Rip and replace is so much simpler
September 2009, CCTV, Surveillance & Remote Monitoring
The problem with convergence is that it makes a mess. Once upon a time, there were analogue CCTV cameras wired to video recorders and everyone was happy.
Well, happy as far as a neat solution included being tied into your favourite, which would soon become your least favourite vendor. Happy as long as you were not the person who had to find a specific piece of video evidence that 'happened sometime last night'. And very happy as long as you did not have to find the tape from last month when someone scratched the CEO’s car.
Convergence changed all that. With digital video and the much touted Internet protocol (IP), storage was simpler, finding stuff these days is also much simpler – providing you have the right software – and your cameras can even be hooked up via a wireless network.
The problem is that while digital is the answer to many problems, even some most companies have not thought of yet, to get the full benefit requires organisations to replace their old cameras with new IP cameras and the associated NVRs – network video recorders. You will also need to ensure that your hard drives are in some type of RAID configuration so that a drive failure or two does not turn out to be catastrophic.
Naturally, most business people would not be all that keen to rip and replace working equipment that cost a fortune. So then the option is to opt for DVRs to record digitally from your existing analogue cameras, but that limits future growth and opens the door to hardware failure – although that could be NVR sellers’ opinions.
What seems to be a popular option is to buy hybrid DVRs that allow for the simultaneous recording and remote access of live video streams from digital or analogue video sources. Although convenient, some vendors will tell you this is an expensive option as you will be pressured to buy NVRs to replace your hybrids in no time at all.
The reality is that you, the buyers need to have your ducks in a row because each vendor out there will sell you what works for them. You may even find one vendor’s DVR is another’s NVR or another’s hybrid. Some insist an NVR is a piece of software running on a server, others offer the box with software installed.
With that in mind, we bring you this year’s DVR Round-Up, a listing of the latest products from leading companies in South Africa. For the sake of simplicity we still call it the DVR round-up.
The 2009 review will provide readers with an overview of the technology available in the market today, allowing you to make the optimal recording decisions suited to your company’s needs. Due to space restrictions we can only offer the basic specifications for the products, but we include the vendor’s contact details in case you want to delve further into the features and functionality of these devices. As always, comments are welcome.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Further reading:
- Video observation in the hotel industry
March 2019, Dallmeier Electronic Southern Africa , Entertainment and Hospitality (Industry), CCTV, Surveillance & Remote Monitoring
The best is just good enough: Hamburg's new luxury hotel The Fontenay relies on video security technology from Dallmeier.
- Ideal operating temperature?
March 2019, Leaderware, Technews Publishing, This Week's Editor's Pick, CCTV, Surveillance & Remote Monitoring
Walk into any CCTV control room in South Africa, whether in the middle of a heat wave or mid-winter, and you will probably see a number of operators wearing jackets, some huddled over slightly in an attempt to get warm.
- Using security to enhance the customer experience?
March 2019, Axis Communications SA, Fidelity ADT Security, ISDS, This Week's Editor's Pick, CCTV, Surveillance & Remote Monitoring, Integrated Solutions, Security Services & Risk Management, Retail (Industry)
Customer experience will overtake price and product as the key retail brand differentiator by the year 2020. Will the security industry be part of this transformation?
- Intelligent video transforms the in-store experience
March 2019, Hikvision South Africa, This Week's Editor's Pick, CCTV, Surveillance & Remote Monitoring, Integrated Solutions
The customer experience is more important than ever as retailers are striving to differentiate themselves in a challenging and crowded market.
- MIPS EMEA 2019
March 2019, Milestone Systems, News, CCTV, Surveillance & Remote Monitoring, Integrated Solutions
Milestone Systems will kick off Community Days 2019 (MIPS) in Copenhagen, with more than 1500 participants and input from leading industry professionals.
- Secutel partners with Matrix Comsec
March 2019, Secutel Technologies, News, CCTV, Surveillance & Remote Monitoring, Access Control & Identity Management
Secutel Technologies announced it is the exclusive distributor of Matrix Comsec access control products and IP video management software in South Africa.
Established in 1991, around 40% of Matrix’s ...
- Cathexis appoints European BDM
March 2019, Cathexis Technologies, News, CCTV, Surveillance & Remote Monitoring
Rene Reinhardt has recently joined Cathexis EU as European business development manager.
- Ski Dubai opts for Cathexis
March 2019, Cathexis Technologies, Retail (Industry), CCTV, Surveillance & Remote Monitoring
Cathexis delivers seamless integration of 279 IP cameras and the capability to integrate over 400 cameras in future to Ski Dubai.
- Maximise retail surveillance
March 2019, Regal Distributors SA, Products, CCTV, Surveillance & Remote Monitoring
Hikvision uses technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning to give retailers valuable insight into real-time operating conditions.
- Top five security trends to look out for in 2019
March 2019, Genetec, CCTV, Surveillance & Remote Monitoring, Cyber Security
From the continued focus on cybersecurity to the acquisition of global players, Genetec highlights the top five security trends to look forward to in 2019.
- AxxonSoft supports ONVIF Profile T
March 2019, Secutel Technologies, News, CCTV, Surveillance & Remote Monitoring
ONVIF’s Profile T standard has an extended set of functions for video analytics and video/metadata streaming.
- Turbo-charged security
March 2019, Hikvision South Africa, CCTV, Surveillance & Remote Monitoring, Entertainment and Hospitality (Industry)
Tanzania’s Galaxy hosts up to 400 gamblers day and night, but the casino does not rely on mere luck for a great video security system.
|
|
