Can Non-IP Megapixel Fly?
- By Steven Titch
- Aug 01, 2009
Security Squared
http://www.securitysquared.com
A new standards group plans to publish in September a proposed
signaling format for transmitting uncompressed high-definition
video feeds over existing cabling or twisted-pair infrastructure.
The HDcctv Alliance, created by four manufacturers that represent various segments of the chip-camera-
DVR supply chain, intends to launch Version 1.0 of the HDcctv specification at the ASIS International
Conference and Exhibits in Anaheim, Calif., according to Todd Rockoff, chairman of the alliance. The
organization, which opened itself for formal membership in June, seeks to establish a signaling format
akin to NTSC or PAL, but for high-definition video transmission.
The alliance was encouraged by positive response to demonstrations of prototype equipment at ISC
West and IFSEC 2009. A preliminary version of the proposed standard, dubbed Version 0.9, is currently
circulating internally among members. At press time, these additional members were not disclosed,
although Rockoff said about 60 companies had expressed interest.
HDcctv is being positioned as a less expensive alternative to IP megapixel cameras, which packetize
images into files in the camera before piping them to a DVR or video management system. HDcctv
won’t turn ordinary analog cameras into HD, but it will allow 780p and 1,080p images to be transmitted
over coaxial and twisted pair cable without encoding. The specification also will work with standarddefinition
cameras.
“This could change the way people do video surveillance,” said Bob Beachler, vice president of
marketing, operations and systems design for Stretch Inc., a supplier of video codecs and processing
cards, and one of the four founding members.
The spec is based on the existing serial digital interface for high definition used in broadcasting, but it
will be adapted to handle upstream commands, such as PTZ, commonly used in surveillance applications,
as well as upstream audio, said Rockoff, who is the former vice president of global sales for the original
design manufacturer unit for EverFocus, a camera and DVR manufacturer, and another of the founding
members of the alliance. Version 0.9 specifies the basic camera-to-DVR interoperability (see table).
The goal of the alliance is to establish a plug-and-play HDTV format that users can implement in
the near-term without a wholesale investment in IP cameras, networking and equipment,
Rockoff said. Such a solution could be appealing to smaller operations,
such as small retailers, gas stations and convenience stores, that appreciate the
benefit of HD but do not have or need IP network components.
“IP video is great when you’re transmitting video off the premises,” Rockoff
said. “But let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater. When you’re inside the
7-11, and you have one or two HD cameras, the reliable way to connect is HDcctv
at 780p or 1,080p.”
Nonetheless, in larger installations, especially where the cost of an entire analog-
to-IP changeout is cost-prohibitive, non-IP HD could provide an affordable
transition path, offering users digital quality surveillance video while extending
the life of their coaxial infrastructure. The casino segment could be a strong
prospect. As reported in “The Aging Eyes of Vegas” (Network-Centric Security,
February 2009), casinos, especially those in Nevada and Atlantic City, N.J.,
are caught between maintaining their increasingly obsolete legacy
surveillance networks, and, in the face of one of the worse recessions
to hit the industry, committing to multimillion dollar
digital IP retrofits. HDcctv might offer some middle ground,
allowing casinos to replace their analog cameras and VCRs without extensive recabling.
From an even larger perspective, the HDcctv effort might
ease some of the recent pushback against the cost of IP that’s
been reflected in a trend toward scaled-back projects or outright
cancellations. In Rockoff ’s opinion, the user resistance isn’t to
the idea of networked security or even IP in general, just the
current vendor push toward loading up digital cameras with IP
hardware and software.
“The market wants HD, but within existing paradigms,” he said.
This article originally appeared in the August 2009 issue of Network-Centric Security.
About the Author
Steven Titch is editor of Network-Centric Security magazine.