In the security industry, Sony’s name is synonymous with high quality. After years of introducing several products fit for various conditions, the company recently launched its latest ultra-high quality, 4K resolution camera that is all set to revolutionize the market. In a bid to expand its strong market share, the co
In the security industry, Sony's name is synonymous with high quality. After years of introducing several products fit for various conditions, the company recently launched its latest ultra-high quality, 4K resolution camera that is all set to revolutionize the market. In a bid to expand its strong market share, the company offers this with a complete solution of network video management system (VMS) and network video recorder (NVR) that are customized prioritizing the requirements of the customer.
“At Sony, we are working towards a comprehensive end-to-end 4K solution and we are going to target key accounts in the high-value solution segments, namely the government, military, city surveillance, etc., on top of our verticals,” said Alan Yap, Head of Network Camera Marketing, BISMK, Professional Solutions Company (PSAP) at Sony Electronics Asia Pacific. “With the introduction of our ultra-high sensitivity 4K camera SNC-VB770, together with the new NVR and VMS, we are poised to provide a complete package to the customers.”
Its VMS is highly scalable and feature-rich with support for up to 4096 cameras, while the video recorders are top-notch and ready-to-run. Both offer seamless support to the company's 4K cameras.
Leading with 4K
At the forefront of this solution is the SNC-VB770, a powerful 4K network camera with an ultra-high sensitivity of 0.004lx and an ISO ranging up to 409600 that can take maximum advantage of the available light to provide full color visibility. With a full-frame 35mm Exmor* CMOS sensor that ensures the noise levels are at the utmost minimum, this camera will provide the best performance in nearly pitch black environments beyond the capabilities of human eyes.
“With this level of specifications, the camera allows the right kind of performance even in the most challenging lighting conditions,” Yap pointed out. “Sony's SNC-VB770 enables smooth 4K/30 fps color video in almost pitch-black conditions such as night-time starlight or indoors with a poor lighting source when it is a challenge for the human eye to see the object. Also, the camera captures blur-less images with high-speed electronic shutter so that it gives users ability to track letters (characters), numbers and human facial expression clearly in poorly-lit conditions.”
An Answer to Thermal Cameras
High-value projects such as critical infrastructure are where Sony sees the maximum usage of its solution. But it does not limit its scope to that level alone. Yap said that even in verticals like the commercial segment, the SNC-VB770 has strong potential. If combined with advanced video analytics, the solution would be all-the-more powerful.
“Of course, the primary focus is on mission-critical environments,” Yap said. “But we are also exploring other verticals and intend to propose the SNC-VB770 as an alternative to thermal cameras. Several verticals use thermal cameras that do not give you color images or high resolution, and Sony's 4K can be an ideal replacement.”
Overcoming Limitations
With years of expertise in camera manufacturing, Sony has crafted this product after a thorough understanding of the varied conditions that the installations take place in. This means the company clearly understands the concerns that accompany an upgrade in video quality, and has come up with effective solutions for these.
“Of course, when we talk about 4K, we understand there are some limitations to its application,” Yap said. “For example, the reliability of the existing infrastructure, the bandwidth demands, storage costs or even concerns on compatibility issues. Sony is aware of such customer-concerns in the transition to 4K.”
To overcome such limitations, Sony has developed a full suite of features. These include:
Intelligent coding: This feature recognizes parts of the video that is important to the customer and transmits only the selected areas. When the key segments are identified before transmission, the users can save on investment in bandwidth and storage.
Intelligent cropping: With intelligent cropping, Sony's camera can crop areas that are of interest to the user. This, again, helps the customer manage bandwidth as well as storage requirements.
Multi-tracking: This feature allows the camera to capture human movement and transmit that alone.
Solutions Suited for Customer Needs
With its 4K camera, Sony takes the security industry itself to the next level. While such technological advancements are integral to its business, the company makes sure its efforts are always in line with the requirements of the customers.
“The message that we want to send to our customers is that, with 4K, we want to deliver maximum returns on your investment,” Yap said.
He elaborated with an example of a situation where an installation previously required several standard or full HD resolution cameras to cover an area. With the extreme wide coverage that Sony's 4K camera provides, the installers can do away with several of those older cameras and rely on a single source for maximum coverage, helping to save costs.
With its latest camera, Sony once again assures its commitment to quality. That it comes with its own complete solution will make it all-the-more attractive for customers.
*‘Sony' and ‘Exmor' are trademarks of Sony Corporation.