Reliability Included
- By Tim Holloway
- Aug 01, 2010
Much has been said, written and debated regarding why IP
video surveillance systems are not more rapidly overtaking
analog video surveillance systems in marketshare. One of the
top reasons is the actual versus the perceived reliability of IP
video surveillance systems.
Reliability can be defined as the ability of an IP video surveillance
system to consistently deliver, record and present smooth,
high-quality video. Too often, a side-by-side comparison of IP
and analog surveillance systems reveals a noticeable difference,
which is inhibiting a more rapid migration to IP video surveillance
systems.
IP video surveillance system manufacturers, who have
banked their business’ success on IP video, have finally realized
that reliability is an important issue. Instead of spending
all of their research and development budgets on churning out
ground-breaking technology to leapfrog their competition, they
seem to be focusing more on making their existing products
more reliable.
History as a Teacher
For decades, various network, communications and industrial
systems have been migrating from legacy technologies to digital
systems that use IP as a transport protocol.
Back in the mid 1990s, analog phone systems were being replaced
with VoIP systems. The adoption rate of VoIP started
slowly, and the reliability of the systems was not as robust as legacy
phone switches. Today, the reliability of VoIP is so high that
analog phone systems and VoIP systems are indistinguishable.
An example more closely related to video surveillance systems
is the introduction of IPTV systems in which broadcast television
signals are digitally transmitted over IP networks. For example,
AT&T’s U-verse service delivers broadcast television exclusively
via IP networks to homes. If the service was not reliable, users
would switch back to their cable or satellite provider—but that
is not the case.
Where are We Now?
Adoption rates of IP video surveillance systems are climbing, but
the technology has not taken the industry by storm. IP video surveillance
systems provide many advanced features over comparable
analog systems, so why is the adoption rate still so low?
Analog video surveillance systems are generally considered
very reliable. In order to increase the adoption rate of IP video
surveillance systems, manufacturers need to demonstrate that IP
systems have the reliability that is required.
It is important to look at what makes IP video surveillance
systems unreliable today. Among the chief complaints are image
quality, unpredictable network performance and choppy presentation
for both live video and playback.
To address image quality, IP camera manufacturers are rapidly
introducing IP video surveillance cameras based on HDTV
standard formats. A 1080p HDTV camera is a 2 megapixel camera.
Today, 5 megapixel and higher cameras are readily available
on the market at relatively low costs. But despite the major pixel
advantage, HDTV cameras are storming the market. There are
many factors that affect image quality, but IP camera manufacturers
are leveraging the market’s perception that HDTV equals
excellent quality, every time. Purchasers of HDTV IP cameras
expect IP HDTV video surveillance cameras to perform reliably
and consistently.
Connecting it All Together, Reliably
A robust infrastructure with components certified to handle
the rigors of streaming IP video is essential to the reliable delivery
of IP surveillance video. Critical components in an infrastructure
that can impede performance of IP video include
patch cords, horizontal and backbone cabling, network jacks,
patch panels, network switches, routers, and power delivery and
backup components.
Building a network infrastructure to support the high-bandwidth
requirements of IP video will ensure that all of the highquality
HDTV video frames are reliably delivered across the network
to the recording and viewing devices. Purchasers of IP video
surveillance systems should select infrastructure components and
installers that meet the demands of IP video today and will provide
an infrastructure that allows for cost-effective expansion of
the system in the future.
The root cause of unreliable, choppy recorded and playback
video can be traced back to the video management system server
and storage equipment. PC servers suffer from bottlenecks that
restrict the flow of video streams delivered by high-quality, highframe-
rate IP cameras and a reliable IP network infrastructure.
Server and storage systems are made up of many different
components working together. The requirements of IP video are
very rigorous, but they are achievable. It is important to select
servers and storage systems proven to reliably process, record and
present all of the video frames that are delivered.
Manufacturers are responding with server designs specifically
optimized for the reliable capture, storage and playback of video.
These offerings are designed to address the unreliability of PCs;
they use enterprise-grade components and storage controllers
that eliminate potential bottlenecks. Server and storage systems
are available today that reliably process and store and smoothly
play back IP video.
Message Received
Manufacturers of IP cameras, IP network infrastructure, and
server and storage systems are responding to customer demands
for reliability and developing components from which a completely
reliable IP video surveillance system can be built.
Technology advancements in IP video surveillance that will
greatly increase market adoption may not be the release of a
cost-effective 50 or 100 megapixel camera, but the development
of systems that truly deliver reliable IP surveillance video.
This article originally appeared in the August 2010 issue of Network-Centric Security.
About the Author
Tim Holloway is vice president of security marketing for Communications
Supply Corp., a subsidiary of WESCO International Inc.