IPCS Terminology

The Difference Between H.264 and MxPEG
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MxPEG

If you’ve been looking at a MOBOTIX solution, chances are you’ve noticed MOBOTIX cameras record in all the expected compression’s, and then in an extra compression: MxPEG. You may be asking yourself ‘What is this MxPEG? How does it compare to H.264?’ Let me help you out with that.

Video recorded in HDTV (1920 x 1080) is compressed in H.264. It was created for broadcasting high definition video, which is why nowadays it’s the most common video compression out there. While it’s ideal for bandwidth conservation, when paused on a frame, there is a fuzziness to the image. A minor inconvenience really. It’s usually acceptable, which is why most surveillance companies allow H.264 as one of their compression options, but MOBOTIX wasn’t satisfied.

As a …

Axis Naming Convention
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Axis is probably one of the most well known names in IP surveillance. They were the first on the scene completely dedicated to video over Internet Protocol back in the late 90’s and are still industry leaders today. Like all manufacturers, they have a naming matrix that might not make sense at first, but it’s pretty easy to decipher.

Axis created their own naming convention chart (image below) to educate their buyers of the cameras for at-a-glance understanding.

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In this example, the P3367-VE breaks down into meaning it’s meant for a versatile and secure advanced video solution, it’s a fixed dome camera, P33 series, supports 5 or more Megapixels, housed in a vandal resistant outdoor enclosure.

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Using another example such as the P7224, it …

Bigger (Resolution) Means Better (Quality)
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Higher Megapixels are all the rage in IP cameras. Who can blame it? In a world of HDTV, higher resolution is a seductive quality. Details that have been missed for decades are now clearly defined, for better or for worse. When converting this over to surveillance, that paradigm is exactly what someone is looking for in their security system.

Several manufacturers have been quick to respond with higher resolution cameras, but strangely, the larger name brands such as Axis, SONY, Panasonic, and MOBOTIX were slow to respond. When speaking with the engineers at these companies, one comes to discover that higher resolution is not a simple cut-and-dry process.

The technology behind pixels is actually quite interesting. In simplest terms, think of pixels as units …

Vivotek Decoded
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The funny thing about model numbers is they sort of make sense, but not always. Fortunately, VoIP Supply is here to help with our dedication to help make the buying process easier! Today we discuss the naming convention of a particular favorite brand of mine, Vivotek:

Prefixes:

  • IP (ex: IP8331) — Network. Think of it as IP, like Internet Protocol, even though all of Vivotek’s cameras are network cameras (and most are PoE, though not all), this naming convention tends to be the default for most box, cube, and bullet cameras.

 

  • MD (ex: MD8562) — Mobile Dome; weatherproof and compliant with EN50155 standards, these IP cameras are specifically made to go places be it cars, buses, or trains (so does
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TripWire: The Wired Network
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CCTV started out as a strictly wired system.  The cameras were connected to a monitor station by expensive coaxial cable. However that system was solid. Even today coaxial cable is still being laid because, the truth is, it’s reliable at 1-10 Gbps.  Reliable, but outdated.  It was made for the technology at the time, and with that comes it limitations such as QoS, installation costs, scalability issues, and the list goes on.

Coaxial Cable

As the technology improved and networks began to carry more data, people moved on to Twisted Pair Cable.  Not that twisted pair was a new concept, it was invented by Alexander Graham Bell, but the application fits today’s needs. Today there are different categories, primarily Cat(egory)3 through Cat7.  Cat3 (10BASE-T) technically …

IPCS Word(s) of the Day: Video Streaming
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Video Streaming= Streaming video is a sequence of “moving images” that are sent in compressed form over the Internet and displayed by the viewer as they arrive. Streaming media is streaming video with sound. With streaming video or streaming media, a Web user does not have to wait to download a large file before seeing the video or hearing the sound. Instead, the media is sent in a continuous stream and is played as it arrives. The user needs a player, which is a special program that uncompresses and sends video data to the display and audio data to speakers. A player can be either an integral part of a browser or downloaded from the software maker’s Web site.…