Headed Out
Where is IP surveillance going?
- By Gary Perlin
- Oct 02, 2008
Closed-circuit television has been
the installation model for video
security monitoring for years.
CCTV evolved from the installation of
large-format traditional vidicon tube cameras
to the invention of the all-in-one CCD
bullet and dome cameras; from recording
on reel-to-reel time lapse recorders to the
latest digital video media.
Unfortunately, CCTV does not easily
lend itself to off-site live viewing. While
it is suitable for local surveillance and
review, to diagnose how serious a crime
was, an off-site user can only view a
recording after the event occured. In
some cases, the recording device was
destroyed before the event can be seen.
As access to the Internet became more
viable for displaying moving images, the
development of Internet-based, IP surveillance
equipment took hold. The technology
became a solution for delivering
real-time video, still images and review
of recorded images on demand or from an
alarmed event over the Internet.
The Role of IP
IP surveillance was engineered to integrate
with an existing or dedicated security
network and Internet technology to
transmit images from analog cameras
through IP-ready DVRs and/or IP cameras.
These systems allow live streaming
video and still image transfer to a standard
Web browser so motion can be
remotely viewed in real time. IP systems
also provide motion detection, auto time
and date stamps, easy transfer of video,
and pre- and post-alarm messaging
through e-mail. Business owners can be
notified immediately if an event has
occurred. They can then log on to their
system remotely to view a live feed, or a
video clip can be e-mailed so they can see
the captured event from their PC or laptop.
Some systems even allow for transmission
of video images to a PDA.
Many companies have already installed
IP-based surveillance systems to help
secure both the interior and exterior of
buildings. Applications include retail
stores, banks, convenience stores, gas stations,
hospitals, monitoring companies,
parking garages, transportation networks,
public safety, schools, government offices,
other small to large businesses and residential
networks. Users have found that
through IP surveillance, security breaches
can be detected in a timely manner.
A Bright Future
The demand for IP video surveillance is
creating a viable new market for dealers
and integrators. Driving the growth in
this industry is the fact that customers are
becoming more computer savvy—watching
video and news online and on other
Internet sources. The idea of being able to
hook into a video surveillance camera
from a computer or laptop is becoming
more acceptable. IP video systems can be
integrated with other security solutions,
such as access control, and companies
want a more effective total security package
to guard against all threats.
The future of IP video security is
bright, but the timetable is seldom
agreed upon. Will IP video become the
norm in five, seven or 10 years—nobody
really knows, but we all agree that it will
happen. The final determining factors
will be a combination of cost effectiveness,
dealer training, bandwidth availability
and infrastructure. Analog cameras
have a broad base of acceptability
and offer many years of reliable performance.
The two technologies will
certainly coexist for the next several
years while the gradual transition to IP
cameras takes hold.
True IP-based digital surveillance
uses CCD cameras that use signal processing,
sending packetized video
streams over the LAN through Cat-5e or
Cat-6 cable rather than a coax cable network,
employing greater bandwidth and
standard TCP/IP communication. This
provides more intelligent data mining and
information retrieval. If security is an
issue, full digital surveillance offers the
added advantage of data encryption to
protect against image tampering. This is
not possible with analog recording.
The Transition Process
Because IP-based digital surveillance is
an ongoing process, it clearly can be said
that we’re halfway there. Old VCRs are
being replaced with DVRs, which are
used for data storage. This is converted to
digital so the information can be stored
on hard disks, but the quality of the
image captured still remains analog since
this is how it originated. When shopping
for a system, be sure to ask if the system
is digital based on the DVR or on the
camera. Many manufacturers consider a
system digital by virtue of the DVR storage
system even if the camera recording
the images is still analog.
Taking the big leap into completely
IP-based technology is a true upgrade to
a user’s level of security. Users get the
biggest bang for their buck for the
money spent. Digital surveillance can be
done over a LAN, but TCP/IP transmittal
of surveillance makes more sense for
remote monitoring of multiple locations
and for remote recording of data onto
backup servers and hard disks for longterm
storage.
Using IP-based surveillance means
users can connect to cameras or any network
or wireless adapter, and it means
they can be flexible in camera placement.
Setting the system up is easy. Once a user
has an IP address, it’s off to the races with
a more stable and highly reliable system.
While the technology is cutting edge, the
best part is that it’s upgradeable. Users
will be able to add on to this system for
years to come, based on improvements in
the market.