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Megapixel is the future

Over 50% of network cameras will be megapixel and HD by 2014.

The growth and adoption of megapixel and high definition (HD) video surveillance equipment is one of the key trends shaping the video surveillance market towards 2014. According to IMS Research’s latest report, 'The World Market for CCTV and Video Surveillance Equipment – 2010 Edition', by 2014 more than 50% of all network cameras shipped will be HD or megapixel resolution.

One of the main benefits of network security cameras has been the availability of megapixel (and more recently HD) resolutions, a feature that until recently analogue video surveillance products had been unable to offer. However, recent developments from the HDcctv Alliance, the organisation responsible for developing the high definition over coax standard (based on the industry HD-SDI broadcast standard), could see end-users given a greater choice when specifying megapixel and HD surveillance requirements.

While a high proportion of new, enterprise-class projects are implementing network video security, existing video surveillance installations, which are predominantly analogue, still represent a majority of the installed base. It is this sector of the market which will be most interesting in the coming years; will customers reuse their existing analogue infrastructure and invest in HDcctv, transition to network security cameras, or adopt a hybrid system?

There appears to be little disagreement between protagonists of high definition video surveillance that video surveillance systems are transitioning from analogue video to networked systems; however, there is discord regarding the system topology needed to achieve this. For customers looking to capture high definition and megapixel video, this can be done using a 'pure' network video solution or by using an HDcctv analogue video surveillance solution that brings the data onto the network using an Ethernet enabled DVR.

“HDcctv cameras will not impact the uptake of IP cameras in the short term”, states report author and video surveillance research analyst Gary Wong. “Many large and well-known vendors of video surveillance equipment have already invested heavily in developing and marketing network security cameras. It is unlikely that these vendors will adjust their technology roadmaps and marketing messages to accommodate HDcctv products into their product portfolios in the near future”.

The lack of recognised brand exposure will prove detrimental to HDcctv equipment sales at the enterprise-class project level. However, HDcctv cameras could potentially limit the available market for network security cameras.

Wong continues, “HDcctv may gain traction in the low and middle segments of the market. These market segments are serviced by small, local and regional security systems installers who have generally been slow to embrace network security cameras. HDcctv allows installers to offer the benefits of HD to their customers without having to operate outside of their technical comfort zone”.

Despite the potential impact of HDcctv, IMS Research forecasts that by 2014 worldwide shipments of HD and megapixel network security cameras will outnumber sales of HDcctv cameras by a factor of 6 to 1.

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