IP speed dome cameras

	Starific's IP camera and NVR work hand-in-hand to facilitate multiple settings for remote surveillance.

Units now come in smaller housings and simplified user interface; Cost and Internet speed remain key impediments.

Everyone has been hearing about IP cameras’ big moment coming for some years now. The China Sourcing Fairs: Electronics & Components show held in Hong Kong on 12-15 October 2008 provided a peak into a wide array of IP camera models and what future may hold for this promising but relatively slow-moving segment.

The exhibitors at the Asia World Expo (AWE) venue in Hong Kong were generally upbeat about the prospects of IP cameras, but they also explained why this segment has been rather slow in its initial take-off and what are the key challenges.

IP camera solutions are mostly segmented into professional and amateur DIY home markets. The professional market operating over broadband Internet links is doing well, while it is really the home market that is slow in taking off.

The cost of IP cameras for professional markets leans toward the higher end as they are mainly used in banks, large buildings, big houses and large government projects.

Jacky Zhang, vice president of Shenzhen Torga Video Technology Co. Ltd, said that the professional market for IP cameras is robust and that product development effort mainly goes to software-related work. “IP cameras are also becoming small and come in smaller housings,” she added.

Shenzhen Torga’s AVS-E488 waterproof IP camera uses embedded Linux software as it is perceived to be less prone to viruses compared to Windows operating systems.

	Shenzhen EasyN offers systems with uniform interfaces to the IP camera, on-screen menu and software.

IP cameras are at the cutting edge of electronics design. MPEG-4 compression is a standard in these devices while some products also feature H.264 compression technology.

IP cameras also work hand-in-hand with network video recorder (NVR) to facilitate suitable configuration in a diverse set of surveillance environments.

TT International HK Tech Ltd, which showcased an IP camera tied to an IP server at the China Sourcing Fairs, has been a CCTV supplier before. Its new IP camera solution comes integrated with an NVR system.

Darren Wang, director, said that the IP experience is mainly required in developing software that is simple to use. The supplier claims its smart IP camera solution comes with rich features as well as a simplified user interface so that even a housewife can use it.

“It’s imperative that the user interface has to be easy, so users are conveniently able to connect to the IP camera and install software,” Wang said. “Generally, for IP cameras from large vendors, you need to set up a router to have an IP address, which complicates the IP camera usage.”

Simon Guan, director at Starific Technology Co. Ltd, agrees regarding the need for easy software installation and simplified user interface. “Otherwise,” Guan said, “we need professional IP networking technicians to install IP cameras.”

Starific showcased its model SV60-N132 color CCD IP camera and model SV60-NS101 network video server at the fair. These two products, along with other network IP cameras, could be hooked to the Internet in a number of different combinations.

	Shenzhen Torga's AVS-E488 waterproof IP camera features H.264 video compression.

Another show exhibitor, Shenzhen EasyN Technology Co. Ltd, specializes in IP cameras and has a team of software experts for in-house programming work. Its pure-PC solution aims to connect to a system that offers uniform interfaces to the IP camera, screen menu and software. Shenzhen EasyN uses Windows software to ensure compatibility.

Gary Chang, overseas marketing manager, said that one common misconception about IP cameras is that they are akin to PC cameras. Moreover, people in the security products industry are generally more familiar with CCTV cameras.

Chang further elaborated two key challenges facing the IP camera industry: higher prices compared to CCTV and Internet bandwidth. To counter the transmission problems related to Internet speed, some of the new IP camera solutions can now automatically detect Internet speed and adjust frame transport.

Overall, the latest IP camera solutions are gradually gaining sophistication and are overcoming cost barriers.

So Chang is optimistic about the future of IP camera industry. “IP cameras will eventually replace CCTV cameras; it’s only a matter of time,” he said. “Maybe it will take 10 more years.”

Regarding the key issue of “ups-and-downs” in terms of Internet speed, Guan of Starific said that the problem mostly points to non-realtime transmission of IP packets on WANs that result in poor video quality.

“IP speed dome cameras are mostly operating on LANs where speed is not a problem,” he added. Guan agreed with the notion that we need a few more years for necessary improvements in the IP infrastructure.

Hong Kong-based Media City Ltd displayed a network version of its tracking speed dome camera at the China Sourcing Fairs. The product is enabled by a video server box and comes with 16-channel free software.

Regarding the challenges facing the IP camera industry, Thomas Kwan, business development manager, said that every customer has his own ideas and to do it well both in terms of hardware and software requires more resources.

“The cost of customization is heavy for IP cameras, which leaves them at a disadvantage compared to their CCTV counterparts,” Kwan said. “The cost of customization is justified for big projects like 100-channel setups, as IP cameras incur higher cost in terms of system setup.”

At the moment, said Kwan, bigger projects mostly come from European markets. He also said that Windows is the most popular platform for IP camera installations.

It was evident from the show floor that IP cameras are on the growth trajectory and will play a critical role in remote video surveillance applications. They enticed buyers in different configurations and in combinations that ranged from speed dome cameras to IR LED cameras.

As to the challenges of costs and Internet speed, bringing down cost is nothing new for suppliers in the Greater China region and IP cameras are not likely to be an exception. And for Internet speed, that proposition is also on an upward curve as engineers tackle one problem at a time to satisfy a generation of users hooked on YouTube.

Meanwhile, makers in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan are moving from standalone products to well-configured systems and solutions to stake their claim in a market whose time is likely to come sooner than later. As Shenzhen EasyN’s Chang said, it is only a matter of time.