Tracking European karting championship tracks

Editor / Provider: Dallmeier electronic | Updated: 5/23/2013 | Article type: Government & Public Services

Noted for its size and professional chicanes, the ProKart Raceland karting circuit at Wackersdorf, Germany recently deployed five multisensor camera system to cover its 9.88 acres racing circuit (40,000 square meters) ahead of the FIA-CIK European Championship for the KZ class from 17 to 20 May 2013. The system was installed by Elektro-Kunz, a German company responsible for network and building engineering systems on the track for years.

The Raceland karting circuit is a “multipurpose” track. It is one of the largest karting circuits in Germany, and is regularly used to host international race meetings. With an impressive length of 1,222 metres and a width that varies between nine and 12 metres, the professional track challenges drivers with eight right-handed and six left-handed curves, requiring total concentration and stamina.

But apart from an exciting racing experience, the considerable size of the track also presents a major challenge for the video cameras. “We are operating a professional racing circuit here, and naturally this means that we also implement only the latest technology and the highest quality when it comes to security,” said Stephan Fritsch, the owner of ProKart Raceland.

Instead of setting up multiple cameras at various locations all over the premises, Fritsch settled on Dallmeier electronic's multisensor camera system in a cascade arrangement to deliver a panoramic overview through more than 180 degrees, thus covering the entire racing circuit from a single installation position.

"Cooperation with Dallmeier was excellent, especially when you realise that the entire project from initial discussions to the actual installation of the panoramic cameras was completed in the space of just a few weeks,” said Michael Karl, a representative of Elektro-Kunz. “This meant that we succeeded in commissioning the new video system, including the recording servers, in time for the European Championship meeting, despite the tight deadline.”

One of the great advantages of the new cameras is the ease which they are installed, and since only one installation site is required it saves not only wiring costs but amount of work involved, said Karl. So the stage was set for an exciting weekend of racing without a hitch. For a summary of this case study, please see video.

Analog cameras remain resilient

Editor / Provider: Memoori Business Intelligence | Updated: 5/16/2013 | Article type: Hot Topics

According to a Memoori Business Intelligence article, just about every angle on the battle between analog and network cameras must now have been covered. Strange then that every time someone proclaims the death of analog, up pops another reason to protect and extend its life. It just doesn't want to lie down and die.

In a recent IPVM investigation the number one cited problem in going to IP cameras (gained from interviews with over 100 integrators in the US), was an emphatic “Price Price Price”. It seems that as fast as IP prices fall, analog prices falls faster. Whilst it is important to continue the drive to reduce manufacturing costs this will not win the battle. The strong growing penetration by IP into the analog market will continue to erode its traditional market.

Analog may have enjoyed a respite, as many heritage estates have held back going to IP because of the poor economic trading conditions in the west and analog systems have seen significant growth in the consumer market. But if you want to see where the profit is being made look to the IP manufacturers. Those realizing poor growth and profitability are the analog manufacturers in the developed markets of the world.

We no longer see any arguments extolling the virtues of analog over IP cameras, unlike a few years ago, there is now no doubt that it is ‘better' than analog because it provides the full solution needed by a surveillance system. Higher pixel counts, panoramic imaging, edge recording, far improved low light performance, the wealth of form factors and manufacturers to choose from all make IP cameras the clear choice for high end surveillance and now the medium sector.

However the benefits of IP have to be sold right throughout the distribution chain down to the end-user. If that chain breaks at any point then the message that IP offers additional benefits will not be heard. The dealers and distributors that are essentially “box shifters” will see the first time cost as critical and will promote such products.

IP systems need to be sold on solution capability and not price. The reasons for this are clearly laid out in the article "Security Systems in the Channel: What will Tomorrow's Distribution Model Look Like.”

The new reality here is that it is time to start focusing on ‘services' and ‘data', not on hardware costs. It's no longer about how clear the picture is, that's taken for granted, but about the data and information in that picture, and how to share this information with the right people.

Indiana police deter criminal activity and vandalism with IP eyes

Editor / Provider: Avigilon | Updated: 5/16/2013 | Article type: Government & Public Services

The Pittsboro Police Department (PPD) in Pittsboro, Indiana has deployed a HD surveillance system with remote monitoring capabilities to monitor key areas across town to reduce the threat of criminal mischief, vandalism and boost community safety. The comprehensive system consists of an Avigilon panoramic dome, VMS, and analog video encoders.

“We have had a few incidents of vandalism and even assault in the past that we were unable to successfully investigate because of the lack of coverage and poor image quality of our previous analog-based surveillance system,” explained Lieutenant Scott King of the Pittsboro Police Department. The new HD surveillance system has helped the department save time and boosted investigation success.

All police officers and the chief of police manage the surveillance system from their desktops using VMS. The PPD installed a 180 degree HD panoramic dome in the town's main intersection to monitor vehicular and pedestrian traffic. They also deployed several analog video encoders to improve image quality and manageability of existing analog cameras to cover the parking lot, entrances, exits, and other high-traffic areas in Scamahorn Park. An Avigilon NVR stores 30 days of continuous video. PPD officers also use mobile VMS to monitor the cameras remotely from their Android phones. Pittsboro plans to expand the HD surveillance system to other key areas across town in the future.

The PPD can investigate incidents much quicker than before, freeing up police officers to focus on other aspects of community safety. The PPD has achieved higher identification success and conviction rates because officers can identify suspects and incidents with greater accuracy and are more likely to recoup costs for the time and materials needed to clean up vandalism or repair damaged property.

“Dedicated to ensuring the safety of its residents, the PPD faces the same security challenges of any big city, including the growing threat of vandalism and criminal mischief,” said Bryan Schmode, Executive VP of Global Sales at Avigilon. “The Avigilon HD surveillance system enables the PPD to identify incidents with greater success, achieve higher conviction rates, and save costs to ultimately enhance community safety.”

Do more with less

Editor / Provider: By Tevin Wang, a&s International | Updated: 5/14/2013 | Article type: Tech Corner

Fisheye cameras have been around for years, but real-life adoption seems to be limited, due to a limited number of offerings and VMS integrations. Things are changing for the better, as more camera manufacturers and management software providers pay more attention to the optics and user benefits. a&s looks into the latest developments.

Panoramic and hemispheric lenses have been used by photographers for decades. Nowadays, one can literally shoot images with panoramic or fisheye effects with smartphones. Still, what is common in the consumer electronics industry may be exotic in security.

The panoramic camera offers both the 180-degree and 360-degree panoramic view using a single fisheye lens or several normal lenses. “For a panoramic camera using several lenses, the panoramic image is produced by stitching the images shot by each of the lenses,” said Osborne Fang, Marketing Manager at Brickcom. “On the other hand, the fisheye camera provides the panoramic image with a single lens. Due to the extremely wide viewing angle of the fisheye lens, the image is distorted and dewarping technology is needed to turn the image into a normal one, readable to the human eye. Hence, dewarping is one of the keys to the final image quality of the fisheye camera.”

Petra Bennermark, Product Manager at Axis Communications, added, “A panoramic camera refers to either a camera that is mounted on a wall and gives a 180-degree view from the wall or a ceiling-mounted camera that gives a 360-degree view of the area below the ceiling. A camera with a 180-degree fisheye lens constitutes one technical solution to such a camera. So I would say that a fisheye camera is a subset of panoramic cameras.”

One way to envision a 180-degree view is to imagine standing in the center of an alley with your back against a wall. “Cameras mounted where your head is would be able to see the whole alley including both ends and the wall that your head is against,” said Ellen Cargill, Director of Product Development for Scallop Imaging (a division of Tenebraex).

Pluses & Trade-Offs
It is important that user s understand what they get and what they do not get from fisheye cameras. Fixed cameras, however mounted, cover narrow fields of view and multiple cameras are required to give adequate coverage of wide areas. PTZ cameras, on the other hand, require manual control and are therefore most often pointing to the wrong place at the wrong time. “A fisheye camera mounted on a wall or on the ceiling in the center of a room or area can cover a vast area with no blind spots, no moving parts, and no manual control required,” said David Myers, CTO at AMG Systems. “While not totally replacing fixed and PTZ cameras, fisheye cameras provide total coverage and reduce both the number of cameras required and the infrastructure required. The ability to follow a subject on a single camera is also of great benefit in forensic analysis”

Some trade-offs still exist for fisheye cameras. As a fisheye camera uses a specialized lens that distorts the image of a scene to fit it into a single view, circular fisheye images do not use all the pixels on an image sensor. Also, image magnification diminishes as the subject moves toward the edges of the scene despite that megapixel image sensors and digital image processing have improved fisheye performance on the edges of the field of view.

Distortion & Pixel Check
Fisheye lenses project a circular footprint and have constant or linear distortion from the center to the edge. Objects closer to the camera appear bigger, while they reduce rapidly in size as the distance from the camera increases. In other words, users could have an unavoidable drop-off in image quality at the edges. These issues might be “magnified” after dewarping. It is similar to the difference between a globe and a map of the world when attempting to provide a two-dimensional representation of the three-dimensional world. Both poles are squished, like oversized representations of Antarctica and Greenland on some maps. The same goes for a fisheye lens: the farther an object is from the center of an image, the more distorted it becomes.

Image distortions and pixel drops of fisheye cameras are hard to read from technical specs. The best way is to actually test the cameras and check the details. “When comparing, make sure that you compare ‘apples to apples' — that is, the same part of the scene, the same field of view, same distance and direction angle from the camera,” Bennermark said.

There is a lot of confusion when it comes to representing the true resolution of fisheye cameras as they, compared to fixed cameras, have a smaller optical image sensor. Greg Alcorn, Director of Global Sales at Oncam Grandeye shared some simple mathematics that can help end users and integrators check exactly what resolution they are getting. “Most manufactures use a 5-megapixel sensor, or 2592 by 1944 pixels, and the image is then cropped to the size of the lens, or a circle within a rectangle. The circle, therefore, has a diameter of 1944 pixels and the following equation is used to calculate the true resolution. The actual resolution equals the area of the circle. [In this case, the actual resolution is 972x972, which is 2.9 megapixels.]"

Dewarping
Human eyes are not used to optical distortion and dewarping is created for this purpose. Dewarping can be done on fisheye cameras or on the client application. “The achievable optical resolution of the lens and the achievable resolution of the image sensor play an important role on the image quality of the dewarped image,” Fang said. “For example, a high-optical resolution fisheye lens with the 5-megapixel image sensor can provide more detail than the same lens with the 1-megapixel image sensor. Meanwhile, the computation power of the processor determines the time it takes for the dewarping function to process the raw optical image.”

In-camera dewarping offers direct dewarped views based on user's need. User can choose the number of dewarped views of the scene and the camera will do the rest. “Dewarping on the camera lets the customer create virtual views or narrow-field windows that create blind spots similar to conventional cameras. The windows may be moved using PTZ commands over the network, and will then have latency similar to what is currently associated with mechanical PTZ cameras,” Alcorn said. “[However], dewarping on the camera does not allow the ability to retrospectively view the 360 image, which is one of the biggest advantages of using 360-degree cameras.”

Dewarping on the client side, on the other hand, allows for retrospective viewing, which enables the user to go back in time to view the total scene in its original form and then pan, tilt, and/or zoom within the 360-degree image as desired. “An additional advantage to dewarp on the client side is the ability for multiple clients to view the same image with different perspectives concurrently. There is no time slicing required as with traditional PTZ cameras or 360 cameras with dewarping onboard the camera,” Alcorn added.

However, Alf Chang, Senior Consultant at a&s held a different opinion. ”In-camera dewarping may also allow multiple clients to view the same image with different perspectives. This relates more to NVRs than where the dewarping occurs. Indeed, the mode or numbers of dewarped views can only be set by one user at the front end. These dewarped views and footage are stored at the NVR. Via NVR, it is still feasible for multiple clients to view the same image with different perspectives. ”

Dewarping in the camera or on the client side have their pros and cons. When cameras are capable of dewarping themselves, installers or integrators have fewer concerns regarding the loading on the client side because the camera is doing the processing. Dewarping on the client side, on the other hand, offers comparatively more flexible and retrospective viewing. There are many dewarping methods. “Some well-known dewarping methods include stereographic projection, equidistant projection, and cylindrical projection. Each method has its own advantages, and the implementation details of the dewarping methods have to adapt to the optical characteristics of the fisheye lens used,” Fang said. “The key is the popularity and compatibility with the VMS.”

VMS Interoperability
Most fisheye manufacturers require a separate SDK for dewarping and e-PTZ controls. This makes integration to V MS systems challenging. In order to enhance the algorithm to the fullest of fisheye cameras, a VMS with full support is crucial. Limited VMS integration will block immersive fisheye cameras from being used effectively. VMS which support multiple manufacturers or even an established standard are key for broader adoption of fisheye cameras.

Oncam Grandeye is optimistic about the potential of fisheye cameras and increased integration with VMS platforms. “Technology moves forward and image quality gets better. VMS, like everything else, is advancing. We have developed an SDK for multiple platforms that can be integrated into any clientside application. It comes with our patented dewarping technology using OpenGL and 3D modeling techniques to project a texture map of the image onto p-surface (a 3D object, generated by a computer graphic system). This takes advantage of current state-of-theart GPUs (graphic processor units), which reduces the load on the CPU. Performing dewarping on the CPU could use as much as 20 percent of the CPU's performance, based on the size of the image and frame rate,” Alcorn said.

Myers agreed. “We provide the software to our VMS partners which allows fast dewarping of the high resolution fisheye live and recorded through their viewing software.”

Brickcom is also eager to increase its technology partners. “Our fisheye camera is compatible now with more than 40 VMS solutions thanks to the open ImmerVision 360-degree viewing standard,” Fang added.

If cameras are capable of dewarping, VMS interoperability is not a concern. “As Axis does dewarping in the camera, VMS is subscribed to the already dewarped images. These dewarped images can be dynamically controlled to make it a digital PTZ camera. There is no need for VMS applications to deal with dewarping,” according to Bennermark.

Future Development
Some manufacturers are launching day-night fisheye cameras for 24-hour coverage. Also, they can be deployed outdoors. The goal is to allow fisheye cameras not to be limited to indoor installations but to wider outdoor areas.

For the past few years, the greatest advances in IP-based video surveillance have been in compression and megapixel technology. These technologies bring panoramic and hemispheric cameras up to a new level, and they can be used in more applications than before, said Steve Ma, Executive VP of VIVOTEK. “With today's sensor and lens technologies, manufacturers are able to provide high quality 360-degree cameras. We will bundle fisheye cameras and speed dome cameras as a solution for great perspectives and details, which allows users to simultaneously monitor both an overview and a detailed regional view of any given scene.”

What's trending in 2013?

Editor / Provider: Judy Lin, asmag.com | Updated: 5/8/2013 | Article type: Hot Topics

Secutech International 2013, one of the largest trade shows in the security world, successfully concluded on April 26. Here are some of the key findings from the show floor interviews.

1. IP Rocks
IP-based video surveillance products accounted for the majority of items displayed at the exhibition, while HD-SDI products remained a minority. Of the 23 video surveillance manufacturers sampled, 16 companies featured IP products at the show, including Dynacolor, Dahua Technology, Itx, Mobotix and others. Hikvision Digital Technology and four other companies were promoting analog cameras, while Hi Sharp and Win4net were the only companies highlighting HD-SDI products. Most manufacturers are still promoting IP cameras, due to a smaller demand for HD-SDI cameras, and few related products and accessories, said Ray Chan, Director of Sales for APAC, Infinova. HD-SDI also requires larger storage, and the required frame rate is still playing catch-up, Chan continued. A technician from Fuho Technology echoed the sentiment, stating while HD-SDI products offer better image quality than analog cameras, market demand has remained low because of the lack of supporting appliances and hardware compared to analog or IP systems. Some manufacturers are trying to compensate this by promoting new HD-SDI cabling products, such as Win4net's Clebo HD-SDI PoC solution that can extend HD-SDI data transmission for more than 2 kilometers.

2. Light Sensitivity
The majority of low-light network cameras displayed at the show came with 1.3-megapixel resolution; only a few were 3-megapixel models. Shany's SNC-WD2131MSA and Yoko Technology's RYK-IPBX010 featured 1.3-megapixel low-light cameras, while Zavio's D7320 was a 3-megapixel camera. The limitations of network bandwidth and market demand are driving the sales of 1.3-megapixel low-light cameras, said Steven Mao, PM for Digital Surveillance Product Planning, Yoko Technology. Two trends in WDR network cameras were also observed, with some manufacturers such as Brickcom using software to enhance images and others, including Zavio, developing their own WDR sensors.

3. High and Low
Of the analog cameras displayed, a large number were of 700 TVLs and above. For instance, Hikvision's Picadis Exir Camera and Pishion's BRX-99P84WR were 720-TVL cameras, while Fuho's Vacron-P was a 1,000-TVL camera. The cameras target cost-conscious consumers that want better image quality close to IP cameras, but at a much lower price point, said Ian Ma, Overseas Technical Support Engineer, Hikvision. The cameras offer better images than traditional analog, and ideal for clients who are reluctant to say goodbye to their coaxial cables.

4. Easy to Install
Four- to 8-channel NVRs for SMB and home applications are mostly designed with easy setup procedures that are user-friendly. Whether its Nuuo's 8-channel NVR, that enables setup to be completed in six minutes with a click of a mouse, or Dynacolor's 4-channel NVR that automatically detects the company's cameras, the idea is to make installation hassle-free. Manufacturers are trying to make their products appealing and adoptable to the average home owner or shop keeper, who may not be tech-savvy or have the resources to hire IT specialists. Another interesting find was iCatch's latest NVR that enables consumers to use QR scanners to connect their IP cameras to the NVR.

5. Scalability Reincarnated
Installer-friendly products were not easy to miss. For example, Etherwan's ED3638 PoE switch can transmit data and electricity up to 1.8 kilometers, said Alvin Hsu, PM; Planet's BSP-300 solar-power switch is particularly suited for integrators struggling with outdoor cabling. Brickcom's FocusEasy makes life easier for installers, by beeping loudly when the camera is correctly focused; it is aimed at the hotel industry or large-scale projects that require many installations, said Anchi Chen, Marketing Administrator. All these products are designed with convenience in mind, by saving installers or system integrators valuable resources. These products are also ideal for large-scale projects and applications.

6. Value Adds
More camera and NVR manufacturers are teaming up with VCA companies to increase the added value of their products. To target the retail sector, Nuuo teamed up with Vit to add on people-counting features onto its NVR, while VIVOTEK has been cooperating with Cognimatics to add on similar people-counting features onto its IP cameras. Other common VCA features include people counting, item removal detection, and virtual fences that are targeted for retail market applications.

7. Mobility
From remotely monitoring video surveillance cameras to opening doors via NFC technology, mobile applications are increasingly prevalent. The popularity of smartphones and tablets is pushing this trend in the security sector. The majority of NVR manufacturers, such as iCatch and Nuuo, have matching mobile apps to enable remote monitoring, while newer access control systems from WFE Technology allow smartphones to open doors using NFC. Nearly all NFC access control systems are RFID-based at the show, with the exception of Hundure Technology that has promoted a Bluetooth NFC reader.

8. Hot Access
Access control manufacturers such as Pongee and WFE were promoting multicredential readers with four to five credentials targeting the banking or hotel sector. End users can choose which credentials they want to use. According to Johnson Wu, PM of Waferlock at WFE, markets that require high security, such as the banking sector, are more likely to use a combination of credentials or utilize all credentials offered.

9. Gaze Downward
Manufacturers are aiming for the mid- to low-end market with hopes of tapping into retail, home, hotel and banking applications. This was reflected with the promotion of affordable retail solutions with fewer functions, but easy installation, such as VIVOTEK's Counter Cam, a small 180-degree panoramic camera with very basic functions. Even Flir, which had traditionally manufactured high-end thermal imaging cameras, was promoting its first commercial camera, the VT602, at the show (which still costs US$190,000).

10. Emerging Opportunities
Most video surveillance manufacturers agreed that sales are particularly well in emerging markets. Dali Technology and Merit  LILIN both responded sales were particularly well in Middle East, while NVR manufacturer Qnap noted sales were particularly well in Central and South America.

Arecont Vision partners with Brazilian distributor WDC Networks

Editor / Provider: Arecont Vision | Updated: 4/19/2013 | Article type: Security 50

WDC Networks, a distributor of IP-based video surveillance, wireless and VoIP products in Brazil announced a partnership with Arecont Vision. WDC has pioneered the distribution of IP surveillance solutions in Brazil. In 2002, WDC developed the first public surveillance project using IP cameras over wireless transmission. WDC will promote Arecont in Brazil and FOB - Miami to more than 1,000 active resellers.

"This partnership comes at an interesting time, as we create a new sales division, specializing in projects that serve digital cities and public surveillance projects that require robust products. The Arecont cameras with 180-degree panoramic view and 12-megapixel with WDR meet this demand," said Vanderlei Rigatieri, President of WDC.

"Arecont is very pleased with the beginning of this partnership because we know the potential of WDC in the Brazilian market, and the quality of support offered to their customers," said Alex Mathieson, Regional Manager for LatAm, Arecont Vision.

Robust security technology will be important for projects like the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, as well as all the infrastructure development surrounding these events. WDC will feature Arecont cameras during the 120 Digital City Expedition visits throughout Brazil.

Asia Update: VIVOTEK grows hand in hand with IP video

Editor / Provider: The a&s Editorial Team | Updated: 4/17/2013 | Article type: Hot Topics

VIVOTEK is a security veteran who has continuously developed and matured with the IP surveillance sector over the past 10 years — the most pivotal and important time for the security industry. VIVOTEK owes much of its success to profound industry insight, and its deep commitment to developing core technologies and establishing brand awareness.

Back in the year 2000, when video conference devices and DVRs were extremely popular, VIVOTEK, after carefully evaluating its own strengths and the market outlook for both of these highly competitive markets, made a critical decision to focus on IP surveillance instead. At that time, IP video surveillance was only in its early development stage. Replying on its strong technological background in media processing and networking, VIVOTEK pioneered to develop a MPEG-4 codec when the market was dominated by JPEG. This major technological advance helped VIVOTEK successfully get in to the ODM business, which provided the company with even more confidence to boldly move forward.

To uphold its competitiveness in the market and produce high quality IP video products, VIVOTEK decided to develop its own core technology and multimedia SoC — a huge investment for VIVOTEK at that time. Their first multimedia SoC was successfully released in 2005. This competitive solution effectively cemented VIVOTECK as a technology pioneer in the IP surveillance market. VIVOTEK's revenue increased quickly after 2005, and in 2006 the company went public. With sufficient funding and man power, VIVOTEK's revenue and profit growth has since boomed and flourished. This success propelled VIVOTEK to emphasize its branded solutions and dedication to penetrate global markets. “At that point, we started to approach distributors and system integrators and actively participate in global trade shows and make acquaintance with project implementation experts,” said Steve Ma, Executive VP, VIVOTEK. Last year, in 2012, sales revenues surpassed US$100 million.

As the IP video surveillance sector experienced an explosive growth over the past 10 years, so did VIVOTEK. These days, market competition has progressively become more and more fierce, and in light of this VIVOTEK leverages its cutting-edge technology to create greater values for its customers. For example, its latest fisheye camera is a union of fisheye lens and dome, which largely satisfies the demands of wide-range surveillance.

This latest camera is equipped with a fisheye lens for wall mounted 180 degree viewing, and it also offers 360 degree panoramic viewing for ceiling/floor/table mounting to provide coverage for wide, open areas. “Fisheye lenses are widely adopted in automotive applications,” Ma said. “In the future, they will be largely used for security.”

VIVOTEK is optimistic about the future of surveillance, as there are plenty of fish in the analog migration sea. As a leading IP brand, VIVOTEK will continue its efforts in offering total solutions, establishing more local service branches, and keeping the world safe and secured.

Canadian college deters crime with larger-than-life witness

Editor / Provider: Avigilon | Updated: 4/17/2013 | Article type: Education

Humber College in Toronto, Canada recently deployed Avigilon's HD surveillance system in parking lots and high-traffic areas to maintain public order and deter crime across its three primary campuses. The system composes of HD cameras ranging from 1-megapixel to 16-megapixel, VMS, NVR and analog video encoders to cover security on the campus with 27,000 full-time students. Humber leveraged its existing network infrastructure and analog cameras to save costs and improve system performance, easing the transition to IP-based surveillance.

After construction began on the new Learning Resource Commons, a 6.43-acre (280,000 square foot) building at the north campus and surrounding parking areas, the college began to look for an advanced IP-based HD surveillance system. “Quality, cost, and flexibility were key considerations,” said Ernie Colosimo, Manager of Security Systems at Humber. The Avigilon system was chosen for its image quality, ease of use, and ability to integrate with other critical security solutions for a complete campus-wide security system that increases safety for students and staff.

Cameras deployed include 180 degrees HD panoramic domes to monitor the parking lots and other high-traffic areas across the college's three main campuses. The college also installed 5-megapixel HD cameras at the campus pub and uses mobile VMS to remotely monitor the system 24/7. To ease the transition to a full IP-based surveillance system, Humber uses analog video encoders for improved functionality of its existing analog cameras and stores 14 days of continuous video footage on NVRs.

The college's public safety surveillance system is managed by VMS with HD stream management technology. Utilizing the advanced features of the VMS, the security team can identify events in minutes and improve investigation results. Users can also share footage with key stakeholders. Mobile VMS has become a valuable tool for remote monitoring, providing access to important information in lock down situations.

Axis Camera Companion now on the cloud

Editor / Provider: Axis Communications | Updated: 4/8/2013 | Article type: Security 50

The Axis Camera Companion upgrade includes easy site sharing, achieved by providing basic information about sites and cameras using a free cloud-based service and other valuable features such as digital zoom functionality.

The Axis Camera Companion solution consists of three parts: standard Axis network cameras or video encoders with edge storage support for recording onto SD-cards, standard third-party network equipment such as routers, switches, SD cards and NAS devices.

The new version also includes support for digital zoom in live and recorded video. Customers can now take advantage of the increasing range of HDTV cameras, as well as support for the panoramic views from Axis's 360° fixed dome cameras, providing great overview and details with only one camera.

Axis Camera Companion allows small business owners to easily navigate to different sites and by the use of HDTV network cameras clearly identify intruders, shoplifters and other incidents. Video can be viewed live and recordings played back from anywhere – onsite or remotely over the Internet.

Unlike analog surveillance installations, Axis Camera Companion does not require a central recording device – a DVR, NVR, or even a computer. All images are recorded onto a standard SD memory card in each camera, and the cameras keep recording even if the network fails. The cameras are powered over the network, eliminating the need for separate power cables. This reduces cost, simplifies installation, and makes the system more robust as there is no single point of failure. To further protect customers' investments, existing analog cameras can be integrated via video encoders.

Further features of Axis Camera Companion include:
- Third-party apps for viewing live and recorded video and for integration of Public View Monitors for loss prevention on leading smartphones and tablets, such as iPhone, iPad and Android.
- Support for 64 GB SDXC cards in all network video products with SD card capabilities
- Administrator, operator and viewer user access levels
- Support for motion detection and pan/tilt/zoom control and one-way audio
- Easy and secure export of video and snapshots from single or multiple cameras

Vicon offers 180 and 360 hemispheric line

Editor / Provider: Vicon | Updated: 3/20/2013 | Article type: Security 50

Vicon Industries introduced a new line of hemispheric cameras that provide high-resolution, continuous 180 or 360 degrees coverage. An integral fisheye lens and 4 megapixel sensor captures a complete 360 degrees view, which is delivered as two 180 degrees panoramic images visually stacked on top of each other within a single video stream. All de-morphing is performed within the cameras prior to transmission, so a distortion-free image is delivered to the VMS ready for live display and recording. The cameras transmit a choice of H.264, MPEG-4 SP and M-JPEG compressions with dual streaming.

The V9360 models are true day/night cameras that perform extremely well in a wide range of lighting conditions, thanks to advanced WDR and a mechanical IR cut filter. A MicroSD/MicroSDHC card slot allows for local storage. PoE eliminates the need for power cables.

The cameras may be used with many popular VMS systems. When used with ViconNet, users may digitally zoom into live or recorded video for a closer look at any object within the two panoramic views. Pixilation is minimal due to the 4MP resolution.

"These new panoramic cameras are an exciting addition to our camera line," explained Margie Gurwin, Director of Marketing. "Whether they are used as an alternative to or in conjunction with our PTZ solutions, their ability to provide continuous 360 degrees coverage will be of great value in many types of installations."