The growth and adoption of megapixel and HD video surveillance equipment is undoubtedly one of the key trends currently shaping the video surveillance market towards 2014.
One of the main benefits of network security cameras has been the availability of megapixel (and, more recently, HD) resolutions, a feature that until lately the traditional analogue video surveillance products on the market had been unable to offer.
However, recent developments from the HDcctv Alliance, the organisation responsible for developing the HD-over-coax standard (based on the industry HD-SDI broadcast standard), could well see end users afforded a greater choice when specifying megapixel and HD surveillance requirements.
Majority of the installed systems base
While a high proportion of new, enterprise-class projects are implementing network video security, existing video surveillance installations (which are predominantly analogue) still represent a majority of the installed base.
It’s this sector of the market which will be most interesting in the coming years: will customers reuse their existing analogue infrastructure and invest in HDcctv, transfer to network security cameras or adopt a hybrid system?
There appears to be little disagreement between protagonists of HD video surveillance that surveillance systems are transitioning from analogue video to networked basis. However, there’s discord regarding the system topology needed to achieve the desired end result.
For customers looking to capture HD and megapixel video, this can be done using a ‘pure’ network video solution or by using an HDcctv analogue video surveillance set-up that brings the data onto the network thanks to the deployment of an Ethernet-enabled DVR.
Marketing network security cameras
“HDcctv cameras will not impact the uptake of IP cameras in the short term”, explained Gary Wong, video surveillance research analyst at IMS and the author of the new report entitled ‘The World Market for CCTV and Video Surveillance Equipment: 2010 Edition’.
Wong continued: “Many large and well-known vendors of video surveillance equipment have already invested heavily in developing and marketing network security cameras. It’s unlikely that these vendors will adjust their technology roadmaps and marketing messages to accommodate HDcctv products within their product portfolios in the near future.”
The lack of recognised brand exposure will prove detrimental to HDcctv equipment sales at the enterprise-class project level. However, HDcctv cameras could potentially limit the available market for network security cameras.
“HDcctv may gain traction in the low and middle segments of the market,” added Wong. “These market segments are serviced by small, local and regional security systems installers who have generally been slow to embrace network security cameras. HDcctv allows installers to offer the benefits of HD to their customers without having to operate outside of their technical comfort zone”.
A factor of 6 to 1
Despite the potential impact of HDcctv, IMS Research forecasts that by 2014 worldwide shipments of HD and megapixel network security cameras will outnumber sales of HDcctv cameras by a factor of 6 to 1.
The IMS Research report forecasts the growth of HD network cameras, megapixel network cameras and HDcctv cameras and other video surveillance equipment types in greater detail.
IMS Research is a supplier of market research and consultancy services on a wide range of global electronics markets. The company is supported by headquarters in Wellingborough in the UK and offices in Austin, Texas and Shanghai, China.
The organisation regularly publishes detailed research on electronic physical security products such as CCTV and video surveillance solutions, access control, intruder alarms and fire detection and suppression equipment markets (among others).
For further information access the website (a dedicated link is provided on the right hand panel of this page)
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