Displaying items by tag: video surveillance

Video wall architecture varies depending on manufacturer and operational requirements. There are two basic categories of video walls, hardware-based or software-based, that determine the needed components to make the wall run smoothly. For example, software-based architectures rely heavily on the processors on board to perform the heavy lifting related to dynamic switching and control of the inputs so these systems require very high end servers. The location of the electronic components that make up the video wall is also an important consideration for service, maintenance, noise, power, cooling, and other reasons so the type of wall used will determine where the components are located.

Video management servers, also known as VMSs, refer to digital video recorders (DVRs) that are PC-based rather than older DVRs that use an embedded architecture. PC-based or server-based video recorders feature a software interface for users to manage live and recorded video, among other analytic features. The software is defined as a video management interface. When you combine the server-based hardware architecture with the graphical user interface to manage the video feeds from the surveillance system, you derive a video management system. The video management servers form the backbone of the system and consist of the physical video recording network appliances that are responsible for both analog and IP surveillance video cameras.

Many people often hear about a company being referred to as a security integrator or security integration company. In my experience, that means different things to people depending on their backgrounds and former involvement with the technical security industry. Security integrators come in various sizes and often have different areas of expertise. The important thing to realize is that not all security integrators are created equal so each customer should research and carefully analyze the expertise of each security integration firm they are considering for specific projects.

Point of Sale (POS) systems are now common in the commercial marketplace for tracking transactions as consumers purchase goods and services, especially in retail-oriented businesses. Over the last few years as integration technology has advanced and provided expanded capabilities, Point of Sale systems began integrating with the video surveillance systems in order to provide actual video footage of each transaction rather than merely having data history of each event. This integration has proven to be an extremely effective tool in uncovering criminal activity by those operating cash registers and similar devices. In addition to video integration and having a solid event history of transactions, new and advanced Point of Sale systems and interfaces now provide robust business analytic tools for easy creation of reports, graphs, and statistical information to improve management efficiency.

Many surveillance operations are enhanced when the ability to record audio is coupled with video. Having an audio and video record of an event paints a more complete picture of what happened and provides more comprehensive evidence of past activities. This concept is not new and has long been understood. However, the challenge has been synchronizing the audio and video correctly so that the words are coming out of the people’s mouths as their lips are moving on the recorded video.

Video surveillance technology continues to improve as the need for video surveillance rises each day. A good video surveillance system provides its owner many advantages that are critical in ensuring safety and security. Video surveillance systems have drastically different levels of quality and capability that determine the system’s forensic effectiveness when recorded video is needed for evidence or situational review. With such a wide variety of systems and associated prices, there are video surveillance systems available that can meet almost everyone’s expectations and needs. However, there are many people “Getting Robbed Blind” every day due to either having a poor quality video surveillance system or not having one at all.

Project specifications dictate the details of a project and define the customer’s expectations. Project specifications determine the end product of what will be provided to the customer. Therefore, it is vitally important that the project specifications explicitly detail what will be included in the solution; otherwise, the customer loses before the project begins.

Think ahead when planning new video surveillance infrastructure installations.  Realize the benefits of forward planning in regards to what type of cable will be used. Take advantage of modern advancements in the way video surveillance infrastructure is installed.  Remember maintenance when analyzing video surveillance infrastructure options.  Strive for consistency and simplicity in surveillance system design. Be aware of limiting yourself by installing antiquated type cable that restricts flexibility.

A relatively recent security technology for video surveillance has revolutionized the way surveillance solutions address areas with extreme back light and glare conditions. These areas can be found in almost any facility that have glass entry ways, entrance doors with East or West orientations, large numbers of electronic devices that emit varying colors and light intensities, and outdoor venues. This technology is referred to as Wide Dynamic Range. The enhancements are extraordinary with relation to how images are processed when deployed in these challenging light environments that normally create havoc for traditional surveillance cameras.

Image quality as it relates to video security and surveillance systems can mean the difference between clean, crisp video images and fuzzy unrecognizable video feeds coming from your security solutions. That's why this week I'd like to spend a few minutes focusing on bringing more clarity to the key concept of video image quality.