INCORPORATING its 1/3-inch progressive scan CCDs with Sony ExwavePro technology and unique light funnel function, this new network camera line up from Sony can provide bright and vivid images when monitoring moving objects even in the most challenging lighting environments.

“In response to the video analytics requirement for the demanding day and night surveillance, these new DEPA-enabled Sony megapixel network cameras can truly address the needs for the marketplace of the Asian region,” said Yoshikazu Hirano, general manager, security solutions Asia Pacific of Business and Professional Products Asia Pacific Company.

“ExwavePRO and light funnel technologies give the megapixel cameras the capability to output extremely clear and detailed images with bright, high-resolution that conventional network camera cannot provide.”

ExwavePro technology & light funnel functionality

The fourth generation IP cameras have incorporated the latest breakthrough technologies to provide the enhanced performance to customers. The ExwavePro technology achieves higher sensitivity and higher horizontal resolution simultaneously by combining Exwave HAD technology with complementary color filters and progressive scanning.

Sony’s ExwavePro technology, the new network cameras can provide bright images in low light conditions even when the camera has a resolution greater than 1,000,000 pixels. The minimum illumination of the SNC-DM series is 0.8 lx in color at F1.3, while the SNC-DS series is 0.3 lx in color at F1.3.

Another key feature is the built-in “light funnel” function (also referred as “binning”) that results in four times increase in sensitivity at normal shutter speeds, making the SNC-DM series suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. Under the light funnel mechanism, image data for every two pixels are combined vertically and horizontally providing extremely bright images even when monitoring moving objects. This function can be activated automatically in response to surrounding light conditions or on a pre-specified time schedule.

The SNC-DM110, SNC-DM160 and SNC-CM120 also adopt the Solid PTZ and cropping functions which increase the flexibility of monitoring, reduce the data size of storage, as well as enhance the bandwidth efficiencies. With these convenient features, users can precisely monitor specific areas within the camera’s field of view and freely crop portions of the full-resolution image to capture particular area.

Common to the latest network cameras are the sophisticated features such as Intelligent Motion Detection, constant bitrate algorithm, flexible gamma curve settings, as well as MPEG4 and JPEG dual codec capability. These features provide not only high-quality images, but also designed to be accessible and scalable to meet various security applications.

Part of the family

Apart from the megapixel cameras, joining the new generation of Sony network camera family are the SNC-DS60 Rugged Day/Night mini-dome, SNC-DS10 Normal mini-dome and SNC-CS20 Day/Night fixed-type camera. These models adopt the 1/4 type progressive scan CCDs with ExwavePro technology, which provides excellent sensitivity for surveillance monitoring.

Sony says all of the new generation cameras are useful in a wide range of applications such as banking, retail, government, education and transportations areas which require image details and close monitoring. Compared with the conventional network cameras, the new line up offers better sensitivity, but without compromising the quality of images.

"Our entry into the megapixel marketplace with this new line-up of intelligently designed cameras is the result of a very deliberate and well-planned long-term growth strategy," said Miguel Lazatin, senior marketing manager of Sony's security products group. 

"The leap forward in capabilities provided by ExwavePRO and Light Funnel technologies will provide these new fixed-type megapixel cameras with the capability to output extremely clear and detailed images in even the most challenging lighting environments."

Intelligent design

This entire fourth generation of intelligent network IP-based cameras is specifically designed to meet the high-performance needs of today's security industry, offering users unique and advanced feature sets.

The SNC-DM and SNC-DS series cameras operate on Sony's DEPATM platform, which provides users enhanced capabilities, including rules and filters, a tagged feature and utilisation of metadata to analyse object movement.

Additional key capabilities of the family of cameras include a Day/Night mode setting that provides extremely bright images even when monitoring objects during challenging settings such as dusk and in dimly lit environments; and variable gamma settings that help to capture high-contrast images.

There’s also bi-directional audio options, a slow shutter mode for additional bright image output, voice alert function for pre-recorded audio files and solid PTZ which allows users to conserve bandwidth by viewing images at lower resolutions. The cameras also feature dual streaming capability at up to 30fps.