The principles of security are to deter, detect, delay and respond to criminal and anti-social behaviour. CCTV is a highly effective technology which contributes to the deter and detect objectives of the security function. Its use as a crime fighting tool is becoming increasingly widespread in the communities of the Western World. The technological developments in this area are occurring at an astonishing rate and the capabilities of CCTV are escalating significantly. A typical CCTV system consists of the cameras, the signal transmission medium, the monitoring station and the recording capability. Each of these components is important and the way in which they are integrated influences the overall effectiveness of the CCTV system. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the components of a CCTV system and to provide some insight into the variables which can be manipulated to achieve the desired outcomes for each particular system.

Light Conditions

Light plays a crucial role in video surveillance because without it a picture cannot be obtained. Therefore the area to be viewed must be illuminated either naturally, by the sun, or by artificial light sources. The colour, texture and physical shape of the object being viewed will affect the intensity of the reflected light and, in turn, the quality of the picture. Both low light and extremely bright conditions will result in poor image quality as will a lack of contrast between moving objects and the background.

CCTV Cameras

CCTV cameras are responsible for capturing the picture and they achieve this as a result of the light reflecting from an object which is then focused by a lens and captured by what is known as a charged coupled device (CCD) image sensor. The purpose of the camera lens is to focus incoming light onto the sensor producing a picture. The type of lens which is selected depends on the surveillance application for which it is required. Once the light is received by the camera's image sensor it is converted into an electronic signal and transmitted, via the transmission medium, to the display monitor. The most common type of image sensor found in CCTV cameras is the CCD which typically is available in different sizes: ½", 1/3"and 1/4".

It is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of the storage methods available when determining CCTV storage requirements.  It is also important to know how the storage methods relate to the required storage space needed for CCTV applications.  This article details each of the common compression formats available and provides analysis on their suitability for various tasks.

The common coding formats examined in this article include:  Motion JPEG, Motion JPEG2000, H.26x, MPEG-1, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4, as well as the Common Intermediate Format (CIF).  The analysis highlights which coding standards are optimal for common surveillance applications in order to optimise video quality and minimise storage requirements.  Information is also provided to determine storage requirements based on the number of cameras used, compression type, frame rate per second, camera activity per day and length of time footage is retained.

We are well into the digital world when it comes to CCTV surveillance hardware.  The current encoding standards introduce a new level of complexity where security managers have to be security experts and also have a sound understanding of the Information Technology (IT) arena.  This is no more prevalent than when it comes to understanding and using digital storage methods and standards.

Common Intermediate Format (CIF)

The surveillance industry has adopted the CIF term conceived as part of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) video conferencing H.261 standard.  This standard defines the resolution (in terms of width and height) of the video frame, and the frame rate.  The official CIF (PAL) size is 352 x 288 at 25 frames per second.

CIF was originally intended for display on older TV screens (which use rectangular pixels).  When using square pixel monitors, such as computer screens and modern TVs, CIF dimensions are modified to avoid stretched images.  This is done by expanding the horizontal resolution by ~109%.

This results in the following dimensions;

1. CIF is 384(w) x 288(h) square pixels
2. 2CIF is 720(w) x 288(h) square pixels
3. 4CIF is 720(w) x 576(h) square pixels

New Dinion HD 1080p Day/Night IP camera from Bosch

High quality, best-in-class performance with full-HD resolution images

• Excellent low light operation
• First class colour reproduction
• Ideal for busy, colourful scenes

Munich – Bosch introduces the Dinion HD 1080p Day/Night IP camera, the latest addition to the Bosch high definition (HD) portfolio. The high quality camera achieves best-in-class performance, combining full HD resolution images with excellent low light operation and colour reproduction.

1 August 2011

QNAP Security solves a French sawmill’s security concern

Bois du Dauphiné is a famous French sawmill located in well-known Alpine industrial city, Cheylas. Covering more than 50 000 square metres, Bois du Dauphiné has averaged an annual output of more than 150 000 square metres of softwood logs to France and neighbouring European countries since 1983.

Due to the flammable nature of wood, Bois du Dauphiné fell victim to numerous fire incidents in October 2009. The sheer magnitude of the losses they suffered led management to think of the importance of emergency management. At the end of 2010, Bois du Dauphiné set out to increase security measures and raise the quality of its surveillance equipment such as network cameras and video recorders.

After careful research, it chose QNAP’s Linux-based NVR products because of its ability to support high video resolution and remote monitoring. The company expected to leverage the new system’s advantages to increase the security of their logging logistics from sawing, production, to delivery. Because the end users are non-technical personnel, Bois du Dauphiné emphasised the need for a surveillance solution that is easy to install, use and maintain.

June 1, 2011 - Bosch Integrated IR Cameras Deliver Effective Surveillance Day & Night

Affordable solution for in- and outdoors

The WZ Series Integrated IR Bullet and Dome Cameras from Bosch Security Systems, Inc. provide reliable round-the-clock surveillance in any lighting condition. The cameras offer resolutions up to 540TV lines and night vision imaging up to a distance of 50 meters. Integrated active infrared illumination delivers low-noise images at night to minimize video storage requirements. The photocell-controlled LEDs provide accurate on/off switching for optimum performance and energy efficiency.

At the top of the line, the WZ20 delivers 540TV lines high-resolution imaging and a 5 to 50 mm vari-focal auto-iris IR-corrected lens, which delivers the same sharp image quality day or night. With 30 high-power LEDs, the infrared capability provides night vision up to 50 meters, and CCD technology from Bosch delivers outstanding response to infrared illumination with low-smear and low-streak images.

The WZ18 features a 2.8 to 12 mm vary-focal auto-iris lens and a dual window IR-Cut and IR-Pass filter for vivid colour during the day. The WZ16 includes a 3.8 to 9.5 mm vari-focal lens with mechanical filter technology for accurate daytime colour. Both cameras deliver night vision up to 30 meters. In addition, the affordable WZ14 has a 4 mm fixed lens and infrared capabilities up to 15 meters.

The user-friendly WZ45 Integrated IR Dome camera uses a 540TV lines mechanical filter CCD and 18 high-efficiency LEDs for vibrant daytime colour and 30 meters of active infrared night vision.

The entire range is designed for indoor and outdoor environments with robust aluminium water-resistant or all-weather housings that survive the elements. Their compact and tough design makes the camera series ideal for a wide range of residential, commercial and industrial sites, including hotels, service stations and warehouses.

Versatile mounting options and easy adjustment of focus and zoom with no special tools required also make the series very easy to install.

Bosch is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2011.