HDcctv Cameras

While analogue cameras continue to improve, they are still subject to the constraint of the PAL TV format; quality is further compromised because of de-interlace artifacts.

Network cameras (IP and megapixel) offer advantages in several ways, but can suffer from both latency and network uncertainty. Their advantages include progressive scan technology, ease of deployment and the benefit of Power Over Ethernet (POE). They do not tend to suffer from electrical noise interference, and can offer progressive scan resolutions up to 11 megapixels.

The principal problem with IP cameras is firstly the latency, or delay with getting the images out of the camera. This is because compression is done in the camera (which cannot accommodate powerful processing engine) , rather than in the DVR recorders. More significant than the delay is the uncertainty caused by activity in the network itself; even a network that is committed only to CCTV cameras can exhibit unpredictable behaviour, due to the number of cameras and the volume of activity that requires additional network bandwidth.

A new high definition technology is emerging which does not suffer latency, and is deliverable from camera to DVR over existing co-ax: the HDcctv cameras. This new camera design is less complex than both analogue and IP cameras. Like network cameras, power can be delivered ‘up the cable', which might be co-ax, or some other standard cable.

HDcctv cameras appearing on the market provide two standard resolutions: 720p (1280 x 720), and 1080p (1920 x 1080), being the horizontal and vertical pixel counts. These give respectively 0.92 and 2.1 megapixels. It is expected that the big volume of HDcctv cameras in the next few years will be in the range 0.92 to 2.1. In future, higher resolution versions of these devices are expected.

HDcctv cameras deliver high speed serial digital data over a variety of cabling formats, and the stream is converted at the DVR into H.264 format. Since this is a common compression standard for most DVRs, NVRs and network cameras, it confirms that analogue, network and HDcctv cameras can all be supported in the same hybrid DVR.

HDcctv cameras offer several advantages for the end user, compared to alternative ways of achieving high resolution. Here a summary of the benefits delivered by HDcctv cameras:

Grade Reliability: HDcctv is a digital transmission of uncompressed HD video over coax cable
Digital: perfect clarity with no analogue noise
HD video: true 1080P30 or 720P60 HD video - True HDTV Live View
Uncompressed: zero latency and no compression artifacts
Coax cable: simple upgrade resilient to network failure
Plug-and-Play Upgrade: the transition from CCTV to HDcctv cameras is very easy
Familiar User Interface: for the installer/operator, the only difference between CCTV and HDcctv cameras is that the DVR recording configuration screens have both HD and SD resolution
Real-Time PTZ Control: no signal delays between a joystick command and the corresponding viewed image
Best possible input format for video analytics: digitally delivers crisp, unadulterated video from HDcctv cameras to DVR