

The cost of CCTV monitoring can vary but a general rule of thumb would be around £300 per camera per annum.Very much cheaper than a guard and sometimes a lot more efficient but plenty of work behind the scenes is required to ensure you get a good system and it is administered and monitored correctly.

CCTV LED lighting

Looking out the window its raining again. Not only that but its starting to get dark its only 7 o’clock and its still August. A dank, dark and dreary day its started to get me thinking about external lighting.

Raytec LED lighting

Involved in the day to day running of a CCTV company it reminded me that within a couple of weeks the service calls are all going to start pouring in. Whats more they are all going to say the same thing. “Lights not working. Bulbs blown,Lights burnt out, Lights won’t work automatically” and so the list will go on. It’s a symptom of the fact that the lights that give the CCTV systems clarity at night have probably been blown out all summer but it just happens that everyone seems to notice their problems at the same time. ie at 6 o’clock mid September when they all head home and set their systems. All of a sudden they notice they can’t see where they are going. Some even realize that their cameras can’t see where they are going either and so the influx of service calls begins.

The problem of course is that most CCTV systems out there still use halogen lighting systems, generally tripped by a PIR to bring lights on only when needed. Now these lights are cheap to buy and relatively cheap to install, but do they last …NO! Its actually not even the installers fault. Try buying a decent halogen light. The home DIY market has ensured that any light costing more than £10 and no one will pay for it. Its a shame because some years ago tungsten halogen lighting was made to a high standard and lights and bulbs would last forever. Unfortunately these good manufacturers were put out of business by cheap imports.

So what is the solution? Well its here and it comes in the form of high intensity LED lighting. Raytec immediately spring to mind as the market leaders. Their lights are cleverly designed and reliable. A huge marketing campaign has ensured that Raytec are number one when it comes to CCTV and to their credit they are also branching into street lighting. Ergonomic design ensures they look good and they give fantastic results.In addition Rytec led lighting gives great light spread and reduced costs once installed. The only issue is the cost of the initial unit, however in the case of Raytec we believe you actually get what you pay for.

So back to CCTV and surely lighting is becoming less important with more sophisticated cameras, right? Well quite the opposite. Megapixel IP cameras and CMOS chips in HDCCTV cameras perform much less efficiently in the dark than analogue CCTV cameras. To this end as the marketplace swings towards HDCCTV, lighting will actually become much more important. Now we suspect that it will not be too long before the market place starts to see lots of cheap LED lighting being used. The shift to HDCCTV will demand this and we think it will be beneficial to end users as there night time images will improve as a result.

Raytec led lighting

So maybe next year as more reliable led lighting starts to get installed across the UK and we start to see HDCCTV images with crystal clear clarity, we wont get quite so many service calls…………we live in hope!

UK riots and CCTV images

Riots across the UK are an absolute disgrace.

CCTV images of riots — Can we get a conviction from this kind of quality image?

The vast majority of the citizens of this country feel total repulsion for these rioters and what they are doing to the law abiding shop keepers and people of this country. But what of the aftermath? How are these youths going to be bought to justice? Well CCTV of course! But we have a problem. Most youths are aware that CCTV cameras are everywhere and are suitably covered up concealing their faces. Also how many systems actually comply to the point where they could be used as evidence in a court of law. Finally lets be honest, is analogue CCTV really good enough to convict anyone even if they don’t wear hoodies? The answer is of course in most cases no. A sad indictment of CCTV being installed by non professional CCTV companies, electricians or DIY CCTV systems. In effect CCTV on the cheap!!!.

UK riots and CCTV images.

When will people learn that they have to install CCTV properly to actually get results when they really need them. This of course does not address the issue of analogue CCTV images and the lack of quality this this provides for evidential purposes. The answer of course is HDCCTV whether it be IP megapixel cameras or HD SDI CCTV. Now, this may not see faces of hooded youths but it can identify the logos and distinctive markings on their clothing. It can also easily see the stolen goods in their hands and match the two giving strong evidence to present in court.We must also ensure all CCTV systems comply with the data protection act and watermarking of the video is in place. Then and only then can we get a conviction.

We must address poor images and badly installed CCTV. We can improve quality and we must ensure all new CCTV is installed to pre-qualified standards. Most of all we have to use new technology and wherever financially possible, use HDCCTV quality cameras and recorders.