When speaking of smart home, the camera is all about remote live views, alert notification and recording videos. The app on mobile devices like smartphones becomes an essential add-on. It is an important appeal for end users to check what’s happening anytime and anywhere, especially when they are away.
With increasing popularity of home automation and home monitoring, the demand for cube cameras is on the rise. According to IMS Research, an IHS company, the world shipment volume of consumer and DIY network cameras is predicted to grow prominently from 846,200 units in 2014 to approximately 1.3 million units in 2016. The research firm indicated that about 20% of American households adopt professional home surveillance services already. Thanks to improved technology, the home surveillance services are getting more affordable and accessible for the users. Cube cameras, with wireless connectivity and without cabling, feature flexible installation in indoor areas in comparison with traditional professional surveillance cameras. They are designed for indoor surveillance primarily in small offices, shops, chain stores and schools aside from homes.
The maturity of the network infrastructure, the end users' increasing demand for home security or small-scale security system, and the prevalence of 4G LTE are seen as 3 major driving forces to drive the growth of cube cameras. 4G LTE technology supports faster transmission speed at 100Mbit/s.
North America and Europe are 2 major smart home markets. North America is leading the market regarding home security. The Europe market shows high interest in smart homes and energy conservation. Asia is the other important market to watch, with seeable high growth in near future.
SMARTER
To make cameras smarter, software plays an important role. For example, motion detection alerts and free access to cloud storage for video recordings are available on mobile devices and web browsers via exclusive softwares.
The enhanced features, commonly seen in professional security cameras, boost the market need of cube cameras. The different features of home cube cameras from entry-level DIY cameras comprise low-light performance, PoE, edge storage, and support for alarm inputs and outputs.
The major features of the network cameras comprise compact design, wireless connectivity, easy setup, secured Wi-Fi connection and mobile surveillance. To more specific, users can view high-resolution videos remotely from browser or any other mobile devices via Wi-Fi wireless technology and their cube cameras.
The cost-saving cube cameras can offer professional-grade surveillance performance with up to 2-megapixel resolution at 30fps. They can offer smoother video and image quality than those entry-level DIY models that typically support 1-megapixel resolution and video speed at15fps at most.
When talking to low-light performance, some cube cameras come with mechanical IR cut filters (ICRs) to deliver sharper images at night and truer color at daytime. Those with IR night vision function can support monitoring range up to 10 or 15 meters. While those DIY models, equipped with IR LEDs, support half the viewing distance at night than those cube cameras with ICRs.
WHAT'S NEW BESIDES HOME SECURITY
Besides the home-use market, there is a growing demand on surveillance services for child and elderly care, such as kindergartens, infant daycare and elderly care centers, especially in Asian countries. Parents can watch their children's activities with both recorded and real time videos. More detailed and prompt communication between parents and teachers can be done henceforth.
AXIS
The AXIS M1004-W network camera is aimed at indoor wireless surveillance where budget and flexibility are key factors. The support for WPS protocol simplifies the process of configuring logical security on wireless networks. This helps installers or integrators save on installation time and easily set up high network security in Wi-Fi areas, where it is not possible to install Ethernet cables.
BOSCH
The Bosch VS -4112RP Pro 720p and VGA indoor microbox camera is a ready-touse, complete network video surveillance system inside a compact and stylish housing. It includes a Dropbox application for remote storage of recorded activity, while also benefiting from 50-percent less storage needs in static scenes due to iDNR, saving on memory requirements, bandwidth, and costs., Video Client PC software and the live viewer app from Bosch are available free of charge for reviewing live and recorded video material on a PC or mobile device from any location with Internet access.
ZAVIO
The Zavio F3210/F3215 offers 2-megapixel full HD video with H.264 compression and night-time performance with its large pixel size CMOS sensor, removable IR-cut filter, and SMT type high-performance IR LEDs. The camera is equipped with a Panasonic PIR motion sensor, 2-way audio with built-in microphone and speaker, MicroSD edge storage, and alarm input/output ports. The camera comes with CamGraba 2.0, Zavio's 64ch NVR software, and Zavio's free plug & play cloud solution.
D-LINK
The camera features HD resolution for crisp and clear video and integrated color night vision technology for viewing in complete darkness. The compact DCS- 2136L is D-Link's first network camera with next generation 802.11ac wireless technology. This ensures users have the most up-to-date wireless standard and increases overall range and speed.
HITRON
The Zavio F3210/F3215 offers 2-megapixel full HD video with H.264 compression and nighttime performance with its large pixel size CMOS sensor, removable IR-cut filter, and SMT type high performance IR LEDs. The camera is equipped with a Panasonic PIR motion sensor, 2-way audio with built-in microphone and speaker, MicroSD edge storage, and alarm input/output ports. The camera comes with CamGraba 2.0, Zavio's 64ch NVR software, and Zavio's free plug & play cloud solution.
DYNACOLOR
The full HD micro box wireless camera, Dynacolor WH series, is an easy setup camera. Users can install the wireless camera in any Wi-Fi area. In addition, the wireless camera has a built-in microphone and speaker which allows two-way audio communication. Under low-light situations, the wireless camera has incorporated day and night ICR technologies to capture clear images. While users are at work or on vacation, they can watch over their babies, elders, and even pets on their smartphones or laptops.