CCTV Today articles from March 2004

CCTV Today archives from March 2004

UK is still CCTV capital but Continent is catching up.(News)
March 1, 2004... WITH an estimated 4 1/4 million cameras on its streets, the UK is the 'most watched' nation in the world--but the rest of Europe may be starting to catch up. That's one of the conclusions of an international conference held at Sheffield...

The public car park the military would be proud of.(News)
March 1, 2004... WHAT could a car park in Derby possibly hove in common with Area 51? Well, according to science and technology magazine, 'Focus', the Bold Lane public car park is the most secure on the planet, in a list which sees it rubbing shoulders...

IP video award winners.(News)
March 1, 2004... CNL's IPVideoCenter software took two of the plaudits at the inaugural IP in Security Awards--held in January during IIPSEC--winning the overall award for innovation. The company also won an award in the best software section, while IQ...

Data Protection Act relief for small system users.(News)
March 1, 2004... AS we were going to press, we have learned that users of smaller, more simple CCTV systems may no longer need to register under the Data Protection Act. New guidance form the Information Commissioner, resulting from a landmark decision in...

One more for the road.(News)
March 1, 2004... Dedicated Microcomputers Group (DMG) has acquired traffic and mobile video specialist Traffic Safety Systems (TSS). "Dedicated Micros digital video recording equipment is already used extensively by police forces around fire world, said...

New online reader service.(News)
March 1, 2004... We are delighted to offer readers a new on-line reader enquiry service which offers a much speedier alternative to reader enquiry cards. All you need to do is go to www.cctvmags.com/res for more information about any advertisement in the...

Visionlink plus.(People)
March 1, 2004... Visionlink plus has promoted David Westwood to northern sales director. Chris Garden, meanwhile, has been recruited to take on a senior role for the south. Both David and Chris will report directly to deputy CEO and sales and marketing...

Honeywell Security.(People)
March 1, 2004... VCL's Nick Bowden has been appointed by parent group Honeywell Security to European marketing director, video. Prior to Honeywell's acquisition of VCL, Nick was International marketing manager at the company.

Norbain.(People)
March 1, 2004... Bringing 20 years' experience of selling digital and IP products, Chris Webster has been appointed sales director for the UK at Norbain. Previously, Chris was European sales director for Ingram Micro.

March Networks.(People)
March 1, 2004... Daniel Pulskamp has joined March Networks as director of North American sales. Daniel has 12 years of experience in the industry. Most recently, he was director of sales for North and South America for GYYR Inc. end director of business...

Stortech Electronics.(People)
March 1, 2004... Stortech Electronics has appointed Richard King as its new area sales manager for its Pecan CCTV division. Reporting directly to Stortech's CCTV general manager, Jess Johns, Richard has worked for distributors, installers, integrators and...

Having worked with PI Vision for the last four years.(People)
March 1, 2004... Having worked with PI Vision for the last four years, Robert Chandler has taken up a new role as southern sales manager for Vicon. He started his career 14 years ago with Modern Alarms and has wide knowledge of digital recording and...

Videcon.(People)
March 1, 2004... Five new employees have been appointed by Videcon, following its acquisition of Golf Computers. Technical director John Roberts, build manager Caroline Firth, technical support executive Richard Green, and sales executives Joanne Firth and Karl...

Data Protection Act notice.(News)
March 1, 2004... As part of an internal restructuring on 1 March 2004, the business and contracts (including subscriptions) of CMP Europe Limited, Property Media Limited, The Builder Group Limited and CMP Information Limited were transferred to a legal entity...

New NSI approach to help raise standards.(News)
March 1, 2004... THE National Security Inspectorate is tightening up its accreditation system for companies that install electronic security systems. The NSI is moving to a single scope system, which means that any company that installs CCTV--even if the...

Security installers must hold competency cards to work on building sites.(News)
March 1, 2004... SECURITY and fire systems cards, allowing holders who have passed health and safety criteria access to construction sites, are now available from the Joint Industry Board (JIB) and JIB Scotland. Construction sites operated by the Major...

Honeywell snaps up key Witness.(News)
March 1, 2004... SILENT WITNESS has become part of the Honeywell Security Group. Based in Canada, the company is the latest security brand to be bought up by Honeywell, which recently integrated Ademco Video, VCL and Ultrak into the group. Jeremy Hockham,...

A thin blue line between the false and the genuine: the introduction of BS 8418 for detector-activated CCTV has given the police more control over false alarm activations. But what constitutes a false alarm in the view of the police? Adam Wiseberg chairman of the BSIA's CCTV section, offers some thoughts on this controversial topic.(Police Pressures)
March 1, 2004... Interest in detector-activated CCTV has never been greater, driven in no small part by the introduction of BS 8418:2003 and--as technology and economics improve--its wider application on the ground. Not surprisingly, this increased recognition...

A change of focus: following a landmark case in the Court of Appeal and new advice from the information commissioner, many small CCTV systems may now fall outside the provisions of the Data Protection Act.(New Guidance On Data Protection)
March 1, 2004... It certainly makes a change to be the bearer of such good news. Many small business owners might think they have had a belated and much welcomed Christmas present from the information commissioner, Richard Thomas. Until now, the...

Home entertainment: the three lucky winners of our recent readership survey prize draw, sponsored by Panasonic, collected their prizes at a presentation in Nottingham.(Reader Survey)
March 1, 2004... A big thank you again to all of you who completed our recent readership survey. We have analysed your valuable feedback and hope to be implementing some of the findings and suggestions over the coming issues. The formal presentation took place...

Don't throw it all away: a new technique that enables existing analogue transmission lines to carry digital data could provide a cost-effective alternative for companies looking to upgrade to a networked CCTV system. John Douglass of Verdant Technologies sets out the alternatives for digital transmission and highlights the new technology.(Transmission)
March 1, 2004... Upwards of 200 million [pounds sterling] have been invested over the last decade in analogue video cabling linking CCTV cameras to monitoring equipment in the UK alone. Despite this, many users now wishing to move to IP or networked cameras are...

Mobile tracking challenge.(Products & Services)
March 1, 2004... Remote video surveillance supplier, TeleEye Group, has launched a four-channel mobile video transmitter, the DT-103G. Suitable for remote video surveillance and alarm verification of remote properties or outdoor locations that could not be...

Football club's video backbone.(Products & Services)
March 1, 2004... Supporters of Hull City FC can enjoy watching their team, safe in the knowledge that they are being protected by a Network Video Technologies (NVT) UTP real time video transmission-based CCTV surveillance system. The 190.000 [pounds...

How low can you go?(Products & Services)
March 1, 2004... There are definite signs, says the Fibreoptic Industry Association, that some specifiers are demanding impossibly low levels of signal attenuation in fusion splices. To help solve this problem, the FIA is developing a technical support...

Miniature messenger.(Products & Services)
March 1, 2004... Capable of sending video signals over unshielded twisted pair wires up to 330 metres, the VB1001 miniature video balun is available from Vigitron Inc. Suitable for mounting directly on virtually all high-density DVRs without any additional...

Optical fibre range grows.(Products & Services)
March 1, 2004... Auriga has expanded Its Optronics optical fibre cable range of components, patchcords and pigtails. Cables in multimode 62.5 and 50/125 to full OM1 and OM2 fibre specifications are available immediately, as are cables in singlemode to the...

Providing fast data transfer.(Products & Services)
March 1, 2004... With the launch of a compact fibre optic rotating Joint, IDM Electronics has extended its H-Series of slip-ring assemblies. In response to customer demand, the H18/FORJ has been designed for robotic and military applications that need high....

Diminished risk: activating the Code.(Detector Activated)
March 1, 2004... The BS 8418 Code of Practice on installation and remote monitoring of detector-activated CCTV systems has now been published. Intended to offer guidance on best practice to specifiers, purchasers and installers, following the code should ensure...

Storage scenarios: while digital recording is becoming more popular, there are still issues with storing data, especially if you consider the size of some systems. But Rick Dudson European sales manager for Infortrend, says there is an ever-growing range of options available for storage of large amounts of video data.(Digital Recording)
March 1, 2004... Depending on the size of the CCTV system, the storage capacity can range from one single hard drive up to a SAN (Storage Area Network), which consists of a number of disk array (RAID) units on a switched Fabric network. Most digital video...

What's in a cable? In a departure from testing the more 'high-profile' components of a CCTV system, we decided to delve into the often overlooked world of cabling. Our experts at Tavcom Training compare one various options available and demonstrate that there's more to choosing the right cable than meets the eye.(Cables)
March 1, 2004... WHEN IT COMES to designing and installing a CCTV system, the humble lengths of cable are all too easily forgotten. "Why bother with testing cables--we only ever use the cheapest cables, there's no point in doing anything else," we can hear some...

Network views.(IP cameras)
March 1, 2004... LEFT OVER FROM the last issue is one of the IP cameras. If you remember, our overall conclusion was that these cameras offered a convenient route to the flexibilities and cost savings of IP video. But, in general, in terms of pure picture...

Banking on video security: as a leading provider of smart cards worldwide, Gemplus is a company that has to take security seriously. Here we profile a new surveillance system that protects its UK site, where cards are produced under strictly laid down conditions for the major banks and credit card companies.(High Security)
March 1, 2004... Luxembourg-based Gemplus is one of the world's leading providers of smart cards for the financial services and telecommunications sectors. Its facility in Havant is dedicated to the manufacture and personalisation of bank cards and credit...

Fiction stranger than fact: designing a bank security system for a reality TV show may not be an everyday job for a security consultant, but it was one that came the way of John Beasley of Intrinsic Solutions ...(As Seen On TV)
March 1, 2004... The programme is 'impossible Heists', which recreates some of the most spectacular robberies around the world. It does this by challenging teams to simulate the robberies and to defeat a specially built security and surveillance system. ...

Digital upgrade proves a huge hit for live music show.(Industry News)
March 1, 2004... One of Edinburgh's premier entertainment venues has invested in a digital security overhaul in preparation for hosting live broadcasts for MTV's flagship Chart Show. With major artists such as Kylie Minogue and Justin Tim Timberlake making...

Integrated installation.(Industry News)
March 1, 2004... High-tech development company QinetiQ has had all integrated video surveillance, access control and intruder detection package installed at its Worcestershire site. The system, installed by Reflex Systems in partnership with Amey, includes...

University champions digital recording.(Industry News)
March 1, 2004... Dublin University is now using digital video recorders from Andover controls as part of its 115-camera system. Seven 32-channel Integral DVX recorders have been installed, allowing authorised users access over the Unversity's network or...

Suspicious car park signs.(Industry News)
March 1, 2004... Behaviour recognition technology company, Cernium Inc., has installed its Perceptrak security technology in the first of two public parking garages in Yonkers, New York. Designed for integration with CCTV systems, Perceptrak analyses live...

Casino coverage.(Industry News)
March 1, 2004... Through the Elixir Group, Multivision Intelligent Surveillance is to supply digital video surveillance products to 10 casinos operated by Macau gaming company, Sociedade de Jorgos de Macau (SJM). The project involves the upgrade of existing...

Council in command and control.(Industry News)
March 1, 2004... COE's Telecommand CCTV System was chosen for the upgrade of the existing command and control system used by Kirklees Council in West Yorkshire. The system provides an extension to outlying and remote areas, enabling CCTV coverage of...

Top marks for cabling.(Industry News)
March 1, 2004... A high school in South Carolina has used unshielded twisted pair equipment from NVT as a cost-effective upgrade to its existing CCTV system. The expanded system at South Florence high school uses NVT's equipment to enable transmission over...

Sanyo accumulates at the races.(Industry News)
March 1, 2004... Towcester Racecourse in Northamptonshire has installed a new Sanyo surveillance system to protect its stables area, as part of a 1.7 [pounds sterling] million programme. The system comprises nine Sanyo VCC-ZM300P zoom cameras which offer...

Caught red-handed thanks to motion detection.(Industry News)
March 1, 2004... A school in Cheltenham has upgraded its analogue surveillance system with detector-activated digital recording. Kingsmead School uses the RedHand recording system in conjunction with Pixord 200 network/video server cameras, supplied by...

Digital recording fits the bill.(Industry News)
March 1, 2004... Jersey Police have selected digital recording from PI Vision to be at the hub of a new surveillance system, covering the town of St Helier and the police headquarters. Work is due to commence on the installation this month. The performance...

Warehouse robbery leads to security upgrade.(Industry News)
March 1, 2004... A break in and robbery at one of its warehouses prompted business equipment company IKON Office Solutions to upgrade its security A remote surveillance system designed and installed by Remote Management and Security Limited has been...

More than a wing and a prayer.(Industry News)
March 1, 2004... Visitors to Liverpool's Metropolitan Cathedral visitor centre can see for themselves what the inside of the cathedral looks like before stepping in--thanks to a Bosch EnviroDome camera and joystick controller. The aim of the Visitor CCTV...

Lessons in IP video.(Industry News)
March 1, 2004... Medway Borough Council has gone for a networked video solution to monitor its schools out of hours. At the heart of the system, designed by TJW Electrical, are DS2 digital multiplexers from Dedicated Micros. As they run on the council's...

Networked technology helps hospital's emergency response.(Industry News)
March 1, 2004... IndigoVision reports that IP-based networked video technology has now been providing multi site surveillance for St Joseph's Health Care facilities--in and around London in Canada--far two successful years. IndigoVision's VideoBridge...

Separating the facts from the IP chatter: IFSEC organiser CMPi has conducted extensive research into how the security industry perceives IP and networks technology. With the results now in, we take a look at some of the findings.(Exhibition & Conference Preview)
March 1, 2004... IP technology has achieved significant penetration of the security industry. This is one of the many findings from a recent IP and networks survey--carried out by IFSEC organiser CMPi. The research revealed that two thirds of respondents...

Double delight for DVR users.(Products & Services)
March 1, 2004... Bosch Security Systems has enhanced Its 16-channel Divar digital versatile recorders by doubling the built-in video storage capacity of its internal hard disk from 320 Gb to 600 Gb. This makes it possible to digitally record up to 16 cameras at...

Camera adjusts to its environment for image quality.(Products & Services)
March 1, 2004... The new TK-C920E camera from JVC incorporates a 10-bit intelligent digital signal processor that automatically adjusts camera parameters to optimise picture quality. The 1/3-inch Interline Transfer CCD chip produces 440,000 effective...

IP platform for the future.(Products & Services)
March 1, 2004... Axis Communications has developed new hardware and software platforms, which will be the basis for the company's next generation video products. Demand for IP based video systems for surveillance and remote monitoring applications has led...

Illuminating record.(Products & Services)
March 1, 2004... Derwent has delivered its 25,000th Uniflood 500 infrared illuminator. Launched 13 years ago, the Uniflood 500 incorporates [Cosec.sup.2] even illumination technology, which is claimed to deliver efficiency advantages over mains-driven lamps....

Monitoring solution is a real 'team' player.(Products & Services)
March 1, 2004... Vista TEAM--Transaction EPoS and ATM Monitoring--is a new till monitoring solution that provides users with a highly efficient and easily searchable method for recording and reviewing integrated transaction and CCTV data from several EPOS...

Single PCI card solution.(Products & Services)
March 1, 2004... The new VioCard-100 board from Wordsworth Technology offers a complete four-camera DVR on a single PCI card. According to the company, there is no limit to the number of video inputs available to the DVR system using multiple boards in a...

Simple solution for digital newcomers.(Products & Services)
March 1, 2004... Specifically aimed at new users of digital recording, a 4-camera DVR has been launched by Dedicated Micros, Suitable for businesses such as convenience stores, the Eco (Economy) 4 is said to offer clear image quality, low maintenance costs and...

Dome is first for new brand.(Products & Services)
March 1, 2004... Xeno--the new name in CCTV equipment from Visionlink plus--has arrived. The range will cover cameras, domes, lenses and monitors. First on the market is the Ripsnorter, a 3-inch high resolution 480 line colour varifocal dome. This compact...

Aimed at the small world.(Products & Services)
March 1, 2004... Videoswitch's latest range of digital video recorders is designed to provide end-users with a cost-effective solution for replacing the conventional multiplexer and VCR combination. The VDC-4 (four camera inputs) and VDC-9 (nine camera...

Friend to the Elite.(Products & Services)
March 1, 2004... To complement its Kollector Elite range of network digital video recorders, Vicon has introduced a new DVR--the Kollector Pro. Although able to operate as a high-performance standalone DVR, the Pro has been specifically designed to record...

Adding brains to the eyeballs.(Products & Services)
March 1, 2004... Based on artificial intelligence using heuristic algorithms, iOmniscient Pty has developed its next generation Intelligent Surveillance System. The system can apparently find objects even if they are placed in very crowded environments and even...

MPEG-4 video hardware encoder.(Products & Services)
March 1, 2004... Designed for organisations that wish to implement surveillance, monitoring, archiving, video conferencing and business TV solutions, Optibase has released a MPEG-4 hardware video encoder--the MPEG MovieMaker 400. Features of the encoder...

Covert PIR operator.(Products & Services)
March 1, 2004... The Vista SmartPIR camera mimics a passive infrared alarm sensor, offering a number of options to suit the majority of covert surveillance requirements. It does this by combining a 1/4-inch CCD 480 TVL colour covert camera, with a passive...

'Field-hardened' codec arrives.(Products & Services)
March 1, 2004... NKF Electronics has launched the C-20, a 'field-hardened' MPEG-2 video codec for IP networks, suitable for fast Ethernet networks. Video images are digitized and compressed according to the MPEG-2 algorithm and are then sent along an...

Second time around.(Products & Services)
March 1, 2004... Called DigiOpG2, the second generation of its Interceptor DVR range has been introduced by Ernitec. Based on the same design, functions and quality as the original, the new model comes with added features. These include: * day limiter...

DVRs at a nice price.(Products & Services)
March 1, 2004... ClearView Communications claims that it can now offer digital recorders for less than time-lapse VCRs. The four-channel HDR-04 includes MJPEG multiplex recording at 25 fps, quad display, video motion, and alarm trigger recording with quick...

Time never stops for high-spec cameras.(Products & Services)
March 1, 2004... Designed for quality-critical round-the-clock CCTV/surveillance applications, where image delivery is the priority, two new high-specification day/night cameras from Samsung Electronics have been launched by Asset Security. Said to offer...

Portable plug and play.(Products & Services)
March 1, 2004... Available on a 6m telescopic pole or bracket, to be mounted on a lamp post or wall, the Mobil' up is TEB's new portable plug and play CCTV system. Fitted with an external Bullet camera, the system can be rapidly set up and commissioned in...

Eyes front for large-scale recorder.(Products & Services)
March 1, 2004... Launched at a seminar in London, the UVMS from PI Vision is the successor to its 2nd Eves Enterprise DVR The UVMS (Universal Video Management System) is described as a scalable, network solution for recording analogue and IP network...

Just for the record.(Products & Services)
March 1, 2004... Suitable tot police forces who need to record interviews with suspects, children, and vulnerable and intimidated witnesses, a mobile range of DVD video interview systems has been developed by ClearView Communications. Two hours of...

Round and round she goes.(Products & Services)
March 1, 2004... Featuring an auto focus function and 360 [degrees] endless rotation at no extra cost, the Xpower-S23 PTZ dome camera has been introduced by Eyeview. Designed for easy plug & play installation, the S23 model also benefits from a double...

Radio system improves its communication capability.(Products & Services)
March 1, 2004... A year on from its launch, the Gemini radio system has proved itself to be a versatile wireless Ethernet bridge, offering high speed, dual bond connectivity, says Wavelength Solutions. Now, Gemini has the capability to communicate on the...