360 Degree Camera from Geovision Eyefish....
One of the cameras we wanted to test came from Geovision. To test its FE420 camera, we used Wavestore VMS as our software platform due to the software’s ability to de-warp 360-degree camera video. Following are the results of our tests.
Edge Storage
Many IP video cameras have followed the lead of cell phone and digital photography cameras by adding memory card slots. Indeed, all of the cameras we reviewed have a memory card slot. Additionally, many IP video cameras also have mini computers on board with integrated DVR and video management capabilities. The Geovision FE420 doesn’t have such capability. The combination of these technologies means video footage can be recorded directly to the onboard storage and accessed and viewed when connected to the camera by typing the camera’s IP address into a Web browser. No need for external storage, DVR, or video management software (and the costs associated with each!). Another benefit of using the edge storage is that bandwidth requirements on the network become nonexistent because there’s no video data traveling to a DVR or storage.
While this technology might sound great, edge storage will either be a non-factor for you and your customers or a huge selling point. A small retailer on a budget could buy the camera, slap in a memory card, and be up and running. While effective and cheap, this is considered a very bare bones security setup. If you have a retailer with higher needs, you’ll quickly graduate to a system made up of the separate components with additional cost.
Power
Generally speaking, IP cameras today can be powered using PoE (Power over Ethernet) or using good old fashioned DC/AC wiring. According to Andrew Wong, project engineer for AISG, using PoE cameras will reduce the cost and time for a project. “PoE will eliminate the need to hire an electrician to run conduit and create a power source for your devices,” he explains. “Additionally, PoE devices can easily be installed and relocated with a single Ethernet wire pull.” He adds that PoE deployments should include a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) connected to the PoE switch to ensure, in the event of an outage or surge, all devices are protected and kept running. All of the cameras tested support PoE, while the GeoVision camera also supports traditional electrical wiring.
Setup And Configuration
To the experienced Andrew Wong, setup of the cameras was easy. When pressed, Wong explained that all of the cameras are comparable in terms of setup. “Configuration wise, they are all Web-based, so you just have to know the default IP address and type it into a Web browser,” he explains. “The manufacturers’ PDF documents will tell you the default IP address, username, and password to access the cameras for setup.” He adds that some cameras require the installation of drivers and codecs as well. Finally, Wong says all the cameras are fairly easy to mount. “Some have brackets that you have to mount; then the camera mounts to the bracket,” he says, “while others are mounted straight to the surface.”
Operating Temperature
A very important aspect of video surveillance is performing site surveys. These allow you to identify the exact needs of your customer and avoid embarrassing mistakes. One mistake you could make is installing a camera in a location that’s either too hot (remember, warm air rises) or too cold.
The Geovision FE420 was a middle of the road performer, with an operating temperature range of 32 degrees to 122 degrees. This might be fine for your customers, but is worth noting.
ONVIF Compliance
The Geovision FE420 is ONVIF compliant. According to Wong, “ONVIF [Open Network Video Interface Forum] is an open industry forum promoting and developing global standards for interfaces of IP-based physical security products,” he says. “Companies can design and test based on published standards, ensuring compatibility of devices and ultimately saving time and money. What used to take hours and sometimes two or three different software applications can now be accomplished with the simple push of a button, allowing the installer to auto-discover all of the cameras on the IP network.” In short, ONVIF is a tremendous benefit to you and your customers.
This could be seen in the testing. The Wavestore VMS software AISG used has built-in ONVIF discovery, so the ONVIF cameras were able to be configured quickly.
Bandwidth And Image Quality
There’s a science to bandwidth allocation and utilization when it comes to video over a network. The details go beyond the scope of this article (and my expertise if I’m being honest). However, a basic truth is that you’d like to provide the highest quality video your customers need at the lowest bandwidth cost.
When it came to image quality, we ran tests under a controlled “normal” lighting situation and a low light situation. Sample frames from the FE420, in both normal lighting and low lighting, can be seen in the below images.
The next part of our test was evaluating how much bandwidth these cameras used to achieve the image quality we just discussed. In normal light situations, the Geovision FE420 used around 650KB/second. As a point of reference, the top performer (bandwidth-wise) came in at 250KB/second.
The low light tests had similar results. The Geovision camera used about 500KB/second.
As mentioned at the outset, you should strive to provide your customers with the highest quality video they need at the lowest bandwidth cost. Your customers might not need a 5MP camera or one that can perform well in low light. They might not have a network capable of handling certain bandwidth-hungry cameras. All of this is for you to determine on a customer-by-customer basis.
So which camera is the best? That depends on your needs and budget. We didn’t talk prices a lot in this article, but those can be found in the accompanying chart. Consider the bandwidth requirements of your customers, the image quality needed, and all the other factors we covered in this article. No matter which camera you choose, 360-degree cameras are a powerful technology worth including on your line card.
