Network video recorders (NVRs) News

Video cameras are smarter than ever. Video analytics functionality is available inside most cameras now on the market. Smarter cameras enable a system with distributed intelligence and also help to manage bandwidth and storage – on-camera intelligence can determine what video is important enough to tie up network resources and to eventually be retained or viewed. But on-camera video analytics have their limitations, and additional video intelligence at the server can add a new range of fun...

Ethernet switches are often overlooked andsometimes deemed a cheap connectivity pointwith little to no importance The Ethernet switch is a critical link between cameras, network video recorders (NVRs) and computers that need access to video feeds. The Ethernet switch not only provides the data connectivity but often the power to the IP cameras via Power over Ethernet (PoE). Ethernet switches are the fundamental backbone of a Local Area Network (LAN) and the critical connectivi...

CPSE Shenzhen showcased security productsacross 11 halls. The show is arguably thelargest and most influential in Asia  China is the largest security market in the world. This makes the annual China Public Security Expo (CPSE) a force to be reckoned with and a place to be seen for every security company. Boasting 11 halls over an area of 110,000 m2 and more than 6,000 booths, CPSE is listed as one of the largest and, certainly, one of the most influential s...

Derren Lu, CEO of Synology Inc and Scott Lee,Senior Manager of Software DevelopmentGroup for Surveillance Synology – a company founded by two former Microsoft employees – began as a storage solution provider and grew to include surveillance in its product offerings. While many security companies in Taiwan are voicing their concerns over falling sales, Synology is seeing its products grabbing shares in the security market and the sales figures are continuing to grow...

NVRs make it easy to benefit from HD solutions and integrations to access control, alarm systems, intercoms and other technologies Developments in the IP video camera market have a direct impact on the other components in a system. With the emergence of higher definition cameras – whether 4K cameras or 8K or even higher – the market now needs back-end devices that can perform the decoding work. Also, more intelligence is needed, including smart functions such as pe...

NVRs come preinstalled with latest software releases to minimise setup time Looking for a perfect marriage of hardware and software for a video management system application? A preconfigured network video recorder (NVR) appliance may fit the bill. Consider these advantages of going the NVR appliance route, as suggested by vendor companies contacted by SourceSecurity.com. 1. Greater freedom of deployment NVRs provide more application flexibility – because the recorders...

Hikvision USA’s ascension from virtual obscurity to the upper tier of manufacturers in the U.S. market is being built on the Chinese company’s huge manufacturing capacity – they turn out 50,000 to 60,000 surveillance cameras every day from factories in China. The large capacity enables Hikvision to achieve economies of scale. In effect, they can make high quality video surveillance products at a lower price, a capability that will continue to serve them well as they begin compe...

Software changes constantly. There’s always a new patch or fix, and our computers persistently remind us that an update is available. As a core component of today’s IP networked video systems, video management software (VMS) is also subject to the need to be constantly updated and refined. We asked our Expert Panel Roundtable to elaborate: Why is it important that networked video customers keep up to date with the latest version of video management software (VMS)?

Foot traffic improved a little on the second day of ASIS International in Anaheim, California. Furthermore, the high quality of meetings at the big industry show tended to overshadow complaints about attendance. There is plenty to talk about in Anaheim. “The conversations have been much more substantial than you usually have at a trade show,” says Charles Hunger, Product Marketing Director, Anviz Global Inc. “They’re not general conversations, they’re ‘How ca...

NVR appliances ease analogue to IP transition by providing end users with a hybrid-ready product There should be a palatable migration path from a large installed base of analogue to the latest IP technology. The biggest missed opportunity related to network video recorder (NVR) NVR appliances in the video surveillance marketplace is effectively using existing analogue camera investments while transitioning to the network. For example, IP encoders can be utilised as a brid...

Product innovation may have slowed in the security market in the second half of the year. On the first day of the ASIS International Show in Anaheim, California, new product introductions seemed few and far between. In fact, most manufacturers were touting small improvements to the products they announced in the spring. Some emphasised that the products unveiled (or “previewed”) in the spring are now fully ready to be shipped. ASIS has historically been more an end user show than an...

NVRs of the past may have been expensive & complicated to use, but today NVRs have user-friendly functionality How much do you know – or think you know – about network video recorder (NVR) appliances? Manufacturers in the sector say there is a lot of misinformation in the market about these workhorse system components. We asked several manufacturers to help us set the record straight. A common misconception among end users is that NVRs lack features and reliab...

NVR appliances are increasingly importantfor businesses incorporating a well-roundedphysical security plan  A major, oft-mentioned advantage of network video recorder (NVR) appliances is their ease of installation and use. These machines come pre-installed with software and are as close to plug-and-play as you can get in the IP video surveillance world. NVRs are also being designed to support 4K technology as well withstand a variety of applications and uses.  W...

Network video recorders (NVRs) are at the centre of today’s IP video systems. The video surveillance market includes a wide range of NVR choices for integrators and end users alike. NVR appliances include purpose-built machines that have embedded software systems as well as servers that are sold by video management system (VMS) software vendors and that have been pre-installed and preconfigured with their latest software capabilities. This article will take a look at s...

IP video recording systems offer high-resimaging, speed & analytics to its end users  Familiarity with analogue systems Familiarity is one factor in the slow conversion of casino customers to IP technologies. Many end users and integrators are comfortable with and have long-term experience with the more simplistic analogue systems. However, as IP systems continue to become easier to install and maintain with more plug-and-play technology, this dynamic shoul...

Can a U.S. manufacturing company compete and thrive in the global security market? Megapixel camera manufacturer Arecont Vision makes a strong case that it can. Dialogue and integration with VMS companies Assembling products in the USA helps Arecont Vision ensure quality. If there is a quality issue, the company can stop the production line and fix it. Although some of Arecont Vision’s components, such as camera housings, are manufactured in low-cost regions of the world, including Chin...

Successful video infrastructure management requires visibility into the network’s behaviour The importance of video in an organisation has been growing over the past several years, almost exponentially. In retail, video images can help detect or deter theft by employees and patrons. Casinos use video partly due to state regulations, to ensure gaming activity is free of deceit or fraud. Branch offices use video to communicate with the head office. Schools use video for di...

Any wireless device can be a soft target for hackers Security network hacking is one of the hottest topics today. The ability to access security systems or devices anywhere, leaves them vulnerable and prone to hacking. Any wireless device can be a soft target for hackers. Let’s start with the concept that nothing on a network is really secure. Let’s admit this to ourselves and take the next steps to make our security networks more secure. Internet of Things securi...

With the power of new technology and analytics, security systems could be used in other ways as well Security and surveillance systems are valuable beyond strictly providing compliance in the casino market. Even beyond ensuring physical security on premises outside the casino floor, systems are providing additional benefits including customer service, marketing and profitability, says Maureen Bruen, vertical market specialist – gaming, Honeywell Security Products Ame...

Having leapt to the top of market share reports mostly selling inexpensive cameras, Hikvision USA is now making an aggressive play for large systems business at the top end of the market. Jeffrey He, President of Hikvision USA and Hikvision Canada, acknowledges that much of the company’s success to date has been in the low- to mid-sized systems market based on the “value proposition” of Hikvision’s inexpensive cameras. However, to succeed in the North American market, the...

Large busy casinos must maintain continuous surveillance of multiple tables and machines High-definition (HD) cameras are a perfect fit for the casino market. HD security cameras provide six times the resolution of analogue cameras, supplying images with sharper edges that easily identify faces, cards, dice, chips, currency, and fill slips. In addition, high-definition IP cameras can reduce camera count. A single, 1080p camera can effectively cover poker, roulette or craps tab...

You couldn’t miss IDIS America at ISC West this year – they had a 2,800-square-foot booth. But who are they? That was a question many attendees asked. The big booth presence, and flood of industry advertising before the show, both reflect that IDIS is not an upstart. The name may be unfamiliar to some in the U.S. market, but IDIS has been making a similar splash all over the world. The high profile reflects the global player’s commitment to being a “game-changer” i...

Unrealistic promises by over-enthused marketers and under-delivery by R&D departments have damaged the cause of video analytics almost since its inception. For me, the exaggeration reached its worst point when industry pundits suggested that we would soon be able to identify and alert on anomalous behaviour of the kind demonstrated by the Tsarnaev brothers in the moments before the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings. Mainstream journalists speculated that the two Chechen broth...

Strategic management of costs is important when considering video storage systems Costs are at issue when considering any component of a video system. Strategic management of costs is especially important when considering video storage systems because storage accounts for such a large cost component of networked systems. Gartner’s Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) As enterprise products begin to dominate the video storage market, more attention needs to be addressed to Gar...

Integrators and end users should be aware that their definition of open might differ from those of security manufacturers Much of the buzz in the industry today about open architecture is driven by the IT world, with many security-related decisions now falling on an organisation’s IT department, where true open architecture has been around for a long time. Closed systems like we’ve experienced in the security world are not just viewed as foreign to the IT world; th...

We’re seeing a market trend toward manufacturers seeking to provide “total solutions” rather than components. The trend is reflected clearly in recent industry consolidation, for example. When companies that manufacture various components become part of a single corporate owner, it’s not a stretch to expect the new owners to combine those components into a single end-to-end solution – sooner or later. Manufacturers are also leveraging OEM agreements and other partne...

The fundamental value of data is widely apparent in modern society, and its loss may have significant consequences Video data is critical to today’s enterprise. The latest video storage systems must offer dependable operation that doesn’t risk loss of that critical data. DDN - When performance matters “Not only is bandwidth very important, but functionality cannot be lost when a storage system is having a bad day,” says Jeff Adams, director of sales,...

When you need to view video of an incident or information about an access point, you expect your security system will provide that information. But what happens if a camera or card reader isn’t working for some reason? It’s the security director’s worst nightmare. Sadly, the moment when a system fails is often the first indication an end user has that there is a problem. A useful trend I saw at ISC West this year is growth in various types of diagnostic, monitoring and control...

Since acquiring SeeTec AG, On-Net Surveillance Systems, Inc. (OnSSI) is bringing production of its entire software platform in house. The SeeTec recorder will replace OnSSI’s legacy recorder, previously OEM’d by Milestone, beginning with the introduction of Ocularis 5.x. Familiar in Europe, SeeTec is a privately held German-based company providing VMS solutions and was among the first providers of network-based video management applications. With SeeTec now part of OnSSI, the combin...

Since 2006, the LUSAX research program at Lund University in Sweden has investigated the effects of digitisation on the physical security industry. This article will look into the forces driving digitisation, and how those forces broadly translate and impacts the physical security industry. Historically, physical security systems have moved from purely mechanical systems into systems holding both mechanical and electronic low-voltage circuit-based components. Development was...