Why Casinos are Now Considering the Move to IP
Filed under: CCTV Articles, General Technology, Security Camera, Security Camera Packages, Security Camera System
The casino industry has one of the largest installed bases of surveillance systems of any market. However the migration to IP has been slower than anticipated due to regulatory requirements and the business critical nature of casino surveillance operations.
Surveillance requirements in gaming are driven not just by business and operational requirements but also gaming regulations that set stringent specifications for the monitoring of gambling businesses and the surveillance function. The gaming industry’s growing acceptance of IP-based video surveillance systems, including cameras, recording devices and information management software, is based on advances in technology that demonstrate improved overall performance and a confirmed ROI.
Video surveillance systems in casinos are subject to strict regulations that govern deployment. These regulations dictate such matters as frame rates, retention time and camera positions. Early versions of IP cameras and network based recording systems could not meet many of the mandated technical requirements or deliver results in a manner consistent with the regulations.
Hybrid systems incorporate encoders and other transition devices to allow a partial move to network based systems that can add digital cameras while allowing the continued use of the original analog cameras. Over time, new digital cameras can be added to the system as old cameras begin to reach their life expectancy or as facilities expand and reconfigure.
Manufacturers have also started to respond to the market opportunity by developing products that address the particular needs of the gaming industry. One example is the development of specialist analytics that can track high value chips or identify irregular gambling patterns in high stakes games.
The growing use of megapixel security cameras is an example of the additional capabilities found in digital technology. The high definition resolution of these cameras provides greater detail for analysis when viewing activity. While it is technically possible to deploy fewer cameras to capture the same views as comparably positioned analog cameras, the initial deployments of megapixel cameras in gaming have been to augment and not replace existing camera set ups.
Along with improved technology, advances in network equipment and increased infrastructure have solved much of the bandwidth issue. New and remodeled gaming properties are deploying network infrastructures capable of supporting IP systems. The ROI is seen in reduced installation and operational costs and higher, more sustainable levels of operational efficiency. IP based systems are inherently easier to install than analog systems due to reduced cable and hands on programming time at the camera.
Operational costs have also been reduced with PoE Compliant IP cameras that are powered over existing/new network Category 5 cabling that delivers standard 10/100/1000Mb Ethernet service. Power is transmitted over Cat 5 Ethernet cabling, enabling the transition to a network platform to be achieved in a centralized, more simplified, and easy to manage environment. Additionally, new PoE power supplies are available that also allow non compliant PoE cameras to be powered over the network using simple, inexpensive adapters. High performance, system integration, scalability and lower cost of ownership will be the factors that continue to drive the expansion of IP cameras in gaming and other markets.
H.264 – The Newest Codec for Video Compression
Filed under: CCTV Articles, CCTV Camera, Security Camera, Security Camera Packages, Security Camera System
Raw video is compressed before it can be sent across a network and recorded. Compression methods take advantage of what the human eye cannot detect. Our eyes can interpret colors, shades, and movement. A computer however, is able to gather a lot more information. Compression codes such as MPEG-4 and MJPEG are able to toss out redundant information that we can’t see and also remove any data that hasn’t changed between frames. Removing this unnecessary information results in smaller file sizes.
It’s important to understand that older styles of compression are for a certain range of resolutions such as CIF (Common Intermediate Format) 352 X 288 and 4CIF 704 X 480. The surveillance industry is rapidly growing and as our technology evolves, so must all other standards that apply to them. For example, we now have megapixel capability which gives you 1280 X 720 or 720p and also 1920 X 1080 or 1080p. Since the resolution is so much higher today due to the increase in megapixel technology, the industry must offer a compression codec that will be able to squeeze the huge frames down to a usable size. A newer and more efficient compression method that is able to resolve this issue is H.264.
H.264 video compression uses what is known as bidirectional frames. Without getting too technical here, this type of codec anticipates movement. If a frame has not changed, it throws out the unchanged areas ahead of time. For example, if a camera is facing a door, and the image is not changing for an extended period of time, the H.264 codec throws out redundancies thus using a smaller file size. This type of compression does use more processing power. The H.264 codec was developed to reduce demands for video storage and bandwidth. It also uses 50% less bandwidth than MPEG-4 to transmit images of the same quality. With substantially lower bit rates, H.264 uses significantly less storage to capture video compared to previous standards.
In a nut shell, DVR’s with H.264 compression allow you to transmit video at faster frame rates and increase your archived duration. Security systems using this new compression standard will not only allow you to capture more video, but they will also improve the overall efficiency of your entire surveillance setup.
Security Sales Training
Sales professionals have to become enthusiastic and empowered to differentiate their company outside of the normal criteria of price, technology and products. All of those elements are what everyone is competing with and it is the responsibility of the sales professional to be able to grow and separate their company from the competition. Unfortunately, for many, it’s not happening.
Much of the training occurring right now is generic. There are a few people who do it well but there are others, who lose focus on what really works in for the security industry. By solely providing training on product and technology, while investing nothing at all in sales, retention and customer service training, you’re creating an environment that will result in a lack of energy, passion and the competitive advantage needed to grow.
Bringing an industry trainer in from the outside to work with your team, can not only help boost employee morale, but can also culminate in new ways of approaching sales and customer service. When it comes to your seasoned sales people, most of them may feel they do not need any training. Some may get angry at the mention of it. No matter how good you already are, today is perhaps the best time to train your team to take full advantage of every growth opportunity you have. Sadly, too many security dealers still provide little more than product and technical training for their employees.
It only takes one person bringing forward tangible specifics or even a new program full of effective tools, in order to rejuvenate a sales professional who feels beat up, tired or unenthusiastic. It’s all about generating new ideas that can make someone who has been in the security industry for 30 years say, ‘Oh! I didn’t think of that!” And it works. Just like any good team, Amateurs need training so they get it right. Professionals need training so they don’t get it wrong.
Keeping Your Network Secure
Filed under: CCTV Articles, CCTV Camera, General Technology, Networking, Security Camera, Security Camera Packages, Security Camera System, Security DVR
Two key reasons customers purchase video security is for live monitoring and gathering evidence after an event has taken place. These systems are put into place to keep people safe and to secure our property as well. What we must also be careful of is ensuring the video itself is secure too. Although an analog signal can be intercepted fairly easily, network signals have far greater threats of being intercepted.
Shortly after the inception of the webcam, designers were inspired to take this new technology and apply it to security cameras. Just like webcams, people started streaming security video out over the internet. Most people are unaware that a Google search using the right string of text will return links to hundreds of IP security cameras that are visible over the internet. Security streaming for schools, stores and traffic cams are commonly found online. Although some of these feeds are deliberate, many of these video streams are unintentionally made available on the internet.
With any IP network camera configuration, one crucial step to remember is to change the default administrator password. Often this step is ignored and results in open access to your system. Hackers can then view the security feeds with ease, especially if they?re somewhat familiar with your specific camera manufacturer. Another important thing to remember is that there are applications which enable hackers to potentially observe all the packets of data streaming across a network. These programs are called packet sniffers. A packet sniffer captures each packet of data that flows past it and displays the content of that packet. The information you get is generally things like source and destination IP addresses, different protocols that generated the packet, and in most cases, the content which the packet is carrying. While a single packet will not include an entire image, each one will only have a small piece. But if you can capture all the data from that stream, a hacker is certainly able to reconstruct it elsewhere.
Encryption is the best way to protect your system from hackers. Because all network data can be encrypted, online activities such as banking and shopping are possible without the worry of making private information public. The same type of technology used for those kinds of websites can also be used for network video surveillance. RSA is a highly recognized technology encryption company which is commonly used for this type of application.
Watermarking is another technology used to protect video streaming. A watermark is code added to a digital video file, which is invisible to the eye, and can be used to determine if the video file has been tampered with. If the video file has been altered in any way, that video file will be flagged as altered.
While security technology has certainly advanced, so has security for security technology. There will always be the threat of hackers with any new and existing technology, but with the proper configuration and know how, the internet can be a safe place to transmit your security feeds.
What a Mesh
Filed under: CCTV Articles, CCTV Camera, General Technology, Networking, Security Camera, Security Camera System
Whether you’re a large enterprise, local or state municipality or even a small business you’re going to want to stay connected without any issues. Most cities have what they call a Mesh Network, which is a combined system of wireless technology dispersed city-wide. These Mesh Networks are used to give police officers access to a wide range of databases. Officers can then access instant information on a subject to see if a warrant has been issued or to find out if the car they are driving is stolen. Mesh Networks can also be used to transmit video feeds from network cameras within a city and to provide internet access to other emergency personnel to be able to pull up a patient’s medical records on the fly. Mesh Networks can also be used in a construction site to transmit important data from various types of equipment back to an engineer’s office.
What is a Mesh Network? A Mesh Network is a type of networking where each node in the network may act as an independent router, regardless of whether it is connected to another network or not. It allows for continuous connections and reconfiguration around broken or blocked paths by jumping from node to node until the information you are looking for is found. Mesh Networks were originally developed for military use.
I know some of you are wondering, so I will elaborate. The definition of a node depends on the network and protocol layer. A physical network node is an active electronic device that is attached to a network, and is capable of sending, receiving, or forwarding information over a communications channel. A Mesh Network node can be a modem, hub, bridge or switch.
With increased data speeds and networks like the Mesh Network model, information is more accessible than ever. The security industry is always fast to keep up with related technologies in the market and we’ve seen integration of CCTV systems with Mesh Networks already in large metropolitan areas. These two technologies will be sure to continue a long and healthy partnership to make jobs easier, cities safer, and information accessible at anytime from virtually anywhere.
Man Slams Into Glass
Filed under: CCTV Camera, Funny and Interesting, Security Camera, Security Camera System
In most cases we recommend buying CCTV cameras to protect your business, but there are other benefits to having surveillance equipment installed. In particular, security cameras capture everything and every so often you’ll have the opportunity to catch a classic moment like this one on video.
Remember, if a door doesn’t have a handle and it doesn’t open automatically, it’s probably not a door!
Site Surveys – Planning for Your Customer
Filed under: CCTV Articles, CCTV Camera, CCTV Security Camera Lenses, CCTV Security DVR Cards, Security Camera, Security Camera Packages, Security Camera System, Security DVR
Most of us have heard the old saying “Prior planning prevents poor performance” and nowhere is it more important than planning out a video surveillance system. Taking time upfront to make sure your survey is complete and accurate will save great amounts of time, money and energy for your installers, making both you and the customers bottom line better.
Making the sale and picking the right product are only parts of the puzzle. Camera placement, lens selection, mounting options and cable planning are all equally important to the success of a job. These elements will also help you gain the loyalty of your customer. If you’re a salesman, project manager or an estimator, at some point you’re going to have to put a project together and it will help if you know what to look for.
Of all the various parts of a CCTV system, the one thing the customer is going to notice above all else is a picture that doesn’t meet his expectations. He won’t care what kind of cable you used to get the picture in front of his eyes, nor will he worry about whether there’s a space in between each piece of equipment mounted in a rack. But he will know right away if he can’t see what he thought he was going to see or if what he can see is out of focus.
Picking camera and lens combinations are one of those areas that have become far easier over time. More sensitive cameras and varifocal lenses have taken most of the work out of the selection process. It is still important however to have a good grasp of the concepts.
Focal length of a lens refers to two main things, the distance a lens can see clearly and the width of the scene a particular lens can see. Focal length is rated in millimeters. The lower the millimeter number, the wider the scene. As you go higher in millimeters, the lens becomes more telephoto and the scene width is greatly reduced. Taking the time to pick the right camera and lens combination will make for a smoother install and a happier customer and reduce the need for return visits.
One aspect of a site survey and system design that is frequently over looked is the environment itself. Not only conditions like temperature and weather extremes, but also physical aspects of the environment. I was recently out at a customer’s site looking at a parking lot through the view of his cameras. The customer told me the view was good now but in the spring when the trees bloom he cannot see anything. His system was installed in the winter when all the trees were bare. Please remember that trees grow. Those newly planted saplings will become towering oaks in a few years. Make sure they won’t impede your view now or ever.
Physical obstruction aren’t only limited to the great outdoors. Warehouses are notorious for large shelving and stacks of product. Shelves and products are subject to reconfiguration at any time. Make sure your camera placement is high enough so that it doesn’t get blocked by a stack of boxes.
It seems obvious to take things like that into consideration but I can tell you it doesn’t always happen that way. In times like we are experiencing today the need to get in and out of a project quickly becomes very important to the bottom line, but we can’t let it compromise the integrity of our system design.
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