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Other challenges for HD video surveillance include implementing real-time, complex functions, said Yvonne Lin, Industrial Marketing Manager, Xilinx. While its FPGA supports HD-SDI cameras, the silicon combines video analytics, WDR and image processing. This type of load requires sufficient computing power, which will take time to support more than four cameras.
Increased resolution offers more detail. Vivotek released a 3-megapixel fisheye camera that can be digitally controlled through a touch-screen tablet interface, but takes a toll on real-time computing power.
HD and megapixel surveillance requires a great deal of recording space. Storage makers are keenly aware of
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| Bach Chen, Director of Platform Technology, Huper Laboratories |
high-resolution demand, as hard-disk drive (HDD) leaders Seagate and Western Digital have squared off with dedicated video surveillance drives. With Seagate announcing a partnership with Samsung and Western Digital intending to acquire Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, the five leading HDD providers are now three, with Toshiba Corporation as the third player. Western Digital is No. 1 by unit shipments, while Seagate is No. 1 by revenue, due to its larger share of the enterprise segment.
A dramatic reduction in the cost of storage has enabled the adoption of HD. "In 1995, 1 GB of storage cost US$900," said David Burks, Global Product Marketing Director, Seagate. "Today, 1 GB costs about $0.08."
Having a competitive advantage, such as being the first to market with a 2-TB drive, gave Western Digital an edge for nearly two years. "We see huge potential in surveillance," said Ed Strong, Director of Marketing at Western Digital. "HDcctv is another key standard we will watch to see if it takes hold in the market. It means next-generation capacity points are more critical."
Merit Lilin will launch a 16-channel NVR offering 1,080p recording and display, which can add up to four 2-TB HDDs.
Solid-state drives are seeing more uptake on the edge. "In the real world, video storage and file systems for reading and writing are never sequential," said Alex Kuo, President of Memoright. Flash is suited for volatile, mobile conditions and has higher throughput, but costs more than HDDs.
Selecting the right type of storage requires understanding security needs. "Three factors affect performance: drive types, connecting interfaces and configurations," said Eddie Huang, Deputy Manager of Product Planning, Sales and Marketing, Promise Technology.
Other storage considerations are scalability, remote replication and tiered storage over the data life cycle, said Albert Weng, Director of Global Business Development, D-Link.