CHOOSING the best video surveillance solution is all about finding a balance between risk, budget and features. With its latest DVR range, Ness Security Products looks to have come up with an all-round winner.

Core features include MPEG-4 encoding, 16 video inputs and 16 alarm inputs, 2 internal HDDs and one external Hotswap HDD provides up to a maximum of (2250TB), 400ips global frame rate and triplex operation allowing recording, monitoring and playback in real time. You can drive the Ultimate DVR using a GUI or you can deploy the front panel, including jog/shuttle. It’s also possible to deploy the IR remote controller.

There are 8 levels of adjustable recording quality from 2kb to 20kb per image, 720 x 576 (4CIF) resolution, linear or circular storage, date and time retrieval of recorded images, 2 level access control; scheduled, and alarm-event and motion controlled recording. Also useful are integral dome control protocols including DynaColour, Pelco P, Pelco D, AD422, Fastrax and Panasonic.

A real feature of this DVR is its network-centric design and functionality. We’re not talking about a virtualized network solution here but there’s no question whatever where this machine was designed to live. Along with WAN and LAN remote monitoring capability, the system is set up to support NAS solutions in the form of the DynaStorage 200 unit.

You have to love DynaStorage. It has a tough as nails Linux OS, handles Raid 1, 5 and JBOD filing solutions, handles 4 3.5-inch SATA drives and offers web management tools and SNMP support for enhanced network management. DynaStorage 200 is modular and can live anywhere on the network just like any other network device. That means you can use it as a backup and collocation solution by tucking it somewhere out of the way – the DS 200 address lives in routers and you can access it seamlessly. Most importantly, DynaStorage is a very affordable way of beefing up storage as needs change.

Another network-friendly feature is a Transcoder which features a Turbo Module that allows you to pick the fastest video streaming options at remote sites while still recording locally at the highest possible bit rates. This allows the system to support live monitoring at bit rates commensurate with the existing WAN services or network loads.

Given the fact the Ultimate DVR is likely to find its way into mid-sized standalone applications like supermarkets and commercial buildings a lot of thought has been put into what Ness has designated Human Interface Technology. It’s good thinking from Ness. Too many DVRs don’t get used as they should be because it’s just too tough to drive them smoothly. And DVRs in medium-sized applications aren’t managed by dedicated security teams, they’re handled by admin staff who may have no idea how they’re meant to work.

The Ultimate DVR handles this with features like ezBurn for fast video export, ezRecord for quick recording setting and AVi exports for Microsoft Media Player.

There are a couple of RJ-45 ports, a USB 2.0 port5

There’s also ezDDNS for automatic DDNS configuration. An integral feature that streamlines DDNS is a great tool for the IT people and security techs who will be tweaking the DVR. Essentially it allows the IP address to be substituted for a domain name that never changes even when ISPs and network administrators start fiddling with IP addresses for reasons of their own. This is more important when you think that 32-bit IPv4 will be exhausted around 2010 and 128-bit IPv6 will need to be sorted out.

There are a bunch of modular upgrades for the Ultimate – including the DynaStorage unit mentioned earlier. These include a POS module for transaction monitoring at point-of-sale, an audio hub for synchronized 16-channel audio recording and the Turbo Module allowing real time recording and network transcoding.

Ness launches new website for trade clients

Ness Security Products has released a new website that allows installers much easier access to the companies huge range of products. The site not only allows installers easy access to information about Ness gear, it’s also a complete Ness Trade Warehouse outlet with shopping cart.

Turning its website into shop front hasn’t been enough for Ness. The company has also incorporated auctions allowing installers to snaffle bargains on a day-to-day basis across all product categories – alarms, access control and CCTV.

According to Ness’ Media Manager, Peter Mohan, the site also features daily specials that offer trade customers excellent deals across the entire Ness range.

“This web site is designed to be as simple as possible for installers to operate with every page just a single mouse click away,” Mohan says. “Not only can you handle all your purchases and payments online, you can also keep track of your account and your inventory – it’s a remarkably intuitive tool for all our trade customers.” 

Mohan says the goal of the web site was to take what was a simply information-based site into a site that provided trade customers much more integration and most importantly, more up to date information that would assist them in their day-to-day business.

“As is the goal of all great web sites, it is to have the target audience not only log on and look around but keep coming back regularly because there are things of interest that make it worthwhile for them to revisit the site,” Mohan explains.