With high-definition video, you can see more, react faster, and take better care of your people and assets. But getting the full potential of HD requires an in-depth review of your end-to-end security infrastructure. Here are 3 top tips from Hikvision for making the jump to HD.
HD images can significantly assist in event investigations, particularly in terms of reviewing incidents and verifying claims. On the other hand, if video of license plates or other key evidence is grainy and blurry, it can make cases time-consuming, difficult, and expensive to solve. Likewise, for business owners that are looking for peace of mind, high-definition footage supports faster, more effective incident responses.
However, HD deployments do not always give the benefits customers expect, especially if it is a retrofit, meaning that cameras are being upgraded at the front end. In fact, getting an upgrade right requires an in-depth review of the end-to-end security infrastructure to ensure that HD cameras can be supported effectively. For example, many networks can only handle three to four Mbps, while HD cameras typically require 5-8 Mbps to stream videos. In such a case, the performance of HD cameras would be negatively impacted, and investments wasted.
Here are our three tips for ensuring that the end-to-end security infrastructure can support new HD cameras, and deliver all the benefits an organisation expects:
1. Select a high-definition camera that suits the purpose
Some HD cameras are designed to give visibility across large areas, while some focus on small spaces; and some can zoom in on a person or vehicle of interest while others can’t. That is why it is essential to choose cameras that are right for specific needs, whether it is to monitor a large car park, or the front yard of a family house.
A professional security installer can help users choose the right kit and the right lens and image resolution options based on whether they need to detect, observe, recognise, or identify an object and on how far, and how clearly your cameras need to ‘see’.
Customers with existing analogue system can also upgrade their systems to HD by using the High Definition Transport Video Interface (HDTVI) standard, which is available with Turbo HD products from Hikvision. With Turbo HD, HD-over-coaxial solutions allow customers to achieve superior picture quality in the analogue world.
2. Maximise storage efficiency and lower costs
Compared to conventional CCTV, the transmission of HD images consumes more network bandwidth and storage space. This means limiting the bitrate from HD video streams is critical. Advanced video encoding technology like the Hikvision H.265+ can solve this problem, greatly reducing the bitrate of recorded footage, as well as bandwidth and storage costs. According to a 24-hour testing in a busy café restaurant, with cameras at the same resolution and frame rate, Hikvision found that the H.264 codec yielded an average of 22.7 GB. Strikingly, according to the company, Hikvision’s H.265+ averaged only 3.9 GB, demonstrating an 83% improvement in storage consumption.
It is also possible to maximize transmission and storage efficiency with the right video recording plan. In some cases, for example, when it’s important to capture specific events in a video timeline, customers can implement a video recording plan only when the pre-defined event rules are triggered. In other cases, full-time video recordings is necessary, which requires a continuous recording plan. Alternatively, a mixed recording plan can be used, for example, for continuous video recording on weekdays and event recording on weekends, or for any other configuration of times and days.
3. Effective HD monitor viewing
In order to get the most out of the HD cameras and infrastructure, it is important to use a monitor that is at least 1080 pixels. Preferably, it should also be equipped with proper image rendering and processing technologies to deliver true-to-life HD images. Only this way will the images result in the crystal-clear viewing experience that the leading HD cameras can provide.
Basically, the more pixels per inch (PPI), the higher the resolution is. Therefore, with the same 1080 P resolution, monitors in a 22-inch format will provide sharper images than monitors in a 24-inch format. So, if customers need monitors for small business use, for instance, a café restaurant, a monitor with smaller size would do the job well. For larger scenarios like industrial parks and stadiums, big-sized video walls with 4K resolution are ideal.
Hikvision has considered all the steps for a retrofit plan, from high-quality image capture, to efficient HD image transmission and storage, HD image display and viewing, and has designed its solutions to optimise HD deployment.
As an IoT solution provider with video as its core competency, Hikvision provides a wide range of HD cameras featuring various resolutions and top-notch image processing technologies, which dramatically address customers’ needs under different scenarios and budgets. The company’s in-house H.265+ video encoding technology ensures that HD images can be transmitted and stored in an efficient way without compromising image quality. Its display products including monitors, video walls, and the latest LED products offer effective visual experience to just about every security need, indoors and outdoors.
