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Network Webcams blog
Archive for the ‘Technology’ Category
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.
Date and time setup
Setting the right date and time at system set up ensures that your recordings show the correct time information. This makes it much easier to find and review incidents, rather than having to watch hours of footage. If you’re using a video management systems (VMS), it’s important that all parts of the system are in time sync at all times otherwise components can be prevented from functioning correctly.
Read more >>
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?
Top 5 reasons why keeping your NVR or VMS up-to-date is important
In the world of IP-based security, we capture surveillance recordings largely either via NVRs or software-based video management systems (VMS). We procure a system, have it installed and (hopefully) properly commissioned based upon our real requirements and needs, and the system is handed over for operational use. Often, that’s where things start to go wrong.
In our experience, few integrators either make the necessity clear or offer ongoing update support in order to keep a system current and working at its best.
Using image rotation to optimise coverage and bandwidth usage
When choosing a camera for video surveillance in narrow scenes such as long corridors, staircases, aisles and tunnels, the traditional landscape-oriented setup may not be the optimal choice. If you’re monitoring a narrow corridor or passageway, a sizeable portion of the scene is going to be walls either side, making a lot of your image redundant. The full area and resolution of the camera’s image sensor is not being fully utilised and this means that evidence of events occurring outside this limited area of coverage may be missed. These redundant sections either side of the image also consume bandwidth and storage that could really be put to better use.
This is where the ability to rotate the image proves to be very handy. This feature allows you to obtain a portrait-oriented video stream – effectively turning an HD camera’s 16:9 aspect ratio to a 9:16 aspect ratio. By filming in this orientation, you are ensuring that the whole sensor covers the area of interest, maximising coverage and eliminating bandwidth and storage waste.
The benefits of live streaming your next event
Your next event is all set up and ready to go. The guest speakers have their time slots and your attendees have settled into their seats. There’s no reason why it shouldn’t be a great success and all the people invited will find it rewarding and informative. But, have you ever thought that maybe you could get even more out of your events?
Could you be reaching a wider audience? Is the marketing potential maximised? Are you getting best value from your venue? These are all things that live streaming your next event could help improve.
This medium has become increasingly more popular in recent years and is already being utilised by a wide range of organisations including companies promoting their services, universities streaming educational seminars and start-ups conducting Q&A sessions.
There’s no reason why you can’t do the same and in this blog we pick out some of the big benefits to live streaming your next event.
Axis’ high-performance Q6155-E PTZ introduces laser focus technology
Conventional PTZ cameras may take longer to autofocus in difficult lighting conditions and this can result in a loss of detail during the time taken to achieve optimum focus.
Using Axis’ innovative laser focus technology, in combination with a host of other advanced features, the new Axis Q6155-E offers clear imaging as well as faster and more precise focusing – even in the most demanding conditions.
Laser focus utilises the camera’s integrated laser to measure the distance between the camera and objects of interest – regardless of lighting conditions. This method is much more exact than the auto-focus techniques currently used in most other cameras and the measurement is taken instantly too. This means the unit is always optimally focused and delivers clear images at all times. Laser focus is not currently available in other PTZ domes on the market today. However, if the technology stands up to claims of offering improvements in PTZ performance and instant identification of people or objects – we can see it being rolled out in the next generation of high-end PTZ units by Axis.
