• High resolution 600TV lines & 0.15Lux sensitivity

• 3.6x varifocal lens (2.8 ~ 10mm)

• Discreet and compact design

Datasheet>>SCD-2080 Datasheet

SCP-3430H/2430H

SCP-3430H/3430/2430H/2430 PTZ dome cameras are able to capture quality images over expansive areas thanks to the inclusion of a 43x optical zoom.

Embedded with Samsung Techwin’s A1 chipset, these cameras offer clear and vivid images with 600TV lines color resolution and are able to perform perfectly at low light levels down to0.7Lux/0.2Lux.

SCP-3430H/2430H versions are pre-fitted into a housing for extra convenience.

Datasheet>>43xPTZ Datasheet

• 1/4″ SONY 410K/470K Pixels Ex-View HAD PS CCD

• 43x(f=3.2~138.5mm) Optical & 16x(0.1step) Digital Zoom

• High Resolution : 600 TV Lines

• Min. illumination 0.0007 Lux (F1.2, 15 IRE, Sens-up 512x, Color)

0.00007 Lux (F1.2, 15 IRE, Sens-up 512x, B/W)

• 0~360º Endless Pan, -6~186º Tilting (D-Flip)

• Pan/Tilt Speed Min. 0.01º/sec, Max. 600º/sec

• Preset 512 ea, Auto Pan 4 ea, Pattern 3 ea

• Wide Dynamic Range (NTSC 128x, PAL 160x) : SCC-C6455 / C7455

• Virtual Progressive Scan (VPS) : SCC-C6455 / C7455

• Day Night Function (True), Sens-up Function (512x)

• Motion Adaptive Digital Noise Reduction (3D + 2D)

• Back Light Compensation (Area Setting)

• Advanced Motion Detection Function

• eXtended Dynamic Range ( XDR)

• Privacy Mask Function (12ea)

• DIS (Digital Image Stabilization)

• Time & Day Scheduling

• CCVC (Camera Control Via Coaxial cable, Controller : SCX-RD100)

• RS-485 (Half/Full)/RS-422 Control (Multi-Protocol support)

• Multi-Language OSD (E, F, G, S, I, J, R, P, C, etc) support

• Intelligent Video (Moved / Fixed / Fence / Tracking)

• Alarm Input 8 ea, Output 3ea

• Operating Temp. : SCC-C6453 / C6455 (-10 ~ 50°C )

The Surveillance in Public Places: Final Report, tabled in Parliament today, contains 33 recommendations to modernise surveillance laws and promote the responsible use of surveillance devices in public places.

Chairperson of the Commission, Professor Neil Rees, said the proposed reforms aimed to balance the benefits of public place surveillance, such as security and crime detection, with the need to protect people against the risks of abuse, like serious invasions of their privacy. “Our current laws were not designed to deal with the many ways in which surveillance devices are now used in Victorian public places,” Professor Rees said. “Surveillance devices have become increasingly affordable, sophisticated and widely used. Public place surveillance has become so extensive that it affects the lives of nearly all Victorians when engaging in everyday activities such as walking down the street, going to a shopping centre or going to a football match,” he said. Professor Rees said that Victorians are entitled to a reasonable expectation of privacy in public places and that should be legally recognised. Modernised laws would also provide users of surveillance with greater certainty and guidance about the situations in which the use of surveillance is acceptable. “We need to actively monitor developments in technology, such as body imaging devices and facial recognition technology, to ensure they are used responsibly and that the law discourages abuse,” Professor Rees said. The recommendations in the report include:

• clarifying, modernising and strengthening the Surveillance Devices Act 1999, including a new offence dealing with improper use of a surveillance device, such as ‘happy slapping’

• prohibiting surveillance in public toilets and change rooms

• prohibiting a person recording an activity or conversation which they are part of without the consent of the other parties

• broadening the role of the Victorian Privacy Commissioner to include regulation of public place surveillance

• creating two new causes of action (the right to sue) dealing with serious invasions of privacy.

The report is the second part of the Commission’s inquiry into the use of surveillance and other privacy-invasive technologies: the first report dealt with Workplace Privacy. The report is available at: www.lawreform.vic.gov.au or by calling (03) 8619 8619.

The new Samsung H.264 range is exciting news in CCTV recording.

With its simplified user interface and improved picture quality, the highly efficient H.264 records using much less disk space of an MPEG4 recorder. So for a professional grade H.264 DVR email sales@qvideosystems.com.au

Click for Data Sheets>> Samsung SRD-1670 DataSheet, SRD-1650D DataSheet, SRD-470(D) Data Sheet

THEY could be Australia’s dopiest vandals – laughing into the camera that caught them committing their crime.

The pair has been caught on CCTV after entering an overpass lift, damaging it and scratching graffiti on its walls.

Then they caught sight of the camera, in the Adelaide suburb of Glandore, looked directly at it and began pulling faces.

Despite the offenders’ apparent lack of concern for being caught, five months after the incident – on August 28 – police still are searching for them.

Transit police now have posted images of the men at Adelaide train stations where thousands of commuters go by every day.

Known as the “Wanted Poster” scheme, the method of showing commuters pictures of criminals in the act has been highly successful for police.

The head of the Transit Service Branch, Chief Inspector Robert Williams, told the Sunday Mail the scheme was introduced in September, and so far had a success rate of 71.5 per cent in catching offenders.

“This clearly indicates the support of the public in an attempt to reduce crime within the community and on the public transport network,” he said.

He said the poster scheme was being expanded into the main concourse at Adelaide Railway Station, where more travellers would see the images.

Chief Insp Williams said most crimes committed on public transport were minor.

“The types of incidents that continue to be a problem on the transit system are behavioural matters, ranging from low-level mischievous matters through to more serious acts of violence,” he said.

He said trains were particularly bad for attracting criminal behaviour. Chief Insp Williams said CCTV footage was used extensively by police and was “highly successful” in taking offenders to court.

He said it was rare for criminals to be so brazen.

“The photograph appears to show the offenders playing up to the CCTV,” he said.

“This is a rare occasion and does not form part of the norm.”

Source: Herald Sun

The woman was dragged into a disabled persons’ toilet at Southern Cross station around 1pm on Thursday, with the man demanding cash before punching her repeatedly around the face and head.

The attack lasted at least 10 minutes before the man escaped and left his victim partially undressed on the toilet floor.

Detective Sergeant Doug Smith said the woman was still receiving hospital treatment for serious injuries. “She is black and blue with bruises and has a fracture to the face,” he said. “It’s very difficult to prevent this sort of thing, and considering how audacious he has been, with that many people around — that’s what makes it so disturbing.”

CCTV footage shows the man at Flinders Street station and Federation Square before catching him loitering around the toilets at Southern Cross station.

Source: Melbourne Herald Sun

SCD-2010/2030 mini dome cameras have been designed to generate outstanding images in various installation environments.

During the day these cameras produce vivid graphics at of 600TV lines resolution. In addition, there are built-in coaxial control compatibility and also, SID-2010/2030 comes with a 3mm/6mm fixed lens that is ideal for small areas suach as elevators and for most indoor applications.

Datasheet>>20100831_0_1008.SCD-2010.2030(10.08.20)

• Based on W-V DSP engine • Built-in 3mm/6mm auto iris fixed lens • High resolution of 600TV lines • Min.illumination of 0.04Lux@F1.2 • SSNRIII, coaxial control • Compact, light weight and stylish design

The SCD-2080R is a high performance true day/night dome camera capable of illuminating subjects up to 20m from the camera thanks to its built-in IR LEDs.

This delivers exceptionally clear images in complete darkness. What’s more, the SCD-2080R automatically adjusts the intensity of its IR LEDs according to the distance to the subject it is viewing in order to eliminate bright highlights and ensure a perfectly balanced foreground and background image. Featuring a builtin IR corrected 3.6x varifocal lens (2.8 ~ 10mm), the SCD-2080R provides flexibility for use in a wide range of applications.

Datasheet>>SCD-2080R Datasheet

• High resolution of 600TV lines (Color), 700TV lines (B/W) • Min. illumination 0Lux (IR LED on), IR distance 20m • 3.6x V/F lens (2.8 ~ 10mm) • True Day & Night (ICR), MD, SSNRIII (3D+2D) • Coaxial control (Pelco-C), 12V DC.

The SCV-3120 vandal-resistant dome camera features the A1 chipset to deliver advanced functions such as 600TV lines color resolution, VPS, SSDR and SSNRⅢwhich eliminates noise even in low light conditions.

With a 12x optical zoom, it captures clear and accurate images of far distant objects and its aluminunum die-cast chassis supports high durability under high impact.

Datasheet>>SCV-3120_Datasheet

12x WDR Vandal-Resistant Dome Camera • High resolution of 600TV lines • Low light illumination of 0.7Lux(Color) • 12x optical zoom(3.6~44.3mm) • Two types of installation(flush or surface mount) • VPS, WDR, coaxial control support • Intelligent video analytics, IP66 The SCV-3120 vandal-resistant dome camera features the A1 chipset to deliver advanced functions such as 600TV lines color resolution, VPS, SSDR and SSNRⅢwhich eliminates noise even in low light conditions. With a 12x optical zoom, it captures clear and accurate images of far distant objects and its aluminunum die-cast chassis supports high durability under high impact.

The SCV-2060 high resolution vandal dome camera provides a horizontal resolution of 600TV lines for exceptional imaging.

With a low light level of 0.15Lux, it forms noise-free images even in the darkest conditions and the extra-sturdy aluminum chassis provides unparalleled durability. The built-in 2.4x vari-focal lens (2.5 ~ 6mm) provides an optimal monitoring range in any installation environment. This camera features enhanced userfriendly options including a Multilanguage OSD, coaxial control compatibility and SSDR.

Datasheet>>Samsung SCV-2060

• High resolution of 600TV lines(color), 700TV lines(B/W) • Min. illumination 0.15Lux(color), 0.001Lux(B/W) • 2.4x(2.5~6mm) V/F lens, true day&night(ICR), MD, SSNRⅢ (3D+2D) • IP66, coaxial control, ( Pelco-C ), RS-485, dual power

Equipped with our latest SV-V DSP chipset, the SCD-3080 achieves vivid graphics at 600TV lines resolution.

With low light levels of 0.3ux, it delivers crystal clear images even in the dark environment. In addition, the SCD-3080′s 3.9x varifocal lens (2.8 ~ 11mm) provides maximum flexibility for installation and also, there is built-in coaxial control compatibility, VPS (Virtual Progressive Scan) and intelligent video analytics for user convenience.

Datasheet>>SCD-3080 Q Video Systems

• High resolution 600TV lines & 0.3Lux sensitivity • 3.9x varifocal lens (2.8 ~ 11mm) • Discreet and compact design • VPS (Virtual Progressive Scan) • lntelligent video analytics (Detection,Tracking, Fixed, Moved, Alarm out) • Privacy masking with polygonal type

How would you like to offer your customers one of the most popular 2-way wireless security systems on the market?

Our customers are thrilled with how easy the installation and programming is on the Alexor, saving them time on each job which gives them more time for quoting or installing additional jobs.

DSC alarms are a quality built product and offer possibly the world’s most comprehensive range of alarms, alarm monitoring and access control available. Each system is backed up by first class service and support that you and your customers are entitled to. So, call your local Q Video Systems and experience the simplicity and quality of DSC alarms.

Tony Cook from SMS snags a major Samson

A fishing trip for Q Vids clients headed up by our very own Phil Marks last month was a “swimming” success.

Friday 19 November 2010 was a gorgeous 40 degree day, so as you could imagine there was a ship load of sublock applied! The ocean was a bit choppy in the morning but calmed on the way back to shore. All the guests enjoyed a sausage sizzle lunch, the odd brewsky, softdrinks, amognst other delights. Tony Cook from SMS Security landed a 30kg Samson which won him a new QVS Colour Video Door Intercom System for his effort, whilst a 300kg, 10 foot Blue Whaler Shark took a joint effort to land.

Phil handing out a 1st prize flexing just a little too much muscle. That aint natural Phil, ok!

Clients and staff at Q Video Systems WA Fishing Tip

Phil took a flying leap from the boat into the sea after a customer’s fish came off the hook. To everyone’s amazement, Phil was in the drink surrounded by sharks eating the Samson. Nice one Phil! lol. Overall it was a fantastic day and will be remembered by all.

This may turn into an annual event with perhaps 2 boats next year! Hopefully without Phil’s daring shark eating theatrics, or maybe not, we’ll see how his sales figures are going.

Round-the-clock surveillance is now a must-have solution. Benchmark tests day/night cameras frm Pelco, Sony, Samsung and Vista.

When it comes to mainstream CCTV cameras, one of the most common choices is the day/night unit. Ever since the capability to switch between colour and monochrome images became available, these units have solved a problem for installers.

Some might see the humble day/night camera as something of an old technology, but the fact is that many leading manufacturers have worked at enhancing their product offering, and have created better cameras which address the issues that installers regularly face.

All cameras were installed by the same test team, and were tested simultaneously. All used the same lenses, and care was taken to ensure that cable lengths, routing, etc., were identical. Also, units were maximised for performance in the real world.

Most day/night cameras work well in periods of bright daylight, and periods of darkness. However, many struggle in the dawn and dusk periods. This was a focus of this Benchmark test. The main purpose of the test was to assess day/night performance. Other features and functions were considered, as was trade price, to ensure that a balance regarding functionality could be achieved.

Pelco C10DN6X

Over recent years, Pelco has become increasingly synonymous with high end control solutions. However, the company still offers a wide range of cameras, including the C10DN6X. This unit is a day/night camera with a quoted resolution of 540 TV lines, and a sensitivity of 0.4 lux, quoted as for 50IRE with AGC on. Signal to noise ratio is 50dB.

Day/night switching is either activated by the camera itself, or an external device can be used. There is a modular slot for this on the rear panel, under a fixing plate. You should get a modular plug supplied with the unit: ours was missing, as was the CD which includes the full manual.

Automatic switching is controlled by the AGC function. The camera switches from colour to mono when AGC reaches 22dB, and switches back to colour mode when AGC falls back to 16dB. This difference should eliminate constant switching in all but the most difficult circumstances. To further customise this the camera can be set to switch only when the dB level has been reached for either 5 or 30 seconds. Where short times of brightness might upset the camera, it can also be set to test for brightness levels continuously, every 10 minutes or every 30 minutes.

Programming is carried out via a side-mounted joystick-type controller. There are a few odd phrases in the menu, such as the term Eclipser instead of BLC, but aside from that it’s pretty much straightforward. With regard to additional functionality, you don’t get a lot. There is privacy masking and pixel correction. The latter should recover any dead pixels (which will appear as white dots in the image).

The camera is a 12V DC/24V AC model, and as such is small, measuring 75 x 55 x 50mm. It is supplied with a quick start guide, a 4 pin lens plug, a connector for an external switching trigger and a CD. The latter two items were missing from our unit.

Installing the C10DN-6X is as simple as you’d expect from a modern camera. The joystick takes a short while to get used to it, but after that the menus are easy to navigate and are pretty self-explanatory.

Once tweaked, the image quality is good, and colours are strong. There is a very slight bias towards warmer tones, but you will need a colour chart to spot it. As light levels fall, yellows and pale blues do appear to get slightly dirty, but it does not have a detrimental effect on the usability of the video.

Resolution is quoted as 540 TV lines in colour mode: we saw resolutions of around 500 lines in the real world, so that figure is credible. In the Sensitivity tests (see note at the bottom of this page), our camera showed loss of a full video signal at around 5 lux, which is typical of cameras in this class.

Because of the flexibility on offer, day/night switching is clean and without issue. Our test unit switched to monochrome mode at around 4 lux, which was – with AGC set to Low – about the point that colours started to lose their edge. All things considered, we felt that this is set up about right!

Samsung SHC735P

Samsung has been on something of a mission to launch more products and upgrade all of their offerings, but when it comes to low light performance the SHC735P is still a camera that sells well. It will no doubt be replaced at some point, but currently it is something of a stalwart model in the manufacturer’s range.

The camera uses Samsung Techwin’s SV-IV processing chipset, and delivers a quoted resolution of 560 TV lines. The signal to noise ratio is quoted as 52dB, and sensitivity is specified as 0.3 lux for a 50 IRE signal.

The camera is a day/night model, and features a number of functions designed to enhance low light performance, such as Sens-Up (x 256), gain control, backlight compensation and the much highlighted SSNR noise reduction system – in this case, SSNR II.

The SHC735P features some less used functions too; flip, mirror and sharpness all being evident. However, it also boasts more useful features such as video motion detection, privacy masking and – for those seeking pole mounting – digital image stabilisation.

Day/night switching can either be activated via the camera itself, or from an external input using a push-fit connection. Other connectivity includes an output for motion detection and RS485 ports.

One final word about the SHC735P is that it does carry a slight price premium over some of the cameras in this test. However, it is also very feature-rich.

Accessing the menu is done via a five button pad on the rear of the camera. The menu structure will immediately be familiar to anyone who has used a Samsung camera before. For those who haven’t, it is very straightforward.

Once the camera is set, the image is impressive. At first it seems a little cold, especially when viewed alongside other cameras. However, a colour chart will reveal that the camera has very good colour fidelity, with no bias towards cool or warm tones. Detail is high, and varying light levels typical with daytime use cause little in the way of tonal variation. Greyscale reproduction is also accurate.

Functionality is high, and all the features work as expected. Motion detection is a little basic, but that’s all you can expect from a camera! Otherwise, there’s enough flexibility to deal with most applications.

Resolution is quoted at 560 TV lines, and our unit showed well over 500 lines. You can argue the figures all you like, but the reality is that detail is higher than some of the other units. Samsung quotes sensitivity as 0.3 lux for a 50 IRE image. Sensitivity was measured in the Benchmark way (see note at the bottom of this page), and we achieved a figure of 7 lux. It seems that the SHC735P prefers life with processing activated!

With regard to day/night switching, set-up options are for dwell time (5 seconds through to one minute) and Duration as Fast or Slow. To explain, Fast should see the camera switch at 2.5 lux, switching back at 4 lux, and Slow sees these figures fall to 0.8 lux and 6 lux, respectively. We opted for the Fast mode, and our camera switched at around 2.75 lux, which was right as colours were starting to lose their edge at this point. In Slow mode, we felt the camera stayed in colour mode for too long.

Sony SSCE473P

Sony’s SSCE473P is a day/night camera which uses a 1/3 inch interline transfer CCD to deliver a claimed resolution of 540 TV lines. Signal to noise ratio is 50dB, and sensitivity is quoted at 0.55 lux, with no further information on how that figure was achieved.

The camera is supplied with a front cover and a rear cover. These do tidy the camera up slightly, but we’ve never really had many issues with how a camera looks. Still, if you want them, they’re there!

When it comes to functionality, the SSCE473P is basic. Set-up is via a set of eight DIP switches. These are for Sync, AGC (on or off), BLC (on or off), CCD-Iris, ATW, day/night (auto or off), day/night time (short or long) and day/night level (5 lux or 1 lux). There is an input to allow an external switch for day/night triggering. Aside from potentiometers for V-Phase and level, that’s it.

The camera is supplied with an instruction sheet, and whilst this is fairly basic, you’re not going to need much more. Whilst the camera does have a lower cost than a few in the test (including those in part 2, next issue), it’s certainly not in the range of the lowest cost units, so you could argue that you expect a few more features.

Installation is simple, as it’s merely a case of flicking a couple of switches, making the connections, powering up and seeing what you get.

What you do get is a clean picture. Colours, however, seem to have a slightly artificial look. Switching off the AGC didn’t change this. The reds seemed bright, but lacked the depth offered by the other cameras, while pastel colours looked a little thin.

This aside, actual accuracy was good, and in normal use the camera’s image is certainly usable. Interesting, the colours improved as light levels fell! Greyscale reproduction is good.

The quoted resolution figure of 540 TV lines is certainly credible, as our unit easily resolved 500 TV lines in the real world. Detail was high, and matched the best of the other cameras.

Sony’s figure of 0.55 lux for sensitivity doesn’t carry any details of how that measurement was achieved. Using the standard Benchmark process (see note at the bottom of this page), our test camera lost a 1 volt peak-to-peak signal at 5 lux.

With regard to day/night switching, we set the camera up for High switching, which is specified as 5 lux. The camera switched at around 5 lux, which for us was right. If anything, it could have switched slightly earlier, just as the first signs of noise were creeping in. It’s a fine line, and will not affect overall usability; there is always the option of an external trigger

Vista VPC524DN

The Vista VPC524DN is a day/night camera from the Protos V range. Now, it’s no secret that Vista is offered by Norbain as a low-cost alternative to some of the mainstream brands, and often it’s hard to see where the costs have been cut. With this camera, as soon as you pick it up you feel some of the difference. It’s light, and the polymer body is quite thin, in that if you tap it, you can feel a slight vibration.

However, whilst that is more of an observation than a complaint, a more notable omission is the lack of an input to allow switching from an external trigger. The result is that you have to rely upon the camera to switch between the modes.

The VPC524DN uses a 1/3 inch CCD to deliver a claimed resolution of 540 TV lines. Signal to noise ratio is 50dB, and sensitivity is quoted as 0.3 lux. There is no further information of how this figure is achieved.

The camera’s functionality is accessed via an OSD. Options include the usual suspects – AGC, BLC, Sens-Up, auto-exposure – as well as privacy zones, digital noise reduction and motion detection. There are also the less-used functions such as mirror and sharpness control.

Whilst the day/night function is controlled by the camera, there isn’t any option to adjust the switching, or to tweak it to prevent constant flipping. You are in the hands of the Vista software engineer; you cannot change any of the options yourself.

The OSD menu is nothing if not simple. Most settings are either on/off, or offer very minimal settings. It does make it easy to set-up, but it can be frustrating if you want to give something a bit of a tweak.

Once powered up and configured, the camera does present a high quality image. Colour reproduction is good, and accuracy is high. There’s no obvious bias between warm and cool tones, and even greyscale replication is good. Resolution comes in at just a tad shy of 500 TV lines, and detail is more than acceptable.

Sensitivity is quoted as 0.3 lux, but we measured it in the usual Benchmark way (see note at the bottom of tis page). Our test camera lost a 1 volt peak-to-peak signal at 7 lux.

Moving on to day/night switching, you only have the automatic option, with no control over any elements of how it performs. Our camera switched at around 4 lux, which was about right. Colours were still correct, and noise hadn’t become an issue.

In summary

The Pelco C10DN-6X is a work-horse. Compared to some other cameras, it lacks features and functions, but as a standard day/night camera, it delivers the performance that you require, and has to be considered.

The SHC735P from Samsung bristles with functionality, but it does carry a slightly higher cost. Performance is good, and image quality is very high. If picture quality is a must-have, then you need to consider this unit.

Sony’s SCCE473P misses out on a Recommended status by the slimmest of margins. Whilst the lack of functionality is obvious, it also means that the colour issue cannot be adjusted out. We have no doubt that a tad more adjustability would have done the job.

The Vista VPC524DN was slightly disappointing, because it lacked an input for external switching of the day/night feature. If installers are happy to rely on the AGC-based camera processing, it might not be an issue, but it is a limitation. Otherwise, the camera’s overall quality is good.

A note about Sensitivity…

Manufacturers tend to measure sensitivity in different ways. Indeed, some no longer refer to sensitivity, preferring the even more vague term ‘minimum illumination’. It is often difficult to decipher exactly what performance you are likely to achieve from any camera. Various manufacturers quote the figures in different ways. You will see figures for full video, 50 IRE, 30 IRE and even 20 IRE. Some will quote figures with AGC on, and some with AGC off. With day/night units, often no indication will be given as to which mode was being used. Other processing functions, such as Frame Integration, Sens-Up, Slow Shutter or many of the other proprietary systems, might be used. Some manufacturers will state this, some will not. Measurements might be taken at the camera faceplate, or at the viewed scene. All affect the figure, and serve to confuse installers.

Benchmark measures all sensitivity figures simultaneously, so you get a real understanding of how the cameras perform against each other. Our measurements are taken in colour mode, with all processing switched off. If a camera does not allow AGC to be disabled, this is noted in the results. Figures quoted are for the point that a camera loses a 1 volt peak-to-peak video signal. Light measurements are taken from the viewed scene.

This ensures continuity throughout our results, regardless of how manufacturers wish to quote their specifications.

Read full article here>>

Samsung has delivered a steady stream of camera upgrades. Does the latest SV-5 chip-set add more to an already high performance range?

The CCTV sector is effectively at a crossroads when it comes to technology. The established composite video that has served us so well over the recent decades is, according to some, past its sell-by date, and the new broom of networked video is going to clean up!

If you listen to the evangelists of all things IP, you might be forgiven for thinking that composite video has nothing left to offer. However, as with many things, the reality is very different to the hype.

As a video standard, PAL does have some restrictions. However, those restrictions are not as restrictive as they used to be! Advanced chipsets, the use of denser CCDs, and more intelligent video processing has meant that additional performance is still be squeezed out of composite video devices.

There is some debate as to how this advanced performance is described. Some quote higher resolution figures, others tend to talk in terms of “image sizes” rather than resolution, and most manufacturers have an encyclopedia of acronyms in their R&D departments! The real question is whether the image quality has been improved.

Samsung has been pushing the boundaries of video performance with its SV series of chipsets, and until now every new version has added something. Now they’ve launched the SV-5 chipset, and an example of it is the SCB-3001P.

Specifications

The first thing you notice about the SCB-3001P is that it retains the Samsung look. Aside from the SV-5 designation on the side, it resembles their previous cameras.

The specifications, however, don’t. The camera uses a double density CCD, which boasts 610,000 pixels. The effective pixel count is 568,000 pixels (976 x 582). To put this into context, the double density CCD delivers 35 per cent more picture elements than a normal CCD, which equates to a significant hike in detail. Samsung claims a resolution of 650 TV lines. Sensitivity is claimed as 0.1 lux for a 50IRE image. Signal to noise ratio is quoted as 52dB.

From those base specifications, you move to the functionality included. The usual suspects are all accounted for: iris control, electronic shutter speed, gain control, white balance, backlight compensation and sens-up.

However, there’s a lot more in the functionality beside these. As is usual with SV-chipset cameras, SSNR is present. This camera features SSNR III. You also get wide dynamic range (SSDR) as well as true day/night switching (this is either triggered by the camera itself, or externally through the Lamp input).

Other features include privacy masking, digital image stabilisation, digital zoom and coaxial control. There is also RS485 comms.

One of the hot topics at present is intelligent video analysis, and the SCB-3001 has on-board analytics, albeit in a basic form. This includes detection, tracking and object-based triggering.

Finally, the camera is a 12V DC/24V DC unit, and is supplied with a real manual!

Installation

Setting up the SCB-3001 is pretty much the same as setting up most higher end CCTV cameras. The connections are straightforward; BNC connectivity for video out, screw-type connections for power, and push-fit terminals for other connections. The latter includes RS485 connectivity, an Image Freeze input, external sync and shutter speed, the Lamp input and a motion detection output.

Once the connections are made and the lens mounted, it’s a case of powering up and setting the configurations via the OSD. This is controlled by a simple five-button arrangement on the rear panel of the camera.

The menus are straightforward, and follow the typical Samsung layout. Obviously, more features and functions equates to more menus. That said, the additional time invested in properly setting up the camera will result in advanced performance.

The menu for Intelligent Video is the only one that will require a quick glance at the manual. Even hardened Samsung users will find it new. The options are motion detection, tracking, virtual tripwire (called Fence in the menus) and object added/removed.

Progress through the initial set-up of the Intelligent functionality is a little slow, but as you get more used to it, it becomes simpler. The processing is quite complex, so it’s never going to be easy.

Performance

Initial impressions of the SCB-3001 are good. Samsung’s cameras have always exhibited very high colour fidelity, and this unit does not change that. Colours are crisp, clean and faithful, and there is no bias towards warmer or cooler tones. Greyscale replication is also accurate, with even the difficult 90 per cent to 100 per cent difference being clear.

Detail is very good, with little or no degradation, even in very busy scenes. The denser chipset certainly has the desired effect, and whilst you can argue about the resolution figures, you can’t argue that the quality is very good indeed. There are a few other cameras around with double density chipsets, but we’ve only seen one that is on a par with the SCB3001 for detail.

When it comes to sensitivity, Benchmark tests cameras with all processing disabled, and records the light level at the viewed scene when the camera loses a 1 volt peak-to-peak video signal. This happened with the SCB3001 at 4.5 lux.

Dip into the menus, and you can tweak the performance further for more difficult environments. SSNR is still one of the best noise reduction systems available. SSNR I was very good, but did suffer from some motion blur, and SSNR II cured the blur, but at the expense of a slightly softer image. SSNR III combines the best elements of both. Care needs to be taken to balance the noise reduction with the gain level, but a very good clean image is easily achieved.

Initially, most of the Intelligent functions worked well. However, we couldn’t seem to get the Fence function to work. We tried everything we could think of, reread the manual, but to no avail. Then we realised that despite drawing the Fence, we also had to draw a detection box over the area too. This isn’t explained, but we got there in the end. The Samsung Tech Support team will doubtless be getting more than a few calls about that!

We would recommend that installers play around with the Intelligent elements to best understand their foibles. They’re good, but not perfect. Fast motion can be missed, so camera location is important. Understanding the various options will help, and don’t forget to draw those detection boxes as well as the fences!

In summary

The SCB-3001 is a very competent and powerful camera. It’s not a plug and play unit; Samsung have other alternatives if that’s what you are after. When we first saw the specifications of this unit we did worry that it might turn out to be a jack of all trades, but it’s not.

Some installers might think that it’s too feature-rich, and for some applications it will be. However, if you want an advanced camera, it’s hard to find anything to complain about. Image quality is very good, flexibility is high, and the functionality is the icing on the cake.

If there is one niggle, it is the Intelligent features. The problem is the hour and a half we spent trying to make it function correctly. A rewrite of the instructions would be very helpful, and we’ll let you know if that happens.

Source: Benchmark Magazine

Read full article>>

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Ballesty has spent the last 10 years as National Business Manager of Sanyo’s CCTV division and is looking forward to the new challenge at Q.

“It is great to get someone with Brad’s experience and contacts to take over this very challenging role,” said Q CEO, Rick Stokes.

“We are extremely happy to have him on board and look forward to working closely with him for many years to come.

“Q has quickly become the second largest distributor in the Australian security market and Ballesty’s appointment will allow them to grow the NSW sector.”

“Brad will bring a fresh and structured approach to our business and his experience on the manufacturing side of the business will help us firm up our overseas strategic partnerships,” says Stokes.

Across all industries, companies have long been touting the green benefits of their products. To a lesser extent, companies are taking a serious look at their own environmental impacts and finding ways to reduce their footprints.

And the IT industry has been working to move its green impacts beyond the data center and office desktop out to the larger world of business operations — a move called, variously “IT for Green” or “Green IT 2.0.”

With the advance of technology that can bring buildings, vehicles, and the energy grid itself under the purview of IT, there is an increasing number of old-line companies in manufacturing, utilities, and other industries that are starting to sell the green benefits of their products and services.

Schneider Electric, which we profiled in September, is one good example of this, and I just came upon another: Eaton. The manufacturing company’s CIO, William Blausey Jr., explained in an interview with IndustryWeek how the company is putting its technology to work in its own data centers — and seeing big savings:

For example, Eaton has installed six of its model 9315 uninterruptible power systems (UPS) in its data centers, helping the company save roughly $75,000 a year in energy costs at the facilities.

When Eaton completes construction of two new 100,000-square-foot enterprise data centers in Kentucky to replace its existing Cleveland-based facilities, the company plans to take full advantage of its expanded green-product portfolio. Eaton will install four of its latest UPS models — the 9395 — at the new data centers, which will help the company save $75,000 in annual energy costs at each facility, according to Blausey. [...]

Blausey expects Eaton’s recent acquisition of Wright Line LLC, a Worcester, Mass.-based manufacturer of customized enclosures, rack systems and air-flow management systems for IT data center electronics, to pay green dividends at the new facilities. Eaton plans to use Wright Line computer racking, which can reduce power consumption by the air-handling units by 30%.

While Blausey admits that Eaton’s existing data centers lack the “level of sophistication” that he anticipates at the new facilities, the company has been able to achieve some laudable efficiencies at the Cleveland-based centers. By investing in VMware virtualization technology, which has enabled Eaton to remove 670 servers, the company has reduced its annual power consumption by more than 4.4 million kilowatt-hours and cut its annual carbon dioxide emissions by 2,685 metric tons.

Featuring the industry high 43x Optical Zoom (up to 688x with Digital Zoom), 600TV Lines of Resolution, Wide Dynamic Range Function, Extended Dynamic Range function, Adaptive Digital Noise Reduction and Multi Language On Screen Display. Lowest energy consumption, and easy installation let the user save money. With pan and tilt movements enabled simultaneously, camera movements are performed at up to 600°/sec.

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Specifications

• 1/4″ SONY 410K/470K Pixels Ex-View HAD PS CCD
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• Virtual Progressive Scan (VPS)
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• Adaptive Digital Noise Reduction (3D + 2D)
• Back Light Compensation (Area Setting)
• Advanced Motion Detection Function
• eXtended Dynamic Range (XDR)
• Privacy Mask Function (12ea)”
• DIS (Digital Image Stabilization)
• Time & Day Scheduling
• CCVC (Camera Control Via Coaxial, Controller : SCX-RD100)
• RS-485 (Half/Full)/RS-422 Control (Multi-Protocol support)
• Multi-Language OSD (E,F,G,S,I,J,R,P,C, etc) support
• Intelligent Video (Moved/Fixed/Fence/Tracking)
• Alarm Input 8 ea, Output 4 ea • Operating Temp. : (-50 ~ 50¢ª) • IP66

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