IP PTZ dome cameras offer some serious functionality, combining the strengths of IP cameras and the best features of mechanical PTZs in a single powerful and dynamic package. As always, making decisions depends on variables like budget and application, but there’s no doubt analogue PTZs are no longer the no-brainer they once were. These latest IP PTZs deserve very careful attention.

 

According to Pacific Communications’ product manager Kieren McDonough there are a number of vital features installers and end users should be looking for in an IP PTZ.

 

“Smooth control of the PTZ functions is crucial for the user,” McDonough says. “A responsive camera allows an operator to easily follow a person with a PTZ camera – that’s vital. The feature, ‘Proportional Pan/tilt’ slows down Pan/tilt movements as you zoom in, therefore giving finer control. You want this feature in an IP PTZ.”

 

McDonough says he finds that he finds users like their ‘camera tours’ and the auto pan’ features.

 

“A camera running a number of preset scenes allows greater coverage of a site,” he explains. “The auto pan feature causes the camera to slowly pan back and forth in an automatic tour.

 

“And the ‘Self return’ feature is also useful as it allows a camera to return to a preset scene automatically. It happens after the operator has relinquished control after say, 1 minute. There is nothing worse than recording a camera that is pointing at nothing in particular!”

 

According to McDonough, auto tracking features can now recognize the human shape and follow a person around a site. The zoom will automatically adjust so the person occupies a certain percentage of the picture. Because the camera can identify the human form, it is not distracted by non-human moving objects.

 

McDonough says that aside from their IP connectivity there are other reasons you’d opt for IP PTZ cameras over their analogue stablemates.

 

“Picture quality – that’s the big thing,” McDonough says. “The fact the video signal remains in the digital domain through recording right up to display, keeps the quality of the image high.

 

“In an analogue solution, the camera output has to be converted to digital for recording, then back to analogue to display on an analogue monitor.”

 

MacDonough says that along with these advantages, progressive scan improves picture quality removing any interlace jitter.

 

“There are benefits to end-to-end digital vs. multiple conversions from analogue to digital to analogue,” he says. “There’s also the benefit of megapixel high-resolution cameras, with intelligence at the camera giving functionality like local storage and intelligent video algorithm.”

 

McDonough says the i-Pro SD3 PTZ cameras compare to strongly to the analogue SD3 PTZ cameras when full ownership costs are taken into account.

 

“The IP PTZ cameras are around 20-30 per cent higher in cost,” he says. “When factoring in the overall system, ease of cabling and the use of an Ethernet network total cost of ownership can be lower. The new POE standard 802.3at will only further improve TCO for PTZ’s in the future.”

 

According to McDonough, key features of Pacific Communications’ IP PTZs include ease of integration to most head end software packages, progressive output, full Digital IP Camera, codec and camera all in ‘one box’.

 

“Best of all these IP PTZs come with all the best analogue functionality including Day/night, Super DIII technology, auto tracking, high sensitivity 0.5lux (colour), 0.04 (B/W), built-in video motion detection, scene change detection, full duplex audio and analogue output for camera setup.

 

“There’s also the use of a traditional style CCTV keyboard such as the Panasonic IP keyboard to assist those operators who prefer to use traditional control methods to PTZ their cameras,” McDonough says. 

Axis Communications’ Wai King Wong says the Axis 233D is the company’s flagship IP PTZ camera.

 

“It’s a powerful PTZ which strong features including 5x optical zoom, Wide Dynamic range, Area Zoom to provide immediate zoom of a particular scene, electronic image stabiliser and high precision, low speed movement of 0.05 degrees per second makes it possible to an object from a long distance,” explains Wong.

 

“Maximum speed for the 233D is an impressive 450 degrees second for fast pan and tilt and the camera also has progressive scan provide moving images without distortion,” he says.

 

“Other advantages include simultaneous MPEG-4 and Motion JPEG, as well as Quality of Service (QoS) which enable reservation of network capacity and prioritisation of mission critical surveillance components in a network environment.

 

“There’s also open Application Programming Interface (API) for customised software solution, auto tracking and HD resolutions meeting SMPTE certification for HD video.”

 

Wong says that the 233D IP PTZ domes are as easy to install as all Axis IP cameras.

 

“Installation of the 233D is similar to all our Axis camera range,” he explains. “You setup the IP address and all camera parameters with our Axis Camera Management Software – commissioning could not be easier.”

 

Meanwhile, Bosch’s Sean Borg says that installing Bosch’s hybrid G4 IP Autodome gives significant advantages.

“Installing a Hybrid PTZ like the G4 Autodome gives the end user flexibility of utilising existing analogue DVRs but then as the DVRs change, the site is future proofed for IP,” he explains. “The other benefit is while having an analogue system due to on site analogue DVRs the end-user can still gain access to the IP PTZ cameras from home via the Internet.

 

Borg says that aside from their ability to carry video onto an IP network do Bosch’s IP PTZ cameras offer greater access to the video via the internet.

 

“The G4 has dual streaming capability which can deliver a lower cost bandwidth stream to the live view but deliver a $0 cost of 4 CIF images at 25IPS to a local NVR, or raid storage,” he explains.

 

“Another strength is the ability to utilise Video Content Analytics to make the PTZ more proactive in a time poor quick response time required scenario.”

 

According to Borg, the G4 IP Autodome’s key features include tri-streaming capability, with 2X streams of M-peg 4 + 1X stream of Mjpeg, video content analytics on 5 preset locations, ability to manage Bandwidth costs using dual streaming, can view 18 degrees above the horizon, can be mounted inverted for under vehicle viewing whilst maintaining the IP66 integrity.

 

“The Bosch G4 IP PTZ also has new features that make installation and retrofits very quick and easy, saving the installer and end-user money on install time,” Borg says. “The wall mount has a hinge system that allows a quick connect feature to allow the installer to connect the unit to a pole or wall.

 

“The G4 system is the only truly modular PTZ unit in the market – this system has a CPU module, a comms module, a PSU module and a camera module,” he explains.

 

“If, for arguments sake, the PTZ needs to be upgraded from colour to Day/Night, or the analogue unit needs to be upgraded to IP, or even if a head goes faulty due to a spike, each module but the CPU can be changed without losing presets, zone masking, or any other programmed feature of the system.

 

“The unit also comes pre loomed with connectors saving much time in running cables through wall mounts, while the recessed dome has a new quick latch feature that quickly allows for installation or dismounting of the housing.” 

 

Vivotek’s director of product marketing, William Ku, says the SD7151 is Vivotek’s leading IP PTZ.

 

“The key feature of the SD7151 include a Sony progressive scan CCD sensor with VGA Resolution, 18x zoom lens, removable IR-cut filter for day and night function, 360-degree Continuous Pan and 0° ~ 90° Flip Tilt, as well as vandal and weather-proofing,” says Ku.

 

“There’s also real-time MPEG-4 and MJPEG compression (Dual Codec) supporting dual streams simultaneously, 3GPP mobile surveillance, easy, fast, accurate PTZ control by joystick, two-way Audio via SIP Protocol and digital I/O for External Sensor and Alarm.”

Ku says that the SD7151 IP PTZ is superior to analog in a number of ways.

 

“The camera offers remote monitoring and storage capability, since video data can be transmitted to remote networked devices over Ethernet networks, users can view camera images in any place where IP network connection is available.

 

“There are also cost efficiencies because video surveillance systems can leverage existing IP network infrastructure, significantly reducing overall installation costs,” Ku explains.

 

“Adding new network cameras or other networked devices in an IP surveillance system is easy because you can simply connect them to a router.”

 

According to Ku a core strength of the SD7151 is its superior image quality.

 

“Network cameras provide high image quality; many of them even offer megapixel resolutions,” he says. “In addition, IP surveillance has no signal degradation problems during transmission, and thus can ensure steady image quality.

 

“In traditional CCTV systems, the maximum resolution is 720x480 for NTSC and 720x576 for PAL,” says Ku. “A network camera can provide megapixel resolution which is at least 3 times larger than an analog camera.

 

“This means in applications where accurate identification is required, a megapixel camera image can provide detailed information that is obscure when using an analog camera.

 

“For example, VIVOTEK's new 2-megapixel network camera IP7161 can not only deliver extremely clear and detailed images, but also capture much larger scenes that CCTV cameras cannot. Consequently, users can significantly reduce deployment costs by using a megapixel camera instead of multiple VGA models.

 

Ku says that while it has generally been thought that network cameras are harder to install than analog cameras, this is not the case.

 

“To make installation of network cameras as easy as that of analog cameras, VIVOTEK developed many useful software platforms and devices including Installation Wizard 2,” he explains.

 

“This new-generation installation software can detect cameras automatically and provides many intelligent functions to help users install and set up the entire system with just a few clicks.”