Analog cameras still dominate more than half of the installed base, and related innovations continue to take place. At Secutech International 2013 in Taipei, one of the products that Hikvision Digital Technology promoted was the 720-TVL Picadis Exir camera. Another player, Hisharp Electronics, has begun migration to HD-SDI technology and touted a 360-degree panoramic camera.
Analog cameras still dominate more than half of the installed base, and related innovations continue to take place. At Secutech International 2013 in Taipei, one of the products that Hikvision Digital Technology promoted was the 720-TVL Picadis Exir camera. Another player, Hisharp Electronics, has begun migration to HD-SDI technology and touted a 360-degree panoramic camera.
Hikvision Digital Technology's DS-2CE16C2P(N)-IT3 is an analog camera with smart IR technology, developed in collaboration with Osram to cover a distance of 40 meters, said Ian Ma, Overseas Technical Support Engineer. The company also developed its own sensor (1/3-inch) and chip for the camera, designed to meet the requirements of entry-level market segments that need better-resolution products but at lower prices, such as retail, factories and buildings. This model has been sold particularly well in Asia, where price is a significant factor in procurement discussions.
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Hisharp Electronics was one of the few companies highlighting HD-SDI products at Secutech this year, and probably the only one promoting an HD-SDI panoramic camera. The coverage is equivalent to three to eight traditional cameras, said Alan Chen, Field Application Engineer. The camera, with motion detection capability, can display images both in spherical mode as well as unrolled, long panoramic view. The company hopes to tap into verticals such as hospitality (hotel lobbies) and retail (entrances). Asked why the company decided to develop HD-SDI products, which still remain a minority in video surveillance, Chen remarked from a technological standpoint — it was easier than IP to all involved.
Regardless of the rock star status that IP-based systems garner at security shows, there is still market potential for alternative camera technologies, such as analog (700, 720 TVLs) and HD-SDI, especially at locations where end users are cost-conscious or installers are not particularly IT/IP-savvy.