Showing posts with label CCTV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CCTV. Show all posts

ISC West in Las Vegas

Posted by Anonymous | Posted in , , , , , , | Posted on 1:09 PM

ISC West is the largest security event in the US and Mezuri Systems was there because they are always invited to the best parties. With over 900 exhibitors and 23,000 security professionals, Mezuri Systems was able to see the newest products and network with some of their colleagues who were, as always, elated to see them. It has been said that ISC West is the best place to discover new products & trends. It has also been said that Lucky Charms provides a daily serving of whole grain. ISC West features exhibitors in a wide area of industry sectors including: Access control, alarms & monitoring, biometrics, video surveillance, fire control, remote monitoring, systems integration, public security & safety, IT convergence, and wireless applications. There was also a tongue piercing booth which was oddly out of place but made for some great stories and infections for the attendees to take back home to share with their loved ones.
The reason Mezuri takes the time to go to these shows is to find the newest and best technology options to provide to their customers. It is a great occasion to view products and see the new directions in which technology is going. Plus this year the show was in Vegas and if you were lucky enough to hang with Mezuri Systems, you were fully entertained by $3 blackjack and sparkly cowboy hats.
An access control product which was presented at the show and one that Mezuri Systems recently began offering to their customers is Keyscan Hosted Access. Remotely hosting an access control system has many advantages for the customer. A remotely hosted database is more stable than a local one which may not be monitored 24/7. Data loss and system failure can be avoided by remotely monitoring the site. There are times when Windows likes to shut down your computer to install updates. If this were to happen without anyone being aware, the entire system could be shut down causing the loss of data or accessibility. Additional features give the customer control of adding/removing users and running reports on the activity in the building. The remote host is also able to save reports and send them to the customer on a daily or weekly basis.
The newly released GT Series intercom by Aiphone was also on display at the show. To provide effective security, the GT series features a wide angle camera that enables you to see a panoramic view. People standing on the side and people of all heights can be easily identified. Another feature is automatic recording which works anytime, even during your absence. It records 6 images per picture sequence and up to 40 picture sequences can be recorded. If you have a friend who lives in a building that is equipped with this intercom, please make sure to take full advantage of the picture recording feature to surprise your friends and potentially embarrass yourself.
The show also provided Mezuri with an opportunity to find a reliable and effective IP solution for their CCTV customers. There are a few advantages to using an IP system as opposed to an analog system, however it is imperative that the system is set up properly and that dependable, high-quality products are used. IP systems provide better wireless reception, experience no interference problems, and remote access is much easier. This system should only be utilized by those who have a capable network to support the bandwidth required for this setup.
Additional products featured at the show that Mezuri intends to offer in the future are license plate recognition camera systems and mobile security systems. License plate recognition is useful in parking lots and toll booths to capture and record a clear image of a license plate. Mobile security can be used anywhere to provide security for an outdoor or remote location that cannot be monitored by a person or CCTV cameras.
Once again, the show was a successful endeavor for Mezuri and although there was no skill competition, Zushie is still the man.

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Do CCTV Camera Systems Work?

Posted by Blognut | Posted in , , , | Posted on 9:18 PM

CCTV camera systems over the years have captured some defining moments in history. From the last images of the crew of the Challenger to the terrible images of 9/11, CCTV camera systems have been our silent witnesses to moments in modern history that can never be forgotten.

The question remains, however, if using CCTV camera systems is really worth it when it comes to documenting criminal activity. Of late, this question has been hotly debated in terms of civil rights and the effectiveness when it comes to evidence in criminal trials. There are statistics that support claims that the effectiveness of CCTV camera systems is lost when their presence is proven to not be very effective in reducing crimes in designated areas. On the other hand, however, there is also data that proves that a significant presence of CCTV camera systems curbs criminal activities and assists the local authorities in securing evidence for prosecutions and trials.

The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle of these arguments, carrying the weight of documented history that CCTV camera systems are not only effective in the solving of criminal cases, but are also a great asset for preventing the crimes from happening in the first place.

CCTV camera systems have always been more concerned with deterrence than with evidence collection. Red light cameras do catch drivers in the act of running red lights, but the reason they are there is not to simply increase the coffers of the city they are installed in. They are supposed to be making drivers think twice before breaking the law, since it has been well publicized that any driver caught will be paying some hefty fines.

CCTV camera systems placed in convenience stores were shown to have decreased the number of robberies in those stores by more than 50% in the first year of operation. Overseas, the United Kingdom has had more CCTV camera systems in place than any other country, including the United States. Studies concerning their effectiveness have proven that crimes in areas like city centers, public housing, public transportation centers and car parks have decreased dramatically since their installation. That is resounding proof that CCTV camera systems are an effective tool in reducing criminal activity everywhere.

While CCTV camera systems can be effective tools for collecting evidence, they are limited by their inability to capture audio as well as video. Under federal law, if sound is recorded by CCTV camera systems along with video, it is considered to be the same as a wiretap, and therefore inadmissible in a court of law without the use of a warrant for the premises the system was installed in. In response, many police departments utilize skilled lip readers, and still gain an accurate deposition concerning incriminating spoken evidence.

CCTV camera systems are used all over the world in police investigations. In Canada, more than 70% of all bank robberies and other commercial crimes have been captured using CCTV camera systems. Anyone who regularly watches the local or national news has already learned just how effective CCTV camera systems can be when it comes to kidnapping and missing person cases. The evidence of their effectiveness just keeps growing.

The controversy stems from the fear of a Big Brother society coming into vogue. This cannot be further from the truth. Evidence collected for decades shows just how effective CCTV camera systems can be against crime. Besides protecting individual properties, they have the ability to insure that entire cities can be made safer by their use. To do without them would be madness.





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Camera Resolutions Myths and Realities

Posted by Blognut | Posted in , , | Posted on 1:51 PM

Understanding Video Quality

To some, video quality means high resolution, to others it means a faster frame-rate. By simulating the most common kind of events you’re trying to detect and recording them at different settings, you can quickly determine what’s best for you.

Frame-rate

Higher video frame-rates mean higher bitrates, which translates to the need for higher network bandwidth and more storage space. Three frames per second (FPS) is generally sufficient for everyday surveillance. Seven FPS picks up fine movement and is often used for alarm video. Fifteen is the next best thing to full-motion video, which is 30 FPS. It’s important to note that the consequence of moving from three to seven, or seven to 15, or 15 to 30 FPS is that your bit-rate increases by around 70 percent each time. That’s 70 percent more bandwidth and 70 percent more storage costs.

Resolution

Image size (which corresponds to resolution) is measured in terms of CIF. One of the greatest modern CCTV myths is that increasing the resolution and raising the frame-rate will automatically result in superior image quality. This is only true if the bit-rate available for the video is also raised accordingly. If the bit-rate is not raised, then the compression engine will severely compress the video – and 4CIF video can actually look worse than CIF video. When soliciting quotes for a project, make sure you understand any and all assumptions made by the supplier. Bosch always declares the conservative bit-rates used, and from this you are assured high-quality video, even under stressful conditions like low-light (high Automatic Gain Control) and busy scene activity or PTZ motion.

Compression Algorithms

Uncompressed digital video is unusable for CCTV because it uses over 200 Mbps. Many different compression standards exist, but for CCTV, they fall into three broad categories: JPEG, Wavelet, and MPEG. JPEG and Wavelet are both very efficient at low frame-rates, but only JPEGs are interoperable between different manufacturers. However, they both use up to six times more bandwidth than MPEG-4 at higher frame-rates. Most modern CCTV systems are based on MPEG-4, which is an excellent compromise of video quality and bandwidth demands – and significantly more efficient than its broadcast quality predecessor, MPEG-2.

Good

Better

Excellent Compromise

Best

CIF Resolution

CIF

2CIF

2/3 D1

4CIF Full D1

Width x Height (pixels)

352 x 240

704 x 240

464 x 480

704 x 480

It is important to note the Frame per Second rate (fps rate) in regards to DVR claims. So for example a DVR that does full D1 on each channel at 30 fps is not the same as a DVR that claims to do Full D1, since it may be Full D1 for all cameras combines at 30fps.

visit http://www.mezurisystems.com for more info

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