Feature

CCTV

IP based surveillance technology

When CCTV is expected to play a part in saving lives as well as protecting property and assets, nothing less than recognition quality images are likely to be acceptable. Fortunately with the threat of attacks continuing to dominate the thoughts of senior security managers as well as the emergency services, recent significant advances in IP based technology has ensured that CCTV can contribute significantly to the war on terror.

Investment in technology
Samsung has a reputation for producing some of the finest surveillance products in the world. One of the major reasons for this is attributed to the company’s ongoing investment and development of DSP chipsets that form the core technology of its cameras and domes. Cameras such as Samsung’s new 1.3M HD network camera are capable of producing images of a quality, even when lighting levels are very low, which could not be imagined just a few years ago.

The 1.3M HC camera incorporates the Samsung WiseNet1 DSP chipset, which delivers a long list of features to meet the demanding requirements of mission critical applications.

One of the most impressive features of the WiseNet1 chipset is its Intelligent Video Analytics (IVA) capability, which includes optical tripwire and enter/exit direction detection whilst an Appear/Disappear function can detect the movement of objects. IVA also has a scene change tampering function that creates an alert if, for example, paint is sprayed on a camera lens or there is an unauthorised movement of a camera away from its usual field of view.

Full duplex bi-directional audio provides the option of interactive communication between a camera’s location and a control room.

The H.264, MPEG4, MJPEG and JPEG compression methods incorporated into the WiseNet1 DSP provides users with the ability to simultaneously transmit images to multiple locations at various frame rates and at different resolutions including 1.3megapixel (1280 x 1024), 16:9 HD (1280 x 720), QVGA (320 x 240), SVGA (800x 600) and VGA (640 x 480).

With such a wide range of compression methods and resolutions to choose from, a number of different users, if authorised, will be able to simultaneously monitor live images at one location, record video evidence at another or view live and recorded images on a Smartphone. At the same time JPEG images of an incident can be attached to an alarm email notification with the additional facility of storing pre and post-alarm images on a camera’s internal SD memory card.

The new WiseNet1 DSP also incorporates a wide range of practical time and cost saving features including PoE (Power over Ethernet) and BNC as well as Ethernet outputs, so that video can be transmitted via coaxial cabling as well as over a network.

Other advances in technology which contribute to the provision of video of the highest quality include:

Samsung Super Noise Reduction technology eliminates noise in low-light conditions without creating ghosting or blurring. SSNRIII features “Pattern Matching” to simultaneously reduce noise and maintain the object’s edges in both static and moving images. After removing the noise, a very small 3 x 3 pixel matrix matching system is employed to ensure the scene produced by the camera is perfectly matched to the original image. There is also the added bonus that this amazing technology can save up to 70 per cent hard disk space on a digital video recorder, whilst maximising bandwidth when viewing the video over a network.

Highlight Compensation technology identifies areas of peak white, i.e. excessively bright areas, in the image and neutralises it by inverting them to black/grey. This enables the camera to effectively see past these areas allowing the operator to view previously hidden details.

Digital Image Stabilisation (DIS) technology that can negate the effects of the camera shaking due to high winds or building vibration.

Remarkable improvements
Samsung can claim that its substantial investment in R&D has been more than justified by remarkable improvements in terms of image quality, low-light performance and additional functionality. Just three years ago it could not perhaps be imagined that innovative technical features such as Digital Image Stabilisation, Highlight Compensation and Dynamic Backlight Compensation could be available in anything other than the most expensive of CCTV cameras. And yet they are all now readily available in commercial and competitively priced cameras.

For more information
If you would like further information on the comprehensive range of cameras and domes which benefit from the results of Samsung’s investment in DSP chipset technology, please e-mail STEsecurity@samsung.com or telephone +44 (0)1932 455308.

 

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