Standardized Surveillance Guidelines

Transcription

1 Standardized Surveillance Guidelines A complete commercial guide for entry level, mid- level and high end surveillance system requirements Surveillance Guidelines 1

2 Table of Contents Section Page 1 Introduction to Surveillance Systems Choosing the Right System 3 Types of Systems Analog Systems- Pros & Cons Digital IP Systems- Pros & Cons Megapixel IP Systems- Pros & Cons Comparing Apples to Apples Entry Level Commercial Surveillance Systems 10 3 Mid- level Commercial Surveillance Systems 11 4 High End Commercial Surveillance Systems 12 5 Entry Level & Mid- level Image Comparisons 13 Mid- level & High End Image Comparisons 6 Advantages of a Universal Platform Remote Client Software 15 Universal Platform Remote Client Software Images 7 OST Systems Equipment Specification Comparison 17 Surveillance Guidelines 2

3 Introduction to Surveillance Systems Surveillance systems have come a long way over the years. The days of changing VHS tapes are long gone. Advances in technology have ushered in a multitude of new and innovative equipment that varies from merely simple recording & playback to a number of intelligent advanced analytics. Keeping up with all the perks can be a challenge and sometimes one can lose sight of the main goal; protecting your business investment. This guide will introduce you to the different kinds of systems available and help you to determine which one is the right fit for your needs. Choosing the Right System for your Business Determining what type of surveillance system to protect your investment is probably one of the most important decisions you will make. Beyond brand names and equipment features, deciding whether to use an analog system or making the jump to a digital ip system will be the first step in a long line of things to consider from a monetary as well as scalability standpoint. The initial budget you have to work with may be a big factor when deciding but don't forget to look at the your long term needs as this will have an impact on how much you end up having to invest when it's all said and done. Types of Systems There are 2 basic types of surveillance systems to choose from. There are analog systems that use digital video recorders (DVR) and coaxial input cameras that use television lines of resolution (TVL). Alternatively, you can get digital IP based cameras that either use TVL or high definition (HD) 720P, 1080P and above megapixel (MP) technology that connect over ethernet or wifi to a local area network (LAN) switch which in turn can connect over LAN or a wide area network (WAN) to a network video recorder or server (NVR/ NVS). Knowing when and what type of system to use is paramount when trying to maximize your surveillance effectiveness and reduce your long term costs. Surveillance Guidelines 3

4 Analog Systems- Pros & Cons Pros Most analog systems are relatively affordable, easy to install, network, operate, maintain and troubleshoot. The fact that the cameras are almost always hardwired back to the DVR means a strong, solid video stream with little to no interruption of signal. Quality analog DVRs are highly reliable from a recording standpoint and if used and placed correctly, analog cameras can be effective at close range to identify faces, vehicles and even license plates. Cons Analog systems are limited in their ability to capture crucial detail at a distance such as faces because these systems are only capable of D1 image resolution. This is acceptable for close distances of up to feet but beyond that, it is difficult to procure details that can be used to identify people or property accurately without the aid of a zoom lens in which case you lose your overall wide view of an area. They are also limited in their overall scalability because the equipment is confined by distance. If you have a very large property and cameras in varied locations that are more than 1,000 feet from the DVR, you begin to incur costs quickly; more DVRs are needed in different areas to compensate for the layout of the property. You could theoretically end up with 16 DVRs for 16 different cameras depending on the layout. Another example of scalability issues is adding to your system after the inital installation. If you decide to add a camera next to an area that you have previously installed a camera, you will now incur the cost of running a new wire to the same area, in essence, doubling your labor costs for that area. Both of these scenarios are very costly and highly inefficient. Surveillance Guidelines 4

5 Digital IP Systems- Pros & Cons Pros IP systems allow for much more flexibility in the way the wiring infrastructure works. With IP, you can run ethernet cable from the camera to the nearest network closet, then send the signal to the NVR over the LAN or WAN. There is no need to hardwire the cameras all the way to their recorder. This is a vast improvement over traditional analog camera infrastructure and can save thousands over time in labor costs. This also makes it possible to monitor areas that were once too costly or nearly impossible to hardwire. This added flexibility allows you to connect individual cameras from far away locations to a single NVR using the internet. Going further, advances in technology now allow for true WiFi cameras to send their video streams over WiFi and in some cases eliminate the need for wiring completely. Individual cameras can now be accessed remotely via web interface to make changes to settings that used to require a technician to manually go to the camera to make. New kinds of analytics are added all the time like facial recognition, missing objects and foreign objects for example. The possibilities are endless. Cons Unlike traditional analog systems that hardwire each camera to a DVR, IP systems send their video streams over the LAN or WAN. The drawback to this is if your network goes down, some or all of your cameras may become inaccessable for the duration of the network outage. This can lead to missing recording periods. If your system is set up on one LAN and your internet goes down, the system should still record since the LAN is independant of the WAN. In this case, you may not be able to remotely access the cameras but the information would still be recorded for future use. In the event that your LAN or switch goes down, then you would incur a complete loss of video for the duration of the network problem. This is a large drawback but it comes with the territory of IP systems. Another potential disadvantage to analog systems is the distance you can hardware from the NVR. Sometimes there are no other areas with internet or LAN access and you are forced to hardwire each location to the NVR. In this case, the video signal can only be run up to 330 feet without the aid of boosters where as analog cameras can be run to nearly 1,000 feet. It is something to consider when deciding whether analog or IP is the right decision for your location. Surveillance Guidelines 5

6 Megapixel IP Systems- Pros & Cons Pros Megapixel IP systems are IP systems that have the same exact benefits as regualar IP systems with one additional and significant benefit; the ability to digitally enhance your images live and during playback while maintaining their superior image clarity. The higher the resolution (720P, 1080P, 3MP and above) that the camera has and that the NVR can handle, the more you can digitally enhance the image without losing significant definition of objects. This provides a vast improvement over conventional analog and IP cameras when trying to identify people, vehicles, license plates and far away objects. As this technology continues to improve, it will be an invaluable asset to maximize your surveillance system's effectiveness. NVRs that come equipped with dual stream allow you to remotely access these high definition cameras at lower resolutions and frame rates. This helps to achieve a much lower bandwidth consumption for effective monitoring from remote locations where wideband internet speeds are not readily available. Cons Even just four 1080P megapixel cameras can transmit upwards of thirty Mbs of data every second in order to provide you with the highest resolutions possible. This means that four to eight terabytes of hard drive storage should be allotted in order to maintain about a week or two of archived video. Network Attached Storage (NAS) is usually supported in order to allow for much longer recording periods. Also, bandwidth must always be taken into consideration. It is generally recommended that your megapixel system be on its own LAN network since the heavy data traffic will slow down or kill the bandwidth speed of any other PCs or devices associated with that LAN. Conversely, any devices that are on that LAN can impede the cameras from sending the all the necessary data needed to smoothly broadcast video. This can result in missing data which translates to gaps in video recordings. Beyond the LAN, most locations where NVRs upload video to the internet when remotely accessed lack the incredibly high upload speeds necessary to transmit video in HD resolutions. Even if a location did have such speeds available for use, the end user at the remote location will almost certainly not have the necessary download speed available to handle the traffic. This is why quality NVRs come equipped with dual stream so video can be accessed at lower resolutions. Surveillance Guidelines 6

7 Comparing Apple to Apples With so many different kinds of cameras, recorders and surveillance technologies available to choose from, it can be a bit cumbersome comparing quotes from different vendors. Not every vendors buys the same equipment from the same supplier, so how do you know if what one vendor is quoting you is comparable to another vendor? There are several key factors to look for when determining if the quotes you have are on par with each other. Analog Systems- DVRs Recording compression: Industry standard- H.264 MJPEG, MPEG, MPEG4 are older standards System resources: Image resolution: Encoding speed: Playback & Backup: Video Output: Hard disk: Industry standard- Pentaplex function for simultaneous live, recording, playback, backup & remote access Industry standard- D1 (4CIF) (704 x 480) CIF is still used but image is not nearly as clear as D1 FULL 30fps is realtime & is above the standard CIF up to 30fps or is standard Extra stream (remote viewing) is CIF or D1 up to 30fps Industry standard- multiple channel playback Flash drive, CD/DVD burner & network backup Industry standard- HDMI & VGA BNC output is still used but has poor image quality 8 SATA ports is above industry standard 4 SATA ports is the industry standard 2TB HDD per SATA port is the industry standard Built- in RAID technology is above industry standard Surveillance Guidelines 7

8 Analog Systems- Cameras Lines of resolution: Common features: 600TVL to 700TVL is above industry standard 480TVL to 570TVL is industry standard 420TVL is below industry standard On- screen Display (OSD), Back Light Compensation (BLC) Digital Noise Reduction (DNR), Day/ Night, IR cut- filter Infrared (if applicable, common distances are 30'- 100') Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) for harsh lighting conditions (Note: it is above standard to get all these features on 1 camera) IP Systems- NVRs Recording compression: Industry standard- H.264/MPEG4 System resources: Image resolution: Industry standard- Pentaplex function for simultaneous live, recording, playback, backup & remote access Megapixel standard- 1080P (1920x1080), 720P (1280x720) Industry standard- D1 (704 x 480) Encoding speed: Playback & Backup: Video Output: Hard disk: Industry standard- 1080P, 720P or D1 Extra stream (remote viewing) is D1@7fps or CIF up to 30fps Industry standard is multiple channel playback Flash drive, CD/DVD burner & network backup Industry standard is HDMI & VGA 8 SATA ports is above industry standard 4 SATA ports is the industry standard 3TB HDD per SATA port is above industry standard 2TB HDD per SATA port is the industry standard Built- in RAID technology is above industry standard Surveillance Guidelines 8

9 IP Systems- Cameras Image Sensors: Industry standard- 1/2.8", 1/4", 2/3", 3/4" CMOS or CCD Any megapixel is above normal industry standard IP Video Compression: Industry standard- H.264, JPEG, MJPEG, MPEG Image Resolution: Encoding Speed: Common features: 3.0MP+ is well above normal industry standard IP Megapixel standard- 1080P (1920x1080), 720P (1280x720) IP standard- D1 (704x480), CIF (352x240) 1080P, 720P, D1, CIF, 30fps Extra stream- D1, CIF up to 30fps On- screen Display (OSD), Back Light Compensation (BLC) Digital Noise Reduction (DNR), Day/ Night, IR cut- filter Infrared (if applicable, common distances are 30'- 100') Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) for harsh lighting conditions Power over Ethernet (PoE), Wifi is above standard Surveillance Guidelines 9

10 Entry Level Commercial Surveillance Systems Entry level systems are not necessarily comprised of sub- par equipment, rather they are usually systems designed around a budget. You don t get all the features of a high end or mid level system, but it does perform the functions necessary to provide basic security. These systems generally include cameras with 420TVL to 480TVL. Premium features like day/night, IR cut filter and WDR are typically not included. From a recorder, you can expect at least a USB flash drive for retrieving stored data and some models may also include a CD burner. Hard drives are almost always small in size, ranging from 80GB to 500GB of storage. These systems are mainly suited for close range surveillance and aren't usually very effective for facial or object recognition from a distance. Surveillance Guidelines 10

11 Mid- level Commercial Surveillance Systems Mid- level systems are very reliable and easy to use and are designed to last. They offer almost all the new features the analog world has to offer. These mid- range cameras take advantage of 500TVL- 700TVL resolution. They have day/night, IR cut- filters, DWDR and many other advanced OSD settings. They come in many variations that are capable of meeting specialized needs like long range zooming, long range night vision, license plate recognition and difficult lighting conditions. The DVR boxes are typically larger to accommodate more hard drives for longer storage periods and CD/DVD burners are basically standard for fast, easy retrieval of video files. Some of these mid- level DVRs even offer high end perks like Full D1 recording on every channel or built- in RAID storage capabilities. Surveillance Guidelines 11

12 High End Commercial Surveillance Systems High end doesn't necessarily mean the most expensive at the end of the day. Equipment in these ranks do tend to cost more individually based on their enhanced capabilities, but it's those same attributes that can make a high end system more affordable than a mid- level system over time. These newer IP based systems benefit from the ability to send their video streams over LAN or WAN networks to the NVR or NVS. This can mean much lower costs from a labor standpoint which is a substantial attribute. Even higher on the high end chain are the elite megapixel IP cameras that provide the sharpest HD images possible; making enhanced facial recognition and even distant object recognition a reality. Surveillance Guidelines 12

13 Entry Level & Mid- level Image Comparison Surveillance Guidelines 13

14 Mid- level & High End Image Comparison Surveillance Guidelines 14

15 Advantages of a Universal Platform Remote Client Software Using a Universal Platform Remote Client software is not only convenient, it is highly efficient. For example, take a company that has 30 different properties all in different cities, some with an analog system, some with an IP system and some with a hybrid system. If each property has different surveillance systems installed by different vendors, each with different softwares that aren't compatible, imagine trying to manage all the systems from a centralized location like a corporate office. This is where a universal platform from OST Systems really displays its superior capabilities. OST's analog, hybrid, ip, megapixel, mobile DVRs and combo DVRs can all be accessed instantly & simultaneously from one software, even mix- matching platforms. Any cameras from any of OST's DVRs, NVRs, Hybrid DVRs & Specialty DVRs can be viewed side by side. Customized "Tasks" can quickly be set up to instantly view a variety of cameras at once, even cross- platform. For example, if you want to see every front entrance of all 30 of your properties, even if some have ip systems and others are analog, once the "Task" is assigned, all 30 front entrances would appear on the screen. These cross- platform capabilities extend out to not just the PC and Mac, but the iphone, ipad, itouch, Android, Windows Phone and Blackberry devices. OST's highly flexible platform is designed to help you get the most out of your surveillance systems wherever and whenever you need it. Surveillance Guidelines 15

16 Universal Platform Remote Client Software Images Surveillance Guidelines 16

17 OST Systems Equipment Specification Comparison Feature H.264 Recording Compression Pentaplex Function Analog Camera Resolution Full D1 30fps Image Resoluiton 720P/1080P/3MP+ Resolution Dual- stream Encoding Multiple Channel Playback Local USB & Web Backup CD/DVD Burner HDMI/ VGA Video Output Available SATA Ports Max. Internal HDD Storage Max. esata Storage Entry Level Mid- level High End 650TVL TVL 540TVL- Full HD 2 4 or 8 8 2TB 8 or 16TB 24TB 1 (2TB) 4 (12TB) Built- in RAID (Redundancy) Local/ Remote PTZ Control Accepts video over hard- wire Accepts video over IP Multi- site Camera Input Accepts Power over Ethernet HD Enhanced Digital Zooming Remote Camera Configuration Universal Platform Software RS- 485 only RS- 485 only Surveillance Guidelines 17