| We won't save the best for last as we described the | | | | dome camera. Not today, as professional dome |
| Top 10 Technologies or business related items that | | | | cameras come in high resolution and multiple lens |
| are influencing the Video Security marketplace. | | | | options. |
| #1 IP Megapixel cameras | | | | #6 Video Storage Availability |
| No more fuzzy video as IP Megapixel Video Cameras | | | | 1.5 TeraByte Drives from the major manufacturers |
| march to the forefront of CCTV technology. Slowly | | | | are emerging at less than $200. Digital Video |
| replacing the basic analog camera, IP Megapixel | | | | Recorders today are commonly shipped with 1TB and |
| cameras offer high-definition to the masses. With IP | | | | above. As hard drive size goes up, the cost goes |
| Megapixel cameras providing the high resolution | | | | down. Where a 4 teraByte storage was, just 2 years |
| cameras once only dreamed of far surpassing | | | | ago, reserved for huge enterprise servers at $10K |
| standard cameras on the market today. Hopefully the | | | | and above, DVRs commonly include large drives at |
| price falls soon to make them affordable to the | | | | less than $300 per TeraByte. This has impacted |
| masses as IP Megapixel cameras cost 300-800% | | | | Digital Video Recorders pricing tremendously as DVR |
| more than analog cameras today. | | | | manufacturers are having to lower storage costs due |
| #2 Emergence of Infrared cameras | | | | to common SATA drives used in most all DVRs in |
| Two years ago, Infrared (IR) cameras were not | | | | today's market. |
| common and were for specialized projects. Today, IR | | | | #7 H.264 Video Compression |
| Cameras come in several styles and shapes and is | | | | A nationwide retail store experienced a reduction of |
| available for indoor and outdoor use. Nighttime vision | | | | 50% in video storage requirements after upgrading |
| at an affordable price. | | | | from MPEG4 to H.264. With bandwidth |
| #3 Wireless CCTV Cameras | | | | improvements, storage reduction, and overall better |
| IP Camera Technology has made available a much | | | | video production, H.264 Video Compression is |
| better wireless video device. Traditionally, analog | | | | becoming the leading video of many new DVRs on |
| cameras have a 0.5-2.0 watt transmitters that were | | | | the market. H.264 will be the de facto standard in |
| often times difficult to obtain a good video signal and | | | | professional DVRs by 2010. |
| were restricted to line-of-sight use only. They also | | | | #8 3 Year Warranty's |
| required a transmitter and receiver for each camera. | | | | Not a technology, but very important. Many |
| Wireless IP Cameras operate just like a wireless | | | | manufacturers have adopted a 3 year warranty on |
| laptop and connect to a video IP hub/router in the | | | | both CCTV Cameras and Digital Video Recorders. An |
| same way a laptop connects to a wireless router. | | | | important consideration as you invest in Video |
| Distances can be extended by using a repeater. | | | | Surveillance equipment. |
| Wireless IP Cameras at the professional level are | | | | #9 Hardware Compression Video DVR Cards |
| starting to enter the market. | | | | Many DVR manufacturers are releasing hardware |
| #4 UTP Transmission | | | | compression DVR cards that allow a computer-based |
| Whether the system is IP or analog, a common way | | | | DVR to provide the optimal resolution and speed. |
| to connect cameras is with Cat-5 cables. Even on | | | | When a true 30 Frames Per Second recording at D1 |
| analog cameras, Cat-5 is a tremendous advantage in | | | | Resolution (720x480). Until high-speed IP Cameras are |
| lower cable cost and ease of installation. Analog | | | | readily available, hardware compression video devices |
| cameras require a small "balun" for impedance match | | | | are the rage. |
| but the cable cost can be reduced in half with great | | | | #10 IP technology in the Video Security market |
| video transmission up to 1200 feet with Cat-5 vs. the | | | | Perhaps this should be #1, and in 2010 this may be |
| traditional RG59 Coax. | | | | the case. Analog to Digital with IP Cameras changes |
| #5 High Resolution Dome cameras | | | | many aspects of Video Surveillance. From installation |
| Dome cameras have captured a large part of the | | | | to video resolution, IP technology will allow high |
| CCTV camera market. They come in indoor and | | | | definition for the Video Security market and will |
| outdoor housing and have an embedded lens with | | | | drastically increase the quality of video recordings. In |
| 540TVL and are easy to install. The improvement in | | | | the next 2-3 years, IP Cameras will dominate the |
| dome video cameras are due to the improved video | | | | market and overtake analog camera installations. |
| that is captured. The traditional box camera two | | | | These 10 items, among many others, should be |
| years ago was chosen because of the availability of | | | | considered when investing in Video Security systems. |
| different lens and it had a superior picture over a | | | | |