No complications!
The Vision Factory, makers of the Montage Plus video multiplexer, recently launched a new range of digital storage multiplexers – no tapes, no VCRs and no complicated installation or set-up problems, says the manufacturer. Cameo D1 provides telemetry control of pan/tilt cameras or domes, and up to six monitor outputs, which means it can replace multiplexer, VCR and matrix in many CCTV applications.
Cameo D1 records everything to hard disk and offers fast image retrieval. It can search by time and date or alarm events generated both externally and by its own Active Movement Sensing. Images can also be saved to CD if required, and then displayed on any PC equipped.
Long-term storage
Digital Sprite Lite is the first digital recorder to combine long-term hard disk storage, truly integrated telemetry control and multiple user network viewing in a single, easy-to-use and install package, says Dedicated Micros, with its recently launched RAID options and dome protocols for JVC, Ultrak and VCL domes.
RAID is simply a box of multiple hard disks, providing additional capacity to Digital Sprite Lite’s two internal hard drive options. By utilising RAID, users can access more than 30 weeks’ recording, but as disk sizes increase, the amount of storage becomes unlimited. The unit sees all the hard disks as ‘one large disk’, which means that operators can seamlessly access recordings on all disks using front panel VCR keys and event search facilities. The system is as easy as plug-and play, says DM, with no set-up details to worry about.
Non-PC-based
D-TEG from SK Global is a non-PC-based digital video recording system suitable for any surveillance system. It offers high performance and reliability, says the manufacturer.
Features include: high compression rate; multi-user interface; multi-tasking; motion detection; various recording modes; and powerful network interface. D-TEG displays multiple colour images on one monitor from up to 16 cameras, while recording all images on to its built-in HDD for playback, search, transfer and back-up to optional external storage devices.
‘Playback while record’
Sony’s DV-based digital surveillance recorder, the HSR-2P, is said to offer high-quality image recording, operational flexibility and user-friendly operation. The unit can be controlled directly by the SNT-V304 Video Network Station to allow material to be shared between sites across a corporate Intranet or private network based on the universal TCP/IP standard.
It also features a ‘playback while record’ function that allows immediate playback of events while recording continues uninterrupted. Storing 60Gb of data, a single DV270 tape can record the equivalent of more than 1.6 million images in high quality recording mode, reducing the need for frequent tape changeovers.
Flexible recording
The DX-TL 900E (B) digital timelapse recorder from Mitsubishi Electric offers a combination of multiplexed digital recording, high storage capacity and high quality digital pictures and sound. Flexible recording can be up to 2,320 hours when fitted with a 9Gb memory.
Said to be easy to use, with a conventional timelapse front panel and jog shuttle control, the RS-232C interface allows remote PC control and other control terminals. Other features include: easy search and find facilities (time/date, alarm or character as well as standard index and skip search); memory back-up; timer with eight independent programmes; and on-screen menu.
Integrated digital video management
The DVMS 100 (one channel) and DVMS 400 (four channel) digital video management systems from Gyyr can seamlessly integrate with most existing CCTV equipment, including monitors, cameras, multiplexers and quads.
Both models combine motion detection, digital recording and video transmission with remote administration and are designed for unattended operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
We Bench Tested the DVMS 400 in the August 2000 edition of Security Installer. Our experts reported: “The DVMS 400 is an impressive piece of kit and it establishes a number of benchmarks for what will undoubtedly follow.”
16 channel inputs
Darlex, from Tecton, is a digital video recorder with 16 channel inputs that records directly to a hard disk and DVD.
Recording rates/video motion detection can be set per input to ensure maximum quality of stored images. On playback, the time and date/alarm/motion searching functions are available to allow fast and efficient retrieval of all recordings.
Extended record times
One of Vicon’s Kollector family of digital recording devices, the KOL-3000/P Security Terminal is a rack-mount, standalone video recorder that provides extended continuous record times.
Features include: simultaneous record and playback of up to 16 digital video channels; 280-320 TVL; dual analogue outputs for live viewing on traditional NTSC, EIA, PAL or CCIR monitors; built-in programmable logic controller featuring 16 alarm inputs and eight controlled relay outputs; video authentication watermark; RS-232 output for local and remote PTZ control; 3.5in floppy drive for JPEG file export of still images; and built-in mouse with pad.
Easy to use
Philips CSI’s DMX-16 digital multiplexer/recorder combines a 16-channel digital colour duplex monitor with a sophisticated digital recorder to provide simultaneous recording and playback, plus instant retrieval and event/alarm recording.
Featuring a built-in 30Gb hard disk, the DMX-16 can provide 25 hours of real-time recording with S-VHS resolution, or 100 hours recording time in the equivalent of a conventional 24-hour timelapse recording mode. The unit displays live camera pictures in full-screen, sequenced, quad or multi-screen format, and all operations are controlled through an easy-to-use GUI software package.
High resolution
The 2nd eyes plus family of products from Primary Image are said to offer total scalability at a competitive price. The units record and replay at a very high resolution, and features include synchronous replay, remote access and high security encryption.
The V600 digital recorder can record images from up to 384 cameras and beyond and offers a wide range of recording styles, from full-speed to timelapse, triggered or snapshot recording. Support of DAT and Exabyte digital tape systems allow data to be archived for three months or more. The V200 digital recorder is the smaller member of the 2nd EYES PLUS family, designed for medium-sized applications requiring recording and storage of images from up to 128 cameras.
Recording from multiplexer
PC VCR from CCTV Software is a low-cost package that allows multiplexed images from any video multiplexer to be recorded digitally on to a PC. It consists of Windows-based software, a PC video input card and video switching pulse cable, which is connected between the multiplexer and the PC.
Features include instant time and date retrieval, print, and remote access to live and stored pictures via network or dial-in facility. Choice of recording media depends on what drives the user fits in the PC, so the system can keep up to date with advances in hard disk size or use emerging technologies such as DVD.
Reader Service No 145 Extra large
JVC’s D-Station product, the SR-DL930E, is an extra large digital image archiving system in a VHS machine – digital VHS, to be precise, says the manufacturer.
The transfer rate for the images is mind-boggling, says JVC. The Data Bus Transfer is 10Mb/s in synchronous mode with a buffer of 16Mb of memory (the speed is halved in asynchronous mode), while the durable aluminium diecast base provides high stress stability.
Convert systems
The VideoBridge (VB4000) encoder/decoder system from Indigo AVS enables existing CCTV installations to be converted to digital technology. It digitises video straight from the camera, eliminating the need for multiplexers, video recorders and line amplification, and enables full motion, real-time video to be transmitted worldwide using either LANs or WANs, radio links or the Internet.
The single-box system digitises and compresses video and audio signals from up to five analogue cameras, and only one PC is required to control real-time viewing and recording of any number of cameras or monitors. High video compression ratios (typically 80:1) drastically reduce on-site cabling requirements.
External archiving
The Vista Columbus HDR (Hard Disk Recorder) from Norbain SD provides camera recording capacity to 15Gb HDD and is available with external archiving to digital audio tape (DAT).
Available in 10-channel simplex and 16-channel duplex models, the unit stores images on the hard disk for the medium term. If long-term storage is required, the images need to be transferred to a different medium. This archiving can be done either manually or automatically and the system is compatible with two versions of digital tape: DDS (Digital Data Storage) and AIT (Advanced Intelligent Tape).
Double recording time
Philips CSI’s LTC 3995 Series of digital recorders offer three picture quality modes to enable the appropriate balance between picture quality and recording time, depending on the application.
These include automatic recording at user-defined time intervals, manual recording, and timelapse or event alarm recording, which can be activated by alarm contact or an external device.
The LTC 3995/50 models, which eliminate the need for a PC, feature a larger 9Gb hard disk that doubles the recording time in all modes – up to 3.5 hours in real time or 153 hours in timelapse mode.
Up to six further hard drives can be added through an external SCSI interface to increase recording time further – to 21 hours in real time and up to 918 hours in timelapse mode.
No special cabling
PROVIStore from VCS is a software solution that enables simultaneous recording on a standard PC of up to 16 video signals from networked sources.
Designed to work under Windows NT or Windows 95/98, PROVIStore receives video signals from LAN (TCP/IIP) or WAN networks, decodes, displays and stores the video data on the computer’s hard disk. It decompresses the various signals without any additional hardware and eliminates the need for special cabling and video recording devices.
Large-capacity
The WJ-DR200 AV Disc Recorder from Panasonic is a disc-based digital recorder capable of large-capacity recording using a DVD RAM disc.
High-quality still images are recorded instantly on receiving a signal from a sensor, and the system offers speedy searches.
There are three recording modes to suit usage: multi-shot recording, single-shot recording and timelapse recording, while thumbnail searches are possible with eight or 16 pictures displayed at a time.
