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‘Green’ NVRs – Addressing the Hidden Costs of IP Video Storage
Barry Keepence, IndigoVision CTO, discusses the impact that a new breed of ‘green’ Network Video Recorders (NVRs) is having in reducing the hidden costs of storage for IP-CCTV systems.
Most financial models used for calculating storage costs in an IP-CCTV system are based on the number of cameras, video resolution, frame rate, compressed video bitrate and archive period. The hidden costs of IP Video storage are largely ignored. Now, with the launch of new standalone ‘green’ NVRs, these hidden costs can be significantly reduced, changing both the financial model and the way system designers implement storage.
What are the Hidden Costs for IP Video Storage?
With the ever increasing need to record high-quality video at full-framerate, in some cases for 90+ days and with the advent of High-Definition (HD) video being used in mainstream surveillance applications, it is not surprising that the storage element of a large IP-CCTV solution can dominate the overall cost of the system... more
Integrating Specialist Systems with IP-CCTV
Integrating CCTV with other security systems across IP networks offers significant benefits for the user. Barry Keepence, IndigoVision’s CTO, discusses the latest developments that allow specialist systems such as EPOS and LPR to be integrated in the same way.
Integrating two or more security systems across an IP network provides the end user with far greater benefits than could be achieved from the individual systems. Add this to the already long list of advantages a distributed IP Video system delivers and the end result is a very compelling argument for integration.
The ability to pass alarms and events between each system across the network is the key to the power of integration. Any alarm in one system can trigger a number of events in another. For example an access control illegal entry alarm can cause the nearest PTZ CCTV camera to be panned to a pre-selected position and the video of the entrance to be displayed on a spot monitor, an interactive map to display the position of the alarm and the sending of an email notification, etc. This provides a very efficient operator environment that significantly improves incident response.. more
IP Video - CCTV Solutions for Law Enforcement
Oliver Vellacott, CEO of IndigoVision, describes how IP Video is addressing the surveillance needs of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice systems.
The security issues facing law enforcement and criminal justice systems are many and complex. A site-wide surveillance system is therefore an essential tool to monitor prisoner and staff safety, record incidents, protect property, detect criminal activity, combat terrorism and provide evidence. Police stations and courts are difficult premises to monitor, mixing high-security and public areas in the same building. Conversely, monitoring of urban areas and traffic enforcement create a different set of problems. In all these environments it's important that different operators have access to the same CCTV images, no matter where they are located. This demands a flexible and truly distributed CCTV system that delivers the very highest quality video.
Security Threats and Challenges
Law enforcement and criminal justice systems face a myriad of threats and challenges:
Geography - Sites often cover large geographic areas, particularly for municipal monitoring... more
IP Video Architecture
The benefits of IP-based networked CCTV are significant compared to traditional analog systems. However, Barry Keepence, CTO of IndigoVision, explains that the real benefit of IP Video can only be realized if the solution is based on a truly distributed architecture.
This article discusses the serious scalability problems which arise when an IP-CCTV system is based on a Centralized Architecture and how a Distributed Architecture delivers a flexible and scalable solution than can lead to systems being deployed across sites, cities and countries.
Storing IP Video Data
There are typically two different approaches to storing data in an IP Video system. A centralized architecture uses a master database usually located in the central control room or head office. A distributed architecture spreads the data around the Security Management system generally keeping it close to where it is produced or needed... more
High Definition Video for Mainstream CCTV
Over the last 10 years the CCTV industry has seen a major shift from analog to digital networking solutions for surveillance applications. In the next few years the industry will see the adoption of High-Definition (HD) IP Video into mainstream CCTV systems, as in consumer electronics. For HD IP cameras to be adopted by mainstream video security applications the issues associated with high data rates and storage need to be solved. This is now being addressed with the recent launch of HD IP cameras with low data rates.
Advantages of using HD IP Cameras
The advantages of HD IP cameras have been well documented, but in summary the three main areas where they can provide real benefits are:
General Surveillance – A single HD megapixel camera can replace several standard 4SIF cameras, thereby reducing costs. An HD megapixel camera can see more detail in the same field of view or view a wider field of view at the same level of detail... more
IP Video – CCTV Solutions for Petrochemical Plants
The security issues facing petrochemical sites are many and complex. A plant-wide surveillance system is therefore an essential tool to monitor incidents, protect assets, manage health and safety, detect theft and combat terrorism. Petrochemical sites, which are highly volatile environments spread out over large areas, require many different operators to have access to the same CCTV images. This demands a flexible and truly distributed CCTV system that delivers the very highest quality video.
Security Threats and Challenges
Petrochemical processing plants, refineries and storage & distribution terminals face a myriad of threats and challenges:
Geography - Sites cover large geographic areas with Petrochemical groups having many such sites nationwide.
Environment - Processing and storage of highly volatile materials that need to be environmentally controlled.
Terrorism - Major petrochemical plants are prime targets for terrorists... more
Mega Video Solutions
IP-CCTV systems are not just a cheaper and more flexible alternative to traditional analog systems but they have opened up new opportunities for security that are simply not possible with the old technology. It is changing the way the security industry implements CCTV surveillance and has spawned a new concept – Mega Video Solutions.
Mega Video can be defined as large scale virtual matrix CCTV systems with 1000+ cameras, 200+ monitors, 50+ operators, 100+ NVRs with one petabyte+ of storage, that are continuously displaying and recording high-quality video across IP networks that span entire plants, communities and countries.
This may be a new concept but real Mega Video projects have been deployed and running reliably for a number of years, such as the Brussels Airport 1000+ camera system, which has been IP-based since 2001.
When comparing the architecture of Mega Video solutions to traditional analog CCTV systems it soon becomes clear why certain large-scale, wide-area surveillance applications are either not... more
IP Video Security Surveillance - Understanding the Storage Issues
With many users now requiring CCTV recordings for 90+ days the focus has been placed on the storage costs of IP Video systems. Barry Keepence, IndigoVision CTO, explains that with the very best compression technology and the right storage architecture IP-CCTV systems can easily accommodate this requirement.
Many organizations are now requiring that CCTV video images are recorded and archived continuously from all cameras for 90 days or more. In large systems this can create a significant storage requirement. This is compounded by users wanting to store video at the highest quality and maximum framerate, particularly in homeland security and law enforcement applications where CCTV footage is required for evidential purposes. The storage element of a large IP-CCTV system can therefore dominate the overall cost of the system, both up front costs and lifecycle costs as hard drives will often need to be replaced over the life of the project. With potentially large amounts of data being stored, the technology behind the compression employed and the architecture of the storage solution are critical to ensure these extended recording times can be accommodated. Similarly, the security of the stored data is important so that individual disk and equipment failures do not result in data loss... more
IP Video CCTV Systems for Casinos
A quality casino surveillance system is an essential business tool used to resolve gaming disputes, monitor public safety and detect fraud, cheating and theft. The very nature of the gaming environment where patrons and staff intermingle and handle large sums of money demands that the video system delivers the best quality video available in terms of both image quality and frame rates.
An IP Video system that delivers these essential elements also adds other dimensions to the surveillance operation by providing analytical search tools and features such as instant recall of recorded video. In addition, the use of IP Video technology allows any component in the system to be located anywhere on the network. This gives large casinos the flexibility to easily and cost-effectively integrate CCTV surveillance into their operations and establish off-site control rooms or monitor multiple sites from one central point... more
Identity Authentication Management (IAM) in IP Video Systems
One of the reasons that IP Video systems are becoming increasingly popular for CCTV surveillance is the flexibility that a network solution can provide. System components and video display workstations can be located at any point on the network. This allows users to access live and recorded video from anywhere on the network, whether it is in a security control room or on a manager’s desk. The implementation of Identity Authentication Management (IAM) is therefore fundamental to ensure the integrity of IP Video systems.
IAM is implemented in the system’s video management software. This software is at the heart of an IP Video system and manages the display of live camera feeds from the network, handles the recording to Network Video Recorders (NVRs) and provides a suite of tools for analyzing recorded video. Video clips can be exported from the software for evidential purposes. The issues of IAM also extend to the authentication and protection of these exported clips... more
CCTV Matrix - Real or Virtual
The core of most traditional analog CCTV systems is the video matrix. This is typically an electronics rack that is situated close to the control room. The matrix is a switch that routes video inputs from cameras to video outputs that are fed to monitors and DVRs / VCRs for recording as required. This is achieved by the operator(s) using desk-mounted keyboard controls.
A virtual matrix runs on a data network LAN, WAN or MAN (Local, Wide, or Metropolitan Area Network) that carries information encoded as TCP/IP (Transfer Control Protocol / Internet Protocol). Such networks are now ubiquitous and installed as a matter of course into new buildings as part of the communications infrastructure. The term ‘IP network’ is now a common phrase to describe this type of network.
In a digital CCTV system the analog video from the camera has to be converted to digital data for transmission over the IP network. This usually takes place at the camera in the form of an analog CCTV camera connected to a separate encoder unit (“transmitter”) nearby, or by using a self-contained IP camera. Either way the result is the same, it is the encoded digital video that travels along the network cabling... more
IP Video CCTV and H.264
The latest video compression standard, H.264, is a major development for IP Video systems. Barry Keepence, CTO of IndigoVision, explains what’s behind the standard and the benefits it brings. H.264 is the latest official video compression standard, which follows on from the highly successful MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 video standards and offers improvements in both video quality and compression. The most significant benefit for IP Video systems is the ability to deliver the same high-quality, low latency, digital video with savings of between 25% and 50% on bandwidth and storage requirements. Or to put it another way, deliver significantly higher video quality for the same bandwidth.
H.264 is a video codec (compressor and decompressor) standard. A video codec is designed to compress and uncompress digital video in order to reduce the amount of bandwidth required to transmit and store the video. This is needed as the raw data rate of uncompressed CCIR601 active digital video (720x480 pixel 4:2:2 video at 30fps) is in excess of 158Mbps – over 300 times the capacity of a 512kbps ADSL connection and only just over one hour recording on an 80GB hard disk... more
IP Video - Meeting the Needs of the Transport Industry
Oliver Vellacott, CEO of IndigoVision, describes how IP Video is offering the transport sector unique solutions to its surveillance needs. IP Video is providing the CCTV industry with a unique set of tools for solving today’s surveillance applications. This is particularly true in the demanding transport sector where IP Video is providing many solutions that are not technically possible or economically viable with traditional analog CCTV systems. The many features and benefits of IP Video can be best highlighted by looking at a number of field-proven case studies.
Munich is one of Europe’s fastest growing airports with nearly 30m passengers expected through its two terminals in 2006. In accordance with new EU regulations all airport employees are required to undergo the same security checks as passengers when entering the secure airside area, Munich Airport undertook a security reconfiguration of its staff access points. This included scanners, security arches and CCTV surveillance, for which Munich airport chose IP Video technology... more
Video Analytics - Understanding their Limitations
Oliver Vellacott, CEO of IndigoVision, warns against setting too high an expectation for what video analytics can deliver. Analytics will detect 'suspicious movement' from people walking along a street. Analytics will detect terrorists walking round a hillside a mile away. Analytics will pick an offender out from a sea of faces. These are just some of the misconceptions about analytics today. Was there ever a technology that was so “over-promised and under-delivered”?
No, the reality is that analytics are still very much in their infancy. Expectation management is at the heart of the issue – being realistic with end users about what can be achieved. The fundamental problem is that as humans we do these tasks without even thinking about it. We read license plates and recognize faces totally subconsciously. It may have taken us years of learning during childhood to acquire these skills, but the fact is that we take them for granted. Computers, on the other hand, lack even the basics of visual intelligence. They can perform some video analytic functions reliably, but often only by severely constraining the application. Qualification is everything, and setting the end user's expectations is absolutely vital... more
Migrating to IP Video
Dr Oliver Vellacott, CEO of IndigoVision, outlines how investment in existing CCTV systems can be safeguarded when migrating to an IP Video solution. The IP Video market is growing rapidly, having been accepted as a mature technology with a field proven record. IP networking of CCTV, access control and intruder alarms will eventually penetrate the majority of the market – it has too many cost and performance advantages not to do so. But what does this mean for legacy systems? How can a business take full advantage of this emergent technology without throwing away existing investment in installed systems?
This article sets out to clarify some of these issues, but first it’s important to understand the benefits of IP Video systems. The advantages of IP Video can best be highlighted by looking at the disadvantages of analog CCTV... more
IP Video Overview
The IP Video market is growing rapidly, having been accepted as a mature technology with a field proven record. IP Networking of security systems will eventually penetrate the majority of the market – it has too many cost and performance advantages not to do so.
The advantages of IP Video can best be highlighted by looking at the disadvantages of analog CCTV. In many ways traditional coax or fibre based video systems are limited. Installation costs over large areas are prohibitive and the number of monitoring stations is limited due to the investment required to replicate costly switching infrastructure. The analog matrix is the component that provides control room flexibility for analog CCTV systems, but this too cannot be easily expanded without adding new hardware and it is location dependent. Therefore overall scalability, i.e. the cost of expansion, is poor. Even though the introduction of DVRs has improved the recording capabilities of analog CCTV, these too are limited. They have to be physically installed near the analog matrix, and frame rate and image quality is often compromised. Businesses want a single, scaleable, integrated solution which provides high-quality video surveillance across any number of their offices or sites – this is what IP Video delivers... more
High Quality IP Dome Cameras
IP Video technology is now firmly established as a mature technology that brings significant benefits to CCTV surveillance applications. To complement this, the growth in dedicated IP cameras has also been significant. However, unlike traditional analog cameras where performance can easily be compared, IP cameras present a different proposition.
An IP fixed camera or dome is a single integrated unit that contains the camera itself, codec for video compression and transmitter/receiver for the network. All that is needed to connect the camera to the network is a single CAT-5 cable and local power, or just the cable if Power-over-Ethernet (POE) is implemented. IP Cameras enable simple and easy deployment of network CCTV systems... more
DVR vs NVR – Digital Video Recording for Enterprise Systems
First came the camera and monitor, closely followed by the Video Cassette Recorder (VCR), recording one video stream to a 3-hour tape at 25 frames per second and often triggered by an input device (raid button in a bank, for example). Technology then brought us the multiplexer, which allowed several streams of video to be recorded onto the same tape and separated out into discrete, viewable streams on replay and the time-lapse VCR which enabled the dropping of frames and in so doing permitted a 3-hour tape to be used over much longer periods, albeit at the cost of lost information.
The rapid development of video compression algorithms (JPEG, MJPEG, MPEG-4, etc.), computer processing speeds and a rapid reduction in data storage costs then gave rise to the DVR. This you could consider as being the functionality of a multiplexer together with a computer disk for storage in place of tape, all housed in the same box together with some additional ports for connectivity.
The DVR provides a convenient, if limited, replacement for the multiplexer + VCR combination and provides non-linear access to recorded material usually selected by camera ID, time and date. The consistency of quality of recorded material will in general be higher than that obtained with analog tape although the actual quality achieved may or may not be better, depending on the compression algorithm and individual configuration... more
