Sanyo goes all 1080p HD

13 Jan 2010

by: By John Adams

SANYO has released 9 new full frame rate 1080p HD CCTV cameras in Sydney last month, including fixed and PTZ cameras for internal and external applications. It’s big news from the Japanese maker. From now on the company will only make 1080p HD IP cameras.

SANYO dipped a toe into HD a year ago with the release of the award winning HD4000 at IFSEC in 2009. In fact, it’s probably fairer to say the widely acclaimed HD4000 represented a complete technological immersion the success of which has encouraged Sanyo to play to its strengths in the manufacture of HD chipsets. 

The new Sanyo range includes includes CS Mount types (VCC-HD2100P, VCC-HD2300P, VCC-HD2500P), Vandal-Resistant Dome types (VDC-HD3100P, VDC-HD3300P, VDC-HD3500P), Zoom type (VCC-HD4600P) and PTZ types (VCC-HD5400P, VCC-HD5600P).

All nine models incorporate the newly-developed Xacti HD-Pro which is an upgraded version of the advanced image processing engine used in SANYO’s Dual Camera Xacti, a highly regarded product in the consumer video camera market.

For network advantages, selected models of the new range incorporate an “Optimum IP-Pro” which configures the Twin Engine system, ensuring powerful and smooth operation by completing heavily-loaded image processing and network processing separately. Additionally, by applying SANYO’s ultra-miniature mounting technology the new range offers a 40 per cent size reduction over previous Sanyo models.

Sanyo’s sales manager Brad Ballesty is clearly excited by the new range.

“We are now all HD across our entire range and all IP, we’ve got 9 new models that are compact, neat designs for both internal and external applications,” he says. “With our full body cameras we have a dual stream colour camera, we have a day/night dual stream and a day/night with an SD card that streams in quad.

“We also have the same with our vandal resistant domes. There’s an external PTZ (the 5600 with quick PTZ) and an internal unit, the 5400. The domes are colour, day/night and day/night with SD slot and quad streaming and the PTZs are 2 megapixels while the full bodied cameras and fixed domes are all 4 megapixels.

According to Ballesty the important element of the new product range is that Sanyo is really big in digital cameras.

“Around the world we made something like 50 million digital cameras last year using our own chipset,” he explains. “We even supply cameras to other makers. Essentially we have taken the 1080p HD technology out of our consumer digital camera factory and put it into our entire CCTV range. The resolution of the cameras is brilliant – these cameras offer superb images.

“We have also developed a Sanyo VMS,” Ballesty explains. “There’s a 4 channel VMS that comes with the cameras free and if you want to go up to the 16 cameras then you go for the Advanced version which also supports 5 simultaneously viewers. Then there’s an Enterprise version with unlimited cameras and unlimited viewers.

Ballesty says the Sanyo SMS includes PTZ control, playback, searches and all the usual features you’d expect from a capable interface.

“In addition to our own VMS, management software makers like Verint are writing our cameras into their system,” Ballesty explains. “We are talking to a lot of companies about interfacing the new HD cameras with their equipment and software.”

Features

At the heart of the new cameras is a new ‘Twin Engine’ configuration that creates a powerful solution. The new HD CCTV range applies SANYO’s high quality motion picture technology which is used in the existing SANYO Xacti series, a leading product in the consumer video camera market since its launch.

Improving on the highly-regarded image processing engine used in the existing CCTV model (VCC-HD4000P), the Xacti HD-Pro has been developed for professional security cameras by further upgrading the advanced image processing engine used.

“Around the world we made something like 50 million digital cameras last year using our own chipset...We have taken the 1080p HD technology out of our consumer digital camera factory and put it into our entire CCTV range”

Top-end models incorporate a Twin Engine system equipped with a new network oriented engine, the Optimum IP Pro.

“With conventional network cameras image processing is often heavily-loaded but SANYO’s Twin Engine system makes the operating environment smoother and more comfortable by completing image processing and network processing separately, drastically reducing the processing load,” Ballesty explains.

Other key functions include Multi-Streaming Dual Codec, supporting both the latest video compression standard H.264 and the still image compression standard MJPEG. Smooth video-based surveillance and clear still image-based surveillance can be selected depending on the intended use.

Twin Engine models incorporate Multi-Streaming Function to enable simultaneous output and transmission of H.264 and MJPEG up to 4(Quad) streams. For example, while using low-resolution streams for real-time surveillance of multiple places through multiple cameras, the full HD setting can be selected for the recording stream so that in the event of a crime taking place the suspect may be identified easily in the clear high-definition images.

There’s also Video Analytics for high precision surveillance. A Video Analytics function enables higher precision surveillance by utilizing preset subject information in terms of size and behaviour, which identifies the behaviour of certain subjects.

A convenient Focus Assist Function is incorporated into the new range to facilitate focus adjustment upon installation. Fine focus adjustment can be done manually by operating the fine adjustment button. Meanwhile, a handy Focus Assist Function makes installation and set up dramatically easier.

By simply pointing the lens at a target and pressing the Focus Assist adjustment button, the camera automatically detects the target and adjusts itself to the optimum position. And focus adjustment is also done automatically upon day/night switching (Color, Day/Night) making fuss-free clear imaging possible 24 hours a day.

Selected models feature an SD card slot ensuring reliable security surveillance. In the case where a network problem occurs while saving records with the optional software, records may be saved temporarily in the SD card. Additionally, some of the range has a unique feature that allows a dedicated external HDD to be connected for long-duration recording.

The new range is also capable of saving records, allowing it to be used as a camera and DVR simultaneously. Supporting this capability is a cropping function enables detailed surveillance of specific areas to be displayed in a VGA-equivalent size, which facilitates the effective use of the network bandwidth by clipping only the desired portion.

“We are now all HD across our entire range and all IP, we’ve got 9 new models that are compact, neat designs for both internal and external applications”

A digital PTZ gives all-round surveillance with a high image quality

Clipping the observation target area from the entire photographed image, Pan/Tilt/Zoom (PTZ) can be done digitally. With this handy digital PTZ function it is possible to easily move to and zoom-in on areas of interest, increasing the efficiency of the surveillance operation.

Management of the cameras is handled by an auto IP Setup Utility for easy IP address setting. The software is provided as a bundled item to automate the sometimes complicated process of IP address setting. By connecting a camera to a network and activating the software, the camera is detected and the IP address setting is done automatically.

In addition, a variety of useful software programs are provided as bundled items, such as an HDC downloader/viewer for downloading and viewing recorded camera images, and VA-SW3050LITE software to enable multi-screen surveillance by up to 16 split screens.

Selected models in the new range feature an HDMI Terminal for high-grade full HD image transmission, a two-way Voice Function for dialog, a 3D-DNR Function that reduces noise level, and are PoE (Power over Ethernet) compatible.

In addition to the SANYO-made network surveillance software, a Software Development Kit (SDK) is provided to enable user-level application development and integration into network surveillance software by other companies.

Features include:

* High resolution 4MP images, Full HD video

* Capable of using H.264/MJPEG dual codecs simultaneous output, a max of 30fps

* Focus Assist Drive for easy focus adjustment

* Cropping & Digital PTZ

* Video analytics

* SD card slot and USB support

* Full duplex audio, with an Interactive Voice Function

* PoE (Power over Ethernet)

* Auto IP setup utility for easy IP address management

* 3D-DNR function reduces noise level

* Flexible system configuration

* Alarm i/o ports

* Privacy masking

* Intelligent motion detection

* Face detection automatically tunes images.

“With conventional network cameras image processing is often heavily-loaded but SANYO’s Twin Engine system makes the operating environment smoother and more comfortable by completing image processing and network processing separately, drastically reducing the processing load”