The latest IP cameras have much better video quality than the early analog CCTV cameras. Even though they both capture video, IP cameras do it dramatically better. The reason; they contain high performance digital processing computers. The computers provide reduced noise, improved wide dynamic range, reduced smearing, and enhanced low light performance.
This article reviews how these processors work and why they are important to the total IP camera system performance.
Do you want to be able to read a license plate over a mile away? You can do it with the latest very long range PTZ IP camera systems. There are long range camera systems that are best for daytime operation and others that can be used day or night.
Be careful about low priced systems that claim long range capability. They don’t have the high quality zoom lenses or laser illuminators that are used in professional camera systems.
In our previous article How Far Can We See with the PTZ IP Camera, we reviewed the difference between detecting a person or vehicle, recognizing the type of object, or identifying who the person is. Each criteria requires a different amount of resolution on the target.
This article reviews the components that make up a long range camera system, and shows how total system performance determines the price.
Continue reading “Comparison of Long Range IP Camera Systems”
Science Jokes
Biology is the only science in which multiplication is the same thing as division.
An interesting paradox: Noses run but feet smell.
A neutron walked into a bar and asked, “How much for a gin and tonic?” The bartender smiled wryly and replied, “For you, no charge.”
What does a subatomic duck say? Quark!
Some puns (groaners)
Reading while sunbathing makes you well red.
What’s the definition of a will? It’s a dead give away.
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
She was engaged to a boyfriend with a wooden leg but broke it off.
IP Door Access Control Systems are easy to install and provide excellent flexibility, yet many people who are used to the older type systems have concerns about using them. This article tries to take the mystery out of network attached door access control systems, and describes how very easy they are to install and use.
You will find that all the signals that were on multiple wires, are now encoded on the single Ethernet network cable. They are just as secure as the older technology. Here’s how they work and how to install them.
All the jokes are from famous comedians. If you remember Groucho, you are probably in the baby boomer generation, and if you know Ellen DeGeneres then your’e probably a member of the Millennials.
Here’s some from George Carlin. He was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor, and author.
I’m not into working out. My philosophy is no pain, no pain.
Why do they lock gas station bathrooms? Are they afraid someone will clean them?
I’ve always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific.
Why is the alphabet in that order? Is it because of that song?
Continue reading “Technical Jokes and Cartoons 12”This article was updated on 2/18/2018
We have seen more and more incidences on school campuses that involve active shooters. In the wake of this violence many colleges, universities, and elementary schools are searching for ways to respond to this threat.
There has been a lot of discussion about how to react. With the latest tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the discussion continues. Emma Gonzalez, a senior at the high school, provided excellent perspective on the situation when she said, “Since the time of the Founding Fathers and since they added the Second Amendment to the Constitution, our guns have developed at a rate that leaves me dizzy. The guns have changed, but our laws have not”.
Of course, the best way to prevent these tragedies is to prevent the gunman from getting the guns. Unfortunately, it is not easy to do. The only thing we can offer is advice on how technology can help.
Continue reading “How Technology Can Help in Active Shooter Situations”(This article was updated to reflect new IP cameras, 10/16/2017)
When selecting cameras for your IP camera system, one of the most challenging situations is when you have very little light. When it’s dark, there can be motion smearing and amplifier noise that degrades the image.
All IP cameras handle low light by opening the lens iris, increasing amplifier gain, increasing shutter time, and switching to day/night mode. But, what is the best IP camera for low light operation, and what are the correct settings? This article provides guidelines for selecting the right camera and adjusting the image settings.
A doctor held a stethoscope up to a man’s chest. The man asks, “Doc, how do I stand?” The doctor says, “That’s what puzzles me!”
Patient: “I have a ringing in my ears.” Doctor: “Don’t answer!”
How do you select the right equipment for your IP camera system? The surveillance system is more than just the IP camera. It also includes the video recording system, lens, lighting, camera enclosures, network switches, and mounting brackets. Everything has to work together so you get the security system you expected.
Selecting the right equipment for your security system can be quite complicated. Sometimes it’s like putting together a puzzle. We need to make sure we have the right camera, but does the camera work with all the other equipment?
We would like to be notified of alarm conditions, but does the video recording system provide alarm notification? We would like to mount the camera on a pole, but does the camera include image stabilization? As we decide on one thing, it can affect other parts of the system.
In this article, we provided a real-life surveillance example and then defined a complete surveillance system.
Continue reading “Selecting the Right Equipment for Your IP Camera Surveillance System”
How do the latest network-attached IP audio systems work? The latest digital IP systems use protocols that are similar to Voice over IP (VoIP) protocols. This communication method also uses Power over Ethernet (PoE) to power the telephones, IP paging systems, and IP intercoms.
These IP audio systems use the network cable rather than using individual wires that go from an amplifier to a speaker. What is the magic behind sending multiple paging announcements on the same wire at virtually the same time?
Arthur C. Clark said, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
Here’s how the magic works.
Continue reading “How Network Attached Amplifiers and IP Intercoms Work”