BBC Upgrades Security Technology With HD IP Video

  • Mar 09, 2011

IndigoVision’s integrated IP video solution is at the heart of a major security upgrade at BBC Monitoring’s sites in the UK.

BBC Monitoring is an open source news and information publisher that continuously compiles political news, comment and reaction from the world’s press, radio, TV and the internet. The rapid transcription, collation and distribution of this information makes BBC Monitoring a valuable resource that is available on subscription and used by governments, NGOs, analysts, academics, multi-nationals, journalists and individuals worldwide.

The organization is based in Caversham Park, an historic country house and grounds that have been part of the local landscape for 800 years, and at the nearby Crowsley Park receiving station.
 
“The new digital surveillance system replaced an ageing analog/DVR system that was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain and expand,” said Mike Lamb, supervisor -- Premises Operations at BBC Monitoring. “We now have a system that delivers excellent video quality with distributed remote monitoring on a flexible platform that can easily be expanded in the future.”
 
The installation of the IP video system was part of a major security upgrade to Crowsley Park receiving station. The project was designed and implemented by IndigoVision’s Authorized Partner, OCS Group UK Ltd and also included a refurbished control room, electrical systems, perimeter fencing and gates. The surveillance system at Caversham Park was also updated to provide a complete site-wide IP video solution.

In addition to the original cameras a number of new analog and IndigoVision IP cameras were added to the system. This included IndigoVision’s latest high-definition PTZ and fixed models, which were installed outside in the car parking areas.
 
“Our original system gave us very limited viewing of the Crowsley Park site from the main control room at Caversham Park,” Lamb said. “The IndigoVision system is fully distributed allowing video workstations to be located throughout both sites with access to any camera. This gives us a complete remote monitoring capability, all implemented over the existing BBC corporate network. Operators in the control rooms at both sites can now see live feeds from any camera at either site.”
 
The project is an excellent example of how analog equipment can be migrated to a full IP video solution, while still maintaining some of the original investment.

Many of the existing cameras were reused as well as some of the original coax wiring. Remote cameras connected by 300 meters of coax cables were converted to IP using Ethernet-over-Coax technology, reducing costs further.

 The analog switching matrices and DVRs were replaced with IndigoVision’s transmitter/receiver modules and standalone NVRs. Operators use ‘Control Center’, IndigoVision’s Security Management Software, to view and analyze live and recorded video from both sites.
 
The flexibility of the IP Video system was further demonstrated when OCS used IndigoVision’s audio capability to replace an old intercom at the entrance to the Crowsley Park site. High-quality, fully synchronized two-way audio can be transmitted alongside the video on the IP network, using audio inputs and outputs provided on IndigoVision’s transmitter/receiver modules and IP cameras. This was used to implement a new video intercom that was connected to both control rooms, all without the need for further cabling.
 

Featured

  • TSA Introduces New $45 Fee Option for Travelers Without REAL ID Starting February 1

    The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced today that it will refer all passengers who do not present an acceptable form of ID and still want to fly an option to pay a $45 fee to use a modernized alternative identity verification system, TSA Confirm.ID, to establish identity at security checkpoints beginning on February 1, 2026. Read Now

  • The Evolution of IP Camera Intelligence

    As the 30th anniversary of the IP camera approaches in 2026, it is worth reflecting on how far we have come. The first network camera, launched in 1996, delivered one frame every 17 seconds—not impressive by today’s standards, but groundbreaking at the time. It did something that no analog system could: transmit video over a standard IP network. Read Now

  • From Surveillance to Intelligence

    Years ago, it would have been significantly more expensive to run an analytic like that — requiring a custom-built solution with burdensome infrastructure demands — but modern edge devices have made it accessible to everyone. It also saves time, which is a critical factor if a missing child is involved. Video compression technology has played a critical role as well. Over the years, significant advancements have been made in video coding standards — including H.263, MPEG formats, and H.264—alongside compression optimization technologies developed by IP video manufacturers to improve efficiency without sacrificing quality. The open-source AV1 codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media—a consortium including Google, Netflix, Microsoft, Amazon and others — is already the preferred decoder for cloud-based applications, and is quickly becoming the standard for video compression of all types. Read Now

  • Cost: Reactive vs. Proactive Security

    Security breaches often happen despite the availability of tools to prevent them. To combat this problem, the industry is shifting from reactive correction to proactive protection. This article will examine why so many security leaders have realized they must “lead before the breach” – not after. Read Now

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”