CCTV Over wifi

we have blogged before about sending CCTV data over wireless ‘units’

today, we take a look at Silvernet, a great little UK company specialising in Professional Wireless solutions.

Silvernet offer various products to take a straight forward ethernet connection and send it wirelessly over to a receiver and back out to join a LAN setup.

Offering short range LoS (Line of Sight) solutions such as the Sprint A5 1Km LoS (54Mb Link) and also long range (20km+) solutions mean that Silvernet can offer great kit for a variety of installations

We’ve seen some of these units in action and cannot fault the ease of installation, ease of set up and ongoing reliability of their kit…………

let us know if you have used Silvernet’s kit before and how it has helped in applications where cabling is impossible!

About the Company
SilverNet Ltd is a UK company that specialise in the design and manufacture of rugged, high performance cost-effective wireless networking devices.

Over the past 10 years SilverNet has gained an excellent reputation in the Wireless market as a leading innovator in the design, manufacture and supply of broadband wireless solutions.

Product Range
Over the years our product range has been developed to meet the demand for high bandwidth applications for the police and local councils.

Products range from 2.4Ghz to 5Ghz with throughput speeds of up to 300Mbps.

Sales and Marketing
SilverNet are always focused on supplying the very best wireless products and support to our customers. Our sales in the UK are either via distributors or via a number of system integration partners that we have.

The company has grown rapidly and has received its ISO 9001 certification.

Product Development
SilverNet has a dedicated team of development engineers that focus highly on the constant improvement and development of our equipment.

This has enabled SilverNet to maintain their position as one of the UK’s leading innovators in the design, manufacture and supply of broadband wireless solutions.

Production and quality
At SilverNet we are dedicated to ensuring the highest possible product quality and reliability. Our products are built to the highest standards and most products are housed in rugged enclosures.

Every radio that is built goes through a very intense testing process, this ensures that reliability issues in the field are kept to an absolute minimum.

Our products can boast a system uptime of at least 99.999%, thus proving our dedication to providing the highest quality components and design in our equipment.

Technical Support

For Pre-sales support, we offer path profiling, usually advisable for longer links where LOS (Line of sight) is unsure. System design, additional component testing, on site surveying and a host of other free tools are available to assist you.

For Post install support, we offer on site commissioning, so you know the system is operating reliably at its optimum. We also supply bandwidth testing and system monitoring software free with every system.

We have an online Troubleshooting guide and support ticket system as well as telephone and onsite support so every call can be logged and followed up on, thus putting us in a position to provide excellent technical support for our entire range.

We encourage as much end-user feedback as possible to help us design in the features and functions that really make a difference to our users in the field.

Delivery and Warranty
All UK orders placed before 2.30pm are usually dispatched by next day delivery courier*. We use Interlink Express to ensure prompt and safe delivery of all stock. As standard, we provide an extendable 12 month return to factory warranty.

*Lead times can sometimes take up to 2 weeks depending on the size of the order.

Silvernet Limited is a registered company in England and Wales with company number 5386276

Silvernet Limited is a VAT registered company with VAT number 860 776 496
Silvernet Limited is an ISO 9001 registered company with certificate number GB2003090

HD cameras – can they be the same?

An interesting demo came up recently…..

we took a few cameras, HD 1080p to be precise, from a very renowned IP Manufacturer,,,,,,,,,,,

a couple were mini dome based, the type you see in the analogue arena, you know, Vandal Resistant with varifocal lens, 3 axis, day night etc etc

the others were ‘boxed’ cameras……..the type where you fit the lens, usually (and recommended) a high quality lens designed for Megapixel use………

putting them side by side, adjusted to look at exactly the same picture………….both 1080p cameras from the same manufacturer………..

The Result

well, both were excellent pictures – it cannot be denied – but, they were not identical……….not by some margin………. the mini dome was ‘softer’, a little more ‘noise’ in the picture whereas the ‘boxed’ camera was sharper, more ‘vivid’ colours………….electronically zooming in revealed that actually, the mini dome, despite the ‘noise’ was actually a sharper picture, the ‘boxed’ camera had a degree of ‘pixelaion’ which detracted away from the initial sharpness………….

turning the lights off to test the day/night function highlighted the difference again………..the mini dome wiped the floor with the ‘boxed’ version camera!!! that puzzled us !

talking with the manufacturer, the mini dome is a smaller lens, smaller sensor, limited in optics to fit inside the dome………..that we can understand……….but how was it better under low light??

Lesson learnt

so, it is imperative that when specifying a system, particularly with IP MEgapixel, be aware that even with the same manufacturer, you will sometimes see a difference in picture rendition………..

what are your experiences?!

Emerging Video Surveillance Technologies – PIXC revolution! Pt1

An interesting guide has just been issued from http://ipvideomarket.info/ entitled ‘Emerging Video Surveillance Guide 2010’

it details ‘What to Look for and what to Look Out for’ so over the next few days we will detail some of their opinions – for the full guide, head over to their website and simply sign up to receive the free PDF!

Emerging Technologies

  • IP Cameras
  • Megapixel Cameras
  • IP Based Storage (NAS / SAN)
  • Storage on-Board IP Cameras
  • Mesh Wireless IP Networks
  • Panoramic Cameras
  • Video Analytics
  • Business Intelligence
  • Remote Video Monitoring
  • Managed Video / Hosted Video Surveillance
  • Physical Security Information Management

they are keen to point out that the directory is purely meant as a survey of key risks for the ‘non-expert’

we think it is a great discussion document in this emerging Security arena…………………more to follow…………….

IPCCTV over WIFI

CCTV over Wifi……saving cash on analogue RF !

The scenario.

Picture the scene (pardon the CCTV pun!)

Building A is 500 metres from building B

There are 4 cameras on building A, one on each corner (don’t you just love perfect worlds!) and they need to be viewed, recorded and controlled (did I mention they were PTZ?) all from building B

THE PROBLEM

The two buildings are separated by a river – a very nice river, big boats coming up and down, delivering stuff to dockside delivery points.

No chance of cabling then….. Until recently, the answer was to use free range wireless transmission solutions, such as RF, Microwave, Laser etc……… but, history shows that each has it’s positives and negatives but they all share one common negative….. expense.

ANOTHER WAY?

With the upsurge in IP, there is another way………..Wifi…………ok, professional wireless is what all the proper ‘wifi’ consultants will call it, but wifi nonetheless.

You see, Wifi does not have to be a one to one transmission solution…………. with typical bandwidth of 54Mbps, even if we halve it (because clever network guys will tell you that there is always a drop over distance etc), we can expect a 27Mbps bandwidth allowance……

So, take our building A and B scenario…. cable all the 4 cameras to a central point (it is a perfect world after all !) and either convert to IP from analogue using encoders (or, if we are to get this industry into the 21st century let’s push the boat out and go true IP cameras!) and connect to a regular 4 port network switch…

Take the output of that switch and insert into something like the Silvernet product range….. 1Km line of sight, pre-configured to create a point to point connection…..go to building B, position the receiving unit line of sight to building A and either decode back to analogue or bring one, neat, simple CAT5/6 cable out and introduce to the network for full control and view of the system ! simples !

THE THEORY AND THE PRACTICE

Ok, we don’t always have a perfect world, clearly, however, using the above solution, we have sent 4 cameras over the one link….saving a LOT of money:-

RF/Microwave/Laser = at least £2000+ for EACH camera

WIFI = under £1000 for a 1Km link with the ability to run a good few cameras – typically a PTZ IP camera would be around 5Mbs and a static at around 2Mbs

But, just like RF/Microwave/Laser, if the Wifi states ‘Line of Sight’ or LoS, then it REALLY means that…..so much as a leaf on a overhanging tree, or, in the case of our River separating the two buildings, boats that might momentarily ‘interrupt’ the signal, it is imperative to ensure that the TX and RX units are positioned so as to enjoy clear and uninterrupted transmission!

The cost savings are impressive and just might give this industry the excuse to use IP !!

HD security cameras – HiDef or Megapixel ?

HD or not HD – that is the question

It’s 2010 and our industry is once again pondering the inevitable
question ‘when will IP catch on’!!??

For the past few years, experts have been predicting the demise of the
analogue camera and the true embrace of networked connected IP
cameras…….but with no-one really sticking their neck out and
stating when it will actually happen.

And this is, in part, because the industry is a wash with so many
fragmented technologies that installers and end users alike are
confused as to what is really available.

Take the latest greatest IP encoder and you are hooked on the quality
and ease of installation….then you ask what recording options are
available and you find yourself hooked into the same manufacturer to
ensure complete compatibility…….

What happened to using the Panasanyo camera with the Dedicated
Research DVR along with the Ademcobrain monitor?? Analogue, old
technology but at least compatible with each other!

Perhaps things are a changing……ONVIF is around the corner and
promises to ensure that any company that signs up has to ensure it
offers compatibility with other ONVIF contributors – we wait and
see……

Megapixel? Whats best? We are brought up to believe that the more the
number the better the specification…..a 5megapixel camera has got to
be better than a 2megapixel camera surely? Sure, but at what expense?
You need more HDD to store it (expense) and you need a good bandwidth
network to transmit it (expense) – of course, you can scale everything
back, throttle, dual stream, encode in CIF and all the other ways of
making the good quality image smaller and faster, but is that not like
buying a Ferrari and then only ever driving it at 30mph???

HD might change all this, at least in part to start with……High
Definition….. The very name smacks of expected quality…. If you
view a HD image, you are expecting a beautiful picture…..you want to
see the blade of grass on the ground and the badly shaven face of the
Serbian footballer on ITV 1 World Cup broadcasts (not wishing to spark
controversy but great result Serbs against the Germans!)……you want
to see the beads of sweat on the brows of ageing rockers on BBC
Glastonbury……..and HD delivers just that…….

And yet…..HD is merely 720p or at best, 1080p…… A mere 2
megapixels…… Pretty much at the maximum of what a really decent
monitor can display anyway…….but HD nonetheless

We saw a sneak preview of some of Sony’s IP opinions recently – HD is
their intended marketing vehicle……they think end users understand
HD…..they know that HD is embraced in the domestic sector…..and so
they are focussing their Security products as HD in order to gain a
quicker acceptance – and we think they are absolutely right

So why do we need more pixels? Maybe we don’t……just how many more
blades of grass do we need to see? Just how many more tufts of facial
hair on those footballers? And really, do we need to see more
perspiration on those rockers? If they are there, we just need to see
them and maybe even record them……for playback later……..just
like our security cameras

HD…..maybe that will kick us toward IP quicker!