Video Surveillance

Video Surveillance System Design, Install, Maintenance & Support

We offer turnkey video surveillance solutions, including design, delivery, maintenance and support, backed by the expertise of our in-house engineering team. These systems are designed and installed by our team and delivered by a project manager who oversees the installation. Our teams, which include qualified and manufacturer-certified technicians, ensure the highest quality service.

Video Compression and Image Quality

Video compression reduces the file size of video data, but this often comes at the cost of image quality. Here are seven examples illustrating this relationship:

1. Loss of Detail: When video is compressed, some finer details in the image can be lost. High compression ratios can blur textures and reduce the sharpness of the video, making it difficult to discern small or intricate details.
2. Compression Artifacts: Compressed video can contain artifacts such as blocking, banding, and ringing. These artifacts are visual distortions caused by compression, simplifying the image data to save space. For example, blocking artifacts can make the video appear as though it is divided into small squares.
3. Motion Artifacts: High compression can cause motion artifacts, such as ghosting or blurring of moving objects. This happens because the compression algorithm may not accurately capture the changes between frames, leading to a loss of smoothness in motion.
4. Colour Degradation: Compression can also affect colour accuracy. High compression may result in colour banding, where distinct bands of colour replace smooth gradients. This is particularly noticeable in areas with subtle colour transitions, such as skies or skin tones.
5. Reduced Dynamic Range: Compression can reduce the dynamic range or the contrast between the darkest and lightest parts of the video. This can make the video appear flatter and less vibrant, as the compression algorithm may discard some subtle variations in brightness and contrast.
6. Bitrate and Quality Tradeoff: There is a tradeoff between bitrate and image quality. Lower bitrates result in smaller file sizes but can significantly degrade image quality. Conversely, higher bitrates preserve image quality but result in larger file sizes. Finding the right balance is crucial for optimal video performance.
7. Smart Codecs: With innovative compression features, smart codecs such as H.264 and H.265 can dynamically adjust compression levels based on the scene’s complexity. These codecs can reduce bandwidth and storage requirements while maintaining better image quality than older ones. For example, smart codecs can achieve up to 50% bandwidth reduction while preserving image quality by analysing and adjusting the compression in real time based on the scene’s content.

These examples illustrate how video compression can impact image quality, highlighting the importance of choosing the correct compression settings and codecs to balance file size and visual fidelity.

Maintenance and Support

Overnight service requests are booked through our Monitoring Centre and are available for our Service Team the next business day.

We provide on-site service, maintenance plans, and remote support to keep your security systems operating at peak performance.

Understanding Bandwidth in Video Surveillance

Bandwidth plays a crucial role in the selection of a video surveillance system. In simple terms, bandwidth refers to the amount of data a network can transmit within a specific timeframe. In video surveillance, sufficient bandwidth is vital to ensure the smooth and efficient transmission of high-quality video across the network.

When selecting a video surveillance system, it is essential to consider the bandwidth requirements of the cameras. Higher-resolution cameras require more bandwidth to transmit high-quality video.

Factors such as the number of cameras, frame rate, and compression algorithm also affect bandwidth requirements. Inadequate bandwidth can lead to poor video quality, lag, or system crashes, compromising the surveillance system’s effectiveness.

Therefore, it is imperative to assess your system’s bandwidth needs and ensure that your network infrastructure can support the demands of your video surveillance system.

To ensure a seamless and efficient video surveillance system, you should consider the following bandwidth-related factors:

1. The resolution and frame rate of the cameras.
2. The number of cameras.
3. The compression algorithm used.

By understanding these factors and ensuring that your network infrastructure can support the bandwidth requirements, you can establish a high-quality video surveillance system that meets your security needs.

How does Forensic Search in Video Surveillance work?

Forensic search in IP video surveillance, also known as forensic video search or forensic analysis, serves as a powerful tool for swiftly locating people or objects of interest within recorded or live video feeds. It employs a range of advanced analytics such as facial recognition, object identification, and motion detection to sift through hours of footage in minutes, or scan multiple live camera feeds for real-time analysis. For instance, if a child goes missing in a shopping mall, operators can feed an image of the child into the system, which then scans live and archived footage from multiple cameras to identify where the child was last seen or is currently located.

In commercial settings, such as retail stores, forensic search can be used to locate a suspect involved in theft or fraud. By entering descriptors or using uploaded images, the system scans through the video archives and isolates moments where the person of interest appears. This drastically reduces the time and effort traditionally required in manual video review. In a more complex environment like an airports or government building, where hundreds of cameras are installed, forensic analysis provides a comprehensive overview by simultaneously scanning all video streams. This is crucial for real-time security threats, enabling immediate identification and action.

Forensic search is not only about responding to incidents but also about proactive security and operational intelligence. It can be configured to flag certain behaviors or objects automatically, allowing for preemptive actions or investigations. This makes it an invaluable asset in enhancing overall security and operational efficiency.