Is the future HDcctv ?
As time passes the demand for high def CCTV images increases at an expodential rate. Conventional opinion says that HD can only be achieved by using IP cameras with Megapixel technology. As a result over protective IT managers within some companies believe that there technical constraints that prevent them adopting the use of HD cameras and recording.
In the past this has held back the growth of HD as a technology however an alternative technology where High Definition CCTV cameras are able to digitally transmit uncompressed HDTV video signals through conventional coaxial cable has meant that people are once again touting HDcctv. This means that HDcctv can be used to upgrading many existing CCTV installations to HD because there is existing coax already in place. This potentially represents a very cost effective means to provide high resolution images.
As a result there are now many manufacturers exploring the possibilties that HD SDi represents.
Highest-quality signals
HDcctv signals over coax has captured the imagination of the industry and has resulted as a force to be reckoned with so much so debate rages on twitter and linkin as to whats better HD SDi or HD IP of course in reality each technology has its place and both will be able to successfully compete along side each other and time moves forward and HD becomes the minimum requirement for a CCTV system.
“HDcctv is the best thing that ever happened for megapixel IP surveillance. So says Todd Rockoff of the HDcctv Alliance. The transition to IP surveillance is well under way, as a growing number of security customers manage video from PCs, tablets, and smart phones.
Rockoff goes on to raise questions regarding the quality of both live view and playback video transmitted from Megapixel IP cameras, which can be limited by the bandwidth of the local-site IP LAN.
The rationale for HDcctv is straightforward. The quality of stored video is fundamentally limited by the bandwidth between image sensor and image storage.
If the bandwidth available, is less than required to transmit the native video format, then some compromise is required either a reduced frame rate, reduced resolution, and/or reduced frame quality through the application of video compression techniques.
More bandwidth between sensor and disk means higher-quality video, all else being equal.
A local-site IP LAN hosting 16 MP IP cameras offers at most 1Gb/s total bandwidth, and much more commonly only 100Mb/s, to be shared among all 16 cameras and possibly other IT equipment.
By contrast, 16 HDcctv-compliant cameras deliver 100% digital video at an aggregate bandwidth of 24Gb/s.
In order to keep file sizes manageable, not every DVR stores unadulterated video from all channels at all times.
However, the DVR is capable of storing vastly higher-quality images when it matters, for example per schedule or on alarm.
HDcctv has been introduced in the US where is has been very well received – it is now becoming available in the UK and looks like being equally popular.”