Specialist IP Camera Store since 2004
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IP Video – What’s coming in 2021?
2020 was a year full of rapid change for all of us. With a new year ahead, we feel it’s the perfect time to take a look at what’s been and gone in the IP video industry and where we see it going over the course of 2021.
In this post we’ll discuss what trends and technology we expect to see taking the market by storm this year. From intelligent analytics to cloud CCTV – let’s talk about the exciting new innovations we expect to emerge in 2021. Read more >>
Axiscam.net – a DDNS service for Axis IP cameras – being phased-out
We learned recently of the phase-out of the highly reliable DDNS service for Axis IP cameras called axiscam.net (or Axis Internet Dynamic DNS Service). New registrations to the service were turned off in early April 2020 and all existing usage will be closed by the end of 2020.
As the announcement of the free service closure came somewhat out of the blue, our Technical Director, Kevin Bowyer, spoke with one of Axis’s technical managers to understand the motivations for ending the service.
Coming soon: Milestone XProtect on AWS
Milestone will soon have a cloud capability to make deployment and scalability issues a thing of the past, via Milestone XProtect on AWS. The launch date is set for 9th June 2020.
Milestone XProtect is one the world’s leading video management suite of products for business, of this we have no doubt. Our earlier blog on why XProtect is our go-to VMS explains why. We have been deploying Milestone in virtualised environments for many years and the move to Amazon Web Services (AWS) is an extension of this. Read more >>
Retail CCTV system – a guide on what to consider
Retailers face increasing pressure from within and without, making loss prevention a key driver for profitability. One way of doing this is installing a CCTV security solution.
When you’re thinking about a retail CCTV system you have various factors to consider driven by different needs.
This blog takes you through key considerations like view, visibility and non-security applications. After that, this article gives you some suggested systems to consider.
Lightfinder 2.0 – what is it and what difference does it make?
In May this year Axis launched some new cameras which contained Lightfinder 2.0. This was slipped in quietly as a feature, but nevertheless intrigued us. What exactly is it?
Lightfinder technology is geared around providing full colour HD video, even in near darkness. The claims are that Lightfinder 2.0 provides:
- More realistic colours
- Clearer visibility of dark areas
- More details captured
- Sharper images
- Less motion blur
As most cameras now have some way of providing usable night images how impressive is Lightfinder 2.0 in this context?
Axis new chipset – a game changer?
Every 2 years or so, Axis releases a new chip into their cameras, the latest one is ARTPEC-7. While that isn’t newsworthy by itself, what it enables the cameras to do is.
ARTPEC-7 promises better imaging, more powerful compression, enhanced security features and on edge analytics. It sounds very impressive, but what’s really going into the chip and will it make a difference in real deployments?
Cyber security and low light performance – must be the Axis P1375
Part of the P13 range of great ‘all-rounder’ IP cameras, the Axis P1375 and P1375-E have a few unexpected extras. As well as its expected high quality footage, the camera has new cyber security features, like ‘secure boot’, to add extra protection.
This model is among the first to feature the new ARTPEC-7 chipset and Lightfinder 2.0 to boost low light performance.
Without further ado, let’s find out a bit more about these new models.
Number plate recognition – factors for success
If you’re thinking of investing in a number plate recognition system, perhaps to restrict traffic into your site, reduce losses or to analyse the frequency of visits to your premises, there are a number of factors you’ll need to consider to get a system that delivers reliable detection and information.
Known as Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), License Plate Recognition (LPR) or Number Plate Recognition (NPR) is powerful technology that can help you remotely detect and log vehicles that pass your cameras.
Securing your small business IP camera network
If you’re looking to protect your small business by installing IP cameras, take a look at the steps below for ways to make your installation more secure.
This blog covers the system set up aspect of your camera network security.
Dynamic DNS: is it still useful, or is it now irrelevant?
Over 10 years ago I wrote about Dynamic DNS (DDNS), asking if you really need a static IP address if you want to access your camera or CCTV system from the Internet. The answer was ‘no’, because of the ubiquity of Dynamic DNS services which were, at that time, starting to become embedded in camera firmware. Similarly, IP camera manufacturers were beginning to offer their own DDNS services which made life a whole lot easier for end users.
As DDNS is now a mature technology, is it still useful and relevant today?
