HD cameras for the future... make.believe in Sony

Our PES Manager, Izak, discusses his thoughts on HD cameras:

"As with all new technology there are always some sceptics who don’t accept pioneering technology.

I heard about the new HD cameras, but with good IP cameras available at the time, I was not really interested, as proven cameras (like the Sony SNC RX570) had a brilliant zoom and were already outperforming the Coax cameras which currently saturate the market.

As a company, Heston Apex Europe LTD, was chosen to carry out a trial installation of a number of RH-124 Cameras on a stadium.

From the commencement of the installation, it was glaringly clear that this is the new technology for the future of the industry.

On the opening day, with a crowded stadium, it was possible to zoom in and identify people on the opposite side of the field. This enabled the security controllers to monitor any disturbances with ease and be sure that proper identification of the people involved was available.

So why choose the next generation of Sony HD cameras?

1.       Fewer Cameras. With full HD cameras better coverage is provided, with the advantage that identification of individual suspects is still possible. With previous generations of cameras you would need both a static camera and a PTZ camera to zoom in to the specific point of interest to get identifiable images or as alternative a multitude of static cameras zoomed in, which would therefore cover a lot less.

2.       Fewer Monitoring personnel. Fewer cameras also means fewer people are needed to monitor the same area and in tandem with the implementation of DEPA technology found on Sony cameras, intelligent functionality can be utilised on a PC

3.       H264 encoding. With H264 encoding it gives the best use of the bandwidth possible.

4.       High frame rates. With up to 30FPS, a smooth picture is ensured, therefore assuring the consistent capture of movement. This will increase with the newer generation cameras as demonstrated by Sony at IFSEC.

5.       Monitoring in all conditions. The Sony camera ranges have some of the best low light performance around. This includes PTZ cameras and the ER550, as well as the static cameras with additional IR as the DH280 and CH280.  Even in incredibly low levels of light in a server room, I observed a DH140 displaying a clear picture.

Even the best cameras is useless if not correctly set up. The SNC-Toolbox ensures ease of setup with all the cameras and settings available in one place. The cameras now have an easy setup and focus feature that enable the installer to tweak the focus and zoom without the need to sit on ladders with a spot monitor to adjust it."

Ifsec according to an apprentice....

The day at IFSEC started off with a long train journey from London Euston to Birmingham. Throughout the commute there was a build up of intensity and anxiety as we were just waiting to get stuck in at the competition. As we arrived at IFSEC we were overwhelmed by the amount of people were there, handing out business cards. This year at IFSEC we were taking part in an annual competition called Engineers of Tomorrow to win £1,000. The basic idea of the competition was to test the knowledge learnt throughout our apprenticeship. With only a hour and a half we had to do a full takeover of an intruder panel, which included fault finding and installing a new bell and vibration detector. We started off slowly, which in hindsight was probably a bad idea, as it eventually led us to losing the competition. After our initial slow start, we picked up the pace by completing various tasks such as; mounting a vibration detector, wiring a sounder and linking a P.A key switch to a door contact. With minutes left in the competition we were advised to wire the dual com to the panel as fast as possible. The competition ended with the adjudicator saying time, just as the final cable went in….. After the competition ended we had roughly 3 ½ hours to wait until we found out the results. Whilst patiently waiting to find out the results we felt the full impact of IFSEC and the technology. 4 o’clock came around and it was time to figure out if we had won or NOT. Unfortunately we didn’t bring home the win, but we still managed to enjoy ourselves, taking in a vast amount of knowledge throughout the day. Overall, it was a good chance to see what future technology has to offer and I look forward to next year.