All About Skills and Experience: Key to CCTV Success

CCTV HANDBOOK 2013
CONTENTS
Fisheye/Panoramic Cameras: When you want to see everything ......... 76 Fisheye/Panoramic Cameras: CatVision does panoramic views ............ 77 Intelligent Storage: IP surveillance and storage ....................... 78 Technology: Compression: Understanding compression technologies .................................................. 80 Hybrid Technologies: Does hybrid deliver analogue value and IP benefits? ...................................................... 86 Hybrid Technologies: Best of both worlds? ............................................................. 88 Management Platforms: PSIM: Why should I be interested? ..................... 89 Management Platforms: The platform must fit the business................. 91 Analytics: Video synopsis versus video analysis ............................................................. 94 Analytics: Product Overview: Intelligence management framework .. 95 Analytics: Intelligent systems in high motion surveillance ..................................... 96 Connectivity: Dont ignore wireless ....... 99 Thermal: The expanding role of thermals ....................................................102 Analogue: Still going strong...................105
Editors comment .................................... 2 Technology trends Video surveillance trends for 2013.... 4 CCTV Round-table 2013........................ 6 Local CCTV guidelines revised..........14 The future of video: Use your eyes ..16 Syndicate foiled by cooperation ......18 Open platform video set to grow .....20 Surveillance trends for 2013 .............22 System Integrator Profile: Integrated central monitoring .........24 Line of sight and angle of view .......26 Understand the solution.....................28 Integrated proactive security solutions ...................................................30 Low-light cameras: Coming out of the dark .......................32 Wide dynamic range: Challenges and solutions ...................34 HD CCTV hype or reality? ................38 High-definition/Megapixel: High-definition vs megapixel ...........40 High-definition/Megapixel: Define your definition..........................42 Remote Monitoring: Keeping tabs from a distance ...........66 Remote Monitoring: Remotely reactive .................................68 Remote Monitoring: Process and technology combined ................74
Storage technologies for video surveillance...................................................106 Camera Selection Guide An option for every requirement.....4465 Case Studies......................................109112
www.securitysa.com CCTV Handbook 2013
EDITORS COMMENT
All about skills and experience

Welcome to the 2013 CCTV Handbook. Weve put together an interesting collection of articles from some of the leading minds in the surveillance world for your enjoyment. In the pages that follow, you will find information on a variety of issues pertinent to your surveillance installations. One of the interesting things I heard repeatedly while talking to people and putting this handbook together was that, while there is an almost endless selection of technology to choose from (dont miss the Selection Guide on page 46 onwards), the success of your project depends on the skills and integrity of the people doing the installation work. A case in point comes from someone busy with two smallish projects. In one he hired an installer who knows his analogue systems backwards and the installation is going smoothly. For the other project, the individual wanted a few bells and whistles, so he decided IP was the route to take. All he really wants is a low-light system that will allow him to perform LPR and visually identify visitors in any light conditions. The great thing about the IP installation is that the client was prepared to pay whatever it cost to get what he wanted. How many people get a client like that? Of course, things didnt work out all that well. The IP installation has been going on for months with dismal results and poor visibility throughout the day, and none at night. The analogue system, on the other hand, is running perfectly. The lesson here is that technology is only one part of a surveillance project. The crucial part is retaining people who know what theyre doing and have a track record to verify their skills, their ability to offer good advice and to deliver. And I guess it wouldnt hurt to do your own research beforehand to ensure you can separate marketing fact and fiction. Your choice of installer or integrator can be the make or break factor of your entire project. Get the right people on board and you can get an analogue system to shine. Get the wrong people and the most impressive IP systems will fail, and cost a fortune.
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Good news for locals

The Consumer Goods Council has just released its updated CCTV Guidelines, a document that will be invaluable to installers as well as those people responsible for their organisations surveillance projects. Its a How-To put together by a group of people leading the field in the South African CCTV industry. Make sure you get yours if you want your surveillance system to deliver results. I hope you enjoy the handbook and get value from it in whatever field you operate in. If you have any comments or criticisms, please let me know at andrew@technews. co.za. Andrew Seldon, Editor
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Disclaimer While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements, inserts and company contact details are printed as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.
CCTV Handbook 2013 www.securitysa.com
TRENDS
Video surveillance trends for 2013

What can we expect to see in the coming year in the surveillance market?
IMS Research has released its fourth annual video surveillance trends for the year ahead. These predictions for 2013 and beyond serve to provide insight into key trends and opportunities in the video surveillance industry. Ten trends to look out for are listed below.
3. India to remain a high growth market

Economic growth in India has slowed. IMS expects that GDP in Asias third-largest economy will grow by just 5.1 percent in 2012, down from 6,9 percent in 2011 and 9,6 percent in 2010. However, despite this background, spending on video surveillance equipment has remained resilient with the Indian market forecast to enjoy healthy double-digit growth in 2012. The unique characteristics of the Indian market make it an exciting place to do business. What is more, compared to other high growth markets, barriers to entry for foreign-owned suppliers are much lower.
1. New battle ground in image quality

The increased popularity of HD and megapixel resolution security cameras has been a hot topic in the video surveillance industry over recent years. And quite rightly so, world shipments of megapixel resolution network security cameras are predicted to out-sell standard resolution network security cameras in 2012 for the first time. However, IMS Research does not expect higher megapixel resolutions to be a mass-market trend. Instead, it expects to see new technology developments and camera features that improve image quality become the key battleground as manufacturers try to establish their own USPs.
4. Keeping it simple in 2013

Many suppliers of network video surveillance are now targeting smaller installations to grow their businesses. IMS Research therefore predicts 2013 to be the year where suppliers focus on developing products that are easy to install, easy to operate, and easy to maintain. Network video surveillance can be an overly complex topic, particularly for those responsible for smaller installations. 2013 will be all about manufacturers making it more straightforward.
2. Mobile video streaming the next gear of mobile video surveillance

Traditionally, in the mobile video surveillance market, recorded video on an on-board device is downloaded wirelessly when the vehicle returns to the station or depot. Recently, there has been increased buzz around the capability to wirelessly stream video from a mobile video surveillance camera back to a control centre. For a control room operative, this brings a number of advantages. For the police, the ability for a control room to view an incident live allows for an instantaneous assessment of the situation and more effective guidance for officers on the ground. It could also provide assistance for lone workers on buses and trains. In the coming year, IMS Research predicts that there will be renewed emphasis on this type of solution.
5. Intelligent video surveillance

Forums discussing this concept are not new. In 2011, IMS Conferences ran an intelligent video conference in Los Angeles and the Embedded Vision Alliance has regularly been bringing together engineers from leading companies to discuss the industry. However, with the explosion of interest in intelligent video and the success of products such as Microsofts Kinect, will 2013 be the year of intelligent video?
6. Private cloud the future for enterprise video surveillance systems?

IMS Research forecasts that private cloud being used for the infrastructure of enterprise video surveillance systems will become a trend over the coming years. Private cloud offers the same advantages as public cloud, which includes: remote access to data, providing there is an Internet connection, and shared use of data processing and storage resources. Video surveillance service providers have used aspects of cloud computing in their solutions for more than ten years. However, the prevalence of enterprise video surveillance systems using private cloud is starting to gain some traction as IT managers increasingly take responsibility for the management of video surveillance systems.
8. Chinese companies looking west

It has been well documented that China is one of the largest and fastest growing markets for video surveillance equipment. To date, much of the narrative on this topic has centered on estimating the market opportunity, identifying the leading local vendors and discussing how western companies can take advantage of this high growth opportunity. There has been little debate on the potential for Chinese video surveillance vendors to take advantage of the growth opportunities in other regional markets. However, this is beginning to change with the emergence of key Chinese vendors on the world stage.
9. Video surveillance goes vertical

System integrators and installers have been specialising in specific end-user industries for decades, with installation, design, service and maintenance offerings targeted to the unique requirements of customers in that industry. IMS Research predicts that 2013 will be the year that video surveillance vendors and PSIM platform providers follow suit.
7. Remote video applications

Remote has been a bit of a buzz word for video surveillance in 2012. Video surveillance as a service (VSaaS), and its ability to provide remote access, has been keenly debated with opinion divided on whether it will be successful. Additionally, remote video monitoring has become an increasingly important recurring monthly revenue (RMR) generator for many alarm receiving centres. Both of these examples relate to physical security; however, there are a number of applications that can leverage remote video surveillance in non-security applications. IMS Research predicts a number of exciting new applications will enter the market in 2013.
10. Video content analysis and video meta-data as Big Data

Big Data has been a hot topic for businesses in 2012. While Big Data is not going to be a mainstream concept for video surveillance in 2013, IMS Research predicts that the use and aggregation of analytics and video feed metadata as Big Data will continue to grow, and that businesses looking to utilise Big Data will increasingly look at the potential to incorporate video feed meta-data streams into their data sets. For more information contact IMS Research, +44 1933 402 255, niall.jenkins@imsresearch.com, www.imsresearch.com
CCTV ROUND-TABLE 2013
Challenges in store for surveillance

By Andrew Seldon.
Whats up in the world of surveillance in 2013? Hi-Tech Security Solutions asked the experts.
One of the most exciting things about the surveillance industry is the technology changes we see on a regular basis that create the potential for awesome advances in image quality and analysis. Unfortunately, no matter how fast technology moves, it is only when these solutions get to the maturity level that adds value to the end user that they really show their worth. To get an update on which technologies are at the value-adding stage and what users are demanding from their surveillance solutions, not to mention what challenges are in store for the surveillance industry in general, Hi-Tech Security Solutions invited a few people to join us in a surveillance round-table. We asked our attendees what they thought would be the key issues in surveillance in the coming year or two. What follows is a brief insight into the interesting discussion that followed. Our attendees were Francois Malan from Camsecure, Gordon Moore from ADI Global, Rob Anderson from Rob Anderson Consulting, Roy Alves from Axis Communications and Ernst le Roux from CCTV in Focus. We started the debate by asking each attendee to tell us what they thought the key trend or technology would be in the surveillance market over the next year. past few years theyve being inundated by salesmen selling the latest trick. Now they are starting to become a more aware of what theyre really getting and what they really need. They are also looking at the whole solution and not simply the latest camera technology. Alves agrees that edge storage will be important in the coming year, noting that SDXC cards already hold 256 gigabytes (GB), which will make a significance impact and theres already talk of two terabytes being available within the next twelve to eighteen months. I also think vendors are coming under pricing pressure as manufacturers in the East increase the pressure in terms of quality and price. Well also be seeing cameras in the near future that are able to see better than the human eye.Were already seeing that happening in the low-light field. This is a very exciting time for camera technology. Le Roux expects to see edge storage have an impact, but he is also seeing clients demanding more from their surveillance solutions. If they lay out the money, they want to see returns. He also thinks this year is going to be tougher for business than before. Due to the economic conditions, Le Roux has even seen some larger users cutting costs by buying equipment for themselves and then making use of the bakkie brigade for installation. More often than not, this leads to problems as these installers dont know enough about large-scale integration projects to deliver the quality desired. This will put more pressure on manufacturers and distributors to step in and provide on-site assistance something they already do as a free value-added service, but we could see more of them changing their focus and charging for this in future. He has also seen a leap in the quality of products from the East, but clients still have problems as far as warranties and support are concerned.
Trends to watch
Malan notes that there are many trends in the surveillance market at the moment, such as high definition (HD), megapixel, widedynamic range and so forth. However, he sees edge storage as something that is going to be important over the coming year, even to the point of counteracting the move to cloud-based storage to an extent. He also expects to see more VMS systems using edge storage to protect corporate networks. Analytics solutions will also mature and Malan expects to see different aspects taking centre stage, such as usability in LPR (licence plate recognition) and movement detection. Facial recognition is going to be tried and tested in the upcoming year, as will people-counting. I dont think many other solutions will really make an impact this year. From a distributors perspective, Moore thinks were going to see a lot of Asian products starting to make an impact in higher levels of the CCTV market instead of mainly at the lower levels. On the higher end, I think image quality is definitely going to be the focus, the race for the highest resolution is going to slow down and were going to focus more on the image quality and storage. Anderson agrees with the above, but has also seen that the client base is starting to become a lot better educated than they ever have been. For the
Cheap and nasty turns to cheap and quality

Malan says Camsecure has also seen the impact of the entry-level bakkie brigade getting into the market and punting the cheaper products from the East, but weve seen the more mature markets staying away from that. While there are still quality issues, these devices are cheaper, which appeals to many people. On a positive note, however, Malan sees this as a way that many people are finding their way into the world of IP surveillance, which is a good move. Alves agrees, but notes that even with great prices and improved quality, the cameras still fail to deliver when it comes to reliability and support. In
many instances youre pushing HD video out of the unit and you want to stream it across the network, but problems still crop up far too often, such as the device losing its IP address, or it needs to be rebooted every day, or there are bandwidth issues. A significant change he expects to see is more customers adopting a standard brand as they do in IT, specifying that all cameras (or even all surveillance kit) on site will come from a specific vendor. They will accept a price premium for the certainty that theyre getting quality, reliability and support they can count on. Moore adds that there is definitely a significant increase in Asian products. He says that image quality is easy to copy since theyre all using the same chips and processors. Where were seeing the challenge for the system integrator is in the menus, the software and the viability of the software side of the products. The other issue is that we dont have anything in place in South Africa to police standards and specifications.
Common sense standards

The issue of standards is one that the UK light fitting industry has dealt with. Anderson says that the question of unqualified installers and cheap products is as much an issue there as it is Gordon Moore on our surveillance market. The way companies deal with this is job and produce a solution that meets the companys expectations. We also to only do business with companies that produce an annual due diligence or need to move out of the traditional practice of appointing physical security sustainability report to certify they follow the appropriate procedures. These experts into security manager roles without ensuring they are up to speed reports show that the company is sustainable financially, they dont employ on the relevant technology as well. They dont need to be technical experts, slave labour, theyre putting out products that have proper guarantees and but they need to understand what goes into selecting and installing an IP so on. camera, for example. As a consulting practice, were going to go the route and say no product will be supplied on our sites unless the manufacture has produced a regular sustainability report. Anderson also adds that to ensure projects are handled correctly and installations are done to the appropriate standards, he also insists that the IT decision maker joins the initial planning meetings to ensure the technical side of things is covered. Le Roux adds that implementing standards such as those that are common in the IT world will also help the security managers to do a better
The question on skills

While all the participants agree on the need for more education of the security managers and others involved in the market on the customers side, they also note the training opportunities offered to installers and integrators are crucial in ensuring a good implementation. As Alves notes, the cost of the hardware is only a portion of the cost of a camera. Customers are going to find theyve got a far larger bill to pay when their installations are handled in an amateur manner and parts of it have to be redone. Many of the manufacturers are actively pushing their training and certification courses in an effort to ensure that their installers have the knowledge of the product as well as other skills necessary to ensure the end customer gets a good deal. These courses are part of the manufacturers branding attempts as the brand with the most and best-trained technicians have an advantage in a market where skills are in short supply. Not only are top-notch skills in short supply, the leading companies are in a constant battle to attract and retain personnel. Malan and Le Roux note that the industry is going to have to look at some form of skills development programme in the next couple of years if it wants to avoid paying exorbitant salaries for good technical skills or be branded as a bad service industry. Distributors are also finding themselves in the middle of the skills shortage, as not only do installers rely on them for advice and technical assistance, but the end customer often comes to the distributor for help when frustrated with its implementation partner. As mentioned above, Moore notes that many distributors are moving to the provision of added value services. Were finding Continued on Page 10
Francois Malan
Continued from Page 8
While there are other compression options available, H.264 seems to be the standard of choice for most systems, H.265 promises even better performance and should start appearing in the coming year. Of course, changing such a broadly used standard will take time. We should also expect to see more panorama cameras hitting the market in the coming year, with most people expecting good growth in this market. Already many management companies are including dewarping software in their platforms to cater for these systems (such as local platform developer, Cathexis). Another critical area for Malan is the VMS (video management system) with many devices linking onto them and being able to rebroadcast at different requested streams. Moreover, the importance of Web interfaces and mobile access will become more important as extensions to high quality streams in control rooms. The trick is really to get a good VMS that can down-sample the video to those different devices on request or per user requirement. So you could, for instance, take a high quality stream and make it a lower quality stream, maybe a lower frame rate, and only transmit when theres something happening at the camera in order to utilise your existing bandwidth as efficiently as possible.
Rob Anderson that as a distributor were having to provide more and more on site support. We need to support installers by providing them with the necessary training and knowledge to help them with their customers and on-site installations. And the challenge is that as companies start skilling up their technicians and develop them, someone else poaches them and offers them a little more money, adds Alves. And on the other side of the coin, many of the larger, wellstaffed integrators are downsizing and reducing their training and marketing budgets, giving more opportunity for bakkie brigade services.
Intelligent platforms
And while intelligence in the camera is definitely going to increase, taking some of the processing strain off the servers and management platforms, Anderson expects to see more intelligence in the storage arena. For example, instead of buying more hard drive space for footage that isnt needed in court or for specific reasons, some companies are implementing strategies that sees high quality video recorded for seven days since you will know if there was an incident you need footage from within seven days. If the high quality footage is not needed within that timeframe, the video can be stored at a lower frame rate to save space. The details will still be there in sufficient quality for analysis should it be needed, but the company will save on the hard drive capacity it needs. Effective VMSes are also going to provide users with added intelligence to assist in implementing event-based surveillance, where the cameras raise the alarm when something happens. Moore adds that VMSes provide the ability integrate an installation made up of cameras from diverse brands and with different capabilities, and manage it from a single console. Something the standards like ONVIF have not been able to accomplish.
Looking at technology
One of the articles running in the CCTV Handbook 2013 is from IMS, which examines the research companys top trends for the coming year. One of the trends they mention is an increase in image quality rather than simply adding megapixels. Alves says that since most of the top manufacturers use the sensors from a limited number of companies, megapixels is not where the competition really is. Whats going to count is the processing power on the chipsets behind those sensors that enable the camera to do the necessary things, like noise reduction, management, wide dynamic managing, low light cameras offering colour images in near total darkness and so forth. The sensor manufacturers are doing some amazing things. Weve seen sensors now that are very low light, in fact, lower light than your human eye, the cameras are seeing things in pitch blackness that you cant see with the human eye. These technologies are getting very interesting. Interestingly enough, as you start going to bigger sensors to do 5 and 8 and 10 megapixels, low-light capabilities are diminished. The pixels are a lot smaller and theres less ability to get light onto that sensor It seems that defining the role for the camera is more important than ever. While you can obtain high megapixel cameras that provide excellent images, you pay the price in terms of frame rate and low light capabilities. Malan says the HD sweet spot at the moment seems to be in the 720p or 1080 sensor. There are also standards in HD so you know theres colour fidelity, broadcast quality and theres going to be full frame rate when you adopt this technology. Yet, while HD (and megapixel in the 2 MP range) seems to be accepted, Anderson notes that we need to see more control rooms using HD monitors to make better use of the images available. Additionally, the fact that HD-SDR (or HDcctv) transmits images uncompressed with distances that are touted to reach 300 metres soon, there may yet be room for more HD analogue systems.
Roy Alves and Ernst le Roux Continued on Page 12
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Continued from Page 10 As a sidebar, Le Roux notes its important to note that quality is still the key issue when wanting to use surveillance footage for prosecution or even internal investigations. The ability to accurately identify people and objects requires decent quality. He says that in the Western Cape, his teams found that, only about 15% of recorded footage was of any use after an event, and even less was usable in court.
Apps for your surveillance camera?

When considering the increased processing power within cameras, an increase in edge analytics is to be expected to relieve processing stress on central servers. However, Alves notes that we could also see a situation similar to the mobile phone market at the moment where users pay a small amount to download the analytical or performance apps they want to use. If the camera manufacturers get it right, they could encourage software developers to produce specific apps that are camera manufacturer independent, meaning that they can work on any brand or product, but you pay per use. This will not only expand the intelligence capabilities tremendously, but create a new market for applications. There will naturally be some resistance from VMS vendors as this concept would take away some of their core functionality.
Manufacturers across the board are working on making things as simple as possible to use their products. Not only will this enable companies to set up their surveillance systems with people who are somewhat less technically skilled, but it will also speed the time and reduce the cost of installation. One of the initiatives that weve got going at the moment is to ask the question Whos installing it? and based on that we will show the appropriate Web page, says Alves. Basically well be making the products more user friendly for the specific type of person on the other end.
A tough, exciting year

As always happens in round-tables, the printed report only scratches the surface of what was actually discussed. However, given the overall conversation, this coming year should see some incredible improvements in image quality as well as some stiff competition in price in the lower and mid-level markets. Hopefully we will see both the simplification of the technology to make it easier to install, as well as a bigger push on skills development in the security industry as a whole. Given the continued economic uncertainty, more companies are likely to opt for more technology with a lower onsite guarding presence, although guards are not going to disappear any time soon. Perhaps the integration project of the year will be integrating technology and human security services effectively. The edge (on camera) is where we should see some action during the year, both in terms of storage and intelligent analytics. However, we wont see any decline in the need for management platforms. In fact, as more systems are integrated with other components of a complete security installation, expectations are that the PSIM market will eventually find more traction.
KISS your camera

One final trend worth noting is the move to simplicity. As technology advances, it tends to become complex and unwieldy to use. The same can be said of surveillance cameras and the complexity in setting them up and getting them to perform as one wants.
Regal comments
While the company was not able to attend the round-table, Mel Labuschagne from Regal Distributors added his comments to some of the issues raised at the round-table via e-mail.
Hi-Tech Security Solutions: What do you think are the trends/technologies to look out for in 2013?
Mel Labuschagne: The price of IP cameras and VMs platforms will continue to drop in 2013. There will be a continued trend to plug-andplay IP (or easy to use) solutions in not only the low end of the market, but the high end as well. I dont see that manufacturers looking at increasing the megapixel rating of cameras, in the main. The market is satisfied with the 1 to 2 megapixel range which gives up to 1080p resolution, the same as high definition TV. Advanced analytics has become more prevalent and at much better prices which has seen more clients implementing this technology. Although analytics is still quite difficult to implement and is very reliant on accurate set up which can be very time consuming.
surveillance solutions but are put off by the price differential. However, numerous manufacturers, including cost-effective producers from the East, are now offering plug and play IP solutions (in the up-to 16 camera system range) where the system offers near analogue ease of use. This benefits both the installer and client in ensuring the proposed system is successfully implemented. The low tier of the market is probably still in a 90% analogue to 10% IP scenario.
Hi-Tech Security Solutions: Do you see a significant impact on the local market from quality Asian products?
Mel Labuschagne: The Chinese products are having an impact on the traditional suppliers. The largest manufacturer of video surveillance equipment is a Chinese company. They, and other Chinese suppliers, have the majority of the market in the East and are now targeting other regions. One has to simply do a search on the Internet to find marketing releases from these Chinese surveillance equipment providers on large sites implemented with their products where this would have traditionally been done by Western suppliers. This is also the case locally where price / performance and the aggressive sales strategy of the Chinese suppliers is increasing their market share. Hi-Tech Security Solutions: How are customers, integrators, installers, distributors and vendors handling the lack of high-level skills when it comes to IP surveillance installations? Mel Labuschagne: The IP surveillance market is in the early adopter phase so qualified manpower is still a scarce resource. Astute integrators, distributors and vendors will be looking at the IT sector to attain these skills.
Hi-Tech Security Solutions: What do clients want from their surveillance systems?
Mel Labuschagne: Clients want what they have wanted; the best price / performance (most bang for their buck). One has to look at the different market tiers to identify what is taking place. In the high-end tier of the market, clients are aware of IP surveillance solutions and most are implementing the superior technology. In the mid tier of the market, I would say the market split is around 50/50 where customers are aware of IP surveillance solutions but are loathe to spend the extra money. In the low end of the market, many clients may be aware of IP
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CCTV GUIDELINES
Local CCTV guidelines revised

Recommended Industry Guideline for CCTV surveillance systems in South Africa.
Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) plays a valuable role in combating crime through a combination of both proactive and reactive crime prevention measures. A classic example of this is the use of CCTV as deterrence to all potential perpetrators, including staff, thus implying that they will be aware of the fact that their actions are recorded. On the reactive side, CCTV can assist the police in identifying the perpetrators and can also be utilised in various criminal justice procedures as evidence in a court to ensure fair and legal prosecution to all parties involved. However, the latter can only be accomplished if CCTV systems are accepted as a reliable source of evidence. Through the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa in partnership with Business Against Crime Western Cape (BACWC) working groups were formed to determine: A Recommended Industry Guideline for CCTV surveillance systems in South Africa. The first version of this document was compiled in 2004. This empowered business owners with knowledge to make informed business decisions before investing large amounts of money in a business solution. The reviewed and updated third edition will be published in March 2013. This document provides guidelines for optimisation of CCTV that will ensure appropriate/sufficient quality images under different physical and environmental circumstances in and around businesses for monitoring, detection, recognition and identification with the specific purpose of generating video footage that will support investigations and successful prosecution. The Role Players and Responsibilities are guided by Chapter 2 and expand on the following roles: The End User. System Provider. Industry Bodies and NGOs. The Justice System. Chapter 3 explores the operational requirements (OR) that are fundamental to the design, testing and operation of an effective CCTV system. This includes: Generic Operational Requirements, that will enable users to spec their needs at the right pitch; How to identify target activities to be observed; Why these activities should be observed; How to handle incidents are observed; How to determine the standard of picture quality; Required result of a successful response to activities; Site layout. Although Technical Aspects are addressed in Chapter 4, the aim was to limit specifications that might lead to the Recommended Guidelines being outdated in the near future due to technology developments. Installation and Management Aspects are addressed in Chapter 5 and consists of: Restrictions of installed cameras, as this may include the detection of movement rather than identification; black and white systems are insufficient for identification of clothing and vehicle colour; the use of compression techniques may result in low-resolution images. The guidelines in this section include: The selection of a suitable service provider; Camera selection, placement and picture quality; Quality and routing of cabling; Existing infrastructure and layout of premises; Software and other system related requirements; Power management; General risk considerations; Training programmes, training and system manuals and Guidelines on the maintenance and management of the system. As the importance of competent operators and system users cannot be underestimated, CCTV Staffing and Development in Chapter 6 elaborates on: Recruitment selection techniques Training aspects of system operators Requirements for training courses and training manuals. The purpose of including the Legal and Evidentiary Aspects in Chapter 7 of this document is to guide the standardisation of protocols in the handling of video/DVD or other material that has evidential value that is in the possession of private persons employed by the industries. During the investigation of offences committed and incidents in chain stores, the visual footage, captured on CCTV equipment is of crucial importance during the investigation and procedures that could follow. This document also includes recommended checklists for operational requirements of the camera, recommended basic formats for basic affidavits and a recommended general checklist for the CCTV system. The experts who shared their expertise in compiling this document included representatives from the CGCSA, BACWC, CCTV industry participants, SAPS, NPA (National Prosecuting Authority), retailers and other business owners. For further information or to order a copy of the Recommended CCTV Industry Guidelines contact Selma Visser on (T) 0861 101 726 or email sv@cgcsa.co.za
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OPINION
The future of video: use your eyes

By Martin Gren, Axis Communications.
Humans and technology make a good combination.

Since the invention of the first analogue video camera, it was natural to compare these devices to the human eye. Focus, light sensitivity, iris, lens, focal length, and aperture are all terms used to describe both. Cameras in surveillance were created to see what we, as humans couldnt. Yet in the analog CCTV world, the comparisons stopped at seeing. In the world of IP video, cameras are computers that can see. When we talk of computers, we talk of artificial intelligence. We talk of memory. Today we can compare an IP video system to the human eye and the brain. There are some areas today where the IP camera beats even our own human abilities, but also qualities where a surveillance system will never replace human intelligence or intuition. How do we stack up today with our IP video devices, and where will we fall behind in the future? Many of us suffer with poor night vision. But unlike our eyes, cameras have the ability to leverage IR wavelengths and produce a black and white image at night. Analogue held one final advantage over IP regarding light sensitivity, yet neither analogue nor IP could produce colour images in the dark. Both of these cornerstones were passed during the last year with the introduction of colour-at-night Lightfinder technology. Here, Moores Law is really kicking in with sensor development and we can expect a lot of progress in low light video. Also, as CMOS sensor technologies evolve we now have the ability to be almost as light sensitive in 5 MP cameras as the human eye, and much more light sensitive than the eye in HTDV and VGA resolutions. Then of course, there is the ability to see with absolutely no light at all which no human can do. For this we now have professional-grade, all-digital thermal network cameras that can be integrated into an IP-based surveillance system. Thermal cameras can detect humans and objects in complete darkness as well as poor visibility conditions, and are no longer just for military usage. Wide dynamic range is another hot issue related to the sensor and image processing. The human eye is said to have a contrast range to 120 dB. If compared to the best wide dynamic range network cameras on the market, its a dead heat tie. However, when humans try to see during constant contrast change, the eyes will get very tired and a headache is likely on the horizon. So in the long run, and especially when fighting direct sunlight, the camera is better than the human eye without even the need to wear sunglasses. Now that weve covered resolution and light sensitivity of the camera vs. the eye, the next comparison is with field of view and mechanical speed. The eye has a field of view of approximately 75-95 and a pan-tilt speed of roughly 900/second. If we compare this with current PTZ cameras, the human eye is faster than the majority and still beats the autofocus algorithms of most cameras. Thus, improving focus will be the manufacturer focus for the coming years. However, since the human eye lacks optical zoom, IP security
Seeing is believing
Lets start with the obvious comparison: the IP camera and the human eye. While theres no perfect calculation, the whole eye is said to have a total resolution of more than 100 megapixels, but this is hardly usable for surveillance and its not the actual resolution that our brain (the VMS) computes. While the eye wins outright for overall resolution, one can argue that the usable resolution of the cornea or what the brain computes at a given time can vary greatly, but be roughly estimated between 5-10 megapixels depending on the persons eyesight. Still, given that lens Martin Gren technology is not on par with the higher resolutions in security cameras maxing out around 5 megapixels for professional surveillance and that most 10-20 MP cameras lack frame rate and image quality around the edges of the scene, it is a clear win for the human eye. Theres one main reason that lenses are not keeping pace with IP camera and sensor development, and therefore the human eye: Moores Law. Unlike the IT components inside a camera, optical components like the lens do not follow Moores Law. So while lenses are taking longer to evolve, IP camera developers are using the evergrowing processing power in the cameras to look beyond pure resolution and improve overall image clarity with better light sensitivity.
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cameras have a major leg up. We continue to see improvements in the evolution of optics and motors in PTZ cameras that Darwin cant keep up with. But remember, in the same way the human eye can contract infections and obstructions, so do security cameras. Dirt, fog, dust and even spider webs affect the camera as much as they do our own eyes. Without the ability to brush debris away from their lenses, installation environment and housings are increasingly important and will see further development. Unlike our eyes, however, the biggest leg up for the camera is that it never needs to sleep!
From detection to analysis

The no-need-for-rest feature of cameras means that video analytics is superior in the ability to perform around-the-clock, monotonous tasks like people counting, cross-line detection and licence plate recognition (LPR). Think about the patience you would have to have to sit on the side of a highway and make a note of all the licence plates that drive by. But when it comes to more advanced analytics, the human brain and intuition wins over a security camera in most aspects. When in controlled environments, advanced analytics are working really well. Face detection by a video surveillance camera in a crowd is something we all can dream of, but face detection in a controlled environment can be deployed successfully. This intelligent feature will not only play a big future role in access control, but in more unique applications like retail customer reward programmes. When it comes to detecting strange behaviour and forensics, there is nothing like a guard or operator. While advanced behavioural analytics are improving, the human element will be important for many years to come even if CSI and other TV shows would like you to believe otherwise. The key to the future is mining all the high-quality video data that IP cameras capture and consider new and novel uses for this information. The retail market will be the biggest winner in the future. Analytics will continue to improve especially as software developers from all walks of life are attracted to the surveillance industry with the goal to develop applications to run inside the camera itself but a human will nearly always be required for this aspect of the industry to thrive. However, when talking about analytics and software, there is the rising issue of potential patent lawsuits attempting to block the use of a specific algorithm. This is happening in our industry as well as many others, including the mobile phone market. One solution could be to pool patent fees amongst the patent holders in order to share these innovations with the world while keeping overall costs down for the end-user. This will leave us free to innovate and drive business. Until then, we as people will have an advantage over surveillance systems for many years because its not possible to patent humans (fortunately!).
Humans are said to have short-term and long-term memories. So too do surveillance systems. Consider long-term memories as the server-based and NVR systems with the ability to download and store video for long periods. Local, edge-based recording is then short-term memory which is improving in the camera not through memory exercises, but through Moores Law. Edge-based storage in a small camera system environment has many benefits and it will continue to get better. Todays standard for a modern surveillance system is HDTV and, if configured properly, the user will never miss a single frame. With the evolution of SD-cards, which are now available in 64 and 128 GB with more storage to come, we can easily store weeks of high quality video inside the camera or encoder in the coming years. And as edge-based storage grows, so too does Internet bandwidth and availability. Just as our own human behaviour has dictated the rising use of Gmail, online banking, movie streaming, personal storage, file sharing and other cloud-based services, a similar need for anytime, anywhere video access and offsite storage has led to the emergence of hosted video. While edge recording is perfect for single site deployments, hosted video has seen success where the end-user has multiple dispersed sites to monitor. Yet a question I often get when speaking about the growth of edge-based and hosted video storage is if these technology trends mean the end of the VMS. The answer is simple: These cameras still need to be managed, and what does this the best is a good VMS. The real game changer will be in the smaller camera count market where we will see edge storage replace the DVR rather soon. This trend may be even more disruptive when we combine good camera-edge-recording and analytics. A third layer is when we combine edge recording with hosted video. Using analytics with increased edge storage capacities will be attractive because this solution does not require continuous Internet bandwidth. So while humans can remember even our earliest memories, an IP surveillance system has the most reliable long-term memory and its short-term memory growth is far outpacing our own.
Man vs. machine

When we compare man vs. machine in the surveillance world, the one certainty is that we need to work together for maximum efficiency today and into the future. Humans have higher pixel vision, but the IP camera helps us see in difficult light and pure darkness. Guards and officers in the field can scan quickly for signs of trouble, while their colleagues in the command post use cameras to zoom in for a closer and safer look. Our brains can analyse a scene and predict behaviour thanks to human intuition, but the IP camera is there to help with repetitive tasks without getting bored or falling asleep at the wheel. Our long-term memories are unrivalled in the animal world, but the camera never lies or misremembers. Moores Law keeps on working to give us more processing power and usable resolution, while the latest human evolution seems to be that we are growing larger, taller and, yes, wider just like our old analogue TVs. IP video will continue to improve, and humans must adapt to get the most out of the technology. After all, in a footrace, its clear that Mr. Moore is much faster than Mr. Darwin. For more information contact Axis Communications, +27 (0)11 548 6780, roy.alves@axis.com , www.axis.com
Hows your long and short-term memory?

We all have personal memories that we can look back on in an instant. Im not a neurology specialist, so its astonishing how our brains can analyse the pictures/videos from our past and have the ability to record for many years. Here, even the most advanced computers completely lag humans. Thats good news for police officers interviewing folks about a crime even if eyewitness testimony is sometimes proven shaky.
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CO-OPERATION GETS RESULTS
Syndicate foiled by cooperation

By Andrew Seldon.
Retail syndicate foiled through cooperation between NPA, SAPS and Spar.
Awards presented The Consumer Goods Council (CGC) of South Africa hosted an awards The CGCs manager of the crime prevention programme, James Oosthuizen ceremony in February to pay tribute to a few people who had been opened the proceedings, before CEO, Gwarega Mangozhe made the awards involved in thwarting the long-term operations of a crime syndicate to two police officers who have been key to the success of the investigation. targeting retailers. The two officers to receive Exceptional Service Awards were Warrant As explained by Spars Keith Alexander, the operations of the syndiOfficer Mashiane and Sergeant Nkathingi from the Midrand SAPS. cate were streamlined and professional. There were no guns, no deaths Chief prosecutor, Rassie Erasmus was next up to receive an Exceptional and no trauma, simply a slick operation that netted millions in stolen Service Award, followed by Brigadier Gina Palko, Gauteng Cluster money every month. Commander. The criminals operation involved obtaining a skeleton key to the cash Maj. General Norman drawers in retailers apparently Taioe, Gauteng detective head an easy task for this syndicate then received a Certificate of and stealing money while Appreciation from the CGC. cashiers were on a break. Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Central to the case was the Lt Gen Mzwandile Petros CCTV footage taken at the Vorna also received a Certificate of Valley Spar, although other Spar Appreciation, which was received stores were also involved in on his behalf by Maj. General supplying footage to identify Masiye and Maj. General Motsikile. the criminals. The help of a Peet van der Walt, owner of high-level informant was also of the Super Spar, Vorna Valley was particular assistance in sealing on hand to pay tribute to one of the fate of this syndicate. his staff members, Moses Tsomele, At the ceremony, Advocate the manager of the Super Spar Juan Kotze played some of the for his quick and decisive action video shots taken and explained All the award recipients. which led directly to the arrest the process underway to identify of certain syndicate members. the key perpetrators involved. Tsomele then also received an This footage showed how it Exceptional Service award from would take less than 10 seconds Mangozhe. for the gangs to remove all the Brett Botten, MD of Spar high-value notes from a till, in North Rand was on hand to the middle of the day, in front of present additional Certificates of everyone. This brazen approach Excellence from Spar to various to their crime shows how well attendees in appreciation of their trained and confident these continued service to the retail criminals were of getting away industry, specifically in the crime with their theft. fighting arena. He presented Their modus operandi was certificates to James Oosthuizen to use numerous members of as well as Juan Kotze. the gang as shields to prevent In her acceptance speech people from seeing what was Masiye encouraged all concerned happening, while others would L to R: Warrant Officer Mashiane, Sergeant Nkathingi and Moses Tsomele. to continue to be alert and sometimes find the supervisor praised the cooperation between the various departments and the business on duty and other staff and distract them with questions. community, noting that the success of this case was a direct result of this While this operation did not involve guns, it did hit multiple stores in cooperation and the sterling efforts of Mashiane and Nkathingi, along with various towns and cities on a regular basis, with one informant claiming the prosecutors office. The efforts of Tsomele were also key to the success of the leader of the syndicates cut was between R400 000 and R800 000 the case and Masiye encouraged him to continue his efforts. per month. It did, however, lead to some cashiers losing their jobs since The awards were a way for the CGC and Spar to thank and pay tribute to in stores without CCTV coverage, these people returned to their tills to some of the people who have made the effort to fight crime and do the right find thousands missing with no explanation of how it happened. Due to thing in a tough and normally thankless environment. It also highlighted the the human shields involved in the operation, even cashiers at work in the fact that when people cooperate, crime can be beaten, and a little help from tills next to the targeted one were oblivious to the crime it was that fast technology seals the prosecution. and slick.
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19
TRENDS
Open platform video set to grow

By Andrew Seldon.
Even the smallest upgrade in technology or thinking can become a catalyst for change.
When considering the trends in the surveillance market, including the fast growing area of video management systems, Hi-Tech Security Solutions asked Milestones Peter Biltsted to answer four questions on what to look out for in 2013, from the perspective of Milestone and the industry in general. Hi-Tech Security Solutions: What do you think will be the biggest trend or influencer in the coming year in the surveillance market sector? Peter Biltsted: Countless circumstances around the globe contribute to growth and innovation even the smallest upgrade in technology or thinking can become a catalyst for change. The economy: With budget cuts across the board, customers are under pressure. Budgets are scrutinised as demands for a safer environment and affordable security constantly battle for priority. Politics: Political changes can influence degrees of regulatory requirements, affecting the balance of power and the focus on physical, data and other security improvements as countries reach election days, and if war or terrorism threatens. Changing requirements can also be driven by large public events like the Olympics, or impromptu ones like demonstrations or natural disasters. The environment: Another perspective deals with the increased emphasis on climate change, from monitoring and tracking severe storms, hurricanes, flooding and drought, to improving protection of energy supplies and natural resources. Traffic control and management has become part of this trend, too. Technology: Technical advances are influencing new degrees of necessity for surveillance and monitoring: biometrics, high-resolution cameras, cloud computing and video analytics require the most upto-date hardware and software. This can be addressed by the open platform approach from Milestone Systems to allow endless upgrades and integrated solutions that can be added over time. Basically, we see three trends today affecting Milestone and our marketplace in general: 1. Ease of use. In the low to mid-market, integrators and end-users alike are demanding easy easy to procure, easy to deploy and easy to use. Milestones low and mid-market products are designed to address this trend from XProtect Go through XProtect Professional. These product offerings are built for ease of use, and we are working hard to continually improve on these products (installation, setup and use) with ease- of-use in mind. 2. Video as a service (VaaS). We hear a lot about cloud technology and VaaS these days. Offering video via the cloud is really like offering a traditional IT managed service, but using new technology. But the bandwidth services have to be in place first and at reasonable prices. These will come in the future but until then, talking about it is getting too much hype. Milestone does not want to be a hosting company ourselves that is not our core competency. Instead, we want to make the software tools to enable others to address this type of business model whenever it does become viable. Our XProtect Corporate product continues to be future-ready, receiving feature updates that make it well suited as the technology foundation of a hosted video solution. Features like Axis one-click connectivity, our Web client and remote clients, and Milestone Federated Architecture make XProtect Corporate an ideal hosted video solution platform. 3. Consolidated operational user interface (UI). Milestone continually evolves our XProtect Smart Client to be the umbrella client interface for operational visibility in a security environment. We work hard to provide a more flexible, powerful and relevant client for the operators by
XProtect Smart Client.
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incorporating single client visibility to the video for live viewing, a strong toolset for investigations, and coupling this with integration of third-party alarm or other data (access control for example). Milestone XProtect Smart Client continues to progress in this direction providing the operators additional visibility and interaction with multiple disparate data that when correlated with video provides the best levels of operational overview. Hi-Tech Security Solutions: What technologies/technical implementations do you think will stand out in the coming year? Biltsted: In South Africa, Milestone sees a growing acceptance for open platform video, and larger installations and larger corporate entities are setting a surveillance policy for deployment of unified systems with increasing integration of multiple systems into one platform. There is also increased use of video content analytics. Video analytics have come of age, adding real value to the industry rather than just hope. These solutions are now affordable and on the cutting edge of the industry. Today the ease of use, improved algorithms (both at the edge and server levels) and data libraries are reducing false alarms and improving reliability across the board. The result of all of this is that the value of video is increased both in real-time and when viewing recorded video. IP video is still driving the convergence of digital systems across multiple areas. It has improved the speed of innovation for diverse applications, such as access control, HR, finance, production and logistics. Open platform IP video is enabling business optimisations on a larger scale, handling more than just security matters adding measurable long-term returns on investments (ROI) and lowering total costs of ownership (TCO).
Hi-Tech Security Solutions: Do you expect to see your products integrated into third-party solutions or will customers opt for singlebrand solutions in 2013? Biltsted: Value-adding integrations continue to be a huge growth factor to offer efficiency advantages for customers. Access control or licence plate recognition, for example, with interoperability to the video interface show people or vehicles on the move. These solutions are becoming more commonplace today, benefiting customers bottom line as they are able to lift their implementations to new levels of professionalism and sophistication. Single-brand solutions lock customers out of future options to build on their initial investments. Hi-Tech Security Solutions: If there is one piece of advice you could give customers and potential customers as the year starts, what would it be? Biltsted: Adapting to change through openness both today and with the future in mind will have more positive results, effectively growing solutions parallel to the necessities of our world as they happen. Such opportunities underline the fact that an IP VMS with an open platform is more than security, and prove that open architecture is absolutely the best way to go for sustainable value in customer installations. The technology adds more value than customers initially expect before installation because no one is locked into one set solution for the future. It can deliver ongoing flexibility to respond to changing needs, challenges and innovations. For more information contact Milestone Systems,+45 88 300 300, cdp@milestonesys.com, www.milestonesys.com
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SURVEILLANCE TRENDS FOR 2013
Surveillance trends
By Abie Ali, Frank Street.
Abie Ali discusses changes he noticed in the CCTV industry in 2012 and looks at whats coming?
How did the CCTV industry change in 2012? A very strong growth in IP video surveillance was the trend. The strong demand for megapixel IP cameras has set the increase to almost 35%. The growth in IP surveillance will come from small to medium market size deployments. HD-SDI made very little progress, due to price being high and limited recorder support compared to megapixel IP cameras. The industry is taking to megapixel IP cameras because of many VMS (video management systems) available, with easier integration and intelligent video analytics. VMS will have a significant growth due to the migration from analogue to IP cameras. Hybrid systems have made a great impact in the CCTV market offering both analogue and IP connectivity. Security managers that have recently installed analogue cameras and want to expand are demanding hybrid solutions, helping to lower costs, but still giving the flexibility to expand into IP technology. Trends in the next five years I expect to see include 10 or more megapixel IP super-resolution cameras entering the market. These super resolution cameras will cover a larger viewing area, resulting in clear crisp video pictures. This trend of super megapixel cameras will evolve as VMS servers will have faster processing power. The other trend in the next five years will see video analytics take on a new dimension in surveillance. In this regard, Frank Street has been developing its own video analytics called ROM (Retail Operations Management). The ROM software uses CCTV cameras for POS interfacing and video analytics for shrinkage control, operational management, by integrating software and high megapixel IP cameras into a business management system, for effective management of sales, cashier performance predicting customer flow patterns, queue management and retail security monitoring. With growing concerns in retail security on asset control, ROM is an effective business management tool, and is sure to prove itself successful in the years to come. POS (point of sale) integration solutions are now being used by retail giants like Woolworths to aid security with till transaction pilferage, buddy transactions and preventing suspicious transactions like dubious credits. Video analytics will certainly be a game changer in the surveillance market. Yet another trend will see video being recorded in the cloud. Im not too sure if security managers will be in favour of vital video data sitting in the cloud. Added to that is the fact that costs are too high, at the moment. Edge recording onto SD cards is a great technology handling recordings directly onto the IP camera. Edge recording on SD cards will become common for users that need basic functionality and act as redundancy for larger VMS systems. Thermal cameras have been around for many years, mostly deployed by the military, government installations and high-level security companies. This year will see the demand increase as prices get lower. Thermal cameras will never replace IR or low light cameras in the foreseeable future due to price, however. In the camera market, we will see development in the HD camera segment, low light and WDR (wide-dynamic range) optimisations. Panoramic cameras have gained attention of the CCTV market and will grow over the years. A single panoramic camera offers a 360-degree view providing a greater situational awareness than a single camera normally provides, also reducing licensing costs by requiring only one licence instead of multiple cameras and licences to cover the same area. Many VMS software packages have the functionality for dewarping and dividing the 360-degree panoramic camera into quad and dual 180-degree video pictures. In conclusion, the future for the surveillance market looks strong with the fast-paced evolution of technology and the market adapting to it. For more information contact Frank Street, +27 (0)11 496 2300, sales@frankstreet.co.za, www.frankstreet.co.za.
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23
SYSTEM INTEGRATOR PROFILE
Integrated central monitoring

SmartProtect enables monitoring of multiple system events with video.
After a request from clients to be better able to manage multiple systems on a common platform, SmartProtect, a software development company, last year publicly launched its product offering. Initially there were two components Integration and Reports. The SmartProtect system is currently a generic plug-in system for the Milestone video management platform. The system allows centralisation of data from multiple security systems into a database and is then displayed in the video management interface. There is a growing need to add business intelligence to systems. This is facilitated through SmartProtect. The integration component centralises all events and transactions with relevant video feeds, thus reducing the need to separately view multiple systems. This gives the operator optimised situational awareness, allowing him to make the best decision in a fast expeditious manner. An added benefit of the integration is the ability to prompt the decision-making process with standard operating procedures (SOP). Once the operator has acknowledged these procedures a full audit trail is also in place. The integration module allows for post-event investigations. Video can be searched for any event or transaction. For instance, the name of an employee who is listed in the access control system database can be used as a search item to view the relevant video footage pertaining to his movement throughout the facilities. Other examples include weighbridge information or licence plates. All this data adds value to the video system. The report module was initially developed as a data mining tool to present data in a more refined manner. In addition, the system adds superior business intelligence not only by providing pertinent information about the hardware health status of the systems that are linked, but also about user activity. Systems can be administrated remotely and can provide predefined automatic reports. Because there is a great need for customised or client-specific solutions, a third component custom integration has recently been added. Many end-users have preferred historical systems that they would like to link with video and this facility will effectively cater for this requirement. By thinking out of the box there is great value in combining data and linking video to data transactions. For more information contact SmartProtect, info@smartprotect.co.za, www.smartprotect.co.za
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SYSTEM INTEGRATORS PROFILES
System integrators
It takes appropriate knowledge and experience to create solutions that protect people, profits and assets and deliver business benefits. Skilled, experienced system integrators are the link between technology and solutions that work. As a service to our readers, Hi-Tech Security Solutions provides a list of system integrators end users can contact to discuss theirintegrated security solution requirements. For details on how to include your company in this listing contact vivienne@technews.co.za Bidvest Magnum
We design, install and maintain integrated security solutions. As client requirements are unique, Bidvest Magnum Technology does not have off-the-shelf security solutions. Instead, we analyse the clients needs, advise on optimum solutions, design the required system and then install it based on clearly defined project guidelines as well as a detailed scope-of-work document. Tel: +27 (0)11 555 4949 kevinm@bidvestmagnum.co.za www.bidvestmagnum.co.za
Basix Group
The Basix Group, security system integrators and solution providers with over 20 years experience, and a strong presence throughout RSA, serves government and private sector customers in the financial, transportation, commercial-industrial and infrastructure markets. Basix is the agent for March Networks, a global provider of intelligent IP video solutions. Tel: +27 (0)11 210 3500 Head Office info@basixgroup.co.za www.basixtech.co.za
Card Control Systems

We provide total project solutions based on specialist design, engineering and maintenance services. CCS can design and install systems to suit your needs and budget. And we can evaluate, upgrade, repair and maintain your existing system. Specialise in surveillance: access control and T&A, fire detection: audio evacuation and public address, as well as parking control systems. Tel: +27 (0)11 907 3192 cardcon@mweb.co.za www.cardcontrolsystems.co.za
Camsecure
A network surveillance and electronic security company that has completed many large and prestigious projects throughout the continent. We pride ourselves on quality, expertise and experience. Designing event-driven systems and centralising information through maps, priority alarms and embedding standard operating procedures to quickly prompt the operator to make the correct response. Tel: +27 (0)11 781 1341 support@camsecure.co.za www.camsecure.co.za
EOH Intelligent Infrastructure

EOH Intelligent Infrastructure is a wholly owned subsidiary of EOH, and is responsible for sales, installation and support of products on the African continent. EOH Intelligent Infrastructure supplies and installs security, CCTV, access control, communications and time management solutions, building management, fire detection and offer a range of leasing solutions. Tel: 0861 500 500 Fax: +27 (0)11 844 3500 www.eohii.co.za
Firetech Projects
Firetech Projects provides project solutions to many sectors of the market, including government, universities, hospitals, shopping malls, national key points, financial institutions and the private sector. It specialises in fully integrated fire and security systems both nationally and internationally. We pride ourselves on quality expertise and experience in building asset protection. Tel: +27 (0)12 667 2338 firetech@firetech.co.za www.firetech.co.za
Honeywell Building Solutions

Honeywell Building Solutions is a leading provider of integrated technology solutions that support innovative ways of working. We develop, install and maintain critical building systems that help keep customer workplaces safe, secure, comfortable and cost-efficient. Global experience across diverse markets positions Honeywell as a technology leader renowned for delivering value. Tel: +27 (0)11 695 8000 servicehbsza@honeywell.com www.honeywell.co.za
Jasco Security Solutions

Jasco Security Solutions (incorporating Scafell and Multivid) designs, installs and maintains security technology solutions. The business possesses great depth of skill and experience, along with a true understanding of the security challenges faced by organisations of all sizes. Together with the Jasco Groups expertise in the ICT and Energy sectors, we provide turnkey solutions. Tel: +27 (0)11 894 7127 kleroux@multivid.co.za www.jasco.co.za
TVMS
Our solutions protect and enhance your investments and profits as well as reduce risk. We provide holistic security technology solutions that enable you to concentrate on your core business. From design, installation and maintenance to monitoring, TVMS offers peace of mind with value for money solutions and exceptional service delivery. Tel: 0861 867 8867 (TVMS) sales@tvms.co.za www.tvms.co.za
UTM Group
UTM Group is a provider of end-to-end total security management services with integrated solutions. These include managed surveillance, access control, time and attendance, video analytics, data mining and meaningful business intelligence. UTM delivers security management services by taking your entire risk value chain into consideration. Tel: 086 022 2266 info@utmgroup.co.za www.utmgroup.co.za
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OPINION
Line of sight and angle of view

By Dr Craig Donald.
Ensuring line of sight and angle of view basic essentials of control room viewing.
One of the most critical design issues in any control room design featuring CCTV should be the line of sight and angle of view of monitors to operators. The monitors and their angle of view effectively determines the usability of the interface for the operator in order to accomplish surveillance objectives. Yet despite the importance of these, they are often neglected in the technical installation of the control room. There are a number of issues relating to how the angle of view affects the quality of surveillance. Ive divided these up into a few different areas to facilitate looking at the related issues more easily. leaning to the side of their control screens in order to see what kind of effect changes or adjustments may have on the monitor wall. A further part of the physical environment that is a common issue is the chairs upon which the operators sit. Good control room chairs are difficult to come by and the standard issues often have hydraulic functions that fail fairly quickly. At this point with no hydraulic pressure, operators are sitting in the lowest position relative to the ground compared to what is expected, and viewing angles of the wall and desk monitors often change as a result. Distance is also a complicating factor. While one may think of monitors being too far away, the increasing use of big 40-inch and large TV type screens has suddenly brought things in too close, and one almost has to physically lean back in order to view some areas of the screen, with visual discomfort and eye strain an additional possible outcome.
Physical issues
Physical issues relate to where and how monitor screens are placed on desks, consoles or walls within the control room. One of the most common issues is placing monitors too high so operators either have to tilt their heads uncomfortably upwards, or lean back in their chairs to avoid muscle strain. Leaning back creates the conditions for people to become too relaxed and together with tiredness, leads to people dozing or tuning out. The other alternative for operators is just to disregard the monitors positioned too high and they cease to be a source of information. Besides the actual positioning, the angle at which monitors are attached is also an issue. One can often find monitors placed high up and facing directly away from the wall this creates a double problem as will be discussed in the section on LCD screens. Consoles that are inclined slightly forward, or monitors fixed to allow a tilting downwards allow an operator to have a more direct view of the scene displayed on screen and facilitate natural viewing. One can even find that monitors on desks would benefit from slight tilting or height adjustments up or down to make for more ergonomic viewing. The problem with tilting monitors appropriately is further complicated by the fact that the mounting fittings are not standardised and just the process of attaching them to the console or wall is a complicated process that allows little flexibility or ongoing adjustment. Where desktop monitors are used in conjunction with wall mounted monitors, a simple aspect of ensuring that you can see past the desktop monitor clearly is often neglected. Operators are looking around or even
The screens themselves

LCD/LED and plasma screens have their own limitations built in with their possible angles of view. Side views and those from the top and bottom reach points where the quality and contrasts of image deteriorate so much that it becomes difficult to see what is on the screen properly. Not only this, but the colour range displayed can change as the viewing angle becomes more extreme. When mounting such displays, this needs to be checked from typical seating and standing positions. In one control room I visited recently, as soon as one sat down in the seat, a number of monitors mounted high on a console became unviewable Yet operators hadnt commented on it and a number of screen views were being disregarded on a constant basis over a period of a couple of years because of the viewing angle. As camera viewing light conditions change, it also presents potential problems for monitors. The quality of lighting can change as it gets darker, and this can affect the colour intensity and the display contrast on screen. Even on my notebook, I find that darker images create more difficulty in viewing as soon as one changes the viewing angle from directly in front of the screen. In situations where CCTV is viewing, light intensity changes are a common issue beside the daily shift from light into darkness.
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Lighting
Lighting reflections have one of the most potential disruptive influences on screen displays. This is especially the case with some monitors which have a more reflective surface. Direct lighting and fluorescent lighting are also the primary problems in that respect and wherever possible, indirect lighting should be used. While I am a fan of natural lighting, this needs to be channelled or provision needs to be made to adjust the effect of direct light, never mind sunlight in the control room.
Organisation
One ideally wants the best line of sight to the most important monitor displays. Yet all too often the monitors are mounted more in line with the fact that technicians want to place as many views as possible in one area. How the available workstation space is occupied by monitors should be based on a usability analysis and what the critical viewing needs are to do surveillance properly. Another important part of this is that the control screens that are often used to manage camera selection and things like alarm screens should be in line of sight as much as possible. Where the operator has to look away repeatedly every time something is changed, he or she runs the risk of missing important surveillance information. Ironically, this is most likely to happen when an incident occurs and the operator has to look away in order to make selections or adjustments to screen or to obtain information, resulting in key aspects of incidents being missed. The line of sight and the angle of view issues also relates to use of
communications equipment, which should be positioned so operators can maintain a clear view of the CCTV monitors while handling an incident. Where supervisors are also involved in monitoring what is going on, line of sight from the supervisor workstation is also an important element to bear in mind. It amazed me at one stage where I sat down with a client and did a mock up on the proposed CCTV workstations to test line of sight and viewing angles, that it was the first time that the client who was a major national installation company had even done such a thing. Line of sight and angle of view issues are one of the most common problems in control rooms, yet they are the simplest to prevent and the most common sense one to get right. There is no need for expert advice for the most part simply sit in a control room chair at the workstation and see if the setup works for you. Ensuring the design works well in the beginning will solve a lot of problems later. Dr Craig Donald is a human factors specialist in security and CCTV. He is a director of Leaderware which provides instruments for the selection of CCTV operators, X-ray screeners and other security personnel in major operations around the world. He also runs CCTV Surveillance Skills and Body Language, and Advanced Surveillance Body Language courses for CCTV operators, supervisors and managers internationally, and consults on CCTV management. He can be contacted on +27 (0)11 787 7811 or craig.donald@ leaderware.com
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INSTALLATIONS
Understand the solution

By Joel White, senior product manager, Tyco Security Products.
Camera installability. Understand the whole camera solution.

Integrators and installers of video surveillance systems face tasks that are common across both analogue and IP video camera systems. Camera installation, wiring, setup and configuration must be completed for each deployed device in order for the system to recognise and connect to the cameras video stream. The growing deployment of IP video systems has added new layers of complexity that the installer must master to be successful. Installers not only have to physically mount, setup and connect the cameras to the recorder, but must also understand the configuration and load balancing of IP networks. To aid integrators in these new challenges, the best camera manufacturers look beyond simply delivering high quality video capture functionalities. These vendors are also devoted to employing significant resources on product design, software, and accessories to make the entire installation and commissioning process faster and more efficient. Joel White Integrators who use these manufacturers cameras realise the benefit through higher profitability and a competitive edge in time saved and fewer accessories to purchase. The best camera manufacturers listen to the voice of customer and the integrators perspective to improve on physical installation, power considerations, and configuration of the cameras on the IP network. outdoor cameras that are warmed by heaters as well as most newer indoor HD PTZ cameras that require additional power to run the pan and tilt motors. In certain cases, PoE+ is inadequate and an AC power supply must be used to achieve the lowest operating temperature rating of the camera. It is important to note that the power supply used will directly affect the low temperature ratings of heated outdoor cameras, so the installation environment and camera power/temperature ratings should be carefully considered before deciding on the power supply.
Managing network connectivity

Configuring each IP camera on the network is much different to configuring analogue cameras, as multiple IP cameras are capable of running on the same physical network wire. For example, 50 cameras connected to a single network means the video streams from all the cameras are moving on the same wires simultaneously. In order for the network to distinguish one cameras video stream data from another, each camera is assigned a unique IP address. Ideally each camera should be named with a common identifier so that it is easy to understand the camera type and location of the camera within the system. When manufactured, all cameras are given the same default IP address and a unique MAC address. Imagine you are installing 50 cameras, each of which must be named and assigned a unique IP address. The task can be accomplished by opening each cameras Web user interface and assigning a new IP address. A more efficient way is to use the smart configuration software provided by the manufacturer to manage configuration of multiple cameras automatically. Configuration software will scan and find the connected cameras on the network, batch assign IP addresses, allow for individual camera naming and, if necessary, batch update camera firmware. Welldesigned camera configuration software is an indispensable installation and configuration tool. Cameras that focus on installability will pay dividends in the long run. Time is money so consider using cameras that incorporate features and technology that allow for easier installation and configuration. When comparing camera features, look beyond the high-level specs to understand the whole camera solution. A well thought-out and designed camera can reduce the man-hours necessary for installation, potentially making your operation more cost competitive and profitable. For more information contact Tyco Security Products, +27 (0)82 566 5274, emallett@tycoint.com, www.tycosecurityproducts.com
Physical installation
Cameras that incorporate multiple installation options into the design of the core product save time and money by enabling faster and easier installation and by reducing or often eliminating the need to purchase mounting accessories or adaptors. A well-designed indoor mini-dome will allow for surface mounting by simply screwing the back plate onto the surface. A smarter design has the hole pattern in the back plate positioned to match common electrical gang boxes so the camera can be screwed directly onto the wiring box. With its back plate removed, the same camera can be flush mounted to a surface using integrated swing out clamps to secure it on locations such as a drop ceiling. In cases where building codes require plenum-rated flush mount installations, a camera can include the adaptor necessary to connect into the wiring conduit to meet the code requirements.
Power supply
All cameras need electrical power and connectivity to the recording system. For IP cameras both these needs can be fulfilled using a PoE (Power over Ethernet) network where only a single RJ-45 cable connection to the camera is necessary. PoE power has two standards PoE (802.3af) and PoE+ (802.3at). PoE+ delivers higher power and is often used with
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29
INTEGRATION
Integrated proactive security solutions

By Kobus le Roux, Jasco Security Solutions.
In order to derive maximum value and return on investment (ROI) from CCTV, it should be integrated with other security systems including fire, alarms and access control, using a central platform or building management system.
Crime is an unfortunate reality in South Africa and, as a result, CCTV solutions have become an important part of any corporate or enterprise security solution. CCTV solutions offer a number of benefits by providing a visual reference and evidence of incidents. However, in order to derive maximum value and return on investment (ROI) from CCTV, these solutions should be integrated with other security systems including fire, alarms and access control, using a central platform or building management system. This not only helps to ensure that all systems work together in harmony, it can assist with closing loopholes in security and can help organisations to derive operational as well as security benefits from their solutions, offering greater value in an area which is often a grudge purchase. CCTV, along with access control solutions, often forms the bulk of modern security solutions. CCTV delivers the benefit of having eyes on the ground, or visual access to all areas at all times. This not only enables security personnel to see what is happening, it also records this footage. This allows for both proactive and reactive action to be taken, assuming that the CCTV feed is monitored by a control room. CCTV is important, not only from a security perspective, but also in terms of operations and even health and safety. Control rooms can monitor that employees are doing their jobs, that they are using dangerous equipment in a Kobus le Roux safe manner, that they are not accessing hazardous areas and more. This then alerts security to potential problems, which can be corrected. Recording these feeds enables personnel to discover exactly what occurred in case of any type of incident, enabling remedial action to be taken and processes to be improved to prevent similar problems from occurring in future. The knowledge that they are being watched also helps to incentivise workers to be more productive and efficient, and acts as a deterrent against unlawful or unethical behaviour within the workplace. In the case of criminal activity, recorded CCTV footage can be used to augment evidence in a court of law, helping to identify perpetrators and backup other findings for swifter prosecution of offenders. However, in order to leverage maximum value from CCTV solutions, both in terms of security and operational benefits, it is important to integrate CCTV into other security solutions, including access control, fire detection and suppression, and alarms. If each of these systems is run independently, there may be an overlap in their functionality or the independent running and variety of different rules may in fact leave vulnerabilities and loopholes in the security system, which those with malicious intent can exploit. By integrating these solutions and incorporating proactive monitoring of the entire security system, appropriate action can be taken in the event of fire or theft and disasters can be prevented in many cases. In order to effectively manage these integrated solutions, they should also all be incorporated into a master management platform, or building management solution. This master platform will ensure that a single, consistent set of rules can be applied across the board, to all technologies, to ensure that alerts are sent out according to the correct parameters, to the right people, to ensure swift action to be taken. When it comes to integration, newer solutions built using a standards-based approach incorporate greater levels of integration capability. When dealing with a mixture of old technologies and a newer management platform, however, the process can become more complex as a result of legacy software and firmware issues. Upgrades may be necessary in order to ensure interoperability and a seamless solution. Regardless of the mix of technology however it is advisable to obtain the services of a security and integration specialist. Without the right partner with the necessary integration skills, all solutions may be installed correctly and may seem to be functioning in tandem, but they may not be correctly integrated. Solutions operating independently of each other can fail to deliver on the expected benefits, something which in the case of security can be detrimental as issues are typically only discovered when something goes wrong. An integration partner and security specialist should have proven skills, with multiple reference sites across various industries to illustrate a track record of success. CCTV solutions are part and parcel of modern security systems, as they have the ability to deliver all-important visuals across all areas of operations to ensure health and safety regulations are adhered to, productivity is maintained and crimes can be prevented or more effectively prosecuted. While CCTV is often a grudge purchase, by integrating this solution into other areas of security, such as alarms, fire and access control, greater value can be derived for improved ROI. Integrated CCTV also ensures that loopholes and vulnerabilities can be eliminated, that all solutions follow a single set of rules, and that optimal security can be maintained at all times. For more information contact Jasco Security Solutions, +27 (0)11 894 7127, kleroux@multivid.co.za, www.jasco.co.za
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31
LOW LIGHT CAMERAS
Coming out of the dark

By Allyson Koekhoven.
There is no doubt that the need for low light cameras is important, but do they actually produce the goods at the end of the day?
There is no doubt that the need for low light cameras is important, but do they actually produce the goods at the end of the day? In addition to the common camera offering low light technologies, which include day/night with infrared and thermal imaging, Lightfinder technology offers the perfect solution for indoor and outdoor surveillance. This is especially useful where users require colour information in the video to enhance recognition and identification of objects. In contrast to conventional day and night cameras that switch to black and white in darkness, cameras incorporating the Lightfinder technology can maintain colour in very dark conditions, said Roy Alves, business development manager MEA at Axis Communications. Low light cameras need to provide a high level of detail, in fact more than what the human eye is capable of capturing. This is especially important when the colour of a suspects clothing or accessories could lead to apprehension and arrest. Cameras with Lightfinder technology have all the advantages of other network cameras such as progressive scan, and can easily be integrated with numerous application software solutions, he added. Sonys View-DR utilises wide dynamic range technology to compensate for strong backlight. View-DR is a combination of Sonys full capture Wide-D technology, the high-speed Exmor CMOS sensor, and Visibility Enhancer (VE). The Exmor CMOS sensor captures images at four times the speed of previous DynaView and some other Wide-D technologies in the industry. Sonys View-DR delivers a much clearer picture, said Edward Nyingeni, product manager, Video Security (IP and Analogue), Broadcast & Professional Division at Sony. This new technology compensates for strong backlight and performs in an identical manner to the human eye in terms of being able to simultaneously see dark and bright scenes, added Nyingeni. There is a broad range of low light cameras available on the market. For indoor use, most people prefer a low lux rating, while the opposite is true of outdoor applications, where built-in illuminators are preferred, said Alex Bantjes, product manager, IP surveillance at Miro Distribution. There are some good low light cameras on the market, but they still share some basic limitations. Independent lighting (white or infrared) is essential to supplement the cameras in the provision of a clear and bright image under low light conditions said Charles Volschenk, MD of Geutebrck South Africa. Alex Bantjes
Question of reliability
Reliability depends on the implementation of the camera, according to Bantjes. The system integrator determines the quality and end results. He needs to ensure that the selected cameras can reduce false alarms and be integrated into existing systems. Thermal cameras have definite advantages because they do not rely on visible light for imaging. Volschenk said that most low light cameras are reliable, but their customisation to the application needs to be considered for optimum results. Users need to remember that the low light capabilities typically decrease with megapixel cameras. Unfortunately cameras with specialised sensors used to enhance their low light abilities (EMCCD for example), are still quite costly. Some cameras have their own built-in LEDs but this has a limited range and images are rarely usable for identification past 15 metres. External light sources work very well in conjunction with a low light camera and infrared can be used when the lighting needs to be unobtrusive. Thermal cameras function well in low light but are unfortunately not of much use as an identification tool. What the camera cannot see, cannot be recorded and therefore it cannot be used for later analysis or evidence. It is therefore critical to ensure a scene in which camera images can be recorded, viewed and be subjected to later analysis, especially in low light or at night, Volschenk continued. Alves concurred with this view adding
Charles Volschenk, Geutebrck Southern Africa
Roy Alves
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that not only can the footage be used as forensic evidence, but that low light cameras are playing a bigger role in proactive surveillance Bantjes said that low light cameras are typically used for intrusion detection and perimeter security. Thermal cameras are useful in situations where smoke or fog is a problem as they allow the operator to see the outlines of people in visibility conditions that would not be suitable for other low light technologies.
becomes more mainstream, we will likely see more accurate representation of colour and shading, with greater compensation and gain control. In-camera lighting capabilities are advancing but these will probably never be sufficient in extreme low light situations. I believe that thermal cameras will not only become more affordable, but that their image quality will improve said Volschenk. Alves said that imaging in low light cameras will improve to a What about WDR? stage where it is superior to Wide dynamic range is the human eye and there will now almost standard issue. be very little image noise. The wide dynamic range (WDR) function of a However, not all WDR cameras camera is intended to provide clear images even The storage requirements are equal, so users need to and the bandwidth required under back light circumstances where intensity request an on-site test before will reduce for high-quality of illumination can vary excessively, namely making any final decisions. Do images. One will be able to when there are both very bright and very dark not simply accept technical store images on the camera areas simultaneously in the field of view of the datasheet stipulated lux levels so that if a DVR is used and or WDR claims. WDR is advantagoes offline for any reason, camera. Wikipedia. geous in terms of its ability to one will be able to revert view a scene clearly, irrespecto the stored image in the tive of variances in brightness camera. On-site analytics will within the scene, said Volschenk. also improve so the need to stream data will be reduced. WDR technology will continue to improve as the goalposts There will be a move away from pure low lux ratings to constantly move. Prices will also start to reduce so that it becomes built-in IR LEDs. CMOS chips will get bigger to compensate for more of a commodity, with the playing field between suppliers being lower light and or inch sensors will allow the higher megalevelled, added Alves. pixel cameras to be competitive, although at an increased price, Bantjes acknowledged this and added that as the technology Bantjes concluded.
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WIDE DYNAMIC RANGE
Wide dynamic range: Challenges and solutions

Axis Communications white paper.
Axis takes us on a journey into the intricacies of wide dynamic range.

There are many surveillance situations that offer difficult lighting conditions. One particularly challenging situation is when there is a lot of variation in light levels simultaneously within a scene, referred to as wide dynamic range (WDR) scenes. Typical situations include: Surveillance of entrance doors with daylight outside and a darker indoor environment. This is, for example, very common in retail and office applications. Vehicles entering a parking garage or tunnel, also with daylight outside and low light levels indoors. In city surveillance, transportation, perimeter surveillance and other outdoor applications, where parts of the scene are in direct sunlight and other parts are in deep shadows. Vehicles with strong headlights, driving directly towards the camera. Environments with lots of reflected light, for example, in office buildings with many windows or in shopping malls. It is obviously a user requirement to be able to reliably identify persons, objects, vehicles and activities in situations where there is a wide range of lighting conditions. Hence, there is a need for security cameras that are capable of detecting items in both dark and extremely bright areas. Wide dynamic range imaging is a method used to produce images that try to recreate the full scene content in scenes that have a dynamic range that cannot be captured by standard cameras in one image. This white paper explains why standard cameras struggle with WDR scenes and how good WDR performance can be achieved in a video surveillance camera. image capture both these two extremes, ie, clearly show details both in the well-lit entrance, and the dark shadows inside the parking garage. Expressed differently, WDR techniques facilitate the ability to assimilate information from all light levels in the scene at the same time. In principle, it is possible to extract some information from the dark areas (Figure 5), but we can clearly see the limitations of the modest dynamic range image of a standard camera when compared with details provided by using the brighter image or a camera with WDR capability (Figure 6).
Challenges
Light, pixels and dynamic range Light is made up of discrete bundles of energy called photons. The more intense the light, the higher the number of photons per second are illuminating a scene. A camera can detect reflected photons from a scene, but it cannot detect all the available photons. One limitation is that a camera can only cope with a limited number of photons per exposure interval. Thus a camera image is just an estimation of a scene. Cameras usually accumulate photons for a limited time, called the exposure time. The maximum length of the exposure time is limited by the frame rate if the camera is a video camera. This maximum exposure time might be both too long and too short simultaneously for the same image, since both bright and dark areas might be present in the image. The correct exposure time for a pixel is one that maximises the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and therefore, it is shorter for pixels located in brighter parts of the image than for pixels in darker regions. The pixel size in a digital camera affects the dynamic range of the camera. Dynamic range is defined at pixel level to be the maximum signal divided by the noise floor. The noise floor is a combination of many noise sources within the sensor. The analogue-to-digital converter is another component that may limit the dynamic range. Bit depth The bit depth depicts the number of bits used to capture the information in one pixel. Typically, security cameras will have a bit depth of 10 bits. A higher bit depth, for example 12 bits instead of 10 bits, would theoretically increase the number of levels that can be detected, but in reality it will increase the image quality only if the sensor data is good enough. If the sensor data is noisy, there is not
Background
Standard surveillance cameras (without WDR) encounter difficulties in scenes with great variation in light levels. Below we can see an example of such a scene taken with two different exposures using a standard camera. Each of them is captured in a way that either makes the dark part visible, thereby burning out the bright areas, as shown to the left, or makes the bright part visible, Figures 1 and 2. Parking garage, indoor. To the left, the image is underexposed. To the thereby losing details in right, the image is overexposed the dark areas, as shown to the right. Clearly both images lack information from the full scene. Figures 3 and 4 have insets showing data from the short exposure image in the long exposure image and vice versa. Figures 3 and 4. Parking garage, indoor. The image to the left shows details that were A good WDR surveillance lost in the dark zone. The image to the right shows the details that were lost in the camera can in one bright zone
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Figure 5. Detail from the parking garage scene, extracted from the darker image
Figure 6. The same detail taken from the brighter image, or from a WDR camera
much to win by increasing the number of bits. Increasing meaningful bit depth above 12 bits is generally a very costly exercise both from a component cost perspective and from a complexity perspective, i.e. introducing more electrical and advanced components and functions. It is also important to keep in mind that the display in front of the security manager normally only has a bit depth of 8 bits/colour channel to show the video images. This means that the algorithm to translate from 10 bits in the sensor to the 8 bits in the display is critical in achieving good WDR performance. Noise When designing WDR cameras or for that matter, any camera noise is a major challenge. Digital images are subject to a wide variety of noise types, and the noise results in pixel values that do not reflect the true intensities of the real scene. There are several different kinds of noise that might be present in an image, depending on how the image is created. Even with a perfect camera, there will be noise. This is because photon shot noise is due to the nature of light itself. A camera can compensate for the noise in the image, but doing so can result in different types of artifacts (see below).
Extending the dynamic range to achieve WDR

There are a number of ways to improve the dynamic range of a camera without improving the bit depth of the pixels, which is an expensive task as described above. So this means sacrificing something else. One way to achieve WDR is to use different exposure times for different pixels. This can be implemented in various ways. One way is simply to combine two or more full frame images obtained with different exposure times. This means combining signal in shadows from one image with signal from highlights in another. Multiple exposure times, as they are often implemented, will however affect imaging of moving
Figure 7. Subject taken from a standard camera with unchanged settings. Subject is moved into darker and darker shade, resulting in increased noise
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WIDE DYNAMIC RANGE
Figure 8(a). Image from camera with high dB targets since the motion blur and object location will be different for objects with different brightness. A moving black and white football will, for example, be more smeared in its darker parts than in its brighter parts and will appear to be at two different locations. This is one example of artifacts in the image. See the next section for more information about artifacts. Regardless of how the dynamic range is extended, there will be a price to pay, whether in terms of money since sensors or processors become prohibitively expensive, or in terms of image quality, as various image artifacts are introduced.
Figure 8(b). Image from camera with low dB also look different due to the fact that the image is now so rich in reproduced tones that it is difficult to display it on a standard screen. The goal is to show as much detail in all shadows and highlights as possible and thus mimic what the human visual system is doing when the focus is moved from one object to another object. This is sometimes also referred to as cartooning. Ghosting Multiple exposure times will affect imaging of moving targets since the motion blur will be different for objects with different brightness. A moving object will, for example, be more smeared in its darker parts than in its brighter areas and thereby generate ghosting.
Artifacts
When using information from WDR images, the slightest change in the scene can generate artifacts, which dramatically limit the potential of the solution. A number of different artifacts may exist in a WDR image, some more common than others. Motion Motion blur can occur when the image being recorded changes during the recording of a single frame, either due to rapid movement or if the exposure time is too long versus the movement in the scene. Artificial illumination A related artifact comes from certain modulated light sources like fluorescent lighting. Such light is a challenge for all cameras since the camera is normally assuming a constant illumination. Depending on the camera type, artifacts like stripes and visible pulsing might be present. In WDR cameras, these artifacts might look somewhat different due to the utilised capturing techniques.
Applications and needs

Not all applications require WDR. Using a low dynamic range camera that is configured to avoid clipping the highlights, the following image examples show what happens when a person is moved into darker and darker shade. Which image is still acceptable? If your scene is closest to the type A in Table 1, and you answered image 6 or higher to the question, then a standard camera should be able to cover your needs. If your scene is closest to type B and you answered image 9 or higher, then a standard camera is still OK to use. If your scene is closest to the very difficult type C, you must be able to accept image 12 or higher to be able to use a standard camera. This gives you an indication of when WDR technology must be used. It is only an indication since standard cameras may, of course, vary in quality.
Measuring dynamic range
In many cases, the dynamic range capability of a camera is presented Visualisation in dB units. It is a way to describe how well the camera can cope with Another visible artifact that might occur is that noise may appear in unexdifficult scenes containing both very bright and very dark objects. The pected places. One dB unit is a measure of a typical example is that a ratio, namely the ratio of smooth area like a wall the radiance of the brightwith only slight illuminaest and the dimmest tion differences might object that can be caphave areas with visible tured by the camera. Note noise. This might be that this is not the same aesthetically unpleasing, as the illumination ratio, but is generally a small which was used in Table price to pay for a much 1. If the ratio is 1000:1, extended dynamic the dB value is 60 dB. The range. value is calculated as the Image capture logarithm of the ratio (in Figure 9. Parking garage, indoor. The image is taken from an Axis camera that A WDR image might this case, 3) times 20. incorporates the WDR-dynamic capture technology
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Table 1. Type of scene and matching illumination ratio Type of scene A: Sunlight/shadow. Example A typical example is a sunlit train station with a part of the platform shielded from the sun. Lobby with large windows. Typical warehouse scene with door or opening to the sunlight outside. Illumination ratio
1:20 1:200
B: Window illumination indoor. C: Dark indoor scene with opening.
1:2000
The dimmest detectable level can be defined as the noise floor of the sensor pixel, since any signal below this level is drowned in noise. With this definition, a good image sensor can reach a dynamic range of about 70 dB. Some special sensors can extend this to readings above 100 dB, since they can increase the upper detection limit using techniques such as multi-frame exposures. This will extend the dynamic range of the sensor, but that will not necessarily always be the best solution to achieve WDR. Some modern surveillance cameras use sensors with extended dynamic range, which allow them to better handle difficult scenes. The dB number cannot, however, fully describe the WDR capacity. To fully appreciate the new capabilities of the cameras, it is best to test them. When comparing product datasheets from different camera manufacturers, it is important to know that the decibel unit is just an approximation of the dynamical capabilities of the camera. Axis is normally modest in the given ratios since a high quality WDR image also depends on the level of artifacts and the quality of the processing. Therefore, do not be surprised if an Axis camera outperforms a competing camera even if the given ratio is slightly lower. Figure 8 shows two other examples of pictures taken from a scene with wide dynamic range. The first picture was taken with a camera with a high dB value, and the second picture was taken with a camera with a low dB value. Which one is the best from a video surveillance perspective?
is difficult, and the units typically used on product datasheets (such as dB) are not a reliable indication of actual WDR performance. As always, Axis recommends testing the cameras in the real environment before making a decision.
Useful links
For more information, see the following links: Axis Communications In the best of light The challenges of minimum illumination, www.axis.com/files/whitepaper/ wp_light_sensitivity_41137_en_1011_lo.pdf Axis Communications CCD and CMOS sensor technology, www.axis. com/files/whitepaper/wp_ccd_cmos_40722_en_1010_lo.pdf Axis Communications Lighting for network video Lighting design guide, www.axis.com/files/whitepaper/ wp_lighting_for_netvid_41222_en_1012_lo.pdf For more information contact Axis Communications, +27 (0)11 548 6780, roy.alves@axis.com, www.axis.com
Axis solution for wide dynamic range

In 2011, Axis introduced its improved WDR technology, called Wide Dynamic Range-dynamic capture. WDR-dynamic capture uses the latest developments in sensor technology, image processing and Axis unique competence to build network cameras with WDR performance optimised for security and surveillance requirements. Figure 9 is an image of a parking garage scene taken with an Axis camera that incorporates WDR-dynamic capture technology. The camera has captured the very high dynamic range of the scene, and using advanced image processing, the camera has further adapted the image to the modest dynamic range of a standard display screen. Image results from a WDR camera will differ depending on such aspects as the complexity of the scene and amount of movement. As with any video surveillance situation, the most important question is: what do you want to see? And, how do you want to present the captured image?
Conclusion
There are many surveillance situations where there is great variation in light levels within the scene. This presents a technical challenge for security cameras, and it is difficult to achieve good WDR performance without introducing image artifacts. Axis latest solution is Wide Dynamic Range-dynamic capture, which is a technology optimised for surveillance applications, and which is available in AXIS Q1604 Network Cameras. Measuring how well a camera handles dynamic ranges in a scene
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HIGH-DEFINITION/MEGAPIXEL
HD CCTV hype or reality?

Is the positive buzz around HD CCTV cameras justified? Are they really the next best thing or just a passing craze?
Is the positive buzz around high-definition CCTV (HDcctv or HD CCTV) cameras justified? Are they really the next best thing or just a passing craze? Tristram Borgmann, account manager for Grundig, believes that HD CCTV does offer definite advantages for the end-user. HD CCTV is highdefinition over a coax cable. HD CCTV system installations require no training and no IT knowledge since anyone who can install an analogue system can readily install an HD CCTV system. In addition, you get a realtime, uncompressed high definition picture. According to MJ Oosthuizen, sales manager at Reditron, Analogue is not yet dead. The problem is that HD over coax is not a cost-effective solution, as both camera and recording device need to be changed, combined with the lack of the majority of features of analogue or IP solutions. There are two main, overriding issues with HD CCTV: storage and lack of intelligence. When you replace the existing camera with an HD solution, you will need to change the recording platform. This makes the system more expensive than analogue or even IP solutions where modular migration is possible. This is because HD SDI (serial digital interface) is uncompressed video data that requires expanded amounts of storage, and the technology on both ends of the solution needs to be compatible, said Oosthuizen. He continued: An HD CCTV system does not have onboard analytics or storage and uncompressed video is sent in HD format to recorder to be captured and compressed. I do, believe however, that HD CCTV systems will become more intelligent and cost effective as the technology matures. Bearing these factors in mind, its a good idea to look at the clients total solution rather than costing HD-SDI products individually. Borgmann said that an increasing number of installers are becoming aware of the advantages of HD CCTV, but that there is still a long road for these systems to travel. Until recently, 80% of installations, with less than 12 cameras and within a range of 200 m, were analogue. In this arena, there is huge potential for HD CCTV, where users are
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implementing HD CCTV into their existing analogue system. This is especially true where it is critical to receive live pictures in areas like petrol stations, retail shops, cashier zones and banks. At least 65% of all analogue sales are for cameras that can record on a standard higher resolution DVR. The demand for HD-SDI solutions are minor, but the offering on 960H platform or even D1, is currently still popular and drives sales strongly. We have found that even in instances where there are requests for HD-SDI, it forms part of a hybrid solution, said Oosthuizen. Oosthuizen added that installer education plays a large role in the system selection. Many installers do not understand the new technology; they are more focused on finding the most cost-effective solution, rather than a best-fit solution. Our larger system integrators, on the other hand, require a flexible solution that can be integrated into a feature-rich IP platform. The new 960H technology is fractionally more expensive than current standard 4CIF/D1 solutions but is higher-end analogue with built-in prediction capabilities, thus placing it in a firm position to overtake the HD-SDI CCTV offering to the traditional market. Users should be cautioned that they need to establish whether, if they replace an existing camera, it will communicate with an HD-SDI system and assess the clients true requirement and budget, Oosthuizen said. HD CCTV is ideal where you need HD with awesome picture quality. However, if you need analytics or the installation is large, over long distances, then IP is the route to go, Borgmann concluded.
Simple analogue upgrades

Grundig has added a four channel, analogue to single channel HD-SDI converter to its HD-SDI product range. The CVBS composite video converter, GTH-C0041C, streams four analogue D1 video channels into one, Full HD, 1920 x 1080p HD-SDI video channel. The four analogue video channels can be displayed in quad format, within a single camera view of the HD-SDI DVR, or each analogue channel can be displayed individually. Andreas Kronwald, product manager at Grundig, explains, The four channel, analogue to HD-SDI converter makes upgrading existing analogue systems to HD-SDI quick, simple and cost effective. It allows installers to consider re-using existing analogue cameras and coaxial cabling within a new CCTV system, perhaps in less critical positions on-site, reducing costs. Later, if budgets permit, the analogue cameras can be upgraded. Each analogue channel is recorded as one quarter of the Full HD, HD-SDI channel. The resulting video is of similar resolution to D1, the highest available for analogue video. Grundigs full HD-SDI range includes a box camera; outdoor bullet; fixed dome and vandal-resistant fixed dome, with IR LED options and true day/night functionality; an 18x, external, PTZ dome; and 4, 8 and 16 channel DVRs. For more information on Grundig Security products contact +49 2191 374 9883 or visit www.grundig-security.com.
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High-denition vs megapixel
Is there really a difference between high-definition (HD) cameras and megapixel devices?
Is there really a difference between high-definition (HD) cameras and megapixel devices? We asked two technically-oriented people active in the CCTV camera industry to give us their opinion of the HD vs megapixel debate if indeed there really is a debate. Reditrons MJ Oosthuizen commented that HD cameras are just a different form of megapixel cameras. Below, his response on some of the differences between traditional HD and megapixel cameras. megapixel cameras. With HD televisions also conforming to the standard, video output can be made to any HDTV without cropping or resizing. The HD format has worked well in forcing camera manufacturers to increase processing power and the potential of their IP cameras but conversely it may also begin to limit the development of megapixel cameras. At present, high-end megapixel cameras can be up to around 8 megapixel. If IP camera manufacturers begin to adopt the HD format for their cameras, the format will need Image sizes to be updated to include higher and higher There are two main resolutions for the HD resolutions otherwise the extra detail possible at specification, 720p (1280720, just less present will be lost. than 1 megapixel) and 1080p (19201080, Theres a wide range of megapixel cameras 2.1 megapixel). Conventional megapixel available today with selectable resolution and cameras often have a number of megapixel frame rates that are ideal for general surveillance resolutions to choose from. applications. These options provide system designers with a high degree of flexibility and Picture aspect ratios confidence in their designs. Sub streams for Similar to the image size, the aspect ratio of viewing across multiple stations allows flexible HD cameras is 16:9 whereas other megapixel designs, while the highest resolution for reviewcameras offer a variety of formats such as 4:3. ing can be utilised through a distributed storage architecture. Frame rates For video, there are three main fluctuating This is the biggest advantage to HD cameras factors that contribute to bandwidth hogging over megapixel cameras. Until recently, of an IP camera frame rate, resolution and Alex Bantjes Miro megapixel cameras have offered very low compression. Any one of these factors can be frame rates compared to low-resolution throttled back to reduce the network bandcameras, sometimes offering as low as four width. For example, if you reduce the frame rate, frames per second compared to 30 frames you can increase the resolution, and vice versa. per second. This has largely been due to Frames per second (FPS) describes the number processing power available on IP cameras as of full video frames displayed or recorded within well as network restraints. one second. Since each type of business varies, it The HD standard requires footage to be is important to determine what requirements are created at 25 or 30 frames per second dependneeded to sustain certain defined performance ing on location, for example the US runs at 30 parameters, such as frame rate. frames per second while the UK runs at 25. Cable selection and bandwidth go handin-hand. Considerations when selecting the Progressive scan cable media include number of cameras, type of Megapixel camera manufacturers have often camera, location of the cameras (environment), used interlaced images to create megapixel distance to the server rooms, type of terminafootage. This essentially uses two frames to tion equipment, and whether power will be create the image. In the first frame, they caprunning through the cable (UTP). ture lines 1, 3, 5, 7, etc with the second frame Whether you prefer megapixel cameras or capture lines 2, 4, 6, etc. This can be manuits subset HD based on your specific needs, the factured cheaply but often causes blurred wide range of high resolution cameras today images when fast-moving objects are in view. provides a powerful palette of imaging tools The HD standard requires that frames are for industry professionals. Its crystal clear that progressively scanned. This is more expensive MJ Oosthuizen Reditron better systems are a direct result of the superior but provides a much clearer and crisper image. imaging possible with these high-resolution camera technologies. Why does the HD format exist? HD format was created to try and standardise the video transmissions of
Miro comments
Alex Bantjes, Miros brand manager for Vivotek, also weighed in on the
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HD/megapixel debate. Bantjes says, High definition and megapixel are often mistakenly thought to be the same and the terms are used interchangeably. Although both terms are closely related, there is in fact a distinct difference. High definition, or HD, is actually a result of the analogue broadcasting/CCTV camera industry. HD simply refers to a set of standards that are used to describe the image quality of a camera as displayed on a monitor. These standards include image size, aspect ratio, frame rate and scan type. For example, the description 720P refers to the horizontal resolution of the image (16:9) and the letter P indicates progressive scan. An image stream is defined as megapixel once the image exceeds a million pixels. The term refers to any camera with a resolution of 1280x1024 (1.3 megapixel) or higher. It should also be noted that the term 720P is not in fact the same as one megapixel, since 720P (1280x720) actually has an image of nine hundred thousand pixels or 0,9 megapixels. Modern surveillance systems are not exclusively used to display images on monitors or television screens, output streams are required in any number of aspect ratios, image resolutions, frame rates etc. Megapixel technology is much more flexible than HD in that each output stream can be defined to optimise video for slow transmission (such as the Internet) or smaller screens (table to cellphone). The latest advanced technologies such as adaptive streaming, where the frame rate is lowered when there is no motion in the image and then sped up to capture details of moving objects, will by definition not be available in an HD stream but only in megapixel. In short, megapixel based system design allows for more flexible
surveillance systems that can be viewed on many different types of devices at varying frame rates and resolutions. HD on the other hand is often too restrictive to meet the requirements of todays surveillance systems.
Definitions
High-definition
Conforms better to multimedia systems, but resolution and image format choices are more limited. 16:9 image format. Two resolutions: HD (720p) and full HD (1080p), measured by pixels of vertical resolution. Maximum resolution: 2.1 megapixel. Progressive scanning: all lines in each frame are drawn in sequence. Frame rate: 25/30.
Megapixel
One million or more pixels of resolution. Flexible image formats: 4:3, 5:4, etc. Flexible resolutions: 1 to 10 megapixels (or more). Maximum resolution: 20 megapixels. Frame rate: 3-15 frames per second can run up to 30fps on lower MP rated cameras. MJ Oosthuizen, Reditron
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Dene your denition

Which surveillance option is best suited to todays surveillance needs?
The technological advances that have been made in the field of But real scenes seldom correspond to either of these two formats. network-based surveillance in the last few years are astounding. High However, in order to cover all areas of interest, it is often accepted that definition and megapixel cameras were introduced onto the market unimportant expanses, such as the sky, will be captured as well. In this and the question arose: Which are more suitable for professional video case, pixels and the recording and storage capacity they take up are all surveillance, HD cameras or megapixel cameras? wasted needlessly. But there is a more elegant solution: instead of forcBut since then, even that discussion is already outdated: A new ing a scene for surveillance into a given format, with multifocal sensor technology, known as multifocal sensor technology is paving the way systems there are no rigid, preset aspect ratios. They adapt the pixel for a whole range of hitherto inconceivable surveillance and analysis ratio to the situation at hand. The image is split efficiently without being capabilities. locked into specific aspect ratios such as 16:9 or 4:3. Thus for example When the first HD and megapixel cameras were launched onto the aspect ratios like 5:1, 10:1 or 3:4 can be used without any difficulty. market a few years ago, they were clearly superior to the predecessor SD cameras, with much higher resolutions. HD cameras are impressive Constant resolution over the entire object space because of a technology that is derived from the field of video that It is true that HD and megapixel cameras use progressive resolution is to say relating to moving images. On the other hand, the roots of options, but they quickly reach their limits precisely when it is important megapixel technology are in the to be able to recognise details field of static photography, even even at long distances. Movies though they can reach higher or television series like CSI often pixel values than are possible with suggest to viewers that even HD cameras. blurry pictures can be transBut before any discussions formed into high-quality police begin as to whether HD or megawanted posters with just a few pixel cameras are more suitable clicks, explains Roland Meier, for modern surveillance tasks, team leader, Panomera Multifocal one point must be considered: Sensor Systems at Dallmeier. Resolution on its own is not everyBut pixels are still just pixels: thing. In order to be able to use the if there is no additional image With multifocal sensor systems the aspect ratio can be adapted to the images from surveillance cameras information present, for example situation at hand, without being locked to given formats as 16:9 or 4:3. efficiently and analyse them sucbecause an HD or MP camera cessfully, other dimensions besides only represents a person at a disresolution are important, such as tance of 50 m with a collection effective image breakdown, recordof coarse blocks, this information ing of the overall image or analysis also cannot be conjured out of in the past. Whereas both HD and thin air after the fact. megapixel cameras very soon reach So you are aware that somethe limits of their capabilities in thing is happening here, but it is these areas, a new technology, mulcompletely impossible to even tifocal sensor technology, performs recognise, much less identify a impressively. person. And that is precisely the Unlike HD and megapixel objective of a professional video cameras, which are equipped with system. So in order to obtain a single lens, the multifocal sensor the desired information, in the systems work with several lenses, past multiple cameras had to be With multifocal sensor systems all PTZ functions like panning and zooming are even available subsequently in the recording. each of which has a different focal installed at different locations. But length. Thanks to this new sensor this in turn involves higher costs: concept, the camera can be adapted optimally to the area for surveilThe appropriate cabling for power supply and data transmission is needed lance, so details are still clearly visible, not only close up but also at very at every individual installation site, so the infrastructure costs and subselong distances, and individuals can be recognised. However, that is not quent maintenance costs for multiple camera sites are enormous. the only way it stands apart from conventional cameras. This is where the new multifocal sensor technology can help, since the resolution it offers is currently equivalent to about 32 times greater than a conventional HD camera. It can be used from just a single instalEfficient image breakdown lation point to provide surveillance of a huge area. With conventional One of the main arguments advanced by the defenders of high definicameras, the resolution drops off as distance increases. Or to put it tion cameras is that HD uses the widescreen format with an aspect ratio another way: The farther a person or object is away from the camera of 16:9 compared with the 4:3 format of the megapixel cameras. This location, the poorer the resolution is there, so you are able to make out corresponds more closely to the human field of vision, and makes it posfewer details. sible to record yet more information laterally as well.
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In contrast, a multifocal sensor system uses different lenses, so constant resolution can be guaranteed over the entire area under surveillance. So the resolution at 100 m is exactly as good as it is at 20 m. This makes it possible to recognise people for example even from 160 m, says Meier.
Permanent recording of the total picture in highest resolution

Those who have no desire to install multiple conventional cameras over the area in question, as described previously, can use PTZ cameras. As their name suggests, these cameras can Pan, Tilt and Zoom. So in theory it would be possible to use these cameras to watch over a relatively large area and to pan or zoom to a location of interest if the need arises. But PTZ cameras do have one critical disadvantage: They only ever record what the operator is currently seeing live. So if the user zooms in on a certain scene, it is only this scene that will be recorded. Any additional incidents in the viewing range of the PTZ camera are lost and cannot be analysed or proven subsequently. Accordingly, the surveillance system is only as good as the user who is operating it. In contrast, a multifocal sensor system always delivers total performance, since the whole picture (permanent and overall) is constantly recorded in the highest resolution. Those are three important points straight away: the whole picture is recorded, so no areas are lost, even if the operator is currently concentrating on a smaller inset. This total picture is recorded all the time, so there are no gaps in time. And finally: the recording takes place in the highest resolution, so no details are lost in the recording, says Meier. Moreover, unlike PTZ cameras multifocal sensor systems do not have any mechanical parts, so there is no wear, which extends the equipments operating life significantly. And there is another advantage: Whereas with PTZ cameras only one operator can have control over the camera at a time, with the multifocal sensor system any number of users can connect to the camera and select their entirely individual views. he adds.
Analysis in the past

Seeing live images from the surveillance cameras is one thing but with professional video security systems, most analyses take place in the past. This means: The video system runs, and if an incident should occur at a given time, the recordings are searched later in order to reconstruct the course of events and identify the individuals responsible. Consequently, it is an essential requirement of modern surveillance systems that they are also able to zoom or pan even in the recordings. With conventional HD or MP equipment, this is not possible. Even with PTZ cameras, these functions are only possible in live mode, not subsequently, in the recording. And if the operator is concentrating live on another area in the surveillance scene at the precise time, the entire incident will not be seen on the video images, states Meier. So video surveillance becomes a game of chance in the truest sense of the word. For example, if you want to identify a car thief in a car park with a PTZ camera you would have had to zoom onto the car in question before the theft took place, in order to record the crime in adequate resolution. So how likely is it that you would just happen to catch someone in the act like that? Here too, the solution is available with multifocal sensor systems, because all PTZ functions are fully available even in the past even as the system continues recording images live. Meier explains: Since the overall image was recorded at the highest possible resolution, it is also possible to move within the image and to zoom in on pertinent details. This opens up a wide range of analysis options, which were simply not possible with the prior technology. For more information contact Dallmeier Southern Africa Office, +27 (0)11 979 4540, dallmeiersa@dallmeier.com , www.dallmeier.com.
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CAMERA SELECTION GUIDE
An option for every requirement

The Surveillance Selection Guide 2013 is your one-stop shop for cameras, software and services.
Welcome to the Surveillance Selection Guide 2013. This is the second time Hi-Tech Security Solutions is running this guide, but for 2013 we have moved it to the CCTV Handbook to ensure the products highlighted have year-round visibility. This guide has also been slightly expanded. Instead of only highlighting different cameras (although these are by far the majority of the entries), we have also opened the door to software and services to provide insight into other critical areas of a surveillance solution. One of the issues highlighted in many places in this years handbook is that a surveillance solution requires more than a good camera. If you want to gain the value and returns possible from a good surveillance system, you need to ensure you have the right camera, but also the right advice, plan, installer or integrator, network, management system and so on. Put them all together and youre away. One bad link, however, and the chain is broken. When this happens its usually the camera that gets the blame, but most often its a problem in one of the other areas. As is always the case, we couldnt tell you everything about each camera or system listed, we already have 20 pages of options to choose from, but weve tried to highlight the main areas buyers will focus on.
We have also included the contact details of the various suppliers in case you want to find out more. One thing is sure, South Africa has an almost endless al array of local and international options to choose from when it comes to surveillance products. Now if we could get all our installers and integrators skilled up and registered, the surveillance market would be a shining light in the security industry as a whole.
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Category: proof IP, low-light, weatherproof Night 3MP, automatic, Day/Night switching, integrated IR illumination IP Network Box Camera Brand/Range name: Dallmeier Supplier: DF4910HD-DN/IR Camera name: Resolution: SD (up to D1), HD (720p, 1080p, 2MP, 3MP) Auto/Manual focus: Motor-driven (controllable via Web browser) Onboard storage: No Onboard intelligence: Motion detection with selectable sensitivity. Alarm notification via DaVid protocol, e-mail and FTP image upload. Standards supported: H.264, MJPEG Description: Real-time Full HD video (1080p/30) using the H.264 standard. Comprehensive set of automatic image optimisation functions. Features automatic Day/Night operation supported by integrated ambient light sensing, a removable IR cut filter and an integrated homogeneous IR illumination (semi-covert 850 nm high power LEDs). The motor-driven megapixel vari-focal lens (F1.0 / 2.8 11 mm) is adjustable via Web browser. Variations in range: None Contact: Riaan Kruger, +27 (0)83 460 8015, dallmeier.com dallmeiersa@dallmeier.com Category: Analogue WDR 700 TV line bullet camera mera Brand/Range name: KEEPER CCTV V Supplier: Vision Consulting lting Camera name: VCIR3160WDR R Resolution: 700TVL Auto/Manual focus: Manual focus Onboard storage: No Onboard intelligence: Yes, OSD menu containing; camera name, lens control, exposure, day night setting, WDR, BLC , ECLPS function, white balance, 3D DNR, Effects (digital zoom, image freeze etc.), Special (motion detection, privacy masking, language, stabiliser, monitor type, L L sync.) Standards supported: CE, FC & ROHS Description: This is a wide dynamic range 700 TV line infrared bullet camera. It has a single LED array, which supports smart IR technology ( at night if a person approaches the camera the light will lessen so the face can be detected), also supports OSD menu and has an 8 x digital zoom capability. Variations in range: The WDR series comes in a box type, indoor dome and outdoor vari-focal dome as well, all having the same functionality. Contact: Ebrahim Choonara, +27 (0)11 830 2688, sales@viscon.co.za
Name of software: SMAVIA Recording Server Description: VideoIP server software for the d audio and video streams, streams designed designed i d for f the recording of IP-based installation on systems with Windows 7 operating system and suitable hardware equipment. The basic version with 4 IP based video channels can be expanded by up to 20 further IP channels using a licence code. Features/functionality: Up to 24 video channels (SD-IP / HD-IP) Simultaneous real-time recording and real-time streaming Simultaneous remote access, live display and playback with SMAVIA Viewing Client or via Ethernet (LAN / WAN) One access licence for SMAVIA Viewing Client included (basic licence) Video compression H.264, MPEG-4, MJPEG Resolution SD (up to D1), HD (up to 1080p), megapixel (up to 8 MP) Recording of RTSP cameras optional Compatible with management system SeMSy III Configuration and recording of ONVIF compliant cameras in preparation Connection to Active Directory via LDAP supported Motion detection and SmartFinder for Dallmeier IP cameras PRemote-HD in real-time Availability: Standalone: SMAVIA Recording Server (for Windows 7) Package: Preinstalled on SMAVIA Appliances (DMS 2400, DLS 1600, IPS 2400) Cost: On request Runs in browser or as an independent application? Independent application Standards the software adheres to: H.264, MPEG-4, MJPEG Contact: Riaan Kruger, +27 (0)83 460 8015, dallmeiersa@dallmeier.com
C Category: A Analogue 600 TV line D Camera DIS B Brand/Range name: K Keeper CCTV S Supplier: Vision Consulting Camera name: Resolution: Auto/Manual focus: Onboard storage: Onboard intelligence:
5 VCDi 3155 nes 600 TV lines ocus Manual focus No Yes. The camera comes with an LED array which has the smart IR function. Standards supported: CE,FC & ROHS Description: The DIS range has a new design, with 600 TVL DIS Chipset, high quality IR cut filter, 1pc third generation LED array, 40M IR range, 3.6mm lens, excellent day & night picture, waterproof IP66. Variations in range : The DIS range comes in a bullet IR, indoor box IR and indoor dome IR as well. Contact: Ebrahim Choonara, +27 (0)11 830 2688, sales@viscon.co.za
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Digital Mobile Surveillance Software(DMSS) f Dahua Surveillance Software DMSS, supports Android, iOS, Windows Phone and BlackBerry, symbian, support remote control Dahua devices. Features/functionality: Individual menu selection Add devices through DDNS Alarm push function Recording locally in Live preview and playback Implement slow down, speed up, single frame play function in the playback panel Emap view Colour setting Image playback function. Favourite group Relay out function Device & channel configuration setting Availability: iOS v4.3, Android v3.0 Cost: Free/charged Runs in browser or as an independent application? Independent application Contact: overseas@dahuatech.com
Name of f software: f Description/purpose:
Category: IP Brand/Range ge name: Dahua Technology Supplier: Dahua Technology nology Camera name: DH-IPC-HDW2100 W2100 Resolution: 1.3MP Auto/Manual focus: Auto/manual manual Onboard storage: No Onboard intelligence: No Standards supported: ONVIF Ver.2.0 Description: 1/3-inch 1.3 megapixel progressive scan Aptina CMOS H.264 & MJPEG dual-stream encoding Max 15fps@1.3M (1280960) & 25/30fps@720P (1280720) Day/Night (ICR), 2DNR, AWB, AGC, BLC Multiple network monitoring: Web viewer, CMS (DSS/PSS) & DMSS 3.6mm fixed lens (2.8mm, 6mm, 8mm optional) Max. IR LEDs Length 20m IP66, PoE Variations in range: 3.6mm fixed lens (2.8mm, 6mm, 8mm optional); DC12V, PoE (802.3af); Multiple network monitoring: Web viewer, CMS (DSS/PSS) & DMSS Contact: overseas@dahuatech.com
Category: Brand/Range name: Supplier: Camera name: Category: IP Brand/Range name: Dahua Technology Supplier: Dahua Technology Camera name: Resolution: Auto/Manual focus: Onboard storage: Onboard intelligence: Standards supported: Description:
Variations in range: Contact:
Model: DH-IPC-HFW3200S 2 megapixel Auto/manual focus No No ONVIF Ver. 2.0 1/3-inch 2 megapixel progressive scan Exmor CMOS H.264 & MJPEG dual-stream encoding 25/30fps@1080P (19201080) DWDR, Day/Night (ICR), 2DNR, AWB, AGC, BLC Multiple network monitoring: Web viewer, CMS (DSS/PSS) & DMSS 6mm fixed lens (3.6mm, 8mm optional) Max. IR LEDs Length 20m IP66, PoE Multiple network monitoring: Web viewer, CMS(DSS/PSS) & DMSS overseas@dahuatech.com
IP Dahua Technology Dahua Technology Model: DH- IPC-K100/ K100A / K100W Resolution: 1.3 MP Auto/Manual focus: Auto/manual focus Onboard storage: Yes, Max 32GB Onboard intelligence : No Standards supported: ONVIF Ver.2.0 Description: 1/3-inch 1.3 megapixel Aptina CMOS H.264 & MJPEG dual-stream encoding Max 15fps@1.3M (1280960)/25/ 30fps@720P (1280720) DWDR, Day/Night, 2DNR, Auto iris, AWB, AGC, BLC Multiple network monitoring: Web viewer, CMS (DSS/PSS) & DMSS 3.6mm fixed lens White LEDs length 10m PIR sensor range 6m Micro SD memory Wi-Fi Variations in range: Micro SD memory, Wi-Fi, Multiple network monitoring: Web viewer, CMS (DSS/PSS) & DMSS Contact: overseas@dahuatech.com
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Category: Brand/Range name: Supplier: Camera name: Resolution: Auto/Manual focus: Onboard storage: Onboard intelligence: Standards supported: Description:
Variations in range: Contact: Category: Brand/Range name: Supplier:
IP Dahua Technology Dahua Technology Model: DH-IPC-HFW3200C 2 megapixel Manual Yes, max 32GB Micro SD, max 32GB ONVIF Ver.2.0 1/3-inch 2 megapixel progressive scan Exmor CMOS H.264 & MJPEG dual-stream encoding 25/30fps@1080P (19201080) DWDR, Day/Night (ICR), 2DNR, Auto iris, AWB, AGC, BLC Multiple network monitoring: Web viewer, CMS (DSS/PSS) & DMSS 3.312mm vari-focal lens Built-in 2/1 alarm in/out Max. IR LEDs length 20m Micro SD memory, IP66, PoE PoE (802.3af), Multiple network monitoring: Web viewer, CMS (DSS/PSS) & DMSS uatech.com overseas@dahuatech.com
tegory: Category: and/Range name: Brand/Range Supplier: Camera name:
IP Dahua IP Security Solutions CC471 Dahua IP camera 1/2.8-inch 3.0 megapixel Sony Exmor CMOS Professional 1080 Resolution: 3.0 megapixel Auto/Manual focus: Manual focus Onboard storage: Micro SD, max 32GB Onboard intelligence: No Standards supported: IPv4/IPv6, HTTP, HTTPS, SSL, TCP/IP, UDP, UPnP, ICMP, IGMP, SNMP, RTSP, RTP, SMTP, NTP, DHCP, DNS, PPPOE, DDNS, FTP, IP Filter, QoS, Bonjour Description: 1/2.8-inch 3 megapixel progressive scan Exmor CMOS H.264 & MJPEG dual-stream encoding Max 20fps@3.0M (20481536) & 25/30fps @1080P (19201080) DWDR, Day/Night (ICR), 2DNR, AWB, AGC, BLC Multiple network monitoring: Web viewer, CMS (DSS/PSS) & DMSS Built-in 1/1 alarm in/out PoE (not for W series); Wi-F i (-W only) SD memory Variations in range: CC470 Dahua IP camera 1/2.8-inch 2.0 megapixel Sony Exmor CMOS Professional 1080 Contact: Mel Labuschagne, +27 (0)11 553 3300, info@ipsecuritysolutions.co.za
IP Dahua IP Security Solutions P Camera Camera name: CC465 Dahua IP Resolution: 2.0 megapixel Auto/Manual focus: Auto focus Onboard storage: Micro SD, max 32GB Onboard intelligence: No P, HTTPS, Standards supported: IPv4/IPv6, HTTP, P, UPnP, SSL, TCP/IP, UDP, MP, RTSP, ICMP, IGMP, SNMP, , DHCP, DNS, RTP, SMTP, NTP, PPPOE, DDNS, FTP, IP Filter, QoS, Bonjour Description: 4.7mm ~ 94.0mm (20x) optical zoom H.264 & MJPEG dual-stream encoding and JPEG image capture Max 25/30fps@1080p resolution WDR (DWDR), Day/Night (ICR), DNR (2D&3D),Auto iris, Auto focus, AWB, AGC,BLC Multiple network monitoring: Web viewer, CMS (DSS/PSS) & DMSS Max 240/s pan speed, 360 endless pan rotation Up to 255 presets, 5 auto scan, 8 tour, 5 pattern IR LEDs up to 100m Variations in range: CC464 Dahua IP Camera PTZ 20x 2 MP Full HD H.264 Dome Contact: Mel Labuschagne, +27 (0)11 553 3300, info@ipsecuritysolutions.co.za
C Category: B Brand/Range name: Su Supplier:
IP Dahua ty IP Security s Solutions C hua Camera name: CC434 Dahua IP camera Re pixel Resolution: 1.3 megapixel A ocus Auto/Manual focus: Manual focus O Onboard storage: No O Onboard intelligence: No St Standards supported: IPv4/IPv6, HTTP, HTTPS, SSL, TCP/IP, UDP, UPnP, ICMP, IGMP, SNMP, RTSP, RTP, SMTP, NTP, DHCP, DNS, PPPOE, DDNS, FTP, IP Filter, QoS, Bonjour Description: 1/3-inch 1.3 megapixel progressive scan Aptina CMOS H.264 & MJPEG dual-stream encoding Max 15fps@1.3M (1280960) & 25/30fps @720P (1280720) Day/Night (ICR), 2DNR, AWB, AGC, BLC Multiple network monitoring: Web viewer, CMS (DSS/PSS) & DMSS 3.6mm fixed lens (2.8mm, 6mm, 8mm optional) Max. IR LEDs Length 20m IP66, PoE Variations in range: CC432 Dahua IP camera 1/3-inch 1.3 megapixel CMOS 3.6mm Mini Indoor Dome, 720p Contact: Mel Labuschagne, +27 (0)11 553 3300, info@ipsecuritysolutions.co.za
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Category: egory: Brand/Range nd/Range name: Supplier: plier: Camera name:
IP Dahua IP Security Solutions CC418-1 Dahua IP camera 1/2.8-inch 3.0 megapixel Sony Exmor CMOS IR 30M vari-focal Resolution: 3.0 megapixel Auto/Manual focus: Manual focus Onboard storage: Micro SD, max 32GB Onboard intelligence: No Standards supported: IPv4/IPv6, HTTP, HTTPS, SSL, TCP/IP, UDP, UPnP, ICMP, IGMP, SNMP, RTSP, RTP, SMTP, NTP, DHCP, DNS, PPPOE, DDNS, FTP, IP Filter, QoS, Bonjour Description: 1/2.8-inch 3 megapixel progressive scan Exmor CMOS H.264 & MJPEG dual-stream encoding Max 20fps@3.0M (20481536) &25/30fps@1080P (19201080) DWDR, Day/Night (ICR), 2DNR, Auto iris, AWB, AGC, BLC Multiple network monitoring: Web viewer, CMS (DSS/PSS) & DMSS 3.3~12mm vari-focal lens Built-in 2/1 alarm in/out Max. IR LEDs length 20m Micro SD memory, IP66, PoE Variations in range: CC418 Dahua IP camera 1/2.8-inch 2.0 megapixel Sony Exmor CMOS IR 30M vari-focal Contact: Mel Labuschagne, +27 (0)11 553 3300, info@ipsecuritysolutions.co.za
IP Dahua IP Security Solutions CC417 DAHUA IP CAMERA 1/3 1.3 megapixel Aptina CMOS 20m IR Bullet 720p Resolution: 1.3 megapixel Auto/Manual focus: Manual focus Onboard storage: No Onboard intelligence: No Standards supported: IPv4/IPv6, HTTP, HTTPS, SSL, TCP/IP, UDP, UPnP, ICMP, IGMP, SNMP, RTSP, RTP, SMTP, NTP, DHCP, DNS, PPPOE, DDNS, FTP, IP Filter, QoS, Bonjour Description: 1/3 1.3Megapixel progressive scan Aptina CMOS H.264 & MJPEG dual-stream encoding Max 15fps@1.3M (1280960) & 25/30fps@ 720P (1280720) Day/Night (ICR), 2DNR, AWB, AGC, BLC Multiple network monitoring: Web viewer, CMS (DSS/PSS) & DMSS 3.6mm fixed Lens (6mm, 8mm optional) Max. IR LEDs length 20m IP66, PoE Variations in range: None Contact: Mel Labuschagne, +27 (0)11 553 3300, info@ipsecuritysolutions.co.za
Category: ory: Brand/Range name: Supplier: Camera name:
Analogue nalogue Dahua ahua Regal gal Security CC280 280 600TVL Fixed focus No Standard DSP with AGC, ATW, BLC PAL video standard Indoor dome camera, 3.6mm fixed lens with 600TVL HDIS chip and DSP that supports AGC, ATW and BLC. N/A Mel Labuschagne, +27 (0)11 553 3300, info@regalsecurity.co.za
Analogue Dahua Regal Security CC270 600TVL Fixed focus No Standard DSP with AGC, ATW, BLC PAL video standard 50 metre infrared HDIS camera with 6mm lens, AGC, ATW and BLC, Weatherproof IP66 housing with bracket. N/A Mel Labuschagne, +27 (0)11 553 3300, info@regalsecurity.co.za
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Category:
Category: Brand/Range name: Supplier: Camera name: Resolution: Auto/Manual focus: Onboard storage: Onboard intelligence: Standards supported:
Description:
mi ini i Dome Dome camera with 4mm 4m lens Indoor mini DS-2CD7164-E Hikvision Mini dome 1.3 MP HD720p Manual No Motion, network disconnect ONVIF, PSIA, CGI, TCP/IP, HTTP, DHCP, DNS, DDNS, RTP, RTSP, PPPoE, SMTP, NTP, SNMP, FTP, 802.1x, QoS, HTTPS (SIP, SRTP, IPv6 optional) A small discreet vandal proof mini dome camera with fixed lens. Very cost effective and perfect for retail surveillance and similar well lit conditions. Surprisingly good image quality and unrivalled in its price range. Support 1 cabled installation with POE. DS-2CD7153-E (2 MP option) DS-2CD7133-E (VGA option) Rudie Opperman PinnSec / Devtrade Distribution +27 (0)21 550 0247 rudieo@pinnacle.co.za
Indoor 2 megapixel vari-focal me infra-red mini dome Brand/Range name: DS-2CD753F-EI Supplier: Hikvision d l Infra-red f d network k Camera name: 2.0 megapixel vandal dome camera Resolution: 2 MP 1600x1200 Auto/Manual focus: Auto iris, 2.7-9mm @F1.2 Onboard storage: Built-in SD/SDHC slot, up to 32 GB Onboard intelligence: Motion detection, tampering alarm, network disconnect, IP address conflict, storage exception Standards supported: ONVIF, PSIA, CGI, TCP/IP, HTTP, DHCP, DNS, DDNS, RTP, RTSP, PPPoE, SMTP, NTP, SNMP, HTTPS, FTP,802.1x, Qos (SIP, SRTP, IPv6 optional) Description: A well balanced mini dome HD camera for multi-purpose indoor surveillance. This camera is versatile with its adjustable lens and would fit into a professional setup because of the onboard storage and supported protocols. Variations in range: Standard on this model: 2 alarm in, 2 alarm out. 1-ch 3.5 mm audio MIC IN / LINE IN 1-ch 3.5mm audio out (line level, 600 ) Contact: Rudie Opperman PinnSec / Devtrade Distribution +27 (0)21 550 0247 e.co.za rudieo@pinnacle.co.za
Category: Brand/Range name: Supplier:
O td t D /Ni ht I f d Outdoor, true Day/Night Infra-red, vari-focal cylindrical camera Brand/Range name: DS-2CD8253F-EI Supplier: Hikvision Camera name: IR Bullet Camera Resolution: 2 MP 1600x1200 Auto/Manual focus: Auto iris 2.7-9mm @F1.2 Onboard storage: No Onboard Intelligence: Motion detection, tampering alarm, network disconnect, IP address conflict, storage exception Standards supported: ONVIF, PSIA, CGI, TCP/IP, HTTP, DHCP, DNS, DDNS, RTP/RTSP, PPPoE, SMTP, NTP(SNMP, HTTPS, FTP, SIP, SRTP, 802.1x, IPv6 optional) Description: An all-purpose outdoor cylindrical camera with IR illumination and a vari-focal lens. This model includes a cable managed bracket and sun shield for all weather conditions. Support a one cabled solution with POE. Variations in range: N/A Contact: Rudie Opperman PinnSec / Devtrade Distribution +27 (0)21 550 0247 rudieo@pinnacle.co.za
t Category:
Analogue Dahua Elvey Security y Technologies Camera name: DH-SD6436 network IR PTZ dome camera Resolution: 600TVL 25/ 30fps@D1 Auto/Manual focus: Auto focus Onboard storage: No Onboard intelligence: Advance DSP, ICR, CR, DNR, WDR, AWB, B, AGC, BLC, built-in Web server, 255 presents, 5 auto scan, 8 tours, 5 patterns Standards supported: DH-SD, Pelco-P/D, auto recognition of general protocols Description: SD6436-H is based on 600TVL, to provide the reliable video surveillance thats needed in large outdoor sites. Integrated day-and-night with 36X optical zoom. The SD6436-H feature -inch Super HAD CCD II. Up to 24 different sized privacy zones. Continuous pan rotation to 360 and tilt movement to 90. The SD6436-H can also be controlled remotely via RS-485. Maximum IR distance is over 60m. Variations in range: N/A Contact: Elvey Security Technology Tasha Smith, +27 (0)11 401 6700 tasha.smith@elvey.co.za
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Dahua Elvey Security Technologies IPC-HFW2100P 720p (1280x720), 1.3 MP (1280x960), D1 (704x576 / 704x480) Auto/Manual focus: Auto Onboard storage: Yes Onboard intelligence: Built-in Web server, NVR, CMS (PSS/DSS) and DMSS, Mechanical D/N Filter, Super Back Light Compensation, Digital Noise Reduction, privacy zone selectable, Flickerless On/Off. Standards supported: Conforms to the ONVIF standard. Description: With a 6mm lens this high-definition IP camera with a 1/3-inch 1.3 Megapixel Aptina CMOS image sensor is capable of HD Resolution up to 1.3 MP (1280960). IP66 rated for outdoor and indoor use. This camera also features PoE to allow for single cable connection, no need to run a separate power wire. Variations in range: Lens Option: Default: 6mm (3.6mm /8mm optional) PoE Contact: Elvey Security Technology Tasha Smith, +27 (0)11 401 6700 tasha.smith@elvey.co.za
Category: IP Camera Brand/Range name: Supplier: Camera name: Resolution:
Category: Analogue Brand/Range name: Shany Supplier: lo ogies Elvey Security Technologies M MTC-WDL713EF-C Camera name: C Resolution: Colour: 680TVL, B B/W:700TVL A Auto/Manual focus: Auto N No Onboard storage: Y Sony S WDR Wide Wid Dynamic D i Range R e, Onboard intelligence: Yes. Effio WDR, Range, Automatic Gain Control WDR; BLC, High Light Compensation, Sense Up, digital image stabiliser. Standards supported: N/A Description: 1/3-inch car licence plate pro camera (Sony Effio WDR). Colour, 680TVL, B/W:700TVL, 0.0001Lux (IR LEDs on at 2 Lux). Built-in aspherical D/N Lens (f3.8~9.5mm/f9~22mm). anti-headlight. mechanical IR cut filter. Powerful 512X WDR (54dB. high light compensation. 2D/3D noise reduction. Sense Up (512x). Digital image stabiliser, E-zoom function (1~256x). Advanced motion detection function; quadrangle mosaic privacy mask; water resistance: IP66 Variations in range: N/A Contact: Elvey Security Technology, Tasha Smith, +27 (0)11 401 6700 tasha.smith@elvey.co.za
Category: Analogue Brand/Range name: Bosch Supplier: Elvey Security Technologies es Camera name: VEZ-413-EWCS Resolution: 600 TVL Auto/Manual focus: Auto Onboard storage: No Onboard Intelligence: Mechanical D/N filter, SBLC (super backlight compensation), DNR (digital noise reduction), privacy zone selectable, flickerless On/Off. Standards supported: IP66, IEC 60529 (2001), IEC 60529 (2002). Description: 26X optical zoom, high resolution 600TV lines, motion adaptive digital noise reduction (3DNR) technology. 360-degrees of rotation, 600 TVL (television lines), and WDR. The cameras 26X optical zoom and 15 privacy zones. Maximum pan range of 360/s and prepositioned pan speed of 360/s and offers up to 210 presets, including 8 auto scan modes, 8 tours and 8 pattern modes. Variations in range: N/A Contact: Elvey Security Technology Tasha Smith, +27 (0)11 401 6700 tasha.smith@elvey.co.za
Category: Analogue Dual CCD with 600TVL Brand/Range name: Trend Tech Supplier: Crown Hyper Camera name: TT-65 Resolution: 600 Auto/Manual focus: N/A Onboard storage: N/A Onboard Intelligence: N/A Standards supported: PAL Description: 1/3-inch Sony CCD (Colour), 1/3-inch Sony (B/W), 600 TVL, 0.5 Lux/F1.2 (LED OFF), 0 Lux (LED on), 16mm Lens IR Distance = 60m, PAL: 500(H) X 582(V), NTSC: 510(H) X 492(V). Variations in range: N/A Contact: Crown Hyperworld, +27 (0)11 830 1452 sales@crownhyperworld.co.za
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CAMERA SELECTION BUYERS GUIDE GUIDE
Category:
Analogue A l 700TVL, vandal proof dome, OSD, 4-9mm Brand/Range name: Trend Tech Supplier: Crown Hyper Camera name: TT_VD230 Resolution: 700TVL Auto/Manual focus: Manual Onboard storage: No Onboard intelligence: No Standards supported: PAL Description: 1/3-inch Sony CCD 700TVL, 4-9mm Manual VF Lens, LED array and 25M IR distance, OSD operation function, vandal-proof casing, DNR, motion detection, white balance and mirror function. Variations in range: N/A Contact: Crown Hyperworld, +27 (0)11 830 1452 sales@crownhyperworld.co.za
Category: gory: y: Brand/Range name: Supplier: Camera Name: Resolution: Auto/Manual focus: Onboard storage: Onboard intelligence: Standards supported: Description:
Analogue a ogue ZK-SMD222 ZKTeco IR dome 700TVL / 1020x596 (Effio-E) Manual No No PAL 3.6mm / 6mm Lens, backlight compensation, auto white balancing, wide dynamic range, on screen display, 25m night vision @ 0.001 LUX, dynamic noise reduction 2D, privacy masking, RS-485, auto gain control. N/A Andrew Levell-Smith +27 (0)12 259 1047 andrew@zkteco.co.za
Analogue ZK SIR222 ZKTeco IR bullet 420TVL / 752x582 Manual No No IP66, PAL Wide dynamic range, 3.6/6mm lens option, backlight compensation, IP66, 30m @ 0.1LUX, auto gain control. N/A Andrew Levell-Smith +27 (0)12 259 1047 andrew@zkteco.co.za
Variations in range : Contact:
Analogue ZK-SIR283F ZKTeco Dot Matrix Face 650TVL / 752x582 Auto No Yes, face list, face detection. IP66, PAL 4mm / 6mm / 8mm, IP66, backlight compensation, auto white balancing, wide dynamic range, on screen display, 30m night vision @ 0 LUX, HDNR, DNR3D, privacy masking, RS-485, auto face detection, auto iris control, dynamic face zoom, auto gain. N/A Andrew Levell-Smith +27 (0)12 259 1047 andrew@zkteco.co.za
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Analogue ZK-SIR288 ZKTeco Dot Matrix 4 700TVL / 1020x596 (Effio-E) Manual No No IP66, PAL 12mm/16mm, IP66, backlight compensation, auto white balancing, wide dynamic range, on screen display, 80m night vision @ 0.001 LUX, dynamic noise reduction 2D, privacy masking, RS-485, auto gain control. N/A Andrew Levell-Smith +27 (0)12 259 1047 andrew@zkteco.co.za
C Category: Brand/Range name: Supplier: Camera name: Resolution: Auto/Manual focus: Onboard storage: Onboard intelligence: Standards supported: Description:
A l Analogue ZK-SIR285 ZKTeco Dot Matrix 2 700TVL / 1020x596 (Effio-E) Manual No No IP66, PAL 6mm / 8mm / 12mm, IP66, backlight compensation, auto white balancing, wide dynamic range, on screen display, 50m night vision @ 0.001 LUX, dynamic noise reduction 2D, privacy masking, RS-485, auto gain control N/A Andrew Levell-Smith +27 (0)12 259 1047 andrew@zkteco.co.za
: Category: Brand/Range name: Supplier: Camera name: Resolution: Auto/Manual focus: Onboard storage: Onboard intelligence: Standards supported: Description:
Analogue ZK-SIR283 ZKTeco Dot Matrix 1 700TVL / 1020x596 (Effio-E) Manual No No IP66, PAL 4mm / 8mm / 16mm, IP66, bac light compensation, auto white balancing, wide dynamic range, on screen display, 30m night vision @ 0.001 LUX, dynamic noise reduction 2D, privacy masking, RS-485, auto gain control. N/A Andrew Levell-Smith +27 (0)12 259 1047 andrew@zkteco.co.za
ory: Category: Rang ge name: Brand/Range er: Supplier: Camera name: Resolution: Auto/Manual focus: Onboard storage: Onboard intelligence: Standards supported: Description:
Analogue ZK-SSD ZKTeco IR PTZ 650TVL / 1020x596 Auto No No PAL, Pelco-D, Pelco-P 5.5mm 55mm Lens, 10x optical zoom, 255 presets, 360 Infinity Pan, 10 20m @ 0 LUX, BLC, 12V DC power, auto white balancing, RS-485 N/A Andrew Levell-Smith +27 (0)12 259 1047 andrew@zkteco.co.za
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Category: Brand/Range name: Supplier: Camera name: Resolution: Onboard storage: Onboard intelligence: Standards supported: Description:
IP ZK-NVR ZKTecoSA NV 720P @ 25fps Yes 10TB N PAL, Pelco-P, Pelco-D H.264, G.711, HDMI, VGA, CVBS, BNC Spot, RS-485 for PTZ control, USB for backup and mouse control, alarm input and output, DDNS, eSATA, RJ45 Input (10/100). 4 channel / 8 channel Andrew Levell-Smith +27 (0)12 259 59 1047 0 andrew@zkteco.co.za w@zkteco.co.za
Category: Cat Brand/Range name: Supplier: Camera name: Resolution: Auto/Manual focus: Onboard storage: Onboard intelligence: Standards supported: Description:
IP ZK IP 3 ZKTeco Box IP 720P / 1280x720 Manual Yes SD. 32 GB No ONVIF 4 9mm vari-focal lens, H.264 MPL3, dual stream, wide dynamic range, bi-directional audio, PoE, motion detection, auto redundancy recording. N/A Andrew Levell-Smith +27 (0)12 259 1047 andrew@zkteco.co.za
Category: : Brand/Range name: Supplier: Camera name: Resolution: Auto/Manual focus: Onboard storage: Onboard intelligence: Standards supported: Description:
IP P4 ZK IP o ZKTeco P Cube IP 720P / 1280x720 Manual Yes TF 32 GB No ONVIF 6mm fixed lens, H.264 MPL3, dual stream, wide dynamic range, onboard bi-directional audio, PoE, motion detection, auto redundancy recording, 20m night vision @ 0LUX, auto IR cut filter. N/A Andrew Levell-Smith +27 (0)12 259 1047 andrew@zkteco.co.za
C egory: gory: Category: B d/R Brand/Range name: S Supplier: C Camera name: R Resolution: Auto/Manual focus: Onboard storage: Onboard intelligence: Standards supported: Description:
IP ZK IR 3 ZKTeco IR Bullet IP 720P / 1280x720 Manual Yes TF 32 GB No ONVIF, IP66 6mm /12mm fixed lens, H.264 MPL3, dual stream, wide dynamic range, BiDi audio, PoE, motion detection, 15 ~ 30m night vision @ 0 LUX, auto redundancy recording, auto IR cut filter, IP66, RS485, alarm input + output. N/A Andrew Levell-Smith +27 (0)12 259 1047 andrew@zkteco.co.za
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IP P ZK K MD 3 ZKTeco ZK KTeco IR R Dome IP 720P 20P / 1280x720 Auto Au uto Yes TF 32 GB No ONVIF, IP66 4 9mm vari-focal lens, H.264 MPL3, dual stream, wide dynamic range, bi-directional audio, PoE, motion detection, 15 ~ 20m night vision @ 9LUX, auto redundancy recording, auto IR cut filter, IP66, RS-485, alarm input + output. N/A Andrew Levell-Smith +27 (0)12 259 1047 andrew@zkteco.co.za
Category: Ca C Brand/Range name: Bra B Supplier: Su S Camera name: Ca C Resolution: Re R Auto/Manual focus: Au A Onboard storage: On O Onboard intelligence: On O Standards supported: Sta S Description: De D
IP ZK MD4 ZKTeco Mini Dome IP 720P / 1280x720 0 Manual Yes TF 32 GB No ONVIF 6mm fixed lens, H.264 H 264 MPL3, MPL3 dual d l stream, t wide dynamic range, bi-directional audio, PoE, motion detection, auto redundancy recording. N/A Andrew Levell-Smith +27 (0)12 259 1047 andrew@zkteco.co.za
Name of software: ZKiVision Description/purpose: IVision Software is used to view all ZK cameras, DVRs and NVRs in an easy to use, one seat software. Features/functionality: iVision brings great functionality to the market. The key feature of iVision is the facial recognition analytics. Paired with this is the ability to compare these recognised faces to a black list. Another key feature is the linkage ZKTeco have introduced which allows it to combine access control features like granting access to a facility based on their face as the credential. With the blacklist active, alarms and/or events can be generated. Some other features regarded as industry standard are also present, like Emap, independent 4-zone motion detection, backup scheduling, full camera control including PTZ control, footage history searching and camera setting manipulation. Footage history can also be searched by facial events using the relevant search filters. Availability: Available with any ZK surveillance product Cost: No per channel fee, but there is a charge for advanced analytics functionality such a facial recognition. Runs in browser or as an independent application? This software is a standalone application Standards the software adheres to: N/A Contact: Andrew Levell-Smith +27 (0)12 259 1047 andrew@zkteco.co.za
Category: Brand/Range name: Supplier: Camera name: Resolution: Auto/Manual focus: Onboard storage: Onboard Intelligence:
IP 3 IP. 3.1 1 megapixel/high definition/digital definition/digital Pelco Sarix Pelco Sarix IX30 IP Camera Up to 3.1 megapixel resolution (2048 x 1536) Auto back focus Local storage (micro SD) for alarm capture Yes, camera sabotage detects contrast changes in the field of view. Adaptive motion detection tracks objects that enter the field of view. Standards supported: TCP/IP, UDP/IP (unicast, multicast IGMP), UPnP, DNS, DHCP, RTP, RTSP, NTP, IPv4, SNMPv2c/v3, QoS, HTTP, HTTPS, LDAP (client), SSH, SSL, SMTP, FTP, and 802.1x (EAP) Description: The Sarix IX30 is a 3.1 megapixel, day/night camera with advanced lowlight technology and a mechanical IR cut filter for increased sensitivity in low-light installations. Sarix technology defines the next generation of video security imaging performance, delivering high definition (HD) resolution, advanced low light capabilities, consistent colour science, and fast processing power. The H.264 compression video files are considerably smaller, making HD video more affordable. Variations in range: The IX30 support two simultaneous video streams. The two streams can be compressed in MJPEG and H.264 formats across several resolution configurations. The IX30 features built-in Power over Ethernet (PoE) IEEE 802.3af, which supplies power to the camera over the network, eliminating the need for a separate power supply. If PoE is not available, 24 VAC can be used to power the camera. Contact: Abie Ali, +27 (0)11 496 2300, sales@frankstreet.co.za
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Analogue ZK-DV ZKTeco DVR CIF @ 400fps / DI @ 50fps N/A Yes, 5 TB No PAL H.264, G711, RCA audio output, audio input, VGA + BNC video out, video backup, RJ45 Out, USB mouse + backup ports, mobile preview support, DDNS support, RS-485 for PTZ control, 4ch, 8ch, 16ch N/A Andrew Levell-Smith +27 (0)12 259 1047 andrew@zkteco.co.za
Category: IP. 3.1 megapixel/ high definition Brand/Range name: X-Gen IP Supplier: Gen Security Camera name: Resolution:
GEN HD IP 3 megapixel i l IR outdoor d camera Up to 3.1 megapixel resolution, 2144(H) x1588(V) Auto/Manual focus: Auto Onboard storage: No Onboard intelligence: Yes, this latest line includes the latest WDR (Wide Dynamic Range). These cameras are progressivescanning to handle moving objects. Standards supported: TCP/IP, UDP/IP, RTP, RTSP, RTCP, NTP, HTTP, DHCP, FTP, SMTP, DNS, DDNS. Streaming RTP over RTSP, Unicast RTP, Multicast RTP, ONVIF ver2.0 support, DDNS A&T DDNS support (iplinker.net) Description: GEN HD IP camera has a resolution of 2144 x 1588 and is almost 10X better than an image of D1(704 x 480i) which is the max resolution of an analogue camera recorded DVR. It has the best sensitivity in the world with 0.0002lux. Sens-up 60X in B/W with an HD image sensor and various streaming. Variations in range: Various streaming: H.264 /MPEG4 /MJPEG triplex streaming (Individual streaming simultaneously). Contact: Abie Ali, +27 (0)11 496 2300, sales@frankstreet.co.za
Name of software: ROM Retail Operations Management Description/purpose: ROM is a software package designed for Retail Operations Management. It uses existing cameras, traditionally used for loss control, for the dual purpose of operational management. This is done by using video analytics to monitor queues and customer flow through the retail operation. Features/functionality: ROM consists of three function modules. CPM is the Cashier Performance Monitoring module which monitors the performance of the cashiers and scores them relative to a performance index. QM is the Queue Management module which monitors queue lengths and customer progress through the queue. CFM is the Customer Flow Monitoring module which monitors customer flow patterns through the establishment. These modules combined provide an effective management tool which enables the retailer to plan and monitor cashier staff, customer service staff and store layout for maximum effectiveness. An advanced graphical reporting system provides an automated report service which allows the retailer to measure store performance automatically and at a glance. Availability: Standalone/network based software package. Operates as an added feature on Nuuo or Pelco CCTV systems. Runs in browser or as an independent application? Independent Application Standards the software adheres to: N/A Contact: Abie Ali, +27 (0)11 496 2300, sales@frankstreet.co.za
IP Dynacolor W2 Dynacolor Dynacolor W2 2MP IP Dome Resolution: 1920X1080 (Full HD). Auto/Manual focus: Auto focus, P-Iris allows for better depth of field. Onboard storage: Yes, removable SD Card (up to SD card max capacity). Onboard intelligence: Yes, motion detection, network failure, smart IR detect (auto). Standards supported: ONVIF compliant, H.264 and MJPEG encoding. Description: A versatile IP66 rated PoE dome with audio channel fit for service in any condition. The high quality 2MP image sensor with motorised zoom gives great detail while wide dynamic range compensates for changing light conditions. ONVIF support allows for easy integration and quad streams allow for multiple resolutions to be broadcasted. An SD card can be used for on-board recording. Variations in range: Available in 3.6mm fixed lens with no IR, 3.3-9mm vari-focal with no IR, and 3.3-9mm vari-focal lens with 25m onboard IR LEDs. Vandal proof also available Contact: Security Warehouse Tel: +27 (0)12 653 1005 marketing@securitywarehouse.co.za
Category: Brand/Range name: Supplier: Camera name:
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Name of software: Digi-IT NVR/DVR software Description/purpose: Digi-ITs recording software is suitable for both analogue, IP and hybrid systems. The software runs on the Windows operating system, with easy installation and an easyto-understand interface. Analogue decoding is done through Digi-ITs analogue cards. As an open platform NVR a wide range of IP cameras are supported by default. Features/functionality: The software comes standard with recording (video, audio, POS and limited VCA), event (motion, audio, POS etc.), search, point of sales, and scheduling (for recording) functionality. Remote login and viewing is possible via Web browser or free bundled RMS software for Windows or smart phone (for all the popular OSs including Android, Symbian, Windows Mobile and iOS). The software can further be expanded with licences for full VCA (video content analytics), LPR (licence plate recognition) and CMS (central monitoring system). Multiple resolutions are supported, with multi-streaming available for IP cameras. PTZ control is integrated in the software allowing the user to control the PTZ as well as set up multiple touring sequences. Availability: The software is free bundled with Digi-IT analogue cards, IP cameras require a licence per video channel (available in 4,8,16,32 and 64 channel packages or a combination thereof). Digi-iT IP cameras do not require any licence keys and have the full NVR capability. Cost: For IP systems: 4 Channel: R3600 (Retail excl. VAT) 8 Channel: R5600 (Retail excl. VAT) 16 Channel: R9800 (Retail excl. VAT) 32 Channel: R18000 (Retail excl. VAT) 64 Channel: R34000 (Retail excl. VAT) Runs in browser or as an independent application? Independent software Standards the software adheres to: Software adheres to: FCC rules: Class A digital device. Contact: Security Warehouse +27 (0)12 653 1005 marketing@securitywarehouse.co.za Name of software: Axis Camera Families for Autodesk Revit Description/purpose: It provides 3D camera models to illustrate what the camera set-up will look like in real life and which areas the surveillance system will cover once installed. Features/functionality: The software allows them to see exactly how the cameras fit into the building layout and to easily detect if views are obstructed by columns or walls, to help reduce unexpected blind spots. This means security system planning can now be completed as an integrated part of the building design, integrating into the same tool flow that is used for the rest of the building design. Users of the CAD system can also access information about each camera such as the model number, mounting accessories, power consumption and resolution. Availability: The Axis Camera Families for Autodesk Revit are available free of charge for existing Axis Partners. The vast majority of Axis Network Cameras are included. Cost: N/A Runs in browser or as an independent application? N/A Standards the software adheres to: N/A Contact: Roy Alves, Axis Communications +27 (0)11 548 6780, roy.alves@axis.com
Category: y:
IP. Maximum 1.3 IP 1 3 MP resolution (1280 x 1024), multiple streaming Brand/Range name: Samsung LiteNet Supplier: ADI Global Distribution Camera name: SND-7011 Resolution: Maximum 3 MP resolution (2048 X 1536) Auto/Manual focus: Manual Onboard storage: No Onboard intelligence: Tampering alarm, motion detection Standards supported: ONVIF 2.1 Description: This cost effective 1.3 MP high definition network camera is a great fit for applications which require high resolution video. The SNB-5001 features contrast enhancement and day/night capabilities for challenging lighting conditions, and is equipped with high-end functionalities such as tampering detection and motion detection. Variations in range: Central management software NET-i viewer , 12V DC, PoE (IEEE802.3af, Class2) Lens Type: Manual / DC Auto Iris Contact: ADI Global Distribution gordon.moore2@adiglobal.com
Category:
IP, SD PTZ, TZ, y/night true day/night Brand/Range name: equIP Supplier: ADI Global Distribution Camera name: HDZ30X Resolution: 720 x 576 Auto/Manual focus: N/A Onboard storage: N/A Onboard intelligence: N/A Standards supported: IPv4/v6, TCP/IP, UDP, RTP, RTSP, HTTP, HTTPS, ICMP, FTP, SMTP, DHCP, PPPoE, UPnP, IGMP, SNMP, IEEE 802.1x, QoS, ONVIF. Description: Camera tamper detection. Video motion detection. Digital Noise Reduction. PSIA Support Progressive scan. Variations in range: 0,08 lux (colour) 0,005 lux (B/W) @F1.6, 30IRE. 24 VAC 10%, en PoE+, (IEEE 802.3at-2009). Contact: ADI Global Distribution gordon.moore2@adiglobal.com
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Category:
Category: Brand/Range name: Supplier: Camera name: Resolution: Auto/Manual focus: Onboard storage: Onboard intelligence: Standards supported:
Description:
IP equIP ADI Global Distribution HDZ20HDX 1920 x 1080 N/A N/A N/A IPv4/v6, TCP/IP, UDP, RTP, RTSP, HTTP, HTTPS, ICMP, FTP, SMTP, DHCP, PPPoE, UPnP, IGMP, SNMP, IEEE 802.1x, QoS, ONVIF. Camera tamper detection. Video motion detection. Digital Noise Reduction. PSIA Support Progressive scan 0.05 lux (colour)/0.01 lux (B/W), @F1.6, 30 IRE. 24 VAC 10%, and PoE+ (IEEE 802.3at-2009). ADI Global Distribution gordon.moore2@adiglobal.com
IP. Maximum 1.3 MP resolution (1280 x 1024), multiple streaming Brand/Range name: Samsung LiteNet Supplier: ADI Global Distribution Camera name: SND-7011 Resolution: Maximum 3 MP resolution (2048 X 1536) Auto/Manual focus: Manual Onboard storage: No Onboard intelligence: Tampering alarm, motion detection Standards supported: ONVIF 2.1 Description: This cost effective 1.3 MP high definition network camera is a great fit for applications which require high resolution video. The SNB-5001 features contrast enhancement and day/night capabilities for challenging lighting conditions, and is equipped with high-end functionalities such as tampering detection and motion detection. Variations in range: Central management software NET-i viewer , 12V DC, PoE (IEEE802.3af, Class2) Lens Type: Manual / DC Auto Iris Contact: ADI Global Distribution gordon.moore2@adiglobal.com
Category: Thermal analogue PTZ camera Brand/Range name: Bosch Thermal Supplier: Bosch Security Systems P Camera name: MIC-612TIALG36P Resolution: PAL: 320 x 256 PAL: 640 x 512 Auto/Manual focus: Auto focus Onboard storage: No ce Onboard intelligence: High-performance ultancamera with simultantical eous thermal/optical video output. s, Standards supported: Multiple protocols, including Bosch Biphase (OSRD), Bilinx, and Pelco P and D. Description: When powered by a MIC IP power supply, the MIC camera becomes an IP-enabled device with extra features such as intelligent video analysis (IVA), and the ability to record video on a network-attached RAID iSCSI storage device or locally on a user-supplied SD or SDHC card (32 GB maximum). The optional hybrid operation provides video and control of the MIC camera over both analogue and IP. Variations in range: Analogue and IP versions Contact: Edward Seaborne, +27 (0)11 651 9898, edward.seaborne@za.bosch.com
Category: Brand/Range name: Supplier: Camera name: Resolution: Auto/Manual focus: Onboard storage: Onboard iIntelligence:
Analogue mini dome Bosch outdoor mini dome advantage line Bosch Security Systems VDC-242V03-1 650TVL Manual focus No Privacy zones and motion detection functions can be set up in the camera menu system. Standards supported: Composite: 1 Vpp, 75 Ohm Description: Static analogue mini outdoor dome camera (720TVL sensor) Day/Night camera (VDN) 0.12 lx (colour) 0.07 lx (B/W) Motion detection on, off (4 programmable zones) Privacy on, off (4 programmable zones) Variations in range: 976 x 582 (PAL), 976 x 494 (NTSC) Contact: Edward Seaborne, +27 (0)11 651 9898, edward.seaborne@za.bosch.com
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IP Autodome HD Bosch IP HD Autodome 800 Series B h Security S it Systems S t Supplier: Bosch Camera name: VG5-836-ECEV Resolution: 1920x1080 Auto/Manual focus: Auto focus Onboard storage: No Onboard intelligence: The AutoDome utilises the built-in Intelligent Video Analytics (IVA) to continuously follow an individual or an object. Intelligent Tracking feature and Wide Dynamic Range Standards supported: Bosch (OSRD), ONVIF. RTP, Telnet, UDP, TCP, IP, HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, DHCP, IGMP V2/V3, ICMP, ARP, SMTP, SNTP, SNMP, RTSP, 802.1x, iSCSI, DynDNS, UPnP, Advanced Networking IPv6. H.264 (ISO/IEC 14496-10), M-JPEG, JPEG Description: Individually configurable streams in H.264 and M-JPEG, configurable frame rate and bandwidth. Variations in range: Indoor/outdoor Contact: Edward Seaborne, +27 (0)11 651 9898, edward.seaborne@za.bosch.com Category: nge name: Brand/Range
Name of company: CCTV Security Surveillance Description of services provided: CCTV Security Surveillance is a South African company, servicing the markets nationally. The company specialises in electronic security systems including, but not limited to CCTV, access control, fire detection and alarm systems, not only in the area of security but also in production, productivity and reviewing. CCTV services the commercial and industrial market. Each client is seen as an individual, with specific requirements, and as such each system is developed around the clients needs. In addition, CCTV offers an offsite reviewing service whereby the client is able to download footage which can be independently reviewed. Special skills/features/functionality available to customers: CCTV reviews clients footage, offsite, and provides a detailed report on activities. The client can pinpoint which positions / areas need more care. A random selection is downloaded by CCTV and the footage is reviewed, and after consultation the client would then determine what search criteria is to be concentrated on. Market size addressed: SME/mid-size companies/ large companies/ enterprise. Case studies / references available: Minimise shrinkage Additional security Assistance with human resources Monitors health and safety regulations Contact: CCTV Security Surveillance, 086 100 2288 cctv@cctvsa.co.za
Name of company: CCTV Security Surveillance Description of services provided: CCTV Security Surveillance is a South African company, servicing the markets nationally. The company specialises in electronic security systems including, but not limited to, CCTV, access control, fire detection and alarm systems, not only in the area of security but also in production, productivity and reviewing. CCTV services the commercial and industrial market. Each client is seen as an individual, with specific requirements, and as such each system is developed around the clients needs. In addition to the above, CCTV offers maintenance contracts on all electronic security equipment. Special skills/features/functionality available to customers: CCTV offers maintenance contracts on all electronic security equipment. This includes all call out and labour fees, loan equipment for while your equipment is in for repairs and quarterly servicing of your system. Market size addressed: SME/mid-size companies/ large companies/ enterprise Products supported/promoted: All electronic security systems are able to carry a maintenance contract. Contact: CCTV Security Surveillance, 086 100 2288 cctv@cctvsa.co.za
Name of company: CCTV Security Surveillance Description of services provided: CCTV Security Surveillance is a South African company, servicing the markets nationally. The company specialises in electronic security systems including, but not limited to, CCTV, access control, fire detection and alarm systems, not only in the area of security but also in production, productivity and reviewing. CCTV services the commercial and industrial market. Each client is seen as an individual, with specific requirements, and as such each system is developed around the clients needs. In addition to the above, CCTV offers full maintenance and repair rental contracts on all electronic security equipment. Special skills/features/functionality available to customers: CCTV offers full replacement and repair rental contracts on all new electronic security systems installed by CCTV Security Surveillance. Contracts are offered over 36, 48 or 60 months. They include installation fees, the rental fee of the equipment, all call out and labour fees. Loan equipment is provided while repairs are being undertaken, and the systems are serviced quarterly. Market size addressed: SME/mid-size companies/ large companies/ enterprise. Products supported/promoted: All electronic security systems are available on a full replacement and repair rental option. Contact: CCTV Security Surveillance, 086 100 2288 cctv@cctvsa.co.za
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IP, Vandal proof 1/3CMOS full HDplus Day/ Night IP fixed dome me Brand/Range name: TopLine cameras Supplier: Geutebruck GmbH H Camera name: TopFD-2233 Resolution: 160 x 120 up to 1920 x 1440 pixels Auto/Manual focus: Auto focus (One push AF function) Onboard storage : 32 MB Flash Onboard intelligence: Multimedia video processor, FPGA, 256 MB RAM Standards supported: H.264CCTV (Geutebrck), MJPEG (multiple compression levels), Standard H.264 (in combination with third party systems). ONVIF compatible with firmware version 3.9.0. Description: Vandal proof 1/3-inch CMOS full HDplus Day/ Night IP fixed dome with AF vario-focal lens 2,8 mm to 10 mm and dual-streaming in H.264CCTV, MJPEG and MPEG4 for Geutebrck systems. Automatic: mouse click focusing; white balance, exposure, electronic shutter, back light compensation, flickerless and automatic gain control. Including: text overlay, motion detection, privacy masking, mirror-function, electronic PTZ function, POE. Variations in range : This range of German-made cameras includes box and dome formats with the following options colour only / day/night cameras with AF / without AF with housings for different environments 1/1.8-inch CCD, 1/3-inch CCD, 1/3-inch CMOS and -inch CMOS sensors 720p, Full-HD, Full-HDplus, 1.3, 2 & 5 megapixel resolutions Contact: Carmen Lahr, +49 26 45 137 0 carmen.lahr@geutebrueck.com g
Category:
Category: Analogue HD SDI Brand/Range name: Provision ISR Supplier: Hitek Security Distributors Camera name: DI-390HDVF Resolution: 1080P or 2.1 MP Auto/Manual focus: Auto focus 2.8-100mm lens Onboard storage: No Onboard intelligence: Yes. Motion detection Standards supported: HD SDI Description: The DI-390HDVF is a dome HD SDI camera with 1080P resolution and a vari-focal lens of 2.812mm. The DI-390HDVF belongs to the analogue HD technology which is equivalent to a 2.1 MP if we compare it to an IP camera. Variations in range: In the analogue HD we have another 3 models: 1. BX-390HD Box camera with 1080P resolution. 2. I2-390HDVF features 2.8-10mm Mega Pixel lens and IR range of 25m, water proof and with 1080P Resolution. 3. I4-390HDVF features 2.8-12mm Mega Pixel lens with IR range of over 40m, water proof and with 1080P Resolution. Contact: Hitek Security Distributors 087 625 0810, y info@hiteksecurity.net Category: IP. High resolution IP65 camera for day and night operation Brand/Range name: Mobotix Supplier: Industrial Automation And Control Camera name: MX-M12D-SEC-DNIGHT-D43N43 Resolution: 3 MP (2048 x 1536) 36) Auto/Manual focus: Auto Au Onboard storage: Yes, internal DVR O R (up to 64 GB), recording without network load. Onboard intelligence: Yes, video motion analytics, onboard microO phone, speaker, VoIP, SIP, FTP, temperature sensor, PIR Standards supported: EMC (EN55022, EN55024, EN61000-6-2, FCC St part15B,AS/NZS3548), IEEE 802.3af; Class 0 IP65 (DIN EN 60529), -30 to +60 C (-22 to +140 F) Description: Two separate image sensors for day and D night-time operation Integrated DVR with HiRes video recording Permanently fixed lenses at factory for extremely simple installation Robust, low-maintenance and with concealed cable duct Weatherproof from -30 to +60 C (-22 to +140 F), without need for heating (IP65) Digital continuous zoom, pan and tilt Integrated microphone, speaker and PIR motion detector Variations in range: Lenses: 22 to 135 mm format, horizontal angle 90 to 15. Software: (inclusive) MxEasy,Control room software MxControlCenter. External storage: Directly on NAS and PC/Server without additional recording software Contact: Raine Sadie, +27 (0)12 657 3600, raine@iacontrol.co.za
Category: Analogue Brand/Range name: Provision ISR Supplier: utors Hitek Security Distributors Camera name: BZ-472CSX22 Resolution: 650TVL Auto/Manual focus: Auto focus X22 zoom 3.7-81.4mm Onboard storage: No Onboard intelligence: No Standards supported: RS-485 Description: The BZ-472CSX22 is a professional zoom camera from Provision ISR. It Features 22X optical zoom, auto focus, 2D DNR, HLC and OSD. It also comes with a 3-year swap out guarantee. Variations in range : In the zoom camera range we also have the BZ-371CSX22 which has a 1/3-inch Sony Effio 650TVL sensor with a True ICR. Contact: Hitek Security Distributors, 087 625 0810, info@hiteksecurity.net
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ory: Category:
IP round view fo IP. Hemispheric 360 all all-round for complete room monitoring Brand/Range name: Mobotix Supplier: Industrial Automation And Control Camera name: MX-Q24M-SEC-D11 Resolution: 3 MP (2048 x 1536) Auto/Manual focus: Auto Onboard storage: Yes, Internal DVR (up to 64 GB), recording without network load. Onboard intelligence: Yes, video motion analytics, on board microphone, speaker, VoIP, SIP, FTP, Temperature Sensor Standards supported: EMC (EN50121-4, EN55022, EN55024, EN61000-6-2,FCC part15B, AS/NZS3548) IEEE 802.3af; Class 0,IP65 (DIN EN 60529), -30 to +60 C (-22 to +140 F) Description Complete panorama view, ideal for access control Quad view to show images from four different angles simultaneously Digital, continuous zooming and panning Robust and maintenance-free, without mechanically moving parts MxAnalytics: heatmap, people counting and fully automatic reports Alarm function, speaker and microphone integrated Variations in range : Lenses: L11 (hemispherical), L22 (90 x 67) Software: (inclusive) MxEasy, Control room software MxControlCenter External storage: Directly on NAS and PC/ Server without additional recording software Contact: Raine Sadie, +27 (0)12 657 3600, raine@iacontrol.co.za Name of software: Vivotek VAST Description/purpose: Vivotek provides a feature-rich central management software platform that has been developed specifically for Vivotek products. VAST allows for centralised management of multiple cameras on one central platform. Additionally Vivotek VAST provides a fully featured user interface that is easy to use. Features/functionality: Vivotek VAST utilises a client/server structure which allows for multiple servers and clients to be combined into a single platform. Vivotek VAST is the ideal cost effective surveillance solution that has been designed to scale up to any requirement while still remaining user friendly and flexible. Utilising features that would normally only be available on very costly VMS platforms, VAST is the ideal solution for any surveillance application. Availability: Vivotek VAST is a software-based platform primarily, but is also available on Vivoteks ND range of NVRs. Cost: VAST has a once off price structure that does not require any annual fees or upgrade costs. Runs in browser or as an independent application? VAST operates as a Windows application. Standards the software adheres to: ONVIF, PSIA and a broad range of standards that make integration possible. Contact: Alex Bantjes, +27 (0)12 657 0960, alex@miro.co.za
Category: 2 MP Full HD P-iris focus a assist WDR network camera Brand/Range name: 8000 Series fixed camera ek Supplier: Vivotek Camera name: IP8162P Resolution: 2 megapixel (1920x1080) Auto/Manual focus: Manual focus Onboard storage: Yes (MicroSD/SDHC/SDXC card slot) 2 TB max. Onboard intelligence: Video motion detection, camera tampering detection. Standards supported: H.264, MJPEG, MPEG-4, ONVIF, 802.3af, IPv4, IPv6, TCP/IP, HTTP, HTTPS, UPnP, RTSP/RTP/ RTCP, IGMP, SMTP, FTP, DHCP, NTP, DNS, DDNS, PPPoE, CoS, QoS, SNMP, 802.1X Description : The Vivotek IP8162P camera offers 2-megapixel resolution (1080p full HD @ 30fps). The camera can capture a much more comprehensive area than a standard VGA camera, significantly reducing the number of cameras required. It is especially suitable for monitoring wide-open indoor spaces such as building entrances, airports, or applications requiring accurate identification. With a P-iris lens, which controls the iris with extreme precision with its built-in stepping motor, it maintains the iris opening at an optimal level at all times, resulting in superior image clarity and depth of field as well as image quality. Variations in range: IP8172P, IP8162P, IP8151P, IP8152, IP8133 Contact: Alex Bantjes, +27 (0)12 657 0960, alex@miro.co.za Name of software: Milestone Software Description/purpose: Milestone Software has been developed to be a complete surveillance platform that supports a large variety IP cameras and devices. Milestone also provides a complete management platform that allows for the integration of hundreds of different devices while using a flexible and easy to use user interface. Features/functionality: Milestone is an IP video management software platform that has been designed to allow for maximum flexibility and integration. With an open platform design, Milestone software allows for hundreds of different devices from multiple vendors to be integrated into a single platform. A flexible rule-based system combined with powerful video motion detection allows for a vast number actions to be taken based on user-selected conditions. Milestone has been developed specifically to scale up to any size and in hundreds of different layouts. From home based solutions to enterprise environments, Milestone is the VMS to use. Availability: Milestone Software is a complete software package that relies on a Windows platform for operation. Cost: Milestone has a broad pricing structure that stretches across a wide range of products and which will meet any demand. Runs in browser or as an independent application? Milestone can be used in a Web-based environment but the core software has been developed to function as an independent application. Standards the software adheres to: ONVIF, PSIA and a broad range of standards that make integration possible. Contact: Alex Bantjes, +27 (0)12 657 0960, alex@miro.co.za
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Category:
20x zoom, 2 MP full HD WDR, 60 fps PoE Plus camera a
Brand/Range name: 8000 Series Speed Dome Supplier: Vivotek Camera name: SD8362E Resolution: 2 megapixel (1920x1080) Auto/Manual focus: Auto & manual focus ocus Onboard storage: Yes (MicroSD/SDHC/SDXC card slot) 2 TB max. Onboard intelligence: Video motion detection, camera tampering detection Standards supported: H.264, MJPEG, MPEG-4, ONVIF, 802.3af, IPv4, IPv6, TCP/IP, HTTP, HTTPS, UPnP, RTSP/RTP/ RTCP, IGMP, SMTP, FTP, DHCP, NTP, DNS, DDNS, PPPoE, CoS, QoS, SNMP, 802.1X Description: The SD8362E is part of the Supreme series product line offering 2 megapixel or 1080p resolution with superb image quality (up to 60 fps @ 720p and 30 fps @ 1080p). Integrated WDR technology, the SD8362E can also cope with challenging lighting conditions. Adopting a 20x optical zoom lens, the SD8362E is able to capture details at top-notch quality. The camera is especially suitable for monitoring wide-open indoor/outdoor spaces such as airports, high ways and parking lots where high-level reliability and precision are always required. Variations in range: SD8323E, SD8322E, SD8321E Contact: Alex Bantjes, +27 (0)12 657 0960, alex@miro.co.za
Category: Ca 5 MP 360 surround view, vandal proof Fisheye fixed va dome camera do Brand/Range name: Br 8000 80 Series FishEye Supplier: Vivotek Su ot tek Camera name: FE8172V Ca 72V Resolution: 5 megapixel Progressive Sensor (1920x1920) Re Auto/Manual focus: Manual focus Onboard storage: Yes (MicroSD/SDHC/SDXC card slot) 2TB max. Onboard intelligence: Video motion detection, camera tampering detection Standards supported: H.264, MJPEG, MPEG-4, ONVIF, 802.3af, IPv4, IPv6, TCP/IP, HTTP, HTTPS, UPnP, RTSP/RTP/RTCP, IGMP, SMTP, FTP, DHCP, NTP, DNS, DDNS, PPPoE, CoS, QoS, SNMP, 802.1X Description: Vivotek FE8172V is the latest fisheye fixed dome network camera, featuring a detailed 5 megapixel resolution sensor with superb image quality. Equipped with a fisheye lens for 180 panoramic view (wall mount) or 360 surround view (ceiling/floor/table mount) without blind spots, the camera is able to provide coverage of wide, open areas, such as airports, shopping malls, parking lots, retail stores, offices and more. Variations in range: FE8171V, CC8130 Contact: Alex Bantjes, +27 (0)12 657 0960, alex@miro.co.za o.co.za Category: C 5 MP full HD, Smart Focus System, fixed dome S network camera n Brand/Range name: B 8000 Series Dome 8 Supplier: Vivotek S Camera name: FD8372 C Resolution: 5 megapixel R pixel (2560x1920) 92 20) Auto/Manual focus: Remote focus (auto A ( t focus) f ) Onboard storage: Yes (MicroSD/SDHC/SDXC card slot) 2 TB max O Onboard intelligence: Video motion detection, camera tampering detection Standards supported: H.264, MJPEG, MPEG-4, ONVIF, 802.3af, IPv4, IPv6, TCP/IP, HTTP, HTTPS, UPnP, RTSP/RTP/RTCP, IGMP, SMTP, FTP, DHCP, NTP, DNS, DDNS, PPPoE, CoS, QoS, SNMP, 802.1X Description: Vivotek FD8372 is an IP67 rated indoor/outdoor dome camera offering 5 megapixel resolution with up to 30 fps (1080P) and built-in IR illuminators. The Smart Focus System allows for easy installation and adjustment by adopting a lens with a built-in stepper motor that can remotely control the focal length and precisely adjust the camera focus, offering hassle-free installation and maintenance. The IP8372 is also equipped with a mounting bracket that conceals all cables within. Variations in range: FD8362E, FD8162, FD8335H, FD8134V, FD8134, FD8151V, FD8136 Contact: Alex Bantjes, +27 (0)12 657 0960, alex@miro.co.za
Category: 5 MP bullet network camera, a, a , 30m IR, Smart Focus System, m m, WDR, IP67 Brand/Range name: 8000 Series Bullet Supplier: Vivotek tek Camera name: IP8372 72 2 Resolution: 5 megapixel g gapixel (2560x1920) 0x1920) 1920) Auto/Manual focus: Remote focus (auto focus) Onboard storage: Yes (MicroSD/SDHC/SDXC card slot) 2 TB max. Onboard intelligence: Video motion detection, camera tampering detection Standards supported: H.264, MJPEG, MPEG-4, ONVIF, 802.3af, IPv4, IPv6, TCP/IP, HTTP, HTTPS, UPnP, RTSP/RTP/ RTCP, IGMP, SMTP, FTP, DHCP, NTP, DNS, DDNS, PPPoE, CoS, QoS, SNMP, 802.1X Description: Vivotek IP8372 is an IP67 rated outdoor bullet camera offering 5 megapixel resolution with up to 30 fps (1080P) and built-in IR illuminators. The Smart Focus System allows for easy installation and adjustment by adopting a lens with a built-in stepper motor that can remotely control the focal length and precisely adjust the camera focus, offering hassle-free instal lation and maintenance. The IP8372 is also equipped with a mounting bracket that conceals all cables within. Variations in range: IP8362, IP8352, IP8335H, IP8332, IP8330, IP8331 Contact: Alex Bantjes, +27 (0)12 657 0960, alex@miro.co.za
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tegory: Category: Brand/Range name: Supplier: Camera name: Resolution: Auto/Manual focus: Onboard storage: Onboard intelligence: Standards supported: Description:
Variations in range:
Contact:
IndigoVision 2MP IP bullet camera IndigoVision BX Range IndigoVision BX600HD 2MP Remote zoom and focus Yes up to 32GB Micro SD card not included Motion detection H.264/Mjpeg. Audio G.711, ONVIF The BX range cameras are IndigoVisions HD and full HD range of ONVIF conformant cameras supported by the reliable SMS4 software management platform. Includes wide dynamic range with IR and a true day/ night mechanical IR cut filter. The unit is IP66 rated with a 3mm-9mm vari-focal lens. BX 500 the full HD PTZ option with 20x optical zoom. BX400 is an indoor/outdoor mini dome option with vandal proof models rated at IK10 Kershia Kistan, Reditron, 087 802 CCTV (2288), sales@reditron.co.za
Category: IP 360 megapixel camera Brand/Range name: AV365CO Supplier: Arecont Vision Camera name: H.264SurroundVideo Resolution: 8 megapixel xel Auto/Manual focus: Manual Onboard storage: No Onboard intelligence: Yes. 360 view, extended motion detection grid. Privacy masking. Standards supported: H.624 and MJPEG Description: An area typically requiring multiple PTZ cameras or multiple fixed cameras can be covered with a single panoramic camera. It delivers comprehensive coverage with forensic detail all without the need for an operator or control software. A cost efficient solution, SurroundVideo panoramic cameras virtually obsolete the need and related expense of PTZ cameras. For applications that require critical detail like licence plate recognition, combine the panoramic camera with single sensor megapixel cameras at entrance and exit points. Variations in range: 180 versions, 360 versions, 8 MP or 20 MP Day/Night versions Contact: Kershia Kistan, Reditron, 087 802 CCTV (2288), sales@reditron.co.za
Variations in range:
Contact:
IP bullet cameras Rediview IP bullet Reditron RVIP-IRB-Mini 1.3Megapixel Manual Vari focal Lens Yes. Micro SD/HC 64 GB Yes. Masking 5 user-defined areas. H.264 / MJPEG ONVIF V2.1 Latest sensor technology with 720p resolution. 100% fully functional IP camera with browser support, ONVIF compliance, and embedded Flash technology inside. Offering 3-axis movement. High Powered IR LED for night vision. Supporting PoE or 12V for the most simple of installation. Safari, Chrome, IE, Firefox, Opera: all browser compatible. 1.3 MP HD 30-50m IR 2 MP FHD 30-50m IR 3 MP FHD 30-50m IR Kershia Kistan, Reditron, 087 802 CCTV (2288), sales@reditron.co.za
C Category: S D PTZ Sony SNC-EP550 IP HD with 28X optical zoom Brand/Range name: Sony Ipela n Supplier: Reditron 50 Camera name: SNC-EP550 Resolution: 720p Auto/Manual focus: Auto Onboard storage: Yes up to 32 GB Onboard intelligence: Intelligent motion detection. Filters out normal false alarms normally associated with motion detection. Standards supported: MPEG4, H.264, JPEG. ONVIF. Description: The EP550 is a cost effective HD network PTZ that supports 28x optical zoom. It includes Wide D technology from sony @ 86dB. The PTZ has a 340-pan area. SD card slot for local stor age is also present. Variations in range: EP-521 4sif IP PTZ with 36X optical zoom EP-580 Full HD IP PTZ with 20x optical zoom ER range support full 360 degree pan Contact: Kershia Kistan, Reditron, 087 802 CCTV (2288), sales@reditron.co.za
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Category: Brand/Range name: Supplier: Camera name: Resolution: Auto/Manual focus Onboard storage: Onboard intelligence: Standards supported: Description:
IP megapixel NetFocus NS Series ForeTech NFTI-H2100 Real-time HD video streams of 1080p 2.0 MP Auto focus Yes, 32 GB Yes. Pattern tours, analytics. PoE high power, iPv4, iPv6 X20 HD IP outdoor camera Real-time HD speed dome camera Triple codec. simultaneous multi streaming Local SD card backup PoE N/A Riaan van der Merwe, Secequip +27 (0)82 904 1150, +27 (0)11 624 2576 riaan.vandermerwe@secequip.co.za
Name of software: NetFocus Description/purpose: Hybrid recording / display Features/functionality: Image enhancement by Intelligent noise filtering Intelligent video analytics Dual monitor Thumb nail preview search Digital camera zoom CMS/Web/mobile viewing and e-Map monitoring Wide range of IP camera options and NetFocus IP camera integration Availability: PC based/embedded Cost: No licence fee Unlimited cameras Runs in browser or as an independent application? Independent application and browser Standards the software adheres to: ONVIF/CAMS Contact: Riaan van der Merwe, Secequip +27 (0)82 904 1150, +27 (0)11 624 2576 riaan.vandermerwe@secequip.co.za rmerwe@secequip.co.za Category: Analogue. Intelligent IR PTZ camera a Brand/Range name: COP PTZ speed dome Supplier: COP Security Camera name: 15-CD60W-1020 Resolution: High horizontal resolution 530TV lines. Auto/Manual focus: Auto focus Onboard storage: No Onboard Intelligence: Yes. Y-WDR, masking, pattern tern tours. Standards Supported: N/A Description: Colour/mono. external super high speed dome 432x power zoom 36X optical, 12X digital Electronic image stabiliser 120-150m IR range with 72 IR LED Programmable IR schedule, IR distance Programmable 220 pre-set positions, 4 pattern tours, each 180s memory 8 Cruising tracks with 32 pre-set positions each 8 Privacy Mask Zones IR LED service life >30000 hours Variations in range: N/A Contact: Riaan van der Merwe, Secequip +27 (0)82 904 1150, +27 (0)11 624 2576 riaan.vandermerwe@secequip.co.za
Category: Analogue. Extreme long-range IR camera PTZ Brand/Range name: COP PTZ speed dome Supplier: COP Security urity Camera name: 15-AS55L L Resolution: High horizontal izontal resolution n 550TV lines nes Auto/Manual focus: Auto focus us Onboard storage: No Onboard intelligence: No Standards supported: N/A Description: Extreme long-range IR positioning high speed PTZ camera 432x power zoom -inch progressive scan CCD Super high power Infrared Length LEDs @ 200m Electronic image stabiliser WDR support 8 privacy mask zones 3D co-ordinate 128 pre-set positions Pan range 0 ~ 360, speed 300/s Tilt range +45 ~ -50, speed 0,5 ~ 60/s RS-485 multi-protocols communication Variations in range: N/A Contact: Riaan van der Merwe, Secequip +27 (0)82 904 1150, +27 (0)11 624 2576 riaan.vandermerwe@secequip.co.za
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Category: Analogue Street surveillance all-in-one camera. Brand/Range name: Supplier: Camera name: Resolution:
COP Camera COP Security 15-CO43RVIC Super High resolution CCD with Star-Light more than 600TV lines (D/N) video digital signal processor (SOC) IC. Auto/Manual focus: Manual focus. Onboard storage: No Onboard intelligence: Yes. Y-WDR, HDR. Standards supported: N/A Description: High sensitivity/resolution HDR Wide Dynamic ICR camera in external water proof housing with high power IR LEDs. Motion detection, privacy marking, H/V mirror, rotation, freeze, negative, cross line. 2X digital zoom with manual pan/tilt. Challenging high lighting condition. Auto/manual electronic shutter speed adjustable. OSD setup menu. S/N radio with auto 3D-DNR. Built in video. Variations in range: N/A Contact: Riaan van der Merwe, Secequip +27 (0)82 904 1150, +27 (0)11 624 2576 riaan.vandermerwe@secequip.co.za
Category: IP, megapixel Brand/Range name: NetFocus NS Series Supplier: ForeTech 00ATIR Camera name: NFIB-H2000ATIR Resolution: Real-time HD video streams of 1080p 2.0 MP. Auto/Manual focus: Auto focus Onboard storage: Yes. 32 GB SD Card Onboard intelligence: Yes. Masking, analytics. Standards supported: ONVIF, PoE high power, iPv4, iPv6. Description: 2 mega-HD IR bullet camera Real-time high definition dome camera Triple codec. simultaneous multi streaming Day & night by ICR PoE Auto focus Weatherproof design Variations in range: N/A Contact: Riaan van der Merwe, Secequip +27 (0)82 904 1150, +27 (0)11 624 2576 riaan.vandermerwe@secequip.co.za Category: Customisable dual sensor optical and thermal integrated PTZ system Brand/Range name: Ascendent (Canada) Supplier: Securitell Camera name: Ranger-37X-TI: Electro-Optic PTZ Camera Resolution: Optical: 600TVL (day) / 700TVL (night) Thermal: FLIR Generation 2, 17m pixel pitch. Auto/Manual focus: Auto focus Onboard storage: No Onboard intelligence: No Standards supported: PTZ communication via RS-485 / RS-422, Pelco-P/D standard protocol. IP streamer available. Description: The system boasts a 37X optical 3.5mm129.5mm IR corrected continuous zoom lens, with ultra-high resolution colour CCD and a highly tuned thermal imager for true 24/7 performance. Integrating these two sensors provides unparalleled performance resulting in accurate detection, recognition, and identification of intruders. All of this is integrated into an IP 66 housing constructed of strengthened aluminium with alloy treated anticorrosive coating. Variations in range: Customisable to suite your requirements. Suitable for fixed installations as well as portable, and rapid deployment scenarios. Optional: Various fixed thermal lenses Optical zoom thermal lenses 336x256 FLIR thermal imager 640x480 FLIR thermal imager Radar integration Image stabilisation Heater or blower Wiper Pelco D, advanced protocol Analogue to IP converter Contact: Sam Lessing, Securitell, +27 (0)82 556 6565, info@securitell-int.com
IP, megapixel es NetFocus NS Series ForeTech NFIN-H2000ATIR Real-time HD video streams of 1080p 2.0 MP Auto focus Yes. 32 GB SD Card. Yes. Masking, analytics. OnVIF, PoE high power, iPv4, iPv6 2-mega HD fixed IP dome camera Real-time HD definition Triple codec. Simultaneous multi streaming Local SD card backup Day & night by ICR PoE Bidirectional audio 90 tilting Vandal & weatherproof design Auto focus PoE / 12V. Riaan van der Merwe, Secequip +27 (0)82 904 1150, +27 (0)11 624 2576 riaan.vandermerwe@secequip.co.za
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REMOTE MONITORING
Keeping tabs from a distance

How do you decide when a remote surveillance service is the solution for your application? Is there scope for cloud-based solutions for remote surveillance in Africa?
How do you decide when a remote surveillance service is the solution for your application? Is there scope for cloud-based solutions for remote surveillance in Africa? Some may see CCTV as a grudge purchase, but the extractable operational benefits of remote surveillance are manifold, according to Mark Chertkow, MD of Graphic Imaging Technologies (GIT). By moving monitoring of surveillance offsite, one can gain a completely objective overview of onsite activities from anywhere at any time. Any possible tampering with footage is eliminated. Policies and procedures are only as good as the employees implementing them. By adopting remote offsite surveillance, companies are able to save thousands of rands. However, in addition to the monetary benefits derived from instituting remote offsite surveillance, the practice also allows the company to employ a covert health and safety watchdog. Unsafe operating practices and behaviours that infringe the health regulations of an organisation are quickly identified by an independent operator and tagged for immediate resolution. Often companies only realise after an incident has occurred that physical guarding or technology on their own are simply not a sufficient security tool, said Roy Wyman, MD of Remote Offsite Monitoring (ROM). The vast choice of remote surveillance companies is starting to become a real issue, with low-cost emerging companies dominating the market. Unfortunately, unless these companies do a full needs analysis of customer needs, the likelihood of the service providing a return on investment are highly unlikely, said Jacques du Toit, CEO of Vox Telecom. It is critical to match the customers requirements with the correct system. A bona fide remote offsite surveillance operator will spend time with the client discussing and establishing specific risk areas. Decisions on whether the client requires hi-res cameras, or a number plate identification system, or even cameras with night vision will be made once their advantages and applicability to the environment are determined. Remote surveillance removes collusion and intimidation once one eliminates the human element from the onsite security equation. This also releases capital that can be invested in installing surveillance cameras, which are capable of providing eight times more visibility due to their constant coverage of areas. Around 95% of alarms received by armed reaction companies are actually false alarms. Remote surveillance will confirm the extent of a security breach and provide the armed reaction company with accurate information on the number of intruders and their positions within the premises. Finally, offsite footage and incident reports provide customers with a chain of evidence for prosecutory purposes.
Floating on a cloud
Given the mixed response to the advantages of cloud or hosted surveillance internationally, do local companies believe that this is a viable option for Africa? On the current model, one pays for bandwidth, so by pushing footage onto the cloud, one increases the operational costs, said Chertkow. However, one could feed only event-driven footage onto the cloud and download it offsite. The management of companies tends to be wary about having critical business data and footage hosted remotely. There is an overriding fear of systems being hacked. We suggest that companies install a separate firewall for business-critical data that only the client can access, said Du Toit. There is definitely a place for hosting on the cloud. The international market is not faced with the same high levels of crime and collusion that Africa does. By moving footage offsite into the cyber realm, one is able to sidestep collusion. The biggest stumbling block at present is the lack of knowledge around the benefits of cloud/hosted solutions and remote monitoring, said Wyman. The bottom line is that customers need to be educated on these benefits in an objective manner. There will be instances where remote offsite monitoring is not the solution. Only by talking to an experienced and reputable company will this be determined. Customers are advised to ask prospective remote offsite monitoring companies to provide them with references. Visit working sites and establish whether the company you are entrusting the security of your assets to is able to provide you with the system and service you really need, Wyman concluded.
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REMOTE MONITORING
Remotely reactive
By Andrew Seldon.
What makes a remote monitoring service work?

One of the key growth areas in the surveillance market in South Africa is the remote monitoring industry. Many commercial and private organisations are opting to have video surveillance protecting people and assets 24x7 in the hope that cameras manned by remote operators are less likely to succumb to intimidation or collusion. In many cases, the remote service providers claim their services, including the hardware are cheaper than manned guarding services. In addition, with video coverage of your premises, you will have less chance of false alarms as every alert can be verified before dispatching armed response or calling the police. Still others are using remote video monitoring to support their business processes and health and safety procedures. Just how effective is this? And what do the people in the industry see happening in the market? Will growth continue or are we seeing a levelling off with larger organisations developing their own in-house remote services? And what are the best practices to follow when looking at a remote service? reasonable, within pricing constraints. The obvious alternative is having a separate back-up ADSL service provider to combat failovers on the lines. Wireless options are also available. Jacques Du Toit, MD, VoxOrion Telecom: There are a few key issues to take into consideration, such as: Customers need to understand what kind of connectivity comes with the SLA. Broadband services such as ADSL is best effort and highly contended and there is no time in which network operators are forced to maintain within a specific time. If safety and security is really important for a customer, then it is important that one applies for a service that comes with an SLA; that it is uncontended and that there is a guaranteed mean time in which to prepare. If full redundancy is required, a customer must make peace with fact that he needs an exact copy of the primary service, but through another vendor using other technologies. Our suggestion is that a company uses its primary data service that is not used during the day for security monitoring at night. In most cases these links are of higher quality and come with the required SLA. Dusty Van Den Berg, sales manager, Daytona Electronics: There are two sides to connectivity, firstly the control room and secondly the clients side. When visiting the control room ask to see the server room handling the control room communications, question the availability of incoming and outgoing lines and question the backup or fail over strategy as well. It is not enough to just insure the availability of lines but also question the speed and amount of data utilisation on these lines. Its of no use having 10 lines running at 100% capacity all the time as data will be lost. Question the stability of the lines, most communication networks in SA run on a copper backbone and or through Telkom, this is susceptible to lightning and breakdowns, fibre communication is far preferable. The client side will need to be planed based on the client requirements. Most bigger businesses have got IT departments that look after all the communication issues and have often got several configurations that they can use to get video and alarms through to the control room with some sort of fail over as well. Also keep in mind that most larger corporation also have strict IT policies that govern the data communications, this can often be a large obstacle to overcome, I would recommend getting the IT department involved from the inception of the project as they will be able to advise what can and what may not be done. For smaller business the list is endless, it is recommended that nothing less than a 1 Mb DLS is made available for the video streaming, and depending on the risk to be protected a fail over line will need to be added to this, which could be a 3G data card, bearing in mind the costs of 3G data. Continued on page 70
Hi-Tech Security Solutions: The issue with any communications activity in South Africa is bandwidth and the reliability of your connectivity. What should customers expect to get from their service providers in terms of connectivity when they sign up for remote surveillance? Failover/different service providers/ wireless and wired etc.?
Gary Stephenson, MD, Wright Surveillance: Customers will obviously expect to be connected at all times. Realistically the service provider has to ensure that they have as many fail-over communication options as is
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REMOTE MONITORING
Continued from page 68
Hi-Tech Security Solutions: What services and capabilities, overall (not connectivity), must customers look for in their remote service providers? With many people offering remote monitoring, how can a potential customer separate those who are capable and those who are trying to cash in on the trend?
Stephenson: Establishing and operating a CCTV surveillance control room is a specialised security service. Successful service providers in this industry are those with extensive experience in the security industry, and can offer an end-to-end solution. This entails developing a bespoke security solution for each client; installation of the appropriate technology best suited to that clients operating environment; and remote monitoring of the incoming signal/image by experienced and qualified operators. The success of the service is in lowering the customers risk. It is vital for potential customers to look for service providers with a proven track record, and request references of existing clients to verify the quality of the service delivery. Du Toit: Most importantly here, is the quality of the control room. The agent must be appropriately and adequately trained and graded, and it is also crucial that he be suitably capable of dealing with a tense situation. In addition, the control room must be secure and have an acceptable level of redundancy from power to security, people and systems. The systems behind the technology (such as incident management reporting software) must be foolproof this is the heartbeat of the system. The system must guide the operator on what actions to take and not allow for any shortcuts. Other factors to be taken into account include whether the required escalation capabilities are in place, and communication is key; i.e. the ability to communicate to both the stakeholder and the armed reaction company; the accuracy of the physical incident report of the event from the armed reaction company to the customer, etc. We are talking about world-class automated communication. Look out as well for the ability to report on trends, i.e. the same gate, the same person, etc. Van Den Berg: Vet all your suppliers. It is not enough to take the word of a salesman, see for yourself. Go through and see a few suppliers, most of the more reputable companies will be very willing to show you their infrastructure and control rooms as they are proud of it, they will be more than willing to also guide you and offer you advice on what to look for and warn you of potential problem to look out for. The list of questions is almost endless, but as long as you ask plenty of questions you will not come short. It still surprises me how many calls we get from clients that have just experienced an incident and their remote surveillance service was found lacking, then when they come and see how we do things and it becomes clear that the wool was pulled over their eyes.
recruits high quality CCTV controllers that undergo further specialised in-house training programmes. For example, our controllers undergo training in kinesics (understanding body language), which equips them to identify potential threats pro-actively. Du Toit: The first question to ask is what function one is fulfilling and differentiate between armed reaction, surveillance, monitoring, guarding or CCTV installation and maintenance. Our business is not about surveillance, i.e. looking at a live screen 24-hours a day trying to identify suspect behaviour. Our business is monitoring. Monitoring is reactive. So when an alarm is triggered, the situation is properly assessed and the correct communication steps are followed. For this function one needs an operator that can operate IP-based technology, keep calm in a tense situation and communicate with customers and armed reaction companies in an appropriate manner. Van Den Berg: All security staff need to be registered with PSIRA, ask to see all the control room staff as well as the companys PSIRA certificates, the higher the grade of the operators certificate the better. Question other qualifications achieved by the controllers, computer skills, and additional product specific training. Keep in mind this is an evolving industry so question on-going training programmes. As much as the controllers are there monitoring the site, a mention must be made to the technical staff in the background, as we are all aware things will go wrong at the oddest times, another good question is the availability of technical staff as connections and technical issues do not only occur during office hours. If and when there is a technical issue after hours, what is the remedy, and availability of spares.
Hi-Tech Security Solutions: Should remote surveillance operators provide a full security service as in guards, armed response, installation etc. in addition to their remote work, or should they stick to their knitting with surveillance?
Stephenson: In order to ensure the highest quality of service delivery and minimise the potential for collusion, our philosophy is that the perfect security service scenario is where the guarding, armed response and off-site monitoring services are supplied by different service providers. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? which means Who will guard the guards themselves? Having the guarding company monitored by an independent remote monitoring centre who will engage an independent armed response company ensures the client has three layers of protection. It is critical to the success of remote surveillance that the monitoring company does the design and installation of the clients CCTV system. For the service to be successful the remote monitoring station must be receiving the appropriate alarm signals and CCTV images. Du Toit: It must be independent. One of the benefits of being independent is that one cannot hide ones dirty washing. We provide valuable information to the customer for example: response time to react from the armed reaction company or actual onsite guard activity, i.e. sleeping on duty or physical patrols. Continued on page 72
Hi-Tech Security Solutions: Security skills are always an issue in the industry. What skills does your remote provider need to have on board? What skills (or people) should they be hiring for what different functions?
Stephenson: The quality of the remote monitoring station personnel is integral to the level of service delivery to the client. Wright Surveillance
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REMOTE MONITORING
Du Toit: A good relationship with and a clear understanding of the SLA that the armed response company provides to the customer; redundancy from a connectivity perspective; properly trained and reliable staff and a fully comprehensive incident management report system. Van Den Berg: As with any specialised service such as remote video surveillance, it is attention to detail that is going to set you apart from your opposition, its not just offering a service at the cheapest price. It is in that your customer knows that you are there looking out for their best interests. Its in having audibility on everything that happens in and around the control room, for when there is an incident, thats when the questions get asked. Its about ensuring that the customer knows he is not just a number to your bottom line.
Continued from page 70 Van Den Berg: I believe that the remote surveillance services are only a small part in the bigger picture. I would recommend that the client looks at his entire security risk profile and do a full risk assessment, as remote video surveillance is only small part of the entire risk, it is a proactive measure to prevent and limit the criminals time on site. I would not recommend that the client puts all his eggs in one basket so to speak, if the operator sees a guard or armed response officer doing something that they are not meant to be doing, he is now left with an ethical dilemma, does he tell the client and put his companys name in a bad light and risk getting into trouble, or does he tell his employer and put the client at risk?
Hi-Tech Security Solutions: How does your company differentiate itself in a crowded market?
Stephenson: Wright Surveillance is an end-to-end CCTV security solution partner, offering CCTV planning, installation and maintenance through to remote monitoring in our technologically advanced control room. With over 20 years in the security industry and over 10 years in remote monitoring, Wright Surveillance consultants have the experience and expertise to offer the WRIGHT solution that is tailored to customers specific needs. Full onsite assessments facilitate delivery of optimised solutions to offer a total integrated security package. We offer full time or event-based surveillance plus the option of virtual guard tours and supervision, access control and energy management. Our experienced surveillance team operates in a secure, offsite central monitoring station allowing optimum effectiveness. Wright Surveillance is among the pioneers of remote CCTV monitoring in South Africa, and our vast experience ensures that our CCTV security systems deliver as promised. Du Toit: The biggest difference is that our remote monitoring offering fits into our existing folder of converged communications products being provided No additional connectivity is required its just another IP service offered on top of the clients data services, IP PABX, hosted e-mail or any other cloud base service offered simply another piece of the converged communications puzzle. Van Den Berg: Daytona Electronics is a company that specialises in remote video monitoring for key clients, we analyse the risk and custom fit a remote video monitoring package to the clients specific requirements, ensuring that the service will benefit the client and minimise the risk he is experiencing. We have been doing remote video surveillance for more than seven years, and have learned through experience the that this is not a one-package-fits-all-industry. We have an experienced and well-motivated team that is driven to ensure customer satisfaction.
Hi-Tech Security Solutions: What are the control room specialities a successful remote service provider needs to have on board?
Stephenson: A successful remote monitoring station provides an instant response to received alarms and CCTV footage. Immediate evaluation of the activity/event by experienced control room operators is followed by the necessary corrective action. This could include notifying the other security services on site, challenging the intruders via onsite speakers, and calling the appropriate authorities such as armed response and SAPS. It is imperative to have the correct ratio of control room operators to number of clients, to ensure that all incoming signals are appropriately managed. Technologically advanced IT infrastructure is necessary, which includes an automated occurrence book and reporting system that is integrated into the software platform. Wright Surveillances extensive experience in the field of remote monitoring means that were well aware of what technology delivers the right results in the control room, and what doesnt. After using various products over the years, weve found affordable products and installation techniques that supersede all others on the market, and provide the best integration, image quality, speed and reliability all essential components when looking to ensure the delivery of a superior security solution.
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REMOTE MONITORING
Process and technology combined

HSS asked Philip Smerkovitz, MD of TeleEye (South Africa) if CCTV as a service works?
The short answer to the question is, simply, yes. Remote CCTV monitoring is currently one of the fastest-growing sectors in the security industry. Closed circuit television (CCTV) systems have become another effective weapon in South Africas anti-crime arsenal. It has often been said that technology will be South Africas saving grace in the war against crime and CCTV is an example of one of those anti-crime technologies that work exceptionally well. It is important to point out at an early stage that there are two distinct aspects to CCTV remote monitoring alarm monitoring or video alarm verification and video management. The former is concerned with protecting the clients people and assets, while the latter is essentially a management and control function. Both halves of the equation work in symphony to ensure a complete remote monitoring solution. It is commonplace that for the security or alarm handling aspect, the customer would subscribe to services of a remote video response centre (RVRC), whilst the Philip Smerkovitz client would often engage in their own management monitoring. An effective remote monitoring solution should allow for both security and management function to take place concurrently without affecting each other. Remote management monitoring works as a service because it has the obvious advantage of allowing the client to virtually be in multiple locations at one time. In addition, one management operator can monitor several cameras at one time, instead of physically watching one individual. This is especially relevant to certain industries that are feeling the pinch of rising costs coupled with declining productivity. The mining industry, in particular, comes to mind. You have a massive dispersed workforce to manage and highvalue assets to protect. The twin halves of the remote monitoring equation video management and alarm verification are perfectly designed for this industry and many others. These include mobile telecommunications where remote base stations require protection and banking where ATMs have become prized targets among criminals who are longer able to crack bank safes or reliably prey on cash-in-transit vehicles. While CCTV remote monitoring is an effective security solution, it is only as good as its installer and equipment used. TeleEye can quote numerous examples of CCTV installations not properly taking into account critical factors such as backup power, lightning and surge protection and most importantly the available bandwidth at a client site. While there is a shortage of bandwidth in South Africas outlying areas that would benefit most from remote CCTV monitoring, TeleEye has managed to develop a compression protocol called SMAC-M that provides higher quality images and faster frame rates than products using the H.264 protocol. In the countrys cities, more bandwidth is becoming available which means now is the time to consider HD CCTV remote monitoring instead of SD CCTV, which has the disadvantage of lower image quality. This makes more advanced high definition remote monitoring applications highly challenging. That being said, where there are bandwidth limitations in rural areas, TeleEye clients can remain on SD as we offer highly-efficient remote monitoring solutions no matter what the bandwidth available in the clients area. It is also interesting to note that even our HD CCTV solutions use 50% less bandwidth than systems utilising the H.264 protocol. One of the most important points that prospective CCTV clients need to know is that many video alarm verification and video management systems are cut and pasted together by installers using different standards and manufacturers. An example of this would be a company providing a separate alarm panel, DVR and IP encoders and/or cameras to form a remote monitoring solution. On the other hand a TeleEye remote monitoring video recording server provides a BS:8418 (British Standard) compliant alarm management system, high end video recording functionality and a TCP/IP video server from a single device. TeleEyes sureGUARD video alarm verification software then provides a complete integrated control room solution providing the necessary features such as remote recordings, event distribution to operators, sophisticated event management and operator and site logging. We are able to offer both CCTV alarm and management abilities via true multi-stream technology, SMACM, where bandwidth and user functions are separated from each other on different data streams and video channels. This means they dont affect each other yet one unified system has been deployed. This means total cost of ownership is lower, increasing reliability and efficiency. In conclusion, it is important to state that site installation is absolutely critical in terms of security monitoring. In this regard, TeleEye adheres to the UK CCTV standard known as BS8418. This standard specifies a Code of Practice outlining how TeleEye as a manufacturer, should develop critical features in compliance with this standard, how the site should be installed and how the control room should operate. This ensures that local expertise operates according to global best practice with all the associated benefits for clients. For more information contact TeleEye (South Africa), +27 (0)11 557 9200, www.teleeye.com
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FISHEYE/PANORAMIC CAMERAS
When you want to see everything

Whats happening in the world of fisheye/panorama cameras?

Whats happening in the world of fisheye/panorama cameras? What functionality do they have and do they have todays ever-popular low light capabilities? The following companies have integrated with Sentry360: Milestone, NICE, Teleste, Video-Insight, Arteco, Genetec, Axxonsoft, Viasys, Infinova, Alnet and a further 20 VMS partners. The best applications for these cameras include larger areas where users require coverage with fewer cameras. This would typically be at stadia, storage facilities and petrol stations, said Sichelschmidt.
FullSight
According to Dean Sichelschmidt, technical director at Natech Universal Technology, the companys FullSight range offers panoramic cameras in the 360-degree and 180-degree categories. Both the Sentry360 and Sentry180 FullSight cameras are supplied with free SentryCore VMS software. This software is fully featured with remote viewing, 180/360 de-warping, camera mapping and placement, advanced storage optimisation. In addition, the company also markets Video-Insight and ArtecoLogic software for panorama cameras. Both FullSight camera types utilise a single multi-megapixel sensor, combined with high-resolution optics. All models in the range come with day/night IR capabilities. On-board storage enables full redundancy should the NVR lose power supply. Resolutions of 1.3 to 10 MP are available in the FullSight 360 series cameras. These cameras provide a 360-degree vantage point with no blind spots and no moving parts. The immersive imaging technology allows you to see, record and playback the full 360-degree field-of-view, ensuring that activity is recorded anywhere in the scene at all times. The FullSight 180 versions offer a 180-degree view from a surfacemountable dome for both indoor and outdoor usage. The camera has a resolution of 2 to 8 MP, but performs optimally where resolutions of less than 3 MP are required. Both cameras are supplied with VMD and full video content analysis with ArtecoLogic. They have low light (0.2 lux) functionality and work well with infrared illuminators.
Dynacolor
Pasco Lattuca, a director of Security Warehouse, said that the Dynacolor fisheye cameras come with free bundled software that can record and view camera data. The camera is also integrated with our Digi-iT open platform NVR software, providing more views and per-channel recording. The Dynacolor camera provides both 180-degree and 360-degree viewing using the Dynacolor NVR software. However, utilising the Digi-iT NVR software allows for 360-degree de-warped view. In total, there are seven possible views: normal 360-degree fisheye; 360degree de-warped; 2 x 180-degree de-warped in one channel; and 4 x 90-degree views, each on its own channel. All the de-warped views support e-PTZ, enabling the user to customise all the fields of view for the different channels, Lattuca explained. The Digi-iT NVR software records all the possible channels on motion, event, continuous or a combination of these. The camera can be mounted on a wall or ceiling and h has a built-in microphone and speaker. The software also offers digital zoom in the live view and playback using t the full power of megapixel c cameras. The Dynacolor is a true da day/night camera featuring ICR (infrared cut) function and a bu built-in IR illuminator with a Smart IR function to provide an
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excellent low light image. The advanced 3D noise reduction function also assists in providing a clear image at night and eliminates the noise (snowiness) caused by motion recording, said Lattuca. The Dynacolor is a 5 MP camera with quad stream capability. At full 5 MP resolution the camera provides 10 frames per second and at full 1080 HD real-time it provides 25 frames per second. The camera can also run on 3 MP, full 1080p HD, 720p HD, D1, VGA and CIF. The cameras powerful light management settings, including WDR, make it suitable for shop fronts, reception areas and over aisles in retail stores.
Avigilon
Avigilon panoramic cameras use the Avigilon Control Center (ACC) with High Definition Stream Management (HDSM), to effectively capture, manage and store HD multi-megapixel surveillance video data, while efficiently managing bandwidth and storage. ACC records and manages audio and video from Avigilons broad range of multi-megapixel
IP cameras (from 1 to 29 megapixels) and other leading manufacturers equipment, said Ryno van der Vyver, regional sales manager southern Africa. Our JPEG 2000 HD panoramic dome cameras feature four 2 MP sensors which provide 180-degreeor 360-degree coverage in high definition from a single camera. The software comes with several advanced features including alarm monitoring, integrated graphic mapping, motion detection, bookmark and export functionality, POS transaction engines, system status and security management. ACC is also ONVIF compliant and we support numerous integrations with third-party providers, added Van der Vyver. The JPEG 2000 HD panoramic dome cameras feature four 2-MP sensors for a total resolution of 8 MP. The JPEG 2000 HD panoramic dome camera is ideal for monitoring indoor and outdoor environments for sectors such as education, banking, retail, accommodation and hospitality or for any location where installation points are limited, he said.
CatVision does panoramic views

Cathexis offers completes 180 degree and 360 degree fisheye camera transformation algorithms.
Cathexis has included spherical and rectangular transformation algorithms in its latest CatVision software. This enables the system to receive 180 degree and 360 degree video feeds from fisheye cameras and then transform them into normal views from within the CatVision software. The predominant differentiating factor is that the CatVision software can provide multiple transformed views from a single video feed. This is contrary to many available VMS systems where the transformation has to be performed by the camera itself demanding that the system receives multiple video streams. Another advantage of this feature is that the CatVision archive player can also perform the transformations, so only the source video need be recorded, rather than multiple streams. In the image, you can see the original source feed and transformed views of the same video feed rendered from the CatVision software. The feature is available as standard in all of the CatVision software packages.
For more information contact Cathexis Africa, +27 (0)31 240 0800, info@cat.co.za, www.cathexis.co.za.
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INTELLIGENT STORAGE
IP surveillance and storage

By Richard Hepplestone, CCTV product manager at IDS.
Intelligent recording by effectively managing your surveillance system.

Anyone with experience in high-resolution IP surveillance will agree that one of the most difficult (and often most expensive) components of the solution to manage is storage. In some cases the storage can be more expensive than all the other components. With the way the cameras are dropping in price and giving higher resolutions, this is only going to become more of a challenge. Another problem is trying to accurately predict storage requirements when using H.264 since it then becomes not only how often there is motion, but how much motion there is. The other challenge is that, due to the need to write away multiple streams of high resolution video, good disk access speeds are required. Information technology has given us numerous ways to provide the large amounts of storage required, with external arrays which allow us to add large numbers of drives, fibre channel and serial attached SCSI (SAS) which help with the access speeds, mirror and RAID techniques which help with data redundancy (as well as performance) and even differential backup techniques to make the creation of offsite backups viable. This is all excellent technology, with some of the IT manufacturers even creating products to address the specific needs of surveillance (e.g. Promise storage arrays, Seagate surveillance drives). The problem though, is the cost. Although most significant sized projects will more than likely require the leap from simple PC hard drives to enterprise storage systems, we still need to look at how we can minimise the storage requirement. Here are some techniques that can assist you with this. relevant as a point of reference since the only similarity between video surveillance and television is the moving picture on the screen. The fundamental purpose of television is entertainment while the fundamental purpose of video surveillance is security (mostly even though sometimes the footage can be quite entertaining). We need to ask ourselves if high frame rates are necessary. Sometimes just a single frame per second may be adequate (for example when looking at a wide area for general activity), and sometimes high frame rates are needed (for example licence plate recognition on moving traffic). It can also be useful to have a video management system that provides the flexibility to record at various frame rates. For example, you may choose to have a few days short-term storage at high frame rates and then long-term storage at low frame rates.
Intelligent recording
Possibly the most underutilised technique to save on storage space is making use of intelligent recording. Even the most basic analogue systems allow for recording on motion, and even recording specifically when there is motion in a particular area of the screen, and this has been used for many years to reduce storage requirements (and help when it comes to searching for footage), however, intelligent video management software allows for the triggering of recording (as well as alerts) using more intelligent detectors. As well as being able to configure multiple motion based recording zones, you can look at detectors such as line crossing (in a specific direction maybe), loitering (we dont care if someone walks past but if they hang around for more than a few minutes we want to know), an object disappearing and more. Integration with access control or intrusion alarm systems may also be employed to assist with this. Sometimes, the cost saving (in terms of storage) can be higher than the price of the video management software, not to mention the value of time saved when retrieving footage. So we all know that storage can get expensive, and high resolution video footage can be a huge consumer of this. The key thing is to remember what the solution was designed for and to only record what you need, in the detail you need and when you need it. Remember that a jerky image due to low frame rate may not be cosmetically nice, but may be practically perfectly good for the job. A video management system can provide you with the flexibility and intelligence to ensure you achieve your goals with the ideal balance between the volume/ detail of stored images and the storage space required. For more information contact Inhep Digital Security, +27 (0)31 705 1373, alison.r@inhep.com
Resolution for resolutions sake

Dont think that higher resolution is necessarily better. The human eye struggles to discern any difference between 1 MP and 5 MP. The only time that high resolution is an advantage is if there is a need to use digital zoom capabilities. Even if the camera has high resolution capabilities (but may have been selected for other reasons such as WDR), dont be afraid to drop the resolution in the configuration of the camera. It will not only help for storage, but can also reduce load on the network.
The fast frame rate fallacy

When watching a movie or sport on TV, we want it to appear smooth and lifelike and with the exception of a few highly detail-oriented individuals we get our wish here. The standard for most television or movies we watch is around 24fps. In fact with some animated movies, they show each picture twice creating an effective 12fps. This is however only
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TECHNOLOGY: COMPRESSION
Understanding compression technologies

An Avigilon white paper.
Understanding compression technologies for HD and megapixel surveillance.

by a camera. The end result is a series of individually compressed When the security industry began the transition from using VHS images. tapes to hard disks for video surveillance storage, the question of Video that is compressed using a frame-by-frame compression how to compress and store video became a top consideration for technology presents a number of benefits over the more complivideo surveillance system designers. As the industry moves from cated inter-frame compression technologies discussed later. First, analogue cameras and digital video recorders (DVR) to IP cameras the resulting video generand network video recorders Table 1. Compression technology selection by application ated through frame-by-frame (NVR), how to compress and store video comes into question Application Resolution Image rate Compression technology compression is a series of individually compressed frames again. Parking Lot 16 MP 3 JPEG2000 that do not require information When analogue cameras are Cafeteria 5 MP 7 JPEG2000 from other frames they can connected to a DVR, video comLobby 3 MP 7 JPEG2000 be compressed and transmitted pression is performed inside Doorway 2 MP 15 H.264 out of a camera more quickly to the recorder unit at a central Hallway 1 MP 15 H.264 reduce latency. location. While IP camera video Casino 1 MP 30 H.264 Second, because each frame compression is performed acts as an independently accessible frame and is not built up from inside the camera then transmitted to the NVR in the compressed multiple frames, recorded video can be accessed more quickly. This format. The centralised compression of DVRs typically meant that all rapid access improves investigation effi ciency and can improve the cameras in the surveillance system had to use the same compresforensic viability of the recorded video. In the most demanding sion technology. IP cameras, on the other hand, have allowed for the high security situations, providing all recorded video as a series of design of hybrid systems that can use multiple compression techindependent video frames ensures that video integrity cannot be nologies on the same system. As a result, it is critical for end-users, challenged as valid evidence due to incomplete frames generated integrators, and system designers to have a clear understanding of by the compression process. the compression technologies available. Knowing when each should The two main frame-by-frame compression technologies curbe used will create the best results in a system design. rently used in video surveillance are discussed in more detail in the There are now a wide variety of compression technologies following sections. available on the market, but no clear standard has emerged. At the same time, implementations of a particular technology may vary JPEG from one vendor to another. Often, installers think only of file and JPEG compression is most widely used for static image compression disk size and how that determines the number of days video is in digital cameras and on the Internet. JPEG compression is named stored, neglecting the fact that video compression can also impact after the Joint Photographic Experts Group and was initially introa video surveillance system design. For example, video compression duced in 1992. technology impacts the choice of hardware for client workstations, Based on a compression technique known as a discrete cosine what transmission systems can be used, and the speed, success, and transform, JPEG compression relies on blocks of pixels, typically 8x8 efficiency of investigations. in size, to compress the information in an image and reduce its file size. This block-based transformation typically introduces blocking Frame-by-frame and inter-frame compression artifacts. These block artifacts can sometimes obscure image details technologies when JPEG images are heavily compressed. There are two broad groups of compression technologies currently used in video surveillance: frame-by-frame compression and interframe compression. Each technology group incorporates different formats and in turn has its own trade-offs. Understanding these differences will allow the system designer to choose the right compression technology to best meet the projects requirements and performance objectives. Frame-by-frame compression Frame-by-frame, or intra-frame, compression technologies compress video by applying a compression algorithm to each frame captured JPEG2000 Since its introduction in 2000, JPEG2000 has become a widely used standard in many different industries. For example, JPEG2000 is used in digital cinema, diagnostic medical images, document archiving, and in the capture and transmission of images from satellites and other military applications. JPEG2000 is designed to preserve as much detail and evidence as possible within the image while greatly reducing file sizes. Continued on page 82
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Continued from page 80 compression for reducing the file size of a digital image, but encode As a wavelet-based compression technology, JPEG2000 allows different types of frames within video as a group of pictures (GOP) for additional compression with fewer artifacts in the image. rather than as independent images. The JPEG2000 compression process generates images that are A GOP is typically composed of three different frame types: I, P, 30 percent smaller in file size and bandwidth than a conventional and B frames. Intra-Frames (I-Frames) are complete encoded images JPEG image of the same visual quality, and adds similar to the images generated using JPEG additional features for effective streaming and or JPEG2000 compression. Predicted-Frames transmission. (P-Frames) are coded with reference to the Two additional features of JPEG2000 previous image, which can be either another compression are its ability to capture a wide P-Frame or the previous I-Frame. Bidirectionaldynamic range and its ability to scale to higher Frames (B-Frames) are sandwiched between resolutions. Dynamic range is an important I-Frames and P-Frames, and contain information topic in surveillance because many cameras are on the changes calculated between the previchallenged to record bright and dark areas that ous and subsequent frames. vary dramatically throughout the day and by Typically, MPEG-4 compression is limited season. to VGA resolutions and isnt commonly availFigure 1. Frame-by-frame The ability to capture dynamic range is able for higher resolution surveillance cameras. compression expressed in bits. Most compression techSimilar to JPEG, most implementations of nologies capture 8-bits of dynamic range, MPEG-4 compression in surveillance are limited which means it can describe 256 different to 8-bits of dynamic range. This results in a intensities of light within the image. The sensors loss of information if the camera is capable of used in surveillance cameras are often capable capturing a wider dynamic range. of capturing more than 256 intensities of light and more information than even the human eye H.264 can see. H.264 is the newest compression technology JPEG2000 was designed to preserve the used in the security industry. H.264 compresextra information that the sensors generate and sion is actually a variant of the MPEG-4 stanmaintain it in the compressed video. The second dard, commonly referred to as MPEG-4 Part 10 key feature of JPEG2000 is its use of progressive Advanced Video Coding (AVC). It uses the same Figure 2. Inter-Frame Compression compression to efficiently allow the transmisbasic concepts of I, P, and B Frames to encode sion and display of very high resolution images. Information on the video, but relies on more advanced coding technologies. One JPEG2000 advantage and how Avigilon has combined it with High example is motion compensation using motion vectors to compress Definition Stream Management (HDSM) for even greater results is video to a smaller size. discussed in the Streaming and Network Effects of Compression H.264 compression allows frames to be inserted between section. I-Frames in a GOP to describe the relative movement of information
Inter-frame compression
Inter-frame compression technologies rely both on compressing data within a single frame and on analysing changes between frames. The result is a stream of video that is compressed over multiple frames rather than a series of individual frames. Typically, an inter-frame compression technology will attempt to store only incremental changes between frames and store whole frames only on periodic intervals. Though this technique can result in bandwidth efficiencies, it can also lead to the loss of information because the whole frame is not retained. The technologies used for inter-frame encoding are also often referred to as temporal or time-based encoding because they rely on information spread out over time. The two main inter-frame compression technologies currently used in video surveillance are discussed in more detail in the following sections: MPEG-4 MPEG-4 compression is an umbrella term used for many different technologies defined by the Moving Picture Experts Group. Most surveillance systems implement a variant of MPEG-4 Part 2, which was introduced in 1999. However, there are many different MPEG-4 compression technologies available and few are alike. MPEG-4 compression incorporates the same basic technology as JPEG
from a reference frame, further reducing the information required to represent video. Another feature of H.264 that extends beyond standard MPEG-4 is the availability of de-blocking filters. De-blocking filters can smooth artifacts created by large amounts of compression. This allows systems to be configured with a higher level of compression while maintaining more detail in the images.
Stream size, frame rate, lighting and activity with inter-frame compression
Inter-frame compression technologies rely on scene changes as part of its compression methodology, and can introduce variability in the size of the compressed data stream that is generated. This variability depends on the compression being used if it is configured to use a constant bit rate (CBR) or a variable bit rate (VBR). When configuring a system for a constant bit rate, the amount of compression applied increases as more activities occur. This can add compression artifacts to the image and degrade image quality. When variable bit rate compression is used, the size of the compressed stream is allowed to vary to maintain consistent image quality. Variability in the size of the compressed stream presents important challenges in system design. Networks and servers should be Continued on page 84
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Continued from page 82 visualised in the cube displayed in Figures 3 and 4. HDSM uses this designed for the worst case bandwidth demands. This ensures that feature to only transmit and decompress the portions of the video on higher activity, a network is not overwhelmed. Storage must also that the user is interested in, while storing the entire image on the be chosen carefully to ensure that the required retention times can server. If a low-resolution overview image is needed, only the front be met under all conditions. Alternatively, frame-by-frame compreslayer of the cube is sent, as shown in Figure 3. sion technologies offer a predictable (constant) compressed data If a more detailed overview image is needed, additional layers of stream size and therefore allow for simpler system designs. detail are sent. If a user is zooming in on a specific region to access Frame rate will also have a dramatic impact on the level of activity full image detail, such as the licence plate in Figure 4, HDSM will send perceived in video by the compression technology. For example, multiple layers of that specific area for viewing. a camera running at 30 frames per Because HDSM can dynamically second may use a single I-Frame every access the video in layers of detail, it two seconds and rely on changes in the can also tailor the size of the video scene to describe the other 58 frames stream being sent to the resolution of in between. At this rate, the amount of the monitor used. This results in a drachange between individual frames could matic reduction in bandwidth between be very small, and substantial savings in server and client compared to other bandwidth could be achieved by only compression technologies. Figure 3. Streaming situational awareness with storing scene changes for those frames. For example, nine 5 MP cameras JPEG 2000 However, as the frame rate is decreased, generate 45 MP of video information the amount of change between frames that is sent from camera to server. So can increase substantially. When runif a connected client were viewing ning below 10 frames per second, there the video stream on a standard 1080p may be so much incremental change monitor with a total resolution of 2 MP, between frames that an inter-frame only 2 MP worth of video information compression has little or no benefit is sent to the client. This allows HDSM over a frame-by-frame compression to reduce the bandwidth between the technology. server and client by 23 times while Figure 4. Streaming high resolution details with Scene lighting will also impact the maintaining the ability to digitally zoom JPEG 2000 ability of inter-frame compression and pan within the original image at algorithms to efficiently compress video. Often in low light scenes, full resolution. In addition to reducing client bandwidth, HDSM also noise within the image will be interpreted as a scene change by the greatly reduces the processing load on the remote client. In the compression algorithm, and cause bandwidth to increase. However, example, only 2 MP of information is received and decompressed by when implementing a compression technology, a camera manufacthe client instead of the 45 MP of information. turer can optimise their motion detection algorithm to prevent the algorithm from interpreting noise in low light images as changes in H.264 the scene. Video compressed with H.264 can only be streamed in the original
Streaming and network effects of compression

By increasing camera resolution, HD and megapixel IP cameras come with their own unique challenges for storage, bandwidth, and efficient video surveillance management. These issues can be addressed by the choice of compression technology and camera resolution. Here, we will compare JPEG2000 and H.264, the most current of the frame-by-frame and inter-frame compression technologies, and review their respective strengths and weaknesses related to streaming within a network.
JPEG2000 and high definition stream management

When used with high definition and multi-megapixel surveillance video, JPEG2000 can effectively and progressively compress the video and enable advanced functionality for retransmitting and managing the compressed video. Avigilon has designed High Definition Stream Management (HDSM) within the Avigilon Control Center Network Video Management Software (NVMS) to deliver these key features. JPEG2000 progressive compression transforms an image into packets that allow a portion of the image to be transmitted and decompressed without requiring the rest of the image. This can be
compressed resolution and the resolution cannot progressively adapt after compression. This means that as soon as video is sent over low bandwidth connections, the ability to dynamically adapt the resolution, as is possible with JPEG2000, is no longer available. Instead of dynamically adjusting, H.264 compresses multiple streams of video within the camera at different resolutions, and sends the lower resolution stream to the client for low bandwidth live monitoring while an alternate resolution is recorded on the NVR. These additional streams add to the bandwidth transmitted from the camera but are typically much smaller than the full resolution stream being recorded to the server. There are two important trade-offs to remember when using H.264 multi-streaming for bandwidth management. First, when the remote client is only receiving a very-low resolution stream, it can view a scene in overview but cannot zoom in to see detail. The second drawback is apparent when viewing recorded video. Since video management servers are typically configured to record the higher resolution stream from the camera, there is no lower resolution stream available to view over low bandwidth connections. Without a low resolution stream, the higher resolution stream must be sent at a reduced image rate if limited bandwidth is available. Avigilons HDSM technology offers a unique way of working with
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multiple streams of H.264 compressed video to overcome many of these trade-offs. When multi-streaming is enabled for H.264 video, HDSM will adaptively manage both a full resolution and a lower resolution stream to the NVR and viewing client. The lower resolution stream will be used for any overview streams where detail is not required, allowing efficient viewing of large numbers of H.264 compressed video streams simultaneously. When a single stream is zoomed in for more detail, that stream will be automatically sent in full resolution while other streams are kept in low resolution for an overview version of the image. This allows details to be viewed from one video stream while keeping the overall streaming bandwidth low. For example, with nine 2 MP H.264 cameras and multi-streaming enabled, users can effectively generate 9 x 2 MP of information for the full resolution streams and 9 x 0,3 MP for lower resolution streams. When viewed on the client, the total 21 MP of information is reduced to 4,4 MP of information if one stream is viewed in detail and eight streams are viewed in low resolution. Avigilons HDSM also employs unique technologies to help minimise the demands placed on the client PC for decompressing H.264 video. When available, HDSM will make use of the advanced processing unit available on NVIDIA graphics cards to decompress H.264 video without using the resources of the main processor. This greatly improves the efficiency of decompression and can allow multiple streams of HD video at 30 image per second to be decompressed simultaneously without using resources from the main processor.
HDSM also dynamically adapts the resolution and methods used in the decompression of H.264 video to reduce the demands on the client machine. A four step control of display quality is also available to enable the manual optimisation of the viewing client. You can choose to bias video display for low resolution decompression at a higher frame rate, or full resolution decompression at a lower frame rate.
Choosing the right compression technology

Choosing the right camera for each point in a system is critical to a successful video surveillance system design. The first factor to consider will always be resolution. Available online tools that include pixels on target calculators are instrumental in helping select the most appropriate camera. Once resolution has been determined, it is important to select a compression technology suited to the application. Resolution, frame rate, activity level, and investigative needs will all influence the selection of compression technology. If the end-users goal is to cover a larger scene by using a high resolution camera above 2 MP, then a frame-by-frame compression technology like JPEG2000 may be the only effective option. As resolution increases, the benefits of JPEG2000 and HDSM increase. For scenes on a site that require large multi-megapixel IP cameras, JPEG2000 compression is required to manage the high resolution information effectively. For lower resolution, or smaller scenes of moderate activity with high frame rates, an inter-frame compression technology like H.264 can help minimise the required network bandwidth and storage.
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HYBRID TECHNOLOGIES
Does hybrid deliver analogue value and IP benets?

Hybrid steps to IP saves money and boosts results.
With the debate on the merits of analogue versus IP cameras showing no sign of abating, its understandable that many consumers are anxious about committing to new or upgraded CCTV systems. Zane Greeff, technical director at Elvey Security Technologies, says the technology in this particular arena has progressed at a rapid rate in recent years, leaving the average person confused and frustrated. End users need to be able to distinguish between the various benefits and shortcomings of their current analogue systems in order to be able to make the right upgrade decisions going forward. The starting point to making sense of the subject is to recognise that while IP (Internet protocol) technology is being exalted as the ultimate in image quality, analogue technology is tried, tested, and in use by the majority of end users. Analogue CCTV has long delivered acceptable results in the areas of basic staff and visitor surveillance, the reduction of stock shrinkage and the monitoring of specific high risk areas, as a result of which many customers question the need to upgrade their systems to IP when their existing infrastructure supports analogue. from television lines to megapixels. Chip set technology is behind the number of megapixels in a picture and accordingly the sharpness required to identify criminals and solve crimes. And because IP megapixel quality is constantly being improved, one can look forward to the ever-increasing quality of facial recognition and other video analytics.
IP benefits
Hybrid technology is also being used with great effect in control rooms, he continues. Hybrid video analytics are far more reliable than human beings, who have limited concentration spans. Research has shown that the efficiency level of the average CCTV operator drops dramatically after about 20 minutes, to the point where they are only taking in about five percent of the information on screen. Video analytics, on the other hand, never tire. Further, the addition of IP security cameras to analogue networks allows control room staff to quickly and accurately analyse images and video footage for specific data such as behaviour patterns and perimeter violations. It also enables digitised audiovisual streams to be sent to and viewed from anywhere in the world, notes Greeff. From people counting and licence plate recognition to the ability to adjust automatically to lighting and discriminatory conditions, this technology, which also reduces data storage requirements and costs, is being used throughout the world by government, retail, business, industry and manufacturing sectors. IP also outperforms analogue when it comes to distance, says Greeff. One of the shortcomings of analogue installations is distance. An analogue RG59 cable is vulnerable to picture interference, which can severely hamper security operations. This is especially relevant when it comes to the natural expansion of properties, warehouses and office space. Simple and cost-effective to add to pre-existing networks, IP cameras are also the answer to the need to transmit video in digital form to and from the Internet and other e-mail clients, he adds. All thats required for power, video and sound is a PoE (Power over Ethernet) cable, thereby removing the need for a power supply close to the camera source, as is the case for analogue cameras. For more information contact Elvey Security Technologies, +27 (0)11 401 6700, tasha.smith@elvey.co.za, www.elvey.co.za
Future proof
One of the many benefits of moving over to IP, according to Greeff, is that it essentially future-proofs ones business. Sensitive to the need for businesses to watch their bottom lines in the current economic downturn, he suggests hybridising pre-existing installations. Hybrid systems, in fact, offer the best of both worlds, he says. The use of analogue and IP cameras simultaneously is a tailormade solution for a country like South Africa, where the small business sector is growing rapidly. Such growth will lead to the natural expansion of properties, warehouses and office space, which will in turn create a gap in existing security installations. A hybrid system, which would likely comprise an existing CCTV analogue system and infrastructure with IP cameras that would operate through a hybrid DVR, will easily bridge that gap while saving the end user a lot of money, too. His suggestion to owners of existing analogue systems, whose DVRs (digital video recorders) need replacing due to functionality problems or insufficient recording space, is therefore to opt for a hybrid DVR. Hybrid DVRs are capable of using both analogue and digital cameras. IP cameras produce crisper, higher resolution pictures as a result of the terminology having moved away
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HYBRID TECHNOLOGIES
Hybrid: Best of both worlds?

Are hybrid solutions the ideal solution for those who want the best of the IP world and the best of analogue?
Hybrid solutions are touted as the ideal middle ground solution for users who either cannot or do not wish to replace their entire analogue system with IP. Common questions that come to the fore are whether they really do offer the best of both technology worlds, or do they simply offer median performance levels? Gus Brecher, MD at Cathexis Africa says it is important to define a hybrid solution. Only if both analogue and IP cameras on a site are being monitored from a common control room or management platform can one truly say that it is a hybrid solution. Currently, there are traditional DVRs which h have the ability to accommodate IP cameras, and then hen there is the option to insert IP encoders to convert the analogue video stream to IP. There are some solutions that transmit HD video along co-axial cables, but I believe that this is not a long-term solution as it normally requires proprietary hardware which is not compatible with all open systems. This may present problems with future upgradeability of systems. Seamless, simultaneous operas tion of both analogue and IP video streams should be the goal of any installation. Hybrid systems are essentially analogue ue and IP solutions. It is important that one be able le to use them together on a platform to ensure maximised aximised operability, says Ingo Mutinelli, national sales manager for Elvey Security Technologies. Gordon Moore, ADI product manager CCTV/Access, adds that there are three ways of achieving a hybrid solution: Hybrid DVRs: these are purpose-built recorders that will have a combination of composite video inputs for the analogue cameras and an Ethernet port for the IP cameras. These solutions are common in smaller installations ranging from 16 to 32 inputs. CMSs: central management software designed to be able to connect to both DVRs and NVRs. This, in most cases, would be software developed by the manufacturer to allow end-users to view cameras from their older DVR and their newer NVRs, on one common platform. Encoders: this is probably the most common solution in larger projects where there have already been large investments with analogue cameras in the infrastructure. In this case, one would make use of IP encoders to convert the analogue images to IP so that they can be incorporated into a full IP solution. necessary to perform a needs analysis to guarantee not only the ability to upgrade a system, but also to determine whether the system can be supported and integrated ten years down the line, notes Brecher. There are two basic considerations when converting to hybrid solutions. Firstly, what are the storage requirements? Secondly, which analogue cameras would you need to convert into IP and how will this signal scale from point A to point B, says Mutinelli. One should also consider the limitations such as what kind of infrastructure is a available in terms of the network capacity capacity. This will be affected by what resolution is i required and how many frames per seco second are recorded.
Is hybrid the solution?

In the beginning, when the industry started with IP, there was a requirement st for hybrid solutions because IP had not fo matured. There where many instances m where analogue was required for specific wh areas or functionality, such as high-speed area domes, thermal cameras and areas where dome large zo zoom lenses were required. This has changed. IP image quality has now improved significantly a and there is an IP solution for every possible scenario. So, the only consideration for a hybrid solution now would be instances where there has been significant investment in analogue and there are budgetary constraints that restrict one from instituting a full upgrade, says Moore. When implementing a hybrid solution one needs to understand that you will not get the same image quality as a full IP solution. If the image quality of the analogue camera has deteriorated, converting it to IP with an encoder will make the image worse because of the way the compression engine works. A noisy image is always difficult to compress, he adds. If you are happy with your analogue camera-to-video quality, then it would be foolish to change to IP. However, if you need higher image resolution, then you need to consider IP. With hybrid, you can simultaneously embrace the latest technology, while retaining your existing investment. It is critical, however, to have a centralised management system, says Brecher. As the technology improves, IP becomes more affordable. However, until bandwidth issues have been resolved, it is often a good idea to stick with analogue systems. IP is ideal where the user is operating in a remote or very large location, according to Mutinelli. Hybrid solutions allow for cost-effective upgrade paths, where one can migrate across to IP over a period without having to start from scratch. Therefore, if cost is an issue then hybrid solutions do provide the best of both worlds but, at the end of the day, nothing beats a full IP solution, Moore concludes.
Lets go
One needs to consider the implementation costs versus the future relevance of the solution when considering a hybrid solution. A middle road is to offer an upgrade with some IP technology, but simultaneously retain existing analogue cameras. Ultimately, it is
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MANAGEMENT PLATFORMS
PSIM: Why should I be interested?

CNL Software white paper. Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) software enables security departments to manage an enterprises exposure to security risk. It is designed to aid decision-making and deployment planning within an organisation. Within physical security operations, it has been widely accepted that critical information from numerous sources is left to system operators to interpret and act upon consistently and correctly. Most end-users have video surveillance, access control and building management systems. These systems are not integrated together and work independently with no communication with other systems in the ecosystem. connecting them together through a single interface. This is far more cost-effective than other forms of integration, such as bespoke turnkey solutions offered by some integrators. Secondly, it uses workflow technology to provide operators with guidance and intelligence for situation management. This enforces all policies, increases effectiveness and provides evidence of compliance for auditing and risk mitigation. For example, it can perform intuitive prioritisation and escalation according to a range of predetermined criteria that might include chronology, location, priority and prevailing threat.
Security breaches and challenges
Following several large security breaches, such as 9/11 and 7/7, security professionals have recognised the need to bring together this information in a format that can be visualised and distributed. As a result, the security industry is now in transition; moving from disparate systems to integrated and interoperable systems. Whilst system integration might not seem much of a challenge in the world of IT where standards have been around for decades, the physical security world has been much slower to adapt to change. This means a large number of organisations are using lots of systems in their control room which cannot work with each other.
Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) software aids in decision-making and deployment planning.
How does PSIM differ from other forms of integration?
How does PSIM help?

Firstly, PSIM provides an off-the-shelf platform to manage all of these systems, including both legacy systems and new technology, by
Several studies have been carried out in this area by research companies including Frost and Sullivan and IMS, which have highlighted some of the features that distinguish a PSIM solution from other physical security and event management products. These key points define a PSIM product, and have been collated below: Open platform: It provides easy integration with a variety of systems from leading manufacturers. It is therefore essential that the PSIM vendor is not tied to any manufacturer of the underlying systems. Data collection: Device level information is collected from all connected systems. It should provide the ability to integrate events and alarms from these systems along with information such as time and geography, allowing it to automatically identify situations and then dynamically update them as they unfold.
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Data aggregation: The PSIM software should have the ability to evaluate the information that is gathered to identify and priorities real incidents and situations. Visualisation and collaboration: It should provide the ability to visualise a situation as it evolves and to share this intelligence with response teams, ensuring responses are fast and appropriate. Geospatial engine: Dynamically locating and creating relationships between devices, people and assets relationships is essential. For example, it may automatically identify the nearest cameras to a situations address or locate the security person closest to a medical emergency. This should offer the ability to display situations, devices, people and alarms and shows what is happening in real-time within a given situation or globally across all situations. Incident resolution: The PSIM system software should facilitate the presentation of logically displayed and clearly communicated actions. It should enforce standard operating procedures to an operator, along with the information, tools and contact information needed for resolution all within a single user interface. It should provide a set of easyto-use visual tools to generate policies that are automatically imported into the system for use in the identification and resolution of situations. Reporting: All activity should be monitored, including all operator actions, to aid compliance management, provide training scenarios and as an auditable record of activity subsequent to a security incident. It should gather all information (videos, alarms, audio), actions taken, and results into one folder for compliance and investigative analysis or post situation training. Modular platform: It should dynamically adapt to changes in devices, configurations, situations, policies, and reporting while the system is
running and support a distributed architecture for high availability and disaster recovery.
Are all PSIM solutions the same?

There are several true PSIM vendors in the market place who have been deploying their PSIM solutions for more than five years now. These vendors are several versions into the development of their software, giving them vital experience that only comes from successfully deploying a number of large scale installations. This has enabled them to understand the challenges and create products that are mature enough to meet the wide number of applications seen in PSIM today. Unfortunately, there are also a large number of companies who are now marketing their old products under the PSIM banner; which is creating confusion in the market place as these products do not have many of the features essential to a PSIM solution. True PSIM solutions have become more sophisticated, emphasising added organisation value through hardened security and increased efficiency or reduced ongoing costs. The crucial factor being that the customer can decide what their priorities are and implement all or just a few modules of a PSIM according to their unique situation. This flexibility is key when selecting a PSIM solution. Organisations should research the product and ensure the PSIM solution is futureproof and can adapt to the organisations changing security needs. This will reduce the risk of purchasing a system that will need replacing if the organisations circumstances change a few years down the line. For more information contact E-thele, +27 (0)12 665 3158, manica@ethele.co.za, www.ethele.co.za
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The platform must t the business

What do users want from their management systems? What is selling today and what is being avoided?
By Andrew Seldon. Today, we have expensive management systems that can do almost anything, but we also have a growing number of smaller, open management systems users can obtain for little or no cost. What do users want from their management systems? We asked one local and one international platform developer for their take on management platforms. The first question we have to ask is what a management platform is. What should an enduser be on the lookout for when considering implementing a management platform? Kevin Buret from Sukema Integrated Solutions says, My definition of a security management platform is not just a CCTV head-end system, but rather a software solution that adds value to these and other disparate platforms. It should bring together the people, process and procedures and disparate technologies, without the need to strip out existing equipment, and to provide the relevant stakeholders with real-time, operational information. He adds that the stakeholders are not only Kevin Buret security, and may include OHS, maintenance, surveillance and many others, as most often an incident will affect multiple stakeholders, including the CEO who is ultimately responsible. End-users should ensure that the management platform of choice is not specific to a particular brand of technology, but also not just an open source freebie that has no business continuity and is not sustainable, which poses future risk for the business. Peter Biltsted, director, Middle East and Africa, Milestone Systems says every installation has to be evaluated from the needs of each customer, whether their video management needs are relatively simple or highly complex. How many locations need to be monitored, how many users will there be of the system and what are their skill levels, number and type of cameras desired, whether they would benefit from analytics, etc.? Peter Biltsted Do they need central management, local or both? And dont just plan for todays requirements. The most important thing to look for is an IP video management platform that is truly open to ensure the widest options for now and the future. This brings the best return on the investment, to be able to add cameras from any manufacturer, to integrate with other systems, to upgrade with new software versions, keeping on top of the latest innovations. The next thing to look for is ease-of-use. The VMS should be easy to install, easy to configure and add cameras, easy to maintain and upgrade, easy to use by the daily operators. Choose a user interface (UI) thats customisable, with multiple languages if necessary, good online help and other documentation, and with intuitive, logical navigation to get the job done. Look for multiple clients to interface with the VMS: stationary at a PC, also remotely available from home or when travelling, mobile through smartphones and tablets. Web clients are more streamlined for faster access, for example. VMS wizards are a great tool for fast installation and hook-ups with the cameras on the network, helping to find the cameras automatically.
Free, as in trouble?
It seems the VMS industry is also under pressure from free software, just as the IT industry had to learn to deal with open source systems and applications. Some argue the free systems cant match the features and functionality of paid for (or some would say professional systems), others say it depends on what your requirements are. Buret says, Free, open systems seem attractive when considering often limited budgets in organisations; however, invariably these are quite the opposite in the longer term. These systems are mostly not sustainable, not supported, have no future roadmap, and will ultimately be replaced by systems that comply with industry standards. One should ensure that any system is compliant with existing IT standards and protocols within the organisation; these paid-for platforms do not have to be expensive, as long as they meet the requirements and future requirements of the client. The paid for systems are sustainable, supported, customisable in a structured manner, and will most certainly have a roadmap for future features and expansion. Although they are not open source, they should be open to be able to work with and interface/integrate with other existing and disparate systems, Buret adds. These systems are implemented by professionals, who should be configuring them according to the organisational policies and procedures, as well as the business operational requirements. Customisation can be conducted in order to best fit the clients requirements. Biltsted adds that the free video management systems offered by some camera manufacturers only work with that companys cameras, so using them means you always have to use that brand of cameras. This locks you into their product road map limitations over time. For example, if a great new thermal or backlight-capable camera comes out in a year from another company and you need it for a critical security location, you cant use it in your system. The paid-for VMS platforms are developed by companies who really focus on VMS, so the functionality of their offerings are more
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comprehensive. If you also choose an open VMS, you have all the options you could need both today and tomorrow. Be sure to look for after-sales support as well: a pure VMS manufacturer has dedicated support for customers and ensures that the latest technologies can be utilised, thereby optimising the solution.
A really good VMS can provide comprehensive features without every user needing to use them. For example, Milestone XProtect Smart Client is an interface that is adaptable to different skill levels, access rights, camera views, languages, etc. Each user can tailor the look and functionality to their own needs to optimise their daily tasks and performance. Those who have more complex needs can have them while those who dont, wont.
Complexity not needed

Traditional security management systems are large, cumbersome and expensive. Whats more, they require a significant investment in skills, not to mention money. Are they worth it? Very large installations may be able to get a reasonable return from this investment, but the majority of smaller installations would be lost with such complex systems. Traditional security management systems are fast working themselves out of the pricing bracket of many organisations, says Buret. It is unnecessary to implement large, cumbersome and expensive systems that integrate every single component within the organisation; management systems should be focussing on providing effective and efficient operational systems to ensure that staff are only required to have minimal input, and can focus on dealing with the resultant outcome. Management should have real-time information at their fingertips to allow them to focus on managing, rather than hours spent compiling reactive reports. Mobile devices are becoming increasingly important as a source for capturing information in real-time; the management system is the rules engine and information disseminator providing stakeholders with decision-making knowledge. Integration can be accomplished on a database level due to most IP-based systems, and do not require expensive integration at a component level; integration should only be conducted if it is going to add value to an operational challenge, otherwise it is a complete waste of time and money. Biltsted has a another approach, noting that there is a full range of VMS offerings available today and if you buy a companys lower end product to start out, you can upgrade to the higher versions with more capability as your needs grow. This gives the best total cost of ownership, especially if its an open platform solution that allows integration with the widest choice in hardware and other software like access control, analytics, etc.
Failing to plan...
No matter where or how a company starts implementing a management platform, there is still a technical and skills gap that needs to be overcome, not to mention the giant task of ensuring what you implement is suited to your actual needs and not the vanilla installation your integrator wants to supply. Assuming a company has decided they need a professional management platform with all the bells and whistles, how does it go about planning and starting the installation to prevent it ending up as a complex, costly mess? Planning, planning and more planning, states Buret. A well-planned system that is based on the required outcomes of the client is the starting point of any professional system. One cannot shoehorn and alter the business requirements into a free system so that the system works; the business requirements and processes need to determine the best-suited management system, which may not exist as an off the shelf product. One needs to, by means of a business requirement study, identify the required operational outcomes, the stakeholders, the existing disparate systems and technology; then identify the gap between these and the management system/s being considered, work within the budget, phase the implementation, and allow for additional budget requirements in the next few financial years to scale the system. The most important factor with any system is not the system itself; it is the resistance to change form personnel, who need to buy into the process of utilising the system, he says. This needs to be driven from the top management downwards, or any system is potentially doomed for failure before it starts. A professional supplier of VMS will give the installer advice and recommendations on how to optimise the use of hardware to be installed with the software, what bandwidth capacity is needed, storage
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XProtect_ clients
efficient. Our systems cater for clients from a residential estate size, to medium hospital type size, to large corporate size, as well as enterprise versions for global mining size organisations. Clients can add onto the core in a modular fashion according to their increasing requirements and budget constraints. Features and functionalities in most modern day systems are very similar; this only forms about 20% of implementing a successful management system that meets the clients requirements.
requirements, etc. Biltsted says that if these services are not offered, the reseller/end-user should look at what services are offered with the product and if it is enough for you. Another thing is a dedicated VMS manufacturer will use the latest programming tools and technologies. For example, in complex solutions utilisation of 64-bit OS technology should be considered for optimisation of the solution.
IMS Research: What is PSIM software?

IMS Research believes that a PSIM software platform must meet the seven following criteria: 1. Connectivity and integration: A PSIM software platform must connect and manage multiple disparate security systems, examples include (but are not limited to) video surveillance, access control, intrusion, fire and life safety, perimeter protection, mass notification and building automation. The PSIM platform should be capable of integration with other business systems within a corporate IT-infrastructure such as ERP systems, data warehouses, provisioning systems, etc. The PSIM platform should be open, therefore hardware and vendor agnostic, and capable of connecting to any input sensors and external applications. 2. Real-time policy/configuration management: A PSIM software platform must be able to define and change policies and parameters related to various connected devices in the underlying subsystems (such as access control, video, etc.). 3. Correlation and verification: A PSIM software platform must be able to automatically connect and cross-reference multiple events from multiple disparate security systems in real-time and give the ability to flexibly set rules. 4. Visualisation: A PSIM software platform must be able to visualise the actual situation independently from active events. In case of an event, the PSIM platform must be able to graphically display situational information in a manner that provides responders with a picture of the nature of the event, the location and the scope of the threat it presents. It must be able to integrate real world information as a geo-spatial representation. 5. A rules-based workflow for response: A PSIM software platform must be able to immediately offer a step-by-step action plan, based on pre-determined rules and policies, to respond, manage/ counter the threat and control response operations. The rules based workflow should be sufficiently complex as to adapt to escalating situations. 6. Availability/resilience: A PSIM software platform must have capability for redundant functionality (eg, servers, communication gateways and databases) to support continuity of business and disaster recovery. This includes the ability to integrate backup systems to automate transfer of control room capabilities. It must be able to watch and monitor the functionality and integrity of the underlying subsystems and detect possible threats on the network. 7. Post-event reporting and analysis: A PSIM software platform must provide an audit log that allows for post-event forensic review detailing the event situation and the action taken. It must be capable of developing customised reports that allow for analysis of multiple events in order to optimise policies and response. Source: http://imsresearch.com/news-events/press-template. php?pr_id=1779.
Making the right choice

Seeing that there are many options when it comes to management platforms, what should users be looking for when considering a management platform? Do you go for a system that can do everything and set it up to meet your needs, or do you start small, using a system that can grow with your needs? Biltsted says evaluations about what is important can only be made by each customer, whose needs vary from type of organisation to size to geography and over time. The determining factor in the Milestone VMS open platform is the broadest ability to choose: from the range of functionality in our portfolio of products that are regularly upgraded, to the diversity and number of hardware devices supported, and the wide set of proven third-party integrations possible. Partners and end-users testify to the ease of installing and working with XProtect: the wizards for fast camera connections, comprehensive management features, alerts and reporting. Our search and export tools are praised. Milestone has beneficial archiving capabilities such as pruning or grooming the video to different levels and storage types which saves on bandwidth, in addition to setting compression of the data as desired. Milestone Federated Architecture is a huge benefit to large, multi-site (even cross-national) implementations that want centralised control with local access. XProtect Smart Wall is the go-to choice for our customers with big command centres, too. He adds that the global network of partners and customers in the Milestone ecosystem which all contribute inspiration and continued innovation is also important. The Milestone open platform is not just about our software, its our way of doing business. We are open in our collaboration with our partners and the customers, working together to make IP video surveillance the best that it can be. Buret says Sukemas platform is developed by ourselves in South Africa, and is supported and maintained by ourselves. Whether it is sold through a channel partner or directly from Sukema, we are always directly responsible for the BRS with the client, the implementation and training, as well as any customisation required by the client. The Sukema platform consists of a core Microsoft compliant, Web enabled/browser-based platform that is accessible to authorised users from any location around the world. No software resides on a users PC, therefore upgrades, support and maintenance is quick, easy and
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ANALYTICS
Video synopsis versus video analysis

By Mark Chertkow, GIT.
Video synopsis enables the viewer to summarise hours of footage into just a few minutes.
Surveillance has become an essential element of modern security solutions as it delivers the ability to monitor areas of operation, provide evidence in case of an incident, and often simply acts as a deterrent to those with malicious intent. However, leveraging value out of CCTV is often a challenging task, as sifting through hours and hours of footage is typically not feasible, and even if the manpower exists to do this, the human eye gets tired and is prone to missing incidents that appear on camera. Video analysis tools can assist in this scenario, however, the type of analysis used is critical in ensuring the success of the solution. Video synopsis, a form of forensic video analysis, enables the viewer to summarise hours of footage into just a few minutes, highlighting incidents or suspicious behaviour and allowing the potential of CCTV footage to be fully utilised. One of the major challenges facing any user of CCTV is the sheer volume of recorded events that occurs every day. Sifting through hours of mundane footage for seconds of useful video is an almost impossible task without specialised analysis tools. However, video analysis is simply a generic term to describe computerised processing and analysis of video streams. This does not necessarily mean that it will make the task of finding those critical seconds any easier. When looking for a video analysis solution, technology called video synopsis can prove far more useful and efficient. Video synopsis (VS) is the simultaneous presentation of events that happened at different times. With the power of this forensic technology, users can rapidly review and index full-length footage and create synopsis videos that overlays multiple objects and activities that occurred at different times. To put it simply, VS creates a snapshot of events that summarises hours of footage. These snapshots can then be used for identifying suspicious behaviour and perpetrators of incidents, for behavioural analysis and more. Video synopsis software allows users to index and view original event videos with a single click and combine multiple clips into a single summary review, turning hours of footage into synopses of just a few minutes. Events can be browsed through frame by frame, and videos can be exported to create evidence files. It is also possible to apply areas of interest and areas of exclusion to either home in on a specific area or exclude areas of footage that are not relevant, reducing review time even further. Video synopsis works by detecting movement in the field of the video, and by combining these movements into a single video with time stamps for each individual event. The ability to home in on specific areas allows the viewer to, for example, focus exclusively on a door that was broken into or a shelf from where an item was stolen. The areas of exclusion can help to remove movement which is irrelevant, such as trees waving in the wind, to allow for more specific focus and less distraction. By enabling hours of footage to be viewed in a matter of minutes, short circuiting the lengthy process of identifying key events, forensic video synopsis enables real value to be leveraged from hours of footage. One of the obvious applications of this is to identify criminals, and the deterrent that such a system provides can go a long way towards preventing theft and helping law enforcement agencies to identify and prosecute offenders. However, the power of video synopsis goes beyond crime prevention and has applications in a number of different areas. For example, casinos can use video synopsis technology to monitor tables for suspicious behaviour and ensure that cheating can easily be detected and the perpetrators identified. In the retail environment, stores can use this technology to analyse and identify shopping behaviours and patterns, and identify which aisles and shelves are most frequented by customers. This can help to ensure optimal product placement for maximum revenue, and assist with improving store layout. Hospitals can utilise the technology to monitor patient care, identify incidents and improve service levels. In fact, any organisation can use the software to improve staff productivity, as once problem areas have been identified and trends have been picked up, this information can be used to modify behaviours in any scenario. Forensic video synopsis technology increases the accuracy of video analysis and dramatically decreases the time required to browse footage, reducing the time and cost of manpower. It enables users to obtain better quality evidence faster, replacing the fast forward function with an intelligent solution that enables all video footage to be reviewed every day for better security. Using advanced video analysis tools such as video synopsis, any user can gain real value from hours of otherwise meaningless CCTV footage. For more information contact Graphic Image Technologies, +27 (0)11 483 0333, markc@git.co.za, www.git.co.za
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ANALYTICS: PRODUCT OVERVIEW
Intelligence management framework

Local management platform puts everything in front of operators.
Cengence is a locally developed Complex Intelligence Management Framework (CIMF) comprising multiple products created to meet the requirements of complex intelligence. Cengence provides intelligent business solutions across multiple industries, operating entities and areas of operational efficiency. It is an end to end system which not only automates the management of task but also aids in strategic, operational and tactical business decision making in order to achieve improved efficiencies, mitigation/eradication of risk, reduced costs, increased market share, enhanced communication, a comprehensive knowledge base and better results. Cengence Pulse is the heart of the Cengence product line and is the platform to roll out Cengence throughout an organisation. This complex intelligence management framework provides clients with an intelligent, integrated and holistic view of their business, enabling effective management of operational concerns within an organisation. Cengence integrates into all brands of product and systems thus making it non brand specific. Cengence Essentials is an analytical and efficiency tool effective in the monitoring and managing of all systems and related services. It drives proper functioning and reporting of system performance and service delivery in an auditable manner. Cengence Essentials has a variety of modules which are added to Cengence Pulse thereby providing a comprehensive management system. All the Cengeance Essentials modules can be procured separately as required by the client. Cengence Tricorder is a mobile tool used on a cell phone or smart phone in conjunction with Cengence Pulse to facilitate stock control, the support and maintenance of devices and staff tracking within an organisation. It allows for the real-time management of devices, monitoring and notification of incidents and faults, the creation, acceptance and escalation of job cards, and reporting of staff performance. Cengence Incident Management is a Web-based tool for registering, documenting, reporting and investigating any incidents on a single or across multiple sites. It integrates information into a centralised system, analyses and draws associations to the incident and reports on a possible outcome based on patterns thereby enabling management decision making. It manages the information of persons, assets and documentation used during the investigation. Incidents logged are processed and analysed in real-time in order to generate fast and efficient results. These incidents can also be raised anonymously thereby reducing victimisation. Cengence Gatekeeper is an access control device software application used for management of visitors and staff access with their related and/ or allocated assets. Data is collated and read from the access control database which maintains records and keeps a history of all movement within the environment. All data gathered is compiled into an identikit that is saved for further analysis, monitoring and management. Cengence Scribe is a user friendly Web based tool used to store, retrieve, update and manage all documentation within an organisation. Its privilege system together with document inscription ensures secure access to sensitive information. Cengence Customer Portal is the gateway through which a channel partner is able to execute and control a range of activities which will manage the administration of their clients activities with respect to the use of purchased products. Cengence Threat is primarily a data capturing and result rendering interface that affords the user the ability to automatically or manually capture data in a prescribed and customisable format. This interface allows for the creation of structured data from a series of unstructured or unsorted data. Data is then captured in a centralised data repository from where various analytical algorithms, as prevalent in the Cengence Complexis package, will then extract user requested information and display it in a format that is easy to understand and fully customised. Cengence Complexis is an advanced analytical tool that can process and analyse vast amounts of data in extremely short times, to allow for accurate and user required result sets from the analysed data. Result sets can be pre-defined and thus force specific analytical data to be produced in line with the clients specific needs and requirements. Results can then be rendered within the Cengence Threat or any other interface and automated actions executed through the use of the Cengence TaskMaster package. Cengence TaskMaster is a complex tasking system that allows the user to define and manage required tasks in line with requirements. Tasks are created manually using a front-end screen (either in Pulse self, or on a Web page accessible from any Internet capable device). The system utilises a process flow system which will allow for the creation of complex tasks in line with pre-defined outcomes. Specific task outcomes and tasks can be linked to specific person or groups for execution thereof. The persons or groups will then be automatically notified of the pending task as well as track and monitor the progress. Business Intelligence reports and task progress reports will also allow for more accurate and real-time management of the tasks. For more information contact PBS Technologies, +27 (0)11 805 6600, billy.gilbert@pbstechnologies.com, www.pbstechnologies.com
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ANALYTICS
Intelligent systems in high motion surveillance

By Dr Bennie Coetzer, Protoclea Advanced Image Engineering. When considering the application of CCTV in high-motion areas, such as street surveillance environments, a number of aspects are clear. Firstly, cameras are everywhere and placed anywhere. Secondly, the success of such systems is often touted to be high but ends up mediocre. When these systems are evaluated, it appears that where systems are successful, this has often more to do with the control room operations than the technical systems themselves. In some control rooms the operation is efficient, suitable and trained staff is used. In most cases their diligence overcomes the shortcomings of technology. Some factors are relevant with regards to the technology used. System components often fail and there is often neither the will nor the resources to maintain sophisticated Dr Bennie Coetzer systems. Secondly, the quality of technology is often not fit for purpose. According to the SAPS forensic department, more than 95% of video footage analysed by them turns out to be unusable for investigation purposes and even more are less useful for prosecution. So what should be the criteria for a good street surveillance solution? In order to define solutions, it is important to consider the critical aspects of street surveillance. (This discussion will be limited to CCTV and its options but other aspects of street surveillance are obviously also important). Street (CBD) surveillance consists fundamentally of: Detecting possible events, preferably pro-actively. Identifying real incidents and selecting actual incidents from false alarms. Managing these incidents remotely from a control room. Investigating incidents post-incident and gathering evidence. Presenting evidence to courts for prosecution. What would be the characteristics of a system capable of delivering the above functionality and how can intelligent systems offer a contribution? In order to investigate what such systems can offer a brief definition of the characteristics of intelligent systems in this context would be in order.
In most cases, control room diligence overcomes the shortcomings of technology.

Intelligent systems automate tasks, they operate without or with minimal human intervention, they can perform intelligent interpretation of events automatically and in context with the present scenario. Furthermore, intelligent systems can perform mundane tasks without supervision such as searching intelligently through video material for objects, incidents or even actions. Lets briefly explore each of the above characteristics and the contribution of intelligent systems in each.
Detection
An important technical parameter when it comes to detection is the ability to recognise possible events. It therefore assumes that cameras are placed such that they cover areas where incidents are expected to happen and where the surveillance operator has jurisdiction to monitor. Clearly it would be a waste to simply place cameras everywhere. The cost of covering an area has reduced dramatically in the recent past but it is still costly when one considers installation, maintenance and so on. Covering an area is a subject where many strategies can be deployed to reduce cost, not the least sharing of cameras between multiple monitoring agencies a possibility that has become significantly easier with the advent of digital cameras and networks. Detection is often a question of recognising behaviour or anomalies. Thus, the appearance of objects (specific vehicles, specific people) or out-of-place behaviour such as movement in dead spots, running, etc, may trigger investigation. Humans are particularly good at these tasks but suffer from human frailty (lack of alertness, limited concentration and others). When it comes to camera coverage for this purpose, broad area coverage is required, but sufficient resolution to perform adequate detection is also required. While behavioural analysis does not necessarily require high detail, as motion in large spaces are analysed, specific recognition such as facial or ANPR does require much better resolution.
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Wide area detection sensing will therefore probably consist of wideangle views to cover most of the area with specific high-resolution (narrow angle) views on specific places monitored for specific events. With wide area sensing illumination becomes a real problem as cameras have notoriously low dynamic ranges and special care must be taken to offer constant level illumination or support illumination. What can intelligent systems offer? In the detection arena, intelligent systems strive to improve detection and, in particular, automated detection. This will assist human operators by taking over the mundane and boring tasks of continuous monitoring. But to be useful it must be able to offer some capabilities such as continuous detection, improved detection, filtering true alarms from false/ nuisance alarms and so on. Modern image processing techniques can support this function successfully by offering both behaviour detection (motion and tracking analysis) as well as specific object detection (facial, ANPR, shape recognition). In addition, analysis of detected events can, by using sophisticated analysis and cross-correlation techniques, significantly reduce false alarms. Analysis of historic events and time-line analysis can create pro-active trends and contextual analysis can be used to create priorities in detected events. Behavioural analysis is a hot topic today and, while still in its infancy, it can be used to create tracks of movement and predict destinations, time to reach possible targets and, even to some extent, intent of the action. These do not have to be from single views but can be achieved in a combination of multiple camera views, combining information into single events. Such analysis in conjunction with scenario analysis can offer very powerful incident detection capabilities. Last but not least, because machines can work in parallel and process a lot of information simultaneously, higher resolution cameras can be used with no loss of information. (When cameras with resolution higher than the screen resolution are used, some pixels are simply not displayed and no one can observe what happens unless you zoom in an action that will only be performed when something has been detected in the first place.) This means that fewer cameras can be used to achieve the same result, resulting in significant cost saving. All of this serves to improve the quality of service, assist humans and reduce reaction time in addition to potentially lower the cost of providing security and indeed even of hardware required.
Identification
When it comes to identification, the requirements change dramatically. Here identification becomes paramount and therefore resolution is critical. Fortunately, the use of pan/tilt/zoom cameras have also become much cheaper and their capabilities have also increased dramatically. These cameras are very poor in their ability to monitor as they have essentially tunnel vision and have to be directed if used in the monitoring sense, providing at best, a time sliced view of any area. But when it comes to identification they can zoom in to any object and because of their narrow view the camera is essentially subject to a very even illumination spread. With the use of low-light capabilities, or support illumination, very good identification can be achieved. In this context, humans offer at present by far the best abilities, so what can intelligent systems offer? A number of automated tools can be used to assist humans in this detection. These include rapid pointing of the camera by pointing at a position on the static (wide area) scene and automatically designate the camera to slew to this point. Similarly, immediate facial recognition or number plate recognition can identify objects specifically assisting an operator in knowing who he is dealing Continued on page 98
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ANALYTICS
Continued from page 97 with based on prior information. The automatic identification of objects allows operators to rapidly classify an event into an incident and also to prioritise incidents according to historical information that may have been gathered. This ability to bring scenario analysis into decision making is an area that promises huge advances in security provision and particularly in high dynamic environments such as street surveillance control rooms.
Incident management
Up to this point, machines could offer a significant contribution to the surveillance process. However, when it comes to incident management, humans are in a class of their own. Incident management includes a number of functions such as continuously monitoring the event itself, predicting possible scenarios and monitoring these potential spots, understanding what resources are available to manage the incident, communicating with these resources and so on. This is clearly a big job and is often handled by an incident management team. The task requires amongst others the following of the command and control system: Presentation of visible views of all views that are relevant to the incident and removal of irrelevant views. Understanding the environment and location by presenting the team with maps/building layouts of the relevant areas. Offering additional information, such as other events that are happening in the area that may be affected by, or influence, the incident. Be in constant communication with resources and offering them useful information as well. While this is clearly a human task, intelligent systems can greatly assist in the following way: Enhancing the views that operators have of the incident. This could include a variety of image enhancement to allow for detection of weapons, look into dark spots, identifying people, controlling the camera to search for subjects, etc. In addition, immediate access to relevant recordings of the incident, as well as access to historical information such as names, addresses and prior suspicions, also assist in contextualising the incident and managing it appropriately. The presentation of relevant views can be automatic by the use of scenario planning and analysis. Such plans could have foreseen certain disasters and initial war room views could be pre-set to speed up reaction.
would need at least three pixels per metre on the object. To recognise the shape and model at least 10 pixels per metre, to identify its number plate at least 500 pixels per metre. Similar specifications for identifying all objects must be calculated and appropriate camera specifications be used. Dynamic range this is difficult to define as it is seldom specified by manufacturers, but if objects are to be identified over the image a contrast difference between subject and background of at least 0,5 dB (for simple processes) is required throughout the scene, ie, in shadows as well as in bright areas. Frame rate a parameter which is often overstated to the detriment of resolution. Frame rate is only required to be high if the possibility of missing an action exists. For most views frame rates of less than 8 fps is adequate to determine behaviour and if less of an eye strain is important due to long viewing periods, frame rates of 10 fps to 12 fps are usually sufficient. Whenever identification is important resolution should not be sacrificed. Storage period the general rule of thumb is that the storage period need not be longer than the period required to recognise the crime. Once this is done relevant information can be extracted and saved into long-term storage. Given that the above was achieved, how would intelligent systems assist at the post-event analysis level. One of the most obvious tasks would be to search through available historical events of both the incident and the pre-incident information. Intelligent machines can locate sightings of people, vehicles and other events prior to the incident and it can do this automatically. Using track analysis, combined analysis from multiple sources and so on they can assist in powerful analysis of information creating very good evidence for prosecution. An intelligent system should be able to treat recorded video as live video and perform all the same detection and recognition functions on historical information often faster than real-time.
Evidence for prosecution

While the prosecution effort is generally not part of the command and control system and at this point, the use of intelligence is somewhat limited to that of the lawyers and advocates. It is, however, important that evidence is managed in a way that is conducive to successful prosecution. This requires amongst others: Evidence be packaged in formats that prosecutors can easily access and present. Evidence is treated in such a way that it cannot be tampered with or be lost. Evidence can be stored securely until the trial is complete. Most of these functions, other than packaging of the evidence and the way it is packaged, are primarily the responsibility of the prosecution agency.
Post-event analysis
Once the excitement has died down the real work often starts. Whether the incident was contained or not the analysis of what led up to the event and what happened during the event must now take place. This requires access to historical information and this is also where many systems fail. It is probably safe to say that cameras and video recording equipment are mostly sold on their ability to compress video streams into narrow bandwidths, or their low storage requirement resulting in long storage periods. It is sad to say that in most cases the actual use of the information is disregarded to save money. The design should consider what the information is to be used for and once this is defined, the best, most cost effective solution that will still achieve this should be acquired. Consideration should be given to video resolution, camera dynamic range, required frame rate, storage period and so on and at the risk of stating the obvious some aspects should be re-stated. Video resolution this must be such that the type of object is recognisable at the distance seen. Thus, to recognise that an object is a car one
Conclusion
It should be clear that the next wave in security systems and in particular, high-motion systems will be the use of intelligent systems. These have the potential of reducing human workload, but more than that, it has the potential of using humans in a way where their unique and powerful abilities are best used, resulting in improved security at a lower cost. Dr Coetzer can be contacted at Protoclea Advanced Image Engineering (benniec@protoclea.com or www.facebook.com/protoclea), a company specialising in the development of products such as those described in this article.
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CONNECTIVITY
Dont ignore wireless

The networking technology chosen for surveillance projects is a crucial component of the final success of the solution.
By Andrew Seldon. With all the planning and preparation that goes into buying surveillance cameras and the supporting software, one can be forgiven for forgetting another vital component of the mix, the connectivity. If you forget to ensure there is enough bandwidth over the network technology you choose, your surveillance solution is going to be a disappointment. Fortunately, we have a few options when it comes to connectivity, with a growing trend to using wireless networks in support of surveillance streams. Not only that, but with the right technology, remote locations can also be connected to live streams at very low bandwidth requirements which is perfect for our unreliable cellular networks. When it comes to selecting the solution for your project, Graham Duxbury, CEO of Duxbury Networking says its a question of horses for courses. Wired solutions, including copper and fibre-optic, always provide the best in bandwidth. So, if you can, use them but they may not always be suited to the environment. Likewise, wireless technologies (mostly WiFi) are significantly more flexible, but again may not be the perfect option. He adds that there may also be additional considerations, such as other traffic to cater for, as found in a multi-service environment. In my opinion, it is how you use and integrate all the communication systems, and how you build the overall solution that matters more than the individual components and technologies. Thus, the experience and expertise of the reseller or installer comes to the fore. Configurable uplink and downlink remember video surveillance is mostly one way in the direction of uplink, which is quite different to technologies like Internet access where most of the traffic is one way in the direction of downlink. Fixed and low latency for zero video hiccups. Robust performance in dense urban areas in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) and near-line-of-sight (nLOS) situations. Outstanding interference mitigation mechanisms in unlicensed wireless frequency bands. Sophisticated Media Access Control (MAC) protocols and Air Interfaces/ Frames which cater for the un-interrupted delivery of time sensitive data, eg, video. Enough bandwidth per PtP link. Enough bandwidth per sector in PtMpt to handle at least 50 x 3MP cameras, ie, over 200 Mbps per sector for a typical large CCTV deployment. In a similar vein, Turvey notes that some wireless technologies are not suited for CCTV surveillance, these include: WiMax: Due to technology being designed for home-user Internet access traffic, it has a typical one-third uplink and two-thirds downlink ratio. Its a shared media solution, not designed for dedicated high bandwidth traffic. In addition, due to the 35 Mbps per sector limit on bandwidth, economies of scale cannot be reached. WiFi: Due to the cheap nature of these solutions, typically they are intended for the low end of the market. The nature of the WiFi 802.11 CSMA/SA Mac protocol does not allow for
Looking at wireless
When it comes to wireless networking, the jury is still out. Not that the right wireless technology cant handle video streams, but there seems to be a tendency for installers to prefer wired systems. Duxbury says most data-oriented wireless technologies are well suited to CCTV applications. Their security is robust and reliable and shared media solutions such as 802.11ABGN (and future releases) are cost-effective and can be built to reliably carry video and other data traffic in the last mile. In addition, many IP cameras support built-in WiFi, while meshing type technologies also make the technology more resilient. Moreover, point-to-point and point-to-multipoint solutions in both the licensed and unlicensed frequencies provide for measurable and reliable video backhaul. Peter Turvey, MD, Radwin SADC Region is naturally a supporter of wireless solutions. When asked what wireless technology is suited for surveillance solutions that require reliability and constant throughput, he says: Any wireless technology that has tick boxes next to the following: A wireless portfolio that includes Point-to-Point (PtP) as well as a solution for Point-toMultipoint where dedicated bandwidth is allocated per subscriber unit, which equates to dedicated bandwidth per CCTV surveillance camera in a Point-toMultipoint (PtMpt) environment.
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the dedicated delivery of traffic and it cannot guarantee low latencies. Due to the collision nature of the protocol, WiFi cannot guarantee the timeous delivery of video traffic. 3G: Has a ratio of one-third uplink and two-thirds downlink for data traffic (3G HSDPA+ standard 5,7 Mbps uplink and 21,1 Mbps downlink), and is therefore intended for applications that most downlink in nature, eg, Internet access. Its a shared media solution, which means that the more 3G phones, dongles, tablets, etc. are used in a 3G cell, the less bandwidth is available for the video surveillance solution, therefore there is no dedicated bandwidth. Traditionally, organisations built separate surveillance networks alongside their regular corporate networks, says Duxbury. When the significant cost and performance benefits of fully converged networks was realised, they began to engineer end-to-end solutions that used a single transport medium. If the corporate or campus network was fibre based, then an integrated fibre option was selected. However, with the proliferation of wireless networks today, converged CCTV/data networks are headed in this direction. That said, when dealing with converged multiservice networks, management of these infrastructures becomes critical, underlining the fact that sheer bandwidth is no guarantee of ultimate performance. Certain wireless technologies are also suited for long distances without the hassles associated with laying and maintaining cable. Turvey says that, unlike fibre, the nature of wireless is obviously untethered and can be delivered over long distances (up to 120 kilometres) as long as the above criteria is met. Whats more, it must be understood that if a fibre installation is one metre short, it is too long a distance for fibre, as the cost of trenching, splicing, time, etc adds excessive costs to the deployment. Wireless, on the other hand, can be installed in a day, has no real distance limitations for CCTV, is quick and easy to install and very costeffective when compared to fibre. He does note, however, that where fibre is already installed it is very good option and should be utilised if possible. However, even on a campus or in building, if the fibre does not exist then costs will soar. Wireless is typically not an in building solution but can be deployed to cover a campus wide CCTV deployment.
Connectivity: cable or wireless?

By Chris Sutherland, brand manager, Miro IP surveillance, being IP based means that a number of different connectivity options are available, and no longer are installers compelled to use coax cable, as with analogue CCTV systems. Now that so many different IP-based connectivity options are available, it begs the question, which one is best? The truth is, there isnt a single best method of connectivity, and some of the best-designed surveillance systems do not purely rely on one data transport medium, but a combination of many. Each connectivity method usually has its own unique set of characteristics that make it ideal for certain applications. CAT5 networking cable is typically the preferred medium for IP surveillance as it provides great speed and very few hassles once installed. Although CAT5 is great for the task, there are some circumstances where a cable infrastructure simply isnt viable or even possible. Mining environments, which are constantly changing, simply cannot rely of a cable-based solution. Gated communities and estates also tend to have issues with cable systems, as this requires digging up pavements and roadways in order to lay trunking for the cables to use. For these scenarios, installers typically turn to wireless networking, which offers great throughput and great reliability, as long as the right product is used, and said product is installed properly. Standard outdoor WiFi equipment has been used successfully in many of these applications, and with the introduction of the latest wireless standard (802.11n), implementations are offering faster speeds and even more reliability than ever before. However, standard WiFi equipment is still not the best option for wireless transmission, due to it not being specifically designed for surveillance applications. Packet loss, high latencies, and dropped links are always a possibility when using standard WiFi. Carrier grade products are a far better option. Carrier grade wireless equipment manufacturers such as Radwin and Linkra, who do not conform to standard WiFi protocols, are able to transmit data much faster, more efficiently, and with less interference, making them much more suitable for surveillance applications. In short, standard WiFi IP surveillance systems are indeed possible, but having a carrier grade wireless solution, combined with cable infrastructure where possible, will ensure a reliable surveillance system, with fluid recordings and no dropped frames. to always do a proof of concept (POC) to ensure that a solution will operate as marketed. He adds that it is an alarming issue that a chief finance officer (CFO) or a chief technical officer (CTO) is being asked to make decisions on technologies that could be foreign to them. They are typically presented with marketing material that is similar between vendors even though the underlying technologies are very different. And while in a perfect laboratory environment a vendor might be able to reproduce its marketing specifications, it typically can never be reproduced in a real-live field environment.
How get connected

Technology is not the only issue to consider when deploying a surveillance solution. Duxbury notes that one of the issues one needs to focus on is finding a supplier that knows how to offer the best advice. The CCTV market is being advanced by users needs to monitor more locations, serve larger geographic areas, view clearer images and automatically analyse large amounts of data. Today, the market teems with new high definition IP camera options, software, a variety of wireless communication, control and management systems, as well as leading-edge storage, distribution and analytics solutions capable of recognising potential security breaches without human involvement. Customers/installers face the challenge of incorporating these new systems into existing networks and integrating them with information management systems. They therefore need to source from suppliers who understand the connectivity requirements of an overarching, end-to-end solution from the camera to the disk drive. Turvey says that one must also exercise caution and not just believe what one reads when presented with a vendors marketing documentation, sometimes it might stretch the truth somewhat. It is advisable
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THERMAL
The expanding role of thermals

Thermal cameras are still a popular addition to the security arsenal of many organisations.
Thermal cameras are still a popular addition to the security arsenal of many organisations. Hi-Tech Security Solutions asked a few people in the know for their views on this market and where they thought it was heading. Brendon Cowley, C3: Thermals are becoming more IP orientated and able to integrate to IP surveillance solutions. Thermals are being manufactured to include intelligent video analytics for surveillance purposes. Thermals are being used far more as a 24/7 surveillance camera and not just used for night-time viewing. Their capabilities of detecting intrusion through heavy fog / mist are improving. A variety of detectors can be found nowadays. (180x120; 320x240; 384x288; 640x480). Philip Smerkovitz, MD of TeleEye (South Africa): Security installers and design engineers have historically considered such state-of-the-art technology as thermal imaging to only be suitable for military applications. However, history shows that many applications designed for use in the worlds militaries have the potential to cross over into the civilian space with just a few clever tweaks. While not related to the CCTV arena, General Motors Hummer is an excellent example of how a vehicle with a military pedigree can perfectly appeal to civilians following a well thought-out makeover. Similarly, innovative engineering has seen thermal imaging now well integrated into security applications throughout the civilian sector. However, as with any military pedigree, there is still the challenge of trying to properly communicate the advantages of thermal imaging in the commercial security arena. Many corporate managers still view the technology as somewhat over the top Fortunately, this thinking is gradually giving way to a realisation that South Africa is indeed engaged in a war of sorts. We need to bring military applications to bear against the countrys hardened criminals, many of whom somewhat ironically have a military background.
Hi-Tech Security Solutions: Apart from price declines and more companies becoming involved in manufacturing thermal cameras, how has the thermal market changed over the past few years?
Jason McGregor, Axis Communications: There has been a definite change in the market from analogue to IP thermal cameras. With the price shift, it has made thermal technology more accessible and available to every day use. The first thermals launched had lower resolution sensors which made detection ranges fairly limited. Today the image sensors have much higher resolution giving us farther detection ranges as well as cleaner and crisper imaging. John Loftus, MASS Price decline has been the prime mover in helping thermal technology break into the mainstream CCTV market. Thermal manufacturers have been at pains to be to point out cost benefits and point to the fact that although undoubtedly thermal cameras are more expensive than conventional CCTV, larger areas can be protected using a far less number of thermal cameras, than using conventional video cameras. Another major driving factor has been the take up of premium motor manufacturers utilising thermal technology for nighttime driving. This has allowed the technology to be accessed and tested by a greater number of potential customers, who then want to use this technology on their own property. The introduction of dual thermal imaging cameras has increased the appeal of thermals dramatically. Couple that to PTZ units and you have an all-encompassing solution.
Jason McGregor, Axis Communications sales manager for Africa
John Loftus, MD of MASS
Brendon Cowley, director of C3
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The crossover of military technologies into the civilian arena has the advantage of price decreases being able to be realised as uptake increases. An army might order 10 000 thermal imaging devices whereas a civilian population, and corporate organisations, might order 100 000 thermal imaging systems. Within corporate South Africa we are seeing excellent uptake when it comes to reliable perimeter protection at an affordable price.
Hi-Tech Security Solutions: What are the primary functions people are using thermals for? Where are they best suited?
McGregor: We are seeing thermal being used across the board into varying segments. Industrial requirements remain high and we contain to see healthy growth in this area. Perimeter monitoring remains one of the most popular applications for thermal cameras, which has been eagerly adopted by many residential estates. Loftus: Perimeter detection, wide open spaces, areas where there is little or no additional or ambient lighting. Outdoor applications where long range recognition, detection or identification is required. With the increased use of unmanned analytics, thermals offer a far more reliable detection medium than conventional video cameras due to the high contrast of the images relayed. Primary use is detection rather than surveillance. The vast majority of thermal cameras are sold alongside a video camera as a complimentary technology. Cowley: Best suited for low light conditions and large open spaces where intrusions with a normal day/ night camera become difficult to detect. Day/night cameras/IR devices and night vision devices work by detecting reflected light energy. But the amount of reflected light they receive is not the only factor that determines whether or not youll be able to see with these cameras: image contrast matters, too. They need enough light, and enough contrast to create usable images. Thermal cameras dont have these shortcomings as they detect heat/ energy and not reflected light. Everything you see in normal daily life has a heat signature. Many of the objects you could be looking for, like people, generate their own contrast because they generate their own
heat. Thermal imagers can see them well because they dont just make pictures from heat; they make pictures from the minute differences in heat between objects. Without a doubt, thermal cameras are the best 24-hour imaging option. C3 has installed thermal cameras at a variety of places such as power stations, residential estates, tunnels of the Gautrain, gold mines, precious metal refineries and classified national keypoint sites. Wherever there is a high risk or high value area that requires a sophisticated surveillance system, thermals are suitable. Smerkovitz: Applications include areas where it is impractical, not cost effective or environmentally restricted when it comes to white light or IR illumination. One must remember that thermal cameras are not only suitable for night-time illumination. Few people realise that thermal cameras are not blinded by sunlight making them an excellent daytime option as well. They also have the ability to cover long ranges meaning they have traditionally been deployed in the protection of large perimeters found in mines, estates and office parks. TeleEye, Flir Systems distributors, can convincingly demonstrate that the total cost of ownership of thermal cameras is much lower over long distances compared to traditional surveillance cameras. Thermal cameras also have the distinct advantage of being able to see through smoke and fog and this makes them ideal for marine, nature conservation, and law enforcement applications. This ability also means they can transcend security applications and also be ideal for traffic monitoring, process control, automation, health and safety, preventative maintenance and so on. Potential thermal camera applications are limited only by the creativity of the installer.
Hi-Tech Security Solutions: A thermal camera is a thermal camera, they just have different lenses for different distances. Is this true? How do your thermals differentiate themselves?
McGregor: Whilst sensors themselves can be quite similar, albeit different resolution are available our differentiating factor is the ability to stream multiple colour palettes from the same camera which enables
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better detection in changing environments. Edge storage as well as the ability to load third-party analytics directly onto the camera gives the end user flexibility and scalability to customise each camera to their required application. Loftus: Thermal cameras are split into two main categories cooled and uncooled modules. Cooled thermals calibrated to a known temperature which means they are more sensitive to minute temperature changes, they are particularly suited for very long-range applications and are generally only used by military or government in high risk areas where the cost can be accepted against the protection required. The mainstream security market is using uncooled thermal modules and the first of these introduced to the mainstream security market were general low resolution 160x90 pixels. These are still popular and are used generally as a detector with analytics. 320x240 and more recently 640x480 thermals modules are now available and these provide excellent images, in some cases very similar in quality achieved from a monochrome video camera. Due to this increased resolution these modules are suitable for identifying and surveying areas in their own right. Megapixel sensors are now available but are very expensive and will not reach the mainstream market in the foreseeable future. Oculus offers three different thermal cores (from three different core manufacturers) each with different pricing, red-tape requirements and resolutions. Oculus offers an industry leading hi-res 640x480 option. We also offer either 9 Hz or 25 Hz units. Cowley: No, this statement is not true. There are quite a few factors that differentiate one thermal camera from another. Lets talk about a few of them: Sensitivity of the thermal sensor: As you review published camera specifications you will see thermal sensitivity specifications range between 0,25C (250 mK) and 0,05C (50 mK). While you might consider a quarter of degree to be adequate thermal sensitivity as soon as you look at a low contrast scene youll discover the image quality adversely effects the image quality as noise begins to dominate the image. Less than 50 mK is ideal and will result in higher sensitivity of the thermal sensor which will result in better detection of intrusions and higher image quality (less noise). Micron Pitch (m): The smaller the micron pitch number is , the farther the field of view (FOV) is. For example, a camera that has an Micron Pitch 50 m using a 50 mm lens may detect intrusions at a distance of 300 m, whereas a camera with a 20 m using the same 50 mm lens, will detect intrusions at a much farther distance (450 m). Hertz: This is the frequency at which the camera operates and is directly related to frame rate. The higher the frequency the higher the frame rate the better the quality of the image. NUC: As the number of pixels increases and their sensitivity improves the quality of image is increasingly dependent on a process called Non Uniformity Calibration or NUC. This calibration process results in greater image quality and improved camera performance. Smerkovitz: Leading manufacturers in thermal imaging, such as Flir, offer many lens variants which, again, is another in a long list of advantages of these devices. Different lenses are indeed offered for different distances with one particular lens being able to detect a human being at a staggering 18 kilometres. As one would imagine, image quality is crucial and several different resolutions are available, depending on
client requirements. TeleEye always recommends that clients ensure their thermal imaging systems use the DDE software algorithm for optimal image quality.
Hi-Tech Security Solutions: Some manufacturers offer dual thermal/visual cameras that allow operators to zoom in when an alert is raised, will these solutions become the norm?
McGregor: This is becoming an offer from many manufacturers but is very costly so will remain a niche requirement. Loftus: The vast majority of thermal cameras are sold alongside a video camera as a complementary technology, the thermal being used to detect a threat and the video camera to identify. Cowley: At present there is only one high end manufacturer of thermal cameras for the commercial market that has the zoom capability on both the thermal and visual / CCD camera. The rest of the dual thermal / CCD with zoom capabilities offer the zoom on the CCD only. Smerkovitz: These dual function cameras are already widely used and will remain popular since they offer all the benefits of long-range thermal detection, verification and recognition of targets in the absence of light. Operators can also make use of the optical zoom camera to further interrogate the target, light permitting.
Hi-Tech Security Solutions: What advances in thermal technology can we expect to see in the next year or so?
McGregor: More analytics, coupled with stronger processors and higher resolutions. Loftus: Higher resolutions, exact positioning devices, multiple camera options on one platform. Cowley: Temperature monitoring / flame detection / intelligent video analytics. Smerkovitz: Image quality will continually improve in leaps and bounds as advanced software becomes available. Product ranges will be expanded to include dome-type multi-sensors. Perhaps most importantly, better quality products will become available at lower prices.
Hi-Tech Security Solutions: Are we going to see more intelligence built into thermals in the future?
McGregor: Axis will continue to support and promote our ACAP (Axis Camera Application Platform ) offering, which will continue to drive development of edge analytics providing the customer with an array of applications which can be installed on the camera. Loftus: Yes, many thermal cameras are now available with builtin analytics. Oculus currently offers an IP option with a DRS core. Alternatively, analogue units with an additional encoder. Smerkovitz: Absolutely. Greater analytical capability will be built into future camera systems further reducing reliance on human operators who are by nature never 100% reliable or accurate.
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ANALOGUE
Analogue: still going strong

By Michelle Marais, Syntech.
Analogue CCTV has become readily available to the public; the pricing of the equipment is substantially lower and more cost-effective than it has ever been.
There are many areas of safety that concern us. As home-owners, we feel the need to have a security system, ensuring peace of mind in the safety of our homes. As a business owner, there are shortages that occur, either within a retail environment (at the till point or in store), in a warehouse (where consumable products may go missing), or within a business (where deviant behaviour has a better disguise, but needs to be monitored to protect your assets). When analogue cameras entered the market a few decades ago, the market was abuzz. The pricing at the time was sky high and the perception of installing CCTV into certain sectors of the market was perceived as a negative. Businesses and home-owners alike steered away from the expensive lite option of having closed circuit television. Today its a different story. In South Africa, the cost of implementing a surveillance system is now relatively small compared to the cost of not having that system in place a major factor in the decision to install a CCTV system. Analogue CCTV has become readily available to the public; the pricing of the equipment is substantially lower and more cost-effective than it has ever been. Replacement of a damaged or broken camera has become far easier. Analogue CCTV manufacturers have a vast range of camera specifications, models, sizes and looks, from fixed and varifocal lenses, to box camera sets with interchangeable lens configurations to best suit the solution required. The manufacturers are still improving their analogue ranges with such concepts as WDR (Wide Dynamic Range) allowing a camera to filter intense back light and enhancing the ability to distinguish features and shapes by scanning the same frame twice and then processing the image pixel by pixel into a single frame, and DIS (Digital Image System) boasting advanced features in terms of image quality, energy-efficiency capability and overall system stability. DIS cameras have become very competitive in the analogue market, and meet many application requirements for cost-effective surveillance systems, with features capable of performing in extremely low illumination areas. While IP (Internet protocol) cameras have appeared on the market, analogue CCTV cameras have a relatively low cost up front, and are generally compatible with different types of surveillance equipment, offering a higher overall reliability as a time-proven surveillance system. Both IP and analogue cameras employ an analogue image sensor, which is either a charge coupled device (CCD the digital microchip which produces the picture signal) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS). All analogue cameras employ a CCD sensor, where IP cameras can use either CCD or CMOS sensors. There are some significant advantages in CCD image quality over CMOS, primarily around how well each sensor type works in low light conditions. Analogue has and does perform exceptionally well at night, and in dark areas. Analogue CCD cameras also manage motion well. Analogue cameras send analogue signals to a DVR (digital video recorder) or other platform (smartphone, laptop or desktop computer). Most CCTV setups run on a time lapse basis (around twenty-five frames per second (PAL), and thirty frames per second (NTSC). Analogue signals can be recorded on your PC as a digital recording, although the signal needs to be converted via a video capture card in your computer. These digital recordings are often compressed in order to save the footage regularly. Most DVRs act like a network camera, allowing digital broadcasting of the video signal. The image detail of analogue cameras is measured in TVL (TV Lines). As each picture is made up of horizontal lines, the number of interlaced even and odd lines define the quality and resolution of the picture. Initially, cameras were released at 320 and 340 TVLs. Its the quality of the analogue cameras which make all the difference. Were moving away from the current entry level 420 and 480 TVLs and making our entry level 600 and 700 TVLs, to encapsulate quality images benefiting people in security conscious environments. CP Plus systems are technically easy to install, and have a very easy to use system, while retaining sophisticated technology, which enables Syntech to offer resellers scalable solutions according to their requirements. A standard analogue CCTV surveillance system includes the cameras, a monitor, cables and a DVR. CP Plus entry-level DIY kits are also available for the B2B market from Syntech for a retail price of around R5999. These DIY kits include a DVR, 4 CMOS 600 TVL cameras, 18 metre cabling per camera, a four-way power supply and a 4 channel DVR with a 500 GB hard drive. For more information contact Michelle Marais, Syntech, michelle@syntech.co.za
CCTV TIMELINE
1942 First used by the US Military to monitor the testing of the V2 missiles 1953 Used in the UK for the first time for the Queens coronation 1960s Started appearing in public places to monitor crowd behaviour during rallies and public figure appearances 1980s VCRs (Video Cassette Recorders) came onto the scene making CCTV more popular enabling its users more storage of their video surveillance 1990s The DVR (Digital Video Recorder) was born. This allowed images from existing analogue cameras to be recorded and stored on hard disk drives with images being a much higher quality 2013 The analogue system is KING, celebrating over 70 years of existence, manufactured and technically improved, year on year
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STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES
Storage technologies for video surveillance

An Avigilon white paper. The surveillance industry continues to transition from analogue to digital. This transition is taking place on two fronts how the images are captured and how they are stored. The way surveillance images are stored has also changed from analogue-based recording solutions like VHS tapes and film to digital storage on hard drives. As a result, most surveillance systems in place today make use of hard disks to store surveillance images digitally. With hard drive capacity doubling approximately every two years and the cost per unit shrinking by 50%, surveillance storage is less expensive, more efficient and progressively powerful. However, the part of the analogue to digital surveillance transition how images are captured is placing unique demands on surveillance storage technology. These demands require integrators and customers to have a deeper understanding of the storage technologies available and the impact that each storage option has on their surveillance system. The unique demands that result from the transition from analogue to digital image capture are largely driven by the fact that digital images can exceed the resolution limits of analogue cameras. Higher resolution and higher definition images mean more detail and better evidence in surveillance video but also mean each camera has the potential to generate larger images that require appropriate technology solutions to efficiently store, search, playback and manage. This white paper explores available surveillance video storage technologies and the impact of each solution on video management software performance to arm security and IT professionals with the information to make the best storage decisions when designing a surveillance system. moving parts to store information. Along with the reliability and resiliency improvements that are gained with the elimination of moving parts, SSDs also offer substantial increases in speed for both reading and writing data over mechanical HDDs. The trade-off for improved speed and reliability is increased cost. In 2011, the cost per gigabyte of SSD technology was $1.50. Though declining rapidly at 30 times more than current HDD prices the cost of SSDs are too expensive for the large storage capacities needed for most surveillance systems. Redundancy RAID The fundamental technology of digital surveillance storage the hard drive is only the beginning of the hardware involved in a storage system. The most important technology that will impact any storage system involving multiple hard drives is called RAID redundant array of independent disks. Hard drives have the possibility of failure especially when using moving components so redundancy is a critical consideration to ensure data wont be lost and systems will continue to operate in the event of a drive failure. Beyond redundancy and fault tolerance, implementing RAID also increases the performance of a storage system by increasing the throughput beyond what could be accomplished with a single hard drive. RAID provides redundancy by grouping multiple hard drives and employing different techniques, mirroring and striping, to distribute data across multiple hard drives. Mirroring is the simplest form of redundancy and simply copies the data on two drives as any data is written, its created in both places. With striping, data can be spread out at a low level across multiple hard drives. Striping improves performance of a RAID system by writing data to a large number of drives simultaneously so that the duration of a single write operation is greatly reduced. Striping with parity extends the process of breaking up a file and storing it across multiple drives to include a calculated value parity information in addition to the original data that rebuilds data if some portion of it is later lost. To help understand these concepts better its best to review how theyre implemented in real surveillance systems and the different RAID levels used. The most common RAID levels in a surveillance system are 0, 1, 5 and 6. RAID 0 is the simplest form and provides no redundancy or fault tolerance. Using striping without parity or mirroring, RAID 0 allows a group of hard drives to act as a single usable storage array with increased performance of distributing load across all hard drives. RAID 1 mirrors all data to two drives and uses no striping or parity, although multiple pairs of mirrored hard drives can be striped together in a RAID 10 or a RAID 1+0 array. This is the most fault tolerant RAID setup since all data is mirrored fully, however since it requires twice as many hard drives to provide the needed capacity its typically used only for operating systems or programs, and rarely as the RAID level for large amounts of storage like surveillance video. RAID levels 5 and 6 are more commonly used for large amounts of storage for surveillance video. RAID 5 uses striping with distributed parity, this means that data is both spread out over multiple drives and additional information is stored to allow data to be rebuilt after failure. For example if you had eight hard
How you store your video footage impacts your ability to make optimal use of it.
Storage technologies
Disk drives The hard disk drive (HDD) is the central component to the digital storage of surveillance video. HDD technology has evolved incrementally from the same basic concept pioneered in 1956 a stack of spinning platters and scanning heads. A conventional mechanical hard disk operates using a series of spinning rigid plates that store information using magnetism. The data is read from the spinning platters using scanning heads positioned over the spinning disks. Though the fundamentals of HDD technology havent changed, the ability to increase the density in which data is stored has allowed HDD size to shrink tremendously. This change resulted in a dramatic capacity increase while costs continued to decrease. For example, the typical price per gigabyte of raw HDD storage has decreased from $56.30 per gigabyte in 1998 to $0.053 per gigabyte in 2011. Innovations in speed and interfaces have also allowed HDDs to handle larger amounts of incoming data and quickly provide that data back to applications enabling advances like HD and megapixel surveillance. One shortcoming of HDD technology is its reliance on mechanical moving parts. Moving parts always come with some risk of failure over time. Because of this, most surveillance systems use multiple disks in redundant configurations (see the next section on RAID for more detail). Solid state drives (SSDs) are another option. SSDs rely on a large amount of solid-state memory, essentially microchips, and have no
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drives in a RAID 5 setup each file would be spread out over seven drives and parity information about the file written to the eighth drive. Since RAID 5 distributes the parity information, the parity information wont always be written to the same drive with every file. In the event any one of the eight drives fails, no data is lost and the system can rebuild the contents of the failed drive once its replaced by using the data on the other seven drives. RAID 5 provides fault tolerance to a single drive failure, increased performance of spreading disk operations over multiple hard drives and only costs an additional hard drive in each array of disks. RAID 6 extends RAID 5 by distributing parity information for each file to two drives; this allows the system to tolerate the failure of two drives in an array without losing data but costs an additional drive per array. RAID 6 becomes more important as array size grows and to ensure storage isnt vulnerable in the event of a rebuild process. Rebuild time increases with array size, so RAID 6 ensures data is not vulnerable during the rebuild process. RAID is implemented either at the hardware or software level within a server or storage enclosure. For the performance needs of surveillance and truly enterprise class storage a hardware RAID controller is a requirement for any surveillance video storage. Implementing RAID at the software level relies on system resources and introduces additional overhead and delays that impact performance of your storage and make it unsuitable for video surveillance storage. Storage communication Weve already discussed the basic technologies commonly used for surveillance storage a collection of hard disk drives most likely grouped in a RAID 5 or 6 configuration. The next important topic is how the surveillance system communicates with that storage. Generally this communication will fall into one of three categories directly attached storage (DAS), storage area network (SAN), or network attached storage (NAS). DAS is the simplest and most economical for storage that needs to be accessed by only a single server. As the name implies DAS provides storage directly attached to a server. The methods of attachment vary but for enterprise class storage its done via a serial attached SCSI (SAS) cable from a dedicated hardware RAID card. SAN will typically be used for very large amounts of storage that require access from multiple servers while centralising management, resources, and scalability. A wide variety of technologies are available for communication in SANs, however modern SANs used for surveillance most often use either Fibre Channel or iSCSI. The choice between the two protocols is based on the needs of the network in terms on interconnectivity and performance. iSCSI is more cost effective because it uses standard network cabling and switches when compared to the more expensive and complex cabling and switching that Fibre Channel requires. NAS is the final category for connecting storage to a surveillance system.
An important thing that differentiates the storage communication technologies is whether they provide block level or file level access to the storage device from the connected servers and applications. The difference between block and file level access translates primarily to performance: block level access provides higher performance by allowing lower level access, while file level access limits performance but can provide easier concurrent access to multiple users in non-surveillance applications like file sharing. NAS provides only file level access to a storage volume while DAS and SAN provide block level access. In surveillance, block level access is required by most systems, including Avigilon Control Center (ACC). As a result, file level access and the use of network attached storage is typically limited to applications with very few cameras. Storage architecture The final layer between a surveillance application and storage is the software technology and architecture used to structure and index stored video, configuration data and events. The simplest form of software used by any surveillance application is a file system. A fundamental operating system feature, the file system provides the basic functionality to read, write, and organise files. A surveillance system could make use of a simple file system for everything from configuration files to the video itself typically however performance needs require the use of a relational database in addition to a basic file system to provide the necessary performance of writing, indexing, and managing the complex event and video related information thats part of a surveillance system. Relational databases play a key role storing and indexing data for video surveillance systems. They also allow features like search, playback, backups, and export to happen efficiently. In the following section well explore how video surveillance software stores video in more detail.
VMS storage and impact on surveillance design

A typical surveillance system generates four types of data systemrelated configuration data, events, metadata and surveillance video that need to be stored and pose unique challenges. Video management software (VMS) simplifies the process by storing data between files and databases based on its nature. The smallest and simplest type of data is system-related configuration data. This can be information on recording schedules, users and groups, rules, alarms, and system logs. Usually its a very small amount of information, accessed infrequently and does not present high demands on speed of retrieval. For these reasons, a VMS will typically store this data within a structured database. Configuration data does pose some unique demands because it has to be encrypted and only modified when proper security checks have been performed. A VMS will also use a database to provide these features.
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STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES
Another data type generated by a VMS for storage is events. Events will typically be small in size but can be high in volume and place significant demands on a system to store, index and search. The type of events generated and stored will range from user audit events, motion events, general system events, device input and output events, or external events from an integrated system. The high volume needs of managing event storage are met well by a database. Events also require rapid indexing and searchability functionality that is also best supported by a database. The most important and significant type of data generated by a VMS is the surveillance video itself. The amount of video generated by a single server will vary based on number of cameras, resolution, and amount of motion, but can be several terabytes per day. Typically the data generated by video is much too large for storage within a database so it is usually stored separately in a file system and indexed in a database. The video itself poses the largest challenge to a storage system. As a result, how a VMS stores video significantly impacts the performance and features of a surveillance system. Disk fragmentation is a key concern. As outlined earlier, storage is performed on hard disks comprised of rapidly rotating disks. The physical position of data on disks impacts performance tremendously. For example, if related data is all physically located in one place the speed to read access the data is greatly reduced. Over time as different amounts of data are written, deleted and overwritten on a disk fragmentation can occur and related data is no longer located on the disk close to other related data. When fragmentation is not managed properly in a video surveillance environment, data from a camera can become widely spread out over a disk. Searching and playback of that data can become very slow. In addition, if the free space or regions being written are spread far apart, writing video may also take longer which can limit system capacity. Fragmentation is ignored by most conventional computer applications and systems rely either on user-initiated applications or periodic tasks to defragment a disk. Unfortunately in the case of surveillance systems the storage system is required 24x7 to write high volumes of data generated by video. Therefore, the downtime needed to defragment a disk after fragmentation has occurred is unacceptable. For this reason, its important that the VMS be aware of and manage fragmentation as it writes and overwrites video on a disk. Tightly related to the video and generating at an equal rate but in smaller size is metadata. Metadata is any additional information that describes or adds to the content of the video. For motion detection and analytics applications this will include the location of motion within video as well as object location and direction. Because this data must be stored in an indexed fashion thats rapidly searchable, it must be stored in a database. Two important demands must be carefully accounted for by the VMS when storing metadata: speed of searching and time synchronisation to the video. Metadata thats inaccurately sequenced relative to video becomes useless. As well, if the data cant be easily and rapidly searched it will not enable the effective handling of investigations. How does Avigilon store video? Now that weve covered the technologies, implementations, and challenges related to surveillance video storage, its important to understand how Avigilon Control Center (ACC) has been architected to minimise storage requirements and maximise performance despite the higher storage demands of high-definition surveillance. HD video places unique demands on a storage system as the video generated is higher in resolution, potentially higher in data rate and contains more information than conventional video leading to users doing more searching and reviewing as the value of their stored video increases. As outlined previously, the database plays a key role in a surveillance
system. For this reason Avigilon Control Center makes use of a high performance embedded database that is tailored for HD video surveillance storage. The use of a database embedded into the VMS is unique to Avigilon and delivers considerable advantages. Other VMS will typically use an external database, such as Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, or Postgres SQL, which has several disadvantages. First, performance becomes limited external databases require data be passed between processes from the main VMS process to the process running the database. Embedding the database means data and queries are quickly handled and database resources can be more actively managed by the VMS process. Second, external databases are subject to separate management of licensing, upgrades, and in large corporate environments may require involvement of other departments tasked with managing all external databases on site. An external database can easily be patched incorrectly, corrupted by another application, or accessed insecurely than one embedded and managed by the VMS. The type of database used and how its managed also impacts the speed of playback and searching. The high performance embedded database used in ACC is tuned to ensure the industrys fastest HD searching and a responsive time line that allows intuitive jog and shuttle playback controls. These features greatly reduce investigation time and allow security professionals to quickly access all the additional information captured by HD and multi-megapixel IP surveillance cameras. Conventional off the shelf database technologies are unable to provide the efficiency and power required to quickly search and playback HD video. This results in cumbersome investigations and limits an operators ability to realise the value of high-resolution cameras. Another core technology Avigilon Control Center uses is a unique file system architecture to manage storage efficiently for HD video surveillance system. The file system used to store the video content in ACC makes use of files broken into different intelligent buckets whose content and structure are managed by ACC and indexed within the embedded high performance database. The use of these buckets allows ACC to strictly manage fragmentation while enabling technologies like data ageing and backup of HD video in highly efficient ways not possible with other systems. Data ageing, a high definition stream management (HDSM) technology, allows JPEG and JPEG2000 compressed video to be automatically managed to store video at half the original frame rate after a set period, and then at a quarter the original frame rate after a further point of time. The unique file system used by Avigilon allows data ageing to be applied at different times for different cameras on a single server allowing finer control of storage allocation then other VMS that only rarely offers any ageing settings and typically only has a global value.
Summary
Advances in storage technology are accelerating the transition from analogue to digital in surveillance and enabling security enhancing technologies like HD surveillance systems. A full understanding of these technologies empowers security professionals to understand the options available when purchasing or designing video surveillance. Beyond understanding the technologies involved, knowing how a VMS uses storage is necessary to understanding how the VMS can affect the quality of evidence a surveillance system stores. Avigilon Control Centers purpose built approach to using the best available storage technologies and architectures provides users with a system that is highly scalable and provides rapid access to the best evidence and reduced investigation times. For more information contact Avigilon, +27 (0)72 584 4992, ryno.vandervyver@avigilon.com, www.avigilon.com
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CASE STUDY
Perimeter protection at its most effective

AECIs Chemserve Systems goes thermal to secure its Chloorkop site.
AECIs Chemserve Systems provides chemical products to a diverse range of industries. Its site at Chloorkop, a small industrial town just outside of Johannesburg, was being monitored by four different analogue camera systems, making effective security surveillance extremely difficult. A decision was taken to consolidate and upgrade the existing solution. Seasoned IP CCTV and systems integration provider, SLA Group, designed and installed a cohesive solution, using Axis network cameras, that offers complete perimeter coverage and extensive internal monitoring capabilities. The main entrance control room maintains centralised control of the entire system, while the IT server room records and acts as a main buffer for the whole system, thereby reducing the risk of an incident or intrusion failing detection by security personnel. The vacant land that borders the north and west sides of the Chloorkop AECIs site no longer poses a threat to the security of the premises. Previously this open area was responsible for continuous trespassing and the removal of large quantities of valuable stock. Thanks to the installation of Axis thermal network cameras, even complete darkness cannot offer criminals a place to hide. It is imperative that warehouses, administrative buildings, workshops and storage tankers are under 24-hour surveillance. This ensures that our customer has complete control of the entire site at all times, remarks SLA Groups Alexandre Teixeira. Any movement after working hours will automatically trigger an alarm that security officers can react to immediately. The Axis PTZ network cameras provide a visual of what security can expect to encounter during these responses.
A fortified boundary
SLA Group has over 24 years experience in the design, manufacture and installation of CCTV and automation systems for the power generation, mining, iron and steel and chemical industries. This sustained involvement allows SLA Group to offer best value for money solutions without compromising on quality, reliability or long-term stability. We realised that AECI Chemparks perimeter was a major security issue that required careful attention and meticulous product investigation, says Teixeira. The Axis Q1910-E Thermal Network Camera presented itself as the most intelligent option. Axis Q1910-E uses thermal imaging to detect people, objects and incidents in complete darkness or challenging conditions such as smoke, haze, dust and light fog. For a long time thermal imaging was too costly for any application outside of the military, however, as price is driven down by improved technology, it is rapidly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the security and surveillance industry. Creating images based on the heat that is generated by any object, person or vehicle and requiring no additional light source, thermal cameras are ideal for securing perimeters and dark or shadowed areas.
Protecting essential stock
AECIChempark divisions supply an extensive range of specialty chemical products and related services for industrial use across a broad spectrum of customers in the manufacturing and mining sectors, mainly in High definition images South Africa and in southern The main entrance to the Africa. site and the internal roads 1. Chemsystems: provides are monitored by Axis P1344 chemical products Mike van Schelt, financial director, Chemserve Systems. Network Cameras. The firstto a diverse range of rate HDTV image quality of industries. Axis P1344 ensures that control room personnel are able to view 2. Akulu Marchom: supplies chemical raw materials and value-adding video surveillance of the highest possible resolution in the zones services to the cosmetics, toiletry and detergent industries in South where clarity and detail are critical. Africa. Picture quality and ease of installation were just two of the many 3. IU: manufactures and supplies a range of polyurethane products, reasons that we selected Axis as our IP partner for this project, says technologies, systems and solutions in southern Africa. Teixeira. Every single corridor, intersection, entrance and exit needs to 4. Plastamid: plays a leading role in the manufacture and supply of therbe accessible by the surveillance cameras. The versatility of the Axismoplastic compounds to a diverse range of industries. based solution makes this entirely possible. 5. Chemfit: has 30 years experience in supplying traded and blended
The system has paid for itself in terms of efficacy. It has been a pleasure dealing with such a professional system integrator.
specialty chemicals to a broad range of industries, including water treatment, soil fumigation, petrochemical, lubricants, polymers and plastics.
For more information contact Axis Communications, +27 (0)11 548 6780, roy.alves@axis.com, www.axis.com
109
CASE STUDY
Watching the diamonds

Integrated security installation keeps diamonds in the right hands.
Martin van der Westhuizen, business development manager Fire, Security and Integrated Systems, Johannesburg, ADT Security, has been integrally involved with the implementation of security solutions for a diamond mine in Botswana. He provides the following information on the project. connected back to network switches with a single cable for data and power. The customer is also guaranteed of a future-proof solution fully upgradable should they require growth or changes.
What was unique about this particular solution?

CCTV and access control was used to manage high risk areas without the hindrance of physical barriers. Access to work areas was granted per area and per duration and loaded into the system. Staff can now proceed to working areas through virtual barriers to the approved and disarmed areas. Should the staff member deviate from this, the CCTV system will register the intrusion and immediate action can be taken. This is a very innovative use of the integrated power of the security system to support operations without interfering with it. Further to this, the CCTV system is installed for security as well as process and production. Cameras were placed at all critical process areas to monitor the process flow. There are also cameras mounted inside the vacuum chambers of the cyclone sorting units to monitor a process that is normally impossible to see. This use of technology for both security and process is fairly unique.
What were the clients needs?

The project scope was to supply a fully-integrated security solution for a diamond mine in Botswana. The system needed to provide full biometric access control into the mining area, to and from the security areas and within the high-risk diamond recovery building. Focused surveillance was needed on all mining areas included in perimeter, mining and materials handling, crushing and flotation, recovery and process areas, short house and diamond export areas. Two monitoring control rooms were required, one for security and one for process control.
What solutions did ADT Security put in place?

We applied the Tyco C-Cure 9000 access control system with full IP Edge door controllers. The video system installed is the Tyco American Dynamics Video Edge Network video recorders with the Illustra 400 Series IP dome and bullet cameras as well as VideoEdge IP Speed dome PTZ cameras. The IP intercom system delivered was the Aiphone IP intercom system. The biometric system used was the Morpho Access fingerprint biometrics.
What was the timeframe in which you implemented the solution?

The project ran over a sevenmonth period (starting in February 2012 and ending in Sept 2012) and coincided with the civil construction of the mine and plant.
What would you say are the success factors of this case?
Close cooperation of ADT, the security provider, DRA, the engineering contractor, and the mine staff ensured the system was designed and implemented to be efficiently applied and supported all disciplines on the mine.
What technology was used?

All systems implemented were full IP systems with power over Ethernet connections. The security system was the latest in digital security with virtual matrices and content analytics. On the access side, smart card technology with Morpho Access fingerprint biometrics and full IP PoE door controllers were used.
Any other comments you want included?

Although the fire system was delivered by another vendor, ADT was able to integrate it into the security system for monitoring and secure mustering of staff during a fire. For more information contact ADT, 0860 100 911, mpaynter.za@adt.co.za
What were the customer benefits?

Using a full IP system, the customer received easy and fast implementation and ease of use. We were able to utilise the fibre ring network around the mine and plant to connect all systems to the servers and control rooms. Minimal cable runs were required as all devices
110
Panoramic views with Geutebrck

New Innsbruck museum rounded off with Geutebrck video.
The Tyrol Panorama, a new purpose-built museum in Innsbruck, in the Austrian Tyrol, has been designed to showcase both the dramatic, 1000-square-metre, 360-degree wraparound painting of the same name, as well as the modern day panoramic outlook over Innsbruck, the Inn Valley and the Alps beyond. Completed in 2011, the three-storey, high-tech concrete and glass construction is set into the hillside next to the Tyrolean Imperial Infantry Museum at Bergisel to the south of the city. Its core exhibit, the vast, recently restored, canvas panorama depicting the local battles of 1809 against Napoleonic and Bavarian forces, dates from 1896 and is one of only twenty artworks of its kind still in existence. The combined museum and gallery complex is run by Tyrolean State Museums which also manages the Tyrolean State Museum Ferdinandeum, the Museum of Tyrolean Folk Art, the Zeughaus (Armoury), Court Church and the Folk Song Archive. Over recent years the company has repeatedly chosen Geutebrck video solutions to safeguard its buildings and collections and the new Bergisel development was no different. Innsbruck installer Fiegl & Spielberger supplied the alarm and video solutions including Geutebrck re_porter-16 video systems, and installed more than sixty Sony cameras. Besides focusing on the giant panoramic canvas and its viewing gallery, the video security system also monitors all the sensitive areas in and around the museums exhibitions of Tyrolean history, life and culture. For more information contact Geutebrck, +27 (0)11 867 6585, charles@geutebruck.co.za, www.geutebrueck.com
Huge width and depth capability with high quality

Dallmeiers Panomera system allows users to view wide vistas, over large distances, at high resolutions.
Dallmeiers Panomera system allows users to view wide vistas, over large distances, at high resolutions. Ettiene Swanepoel, technical director for local distributors MASS, explained that the main limitation with many megapixel panoramic cameras is the gradual degradation of picture quality as the digital zoom ratio increases. The engineers at Dallmeier tackled this issue and developed a technology that utilises a multi-focal sensor system. By implementing a number of megapixel sensors, each with its own lens, into the Panomera system, it is able to isolate a single sensor/lens combination to focus on a specific area within the total field of vision, while the other sensors are deployed to provide an overall panoramic view and recording, said Swanepoel. The sensors are arranged with preselected focal length lenses to focus on close-up areas, mid-field areas and longer distances, together with one overall view. The combination of sensors will all be viewed and recorded as one scene with the ability to access a single sensor during either playback or live viewing. A well-known problem with PTZ cameras is that the operator is forced to choose between overview image and detailed view. However, irrespective of where specific lenses are deployed in the field of vision, the Panomera always records the entire scene. It is thus possible to later reconstruct any event for use as evidence in court, regardless of where it took place, and to recognise all persons involved. In contrast to PTZ cameras, where only one operator can control the camera, with Panomera, an unlimited number of operators can navigate across the entire scene independently of each other. Although all operators are connected with the same camera, each of the individual users can select their view individually and zoom or pan as they desire. It is commonly accepted that with increasing distance, one will see increasing pixellation of the image. The Panomera camera overcomes this and is capable of recording up to 30 frames a second with viewing and recording in real-time, Swanepoel said. In contrast to PTZ cameras, Panomera has no movable mechanical parts, which means there is no wear, thus extending the cameras lifetime and drastically reducing maintenance..
111
CASE STUDY
Sweet surveillance with Bosch Security

Food production today is not simply a business. In order to guarantee a globally comparable and accepted norm, the industry introduced the International Food Standard (IFS) in 2003 to support manufacturers and retailers in their striving for quality. One aspect of this standard is the protection of the production facilities, including surveillance of the exterior and interior premises. As a result, the popular Italian chocolate manufacturer, Ferrero, was in need of plant security when expanding its production in Eastern Europe and Russia. When its Russian subsidiary, ZAO Ferrero Russia, opened its first factory in Vorsha Sobinskiy, in the Vladimir region northwest of Moscow, one of the most crucial factors to address was the security of the facilities, where Ferrero produces its all-time favourite Kinder Chocolate and the Raffaello praline in an 80 000-square-metre plant, and which created around 1 000 jobs. A 24-hour access control and detection of suspicious behaviour were key requirements. Environmental influences, such as weather, lighting conditions or leaves, had to be excluded. Additionally, it was vital to have an expandable surveillance system, backed by video storage, as well as the ability to be integrated into the existing IP network. The solution supplied by Bosch comprised cameras and storage capabilities, as well as intelligent analysis tools. In terms of cameras, 120 IP and analogue cameras were installed to provide comprehensive monitoring, aligned using an encoder. The camera control is coordinated by the Bosch Video Management System (BVMS), equipped with four workstations and such features as the quick search function within video archives, making the operators work more targeted and efficient. In order to store video files, nine iSCSI arrays with a total capacity of 100 TB were installed. For evaluating the recorded scenes, this surveillance solution is equipped with Intelligent Video Analysis (IVA) from Bosch, which offers the reliable detection of suspicious behaviour, such as unauthorised access to restricted areas, illegally parked cars or changing aspect ratios of objects. It also takes into consideration changing light and environmental conditions, such as rain or snow. By combining several products and technologies, Bosch provided Ferrero with an integrated security solution that offers high-quality images, comfortable management, and a reduction in the total cost of ownership. For more information contact Bosch Security Systems - South Africa & Sub-Sahara Africa, +27 (0)11 651 9838, Christine.Smit@za.bosch.com, www.boschsecurity.co.za
Chocolate producer opens a secure facility in Russia.
Zama Zamas meet PSIM

IPSecurityCenter PSIM solution chosen to optimise protection of a gold mine.
Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) software developer CNL Software and E-thele SQD Networks a local company involved in the design, implementation and support of situational management and PSIM solutions will provide an integrated security management solution to one of the worlds largest producers of gold. This specific mine in South Africa has the on-going challenge of protecting its gold, tools and equipment against theft through illegal mining activities by Zama Zamas (illegal miners) and by miners employed by the organisation. Mining organisations have a duty of care to protect staff and visitors; consequently safety records can be influenced negatively by death or injury of illegal miners as they are legally recorded as if they were employees. Access control, therefore, is not only a key component of the security operation, but also a major factor in the health and safety compliance policy. As well as securing the mines themselves there is also a need to secure gold in transit. To reduce the theft of assets and the number of injuries on duty, the mining client will use IPSecurityCenter to expand their existing CCTV video surveillance capability while optimising the significant investment in currently installed legacy technologies such as access control, physical alarm systems, fire detection, perimeter intrusion detection and video analytics technologies. IPSecurityCenter will provide the clients operators with real-time situation awareness, guiding the response teams over vast areas both above and below ground. At the same time IPSecurityCenter will collect data for reporting, forensic investigation and evidence gathering purposes, explains Wolfgang Engling, MD at E-thele SQD. Building on the initial CCTV and access control integration the plan is to incorporate facial recognition, GIS, body scanners and asset tracking as well as other security and operations systems. The key factor was the level of security they could expect from a solution and the expected level of return on investment, explains Manica Sanders, business development manager at E-thele. IPSecurityCenter will enable this gold mine giant to improve its security solutions while optimising currently installed, disparate security technologies. The scada software will later be integrated onto the same common platform, which will be one of the first attempts at marrying operations with security onto a common operating system. The cost of the IPSecurityCenter solution versus the estimated savings in preventing gold theft was a good security investment for the organisation. For more information contact E-thele , +27 (0)12 665 3158, manica@ethele.co.za, www.ethele.co.za
112
CCTV 2013
Company ADI Global Distribution ADT ADT Business Solutions Avigilon Axis Communications Bosch Security Systems Camsecure Cathexis Africa CCTV Security Surveillance Clearline Crown Hyper World Dahua Technology Dallmeier Southern Africa Office Elvey Security Technologies E-thele Fibre Optic Services & Cabling Flir Commercial Systems Frank Street Geutebrck Graphic Image Technologies Grundig Security Hikvision HiTek Security Distributors Honeywell SA IAC IMS Research Inhep Digital Security IP Security Solutions Jasco Security Solutions Leaderware Milestone Systems Mimic Crafts PBS Technologies Pinnacle Security Solutions Progroup Radwin Reditron Regal Security Distributors Secequip Security & Communication Warehouse SmartProtect Technews Publishing TeleEye (South Africa) Tyco Security Products UTM Group Vision Consulting Wright Surveillance ZKTeco (SA) Telephone 0860 22 55 23 0860 100 911 086 12 12 410 +27 (0)72 584 4992 +27 (0)11 548 6780 +27 (0)11 651 9838 +27 (0)11 781 1341 +27 (0)31 240 0800 +27 (0)11 454 5440 +27 (0)11 848 1100 +27 (0)11 830 1452 +86 571 8768 8883 +27 (0)11 979 4540 +27 (0)11 401 6700 +27 (0)12 665 3158 +27 (0)12 993 2479 +32 3665 5100 +27 (0)11 496 2300 +27 (0)71 673 3005 +27 (0)11 483 0333 +49 2191 374 9883 +86 571 8807 5998 +27 (0)21 946 3344 +27 (0)11 695 8000 +27 (0)12 657 3600 +44 1933 402 255 +27 (0)31 705 1373 +27 (0)11 553 3300 +27 (0)11 894 7127 +27 (0)11 787 7811 +45 88 300 300 +27 (0)11 689 5700 +27 (0)11 805 6600 +27 (0)11 265 3000 +27 (0)11 493 1545 +27 (0)82 551 5600 087 802 CCTV (2288) +27 (0)11 553 3300 +27 (0)11 624 2815 +27 (0)12 653 1005 +27 (0)11 543 5800 +27 (0)11 557 9200 +27 (0)82 566 5274 0860 22 22 66 +27 (0)11 830 2688 0861 974 448 +27 (0)12 259 1047 E-mail
quickfind
Website www.adiglobal.com/za www.adt.co.za www.adt.co.za www.avigilon.com www.axis.com Page adelaide.taylor@adiglobal.com mpaynter.za@adt.co.za ryno.vandervyver@avigilon.com roy.alves@axis.com christine.smit@za.bosch.com francois@camsecure.co.za info@cat.co.za cctv@cctvgauteng.co.za info@clearline.co.za info@crownhyper.co.za overseas@dahuatech.com dallmeiersa@dallmeier.com info@elvey.co.za manica@ethele.co.za sales@fosc.co.za flir@flir.com sales@frankstreet.co.za charles@geutebruck.co.za servision@git.co.za info@grundig-security.com overseasbusiness@hikvision.com info@hiteksecurity.net hsa@honeywell.com raine@iacontrol.co.za niall.jenkins@imsresearch.com alison.r@inhep.com info@ipsecuritysolutions.co.za sales@multivid.co.za sales@leaderware.com cdp@milestonesys.com sales@mimic.co.za billy.gilbert@pbstechnologies.com michaelho@pinnacle.co.za sales@progroup.co.za sales@radwin.com marketing@reditron.co.za info@regalsecurity.co.za riaan.vandermerwe@secequip.co.za marketing@securitywarehouse.co.za info@smartprotect.co.za vivienne@technews.co.za info@teleeye.co.za emallett@tycoint.com info@utmgroup.co.za ebrahim@viscon.co.za info@wrightcms.co.za info@zkteco.co.za 83* 110 OBC* 106,107,108 IFC*,16,17,34,35, 36,37,109 www.boschsecurity.co.za 79*,112 www.camsecure.co.za 81* www.cathexis.co.za 45*,77 www.cctvgauteng.co.za 71* www.clearline.co.za 9* www.crownhyper.co.za 43* www.dahuasecurity.com 69* www.dallmeier.com 42,43 www.elvey.co.za 11*,86 www.ethele.co.za 89,90,112 www.fosc.co.za 87* www.flir.com 5* www.frankstreet.co.za 22,67* www.geutebrueck.com 35*,111 www.git.co.za 94,103* www.grundig-security.com 39 www.hikvision.com 19* www.hiteksecurity.net 90* www.dvm.honeywell.com.au 97* www.iaconline.co.za 39* www.imsresearch.com 4,5 www.inhep.com 78 www.ipsecuritysolutions.co.za 15* www.jasco.co.za 23*,30 www.leaderware.com 24*,26,27 www.milestonesys.com 20,21 www.mimic.co.za 44* www.pbstechnologies.com 95 www.pinnsec.co.za 29* www.progroup.co.za 27* www.radwin.com 101* www.reditron.co.za 21* www.regalsecurity.co.za 41* www.secequip.co.za 31* www.securitywarehouse.co.za 33* www.smartprotect.co.za 24 www.technews.co.za 73* www.teleeye.com 74 www.tycosecurityproducts.com 3*,28 www.utmgroup.co.za 75* www.viscon.co.za 85* www.wrightcms.co.za 37* www.zkteco.co.za 13*
* Denotes advertiser
For more information on these and other suppliers please see www.hsbd.co.za

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CCTV HANDBOOK 2013

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