About Technology Archives

Biometric Authentication – the New Kid on the Access Control Block

Posted on September 15, 2014June 1, 2020 by Virginia Fair

Once residing only in the realm of science fiction, biometric authentication has moved into our everyday worlds. And if it’s not part of yours, hold on, it soon will be.

Once upon a time a driver’s license or photo ID was all it took to gain access to a secure building. Life was simpler then. But then, terrorism reared its loathsome head and made it apparent that these simple tokens of identification are woefully inadequate. Today’s security climate demands that secure access control be based on identity authentication. It is not enough that a person may already have security clearance.

Biometric authentication has stepped up to fill that need since the cardinal rule of authentication is that proof of identity be based on a trait or characteristic that is unique to the person, not just a piece of plastic or badge that has the potential of being misappropriated.

IP Camera Low Light Test and Evaluation – Sony vs Samsung vs Axis

Posted on September 10, 2014June 2, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

We tested a number of IP cameras so we could recommend the right camera for low light level applications.

Other key features include resolution, wide dynamic range, and frame rate, which we evaluated in our other posts.

In our latest product test, we compared the low light performance of the new Sony SNC-VM630, Samsung SNV-6084R, and Axis P3384 IP cameras.

The Samsung dome IP camera includes a built-in IR illuminator which we turned off for the test.

IP Camera Test and Review of Wide Dynamic Range – Sony vs Samsung vs Hikvision

Posted on September 9, 2014June 1, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

Some applications require IP cameras with a wide dynamic range (WDR). What is a wide dynamic range? It means that the video will look much better in situations where there are very wide light differences in the scene. You may have seen this type of problem, where you are viewing a person in front of a bright background. The background is clear, but the person is very dark and hard to see. The older IP (and analog) cameras used “Back Light” control to enhance the darker area (foreground) and ignore the background.

In this case, you can see the person but the background is lost in a bright haze. If there are people in the background you can’t see them. Today’s new IP cameras use a wide dynamic range to allow you to view both the foreground and background.

Wireless IP Camera Systems

Posted on September 9, 2014June 1, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

Wireless IP cameras can be used whenever you can’t wire the camera to your network switch. Cameras with built in wireless radios are used indoors, while cameras with external radios are used outdoors and in remote locations.

Cameras with built in radios are usually for indoor home use. But when it comes to outdoor use, cameras that use external radios are preferred because they are reliable and can cover much longer distances.

There are two types of wireless connections; Wi-Fi radios that use a dedicated connection between two points, and 3G / 4G that use the telephone wireless network.

Sony SNC-WR632

Posted on August 28, 2014June 1, 2020 by Virginia Fair

The SNC-WR632 is part of the Sony W-series of PTZ IP camera systems. Representing the high-performance outdoor model, this 2.0-megapixel camera is a good choice for your greater exterior surveillance needs, like parking lots, stadiums, and other such areas.

The Sony W-series is known for its superior performance. Each of these camera systems is highly reliable, offering sophisticated video technology to increase your chances of identifying an individual’s face in a wide range of applications.

As a PTZ, or pan, tilt, zoom camera system, this unit can be remotely manipulated with a full, 360° endless rotation, a 220° tilt, and a maximum optical zoom of 30x.

Intelligent Surveillance Software

This camera system features intelligent video and audio analytics, including intelligent motion detection, face detection, object removed, object left behind, passing, and intrusion detection.

Video Quality

This camera system features a resolution of 2.0 megapixels, at 1920 x 1080 and a maximum frame rate of 60 fps.

A sophisticated video processing chip helps the camera to capture quality images under even challenging lighting conditions. With a 130 dB of wide dynamic range, it can recognize objects against a very bright background. Meanwhile, a low-light sensitivity of 1.4 lx for color images and 0.15 lux for black and white images lets you continue to record under dark conditions.

A gyro-based image stabilizer provides for greater clarity when viewing objects at a distance. Even if the camera is mounted on a less-than-stationary surface, you can still expect to recognize a face viewed at 30x zoom.

Extras and Peripherals

The camera has a slot for an optional SD/SDHC memory card for local audio and video recording. Recording to the memory card can be triggered by events, like attempts to tamper with the camera system.

Protective Features

This camera has tamper detection, allowing it to trigger an alarm when it is interfered with.

Designed for outdoor use, this unit is IK10-rated for vandal resistance and IP66-rated against environmental hazards like water and dust. It can also operate reliably in temperatures from -40C to 50C.

Sony SNC-WR602

Posted on August 28, 2014June 1, 2020 by Virginia Fair

The SNC-WR602 is part of the Sony W-series of PTZ IP camera systems. Representing the economical outdoor model, this 1.3-megapixel camera is a good choice for your smaller exterior surveillance needs, like front doors, small parking lots, or similar regions.

As a PTZ, or pan, tilt, zoom camera system, this unit can be remotely manipulated with a full, 360° endless rotation, a 220° tilt, and a maximum optical zoom of 30x.

Intelligent Surveillance Software

This camera system features intelligent video and audio analytics, including intelligent motion detection, face detection, object removed, object left behind, passing, and intrusion detection.

Video Quality

This camera system features a resolution of 1.3 megapixels, at 1280 x 1024 and a maximum frame rate of 60 fps.

A sophisticated video processing chip helps the camera to capture quality images under even challenging lighting conditions. With a 130 dB of wide dynamic range, it can recognize objects against a very bright background. Meanwhile, a low-light sensitivity of 1.0 lx for color images and 0.03 lux for black and white images lets you continue to record under dark conditions.

Extras and Peripherals

The camera has a slot for an optional SD/SDHC memory card for local audio and video recording. Recording to the memory card can be triggered by events, like attempts to tamper with the camera system.

Protective Features

This camera has tamper detection, allowing it to trigger an alarm when it is interfered with.

Sony SNC-WR630

Posted on August 28, 2014June 1, 2020 by Virginia Fair

The SNC-WR630 is part of the Sony W-series of PTZ IP camera systems. Representing the high-performance indoor model, this 2.0 megapixel camera is a good choice for any interior location where you need superior resolution and low-light sensitivity, like banks, malls, and casinos.

As a PTZ, or pan, tilt, zoom camera system, this unit can be remotely manipulated with a full, 360° endless rotation, a 220° tilt, and a maximum optical zoom of 30x.

Intelligent Surveillance Software

This camera system features intelligent video and audio analytics, including intelligent motion detection, face detection, object removed, object left behind, passing, and intrusion detection.

Video Quality

This camera system features a resolution of 2.0 megapixels, at 1920 x 1080 and a maximum frame rate of 60 fps.

Extras and Peripherals

The camera has a slot for an optional SD/SDHC memory card for local audio and video recording. Recording to the memory card can be triggered by events, like attempts to tamper with the camera system.

Protective Features

This camera has tamper detection, allowing it to trigger an alarm when it is interfered with.

Sony SNC-WR600

Posted on August 28, 2014June 1, 2020 by Virginia Fair

The SNC-WR600 is part of the Sony W-series of PTZ IP camera systems. Representing the economical indoor model, this 1.3-megapixel camera is a good choice for smaller interior locations like offices, entrance ways, and similar rooms.

As a PTZ, or pan, tilt, zoom camera system, this unit can be remotely manipulated with a full, 360° endless rotation, a 220° tilt, and a maximum optical zoom of 30x.

Intelligent Surveillance Software

This camera system features intelligent video and audio analytics, including intelligent motion detection, face detection, object removed, object left behind, passing, and intrusion detection.

Video Quality

This camera system features a resolution of 1.3 megapixels, at 1280 x 1024 and a maximum frame rate of 60 fps.

A sophisticated video processing chip helps the camera to capture quality images under even challenging lighting conditions. With a 130 dB of wide dynamic range, it can recognize objects against a very bright background. Meanwhile, a low-light sensitivity of 1.0 lx for color images and 0.03 lux for black and white images lets you continue to record under dark conditions.

Extras and Peripherals

The camera has a slot for an optional SD/SDHC memory card for local audio and video recording. Recording to the memory card can be triggered by events, like attempts to tamper with the camera system.

Protective Features

This camera has tamper detection, allowing it to trigger an alarm when it is interfered with.

An IP Camera with WDR Can Produce a Picture Worth 1,000 Words

Posted on August 28, 2014June 1, 2020 by Virginia Fair

IP cameras with Wide Dynamic Range capability are the answer to monitoring areas where bright illumination coexists and contrasts with low light or shadows within the camera’s field of view. That’s why we’ve written about them and our sales engineers have recommended them so often. But who would believe one of Kintronics “very own” would find himself in a situation where a camera with WDR might have made things a lot easier for the detectives charged with identifying the suspects caught on a security camera?

Vivotek IP8372

Posted on August 22, 2014June 1, 2020 by Virginia Fair

The Vivotek IP8372 is a high-performance, 5-megapixel bullet camera system. With a durable protective casing and a sophisticated night vision capability, this camera is ideally designed for outdoor surveillance. A good choice for parking lots, outdoor sports complexes, building exteriors, and similar locations.

Intelligent Surveillance Software
The IP8372 comes with triple-window video motion detection. The system can be programed to trigger alarms or events with a series of sophisticated sensory functions, including video motion detection, which can discern when something moves within the field of vision, or camera tampering detection, which can discern when the camera is compromised.

Video Quality
This system comes with a full 5 megapixel video, with 1080p HD resolution. Frame rates and resolutions are adjustable, with a frame rate of up to 30 fps available at a resolution of 1920 x 1080 and a frame rate of up to 13 fps at a resolution of 2560 x 1920. Combined with H.264/MPEG-4/MJPEG compression technology, this is a camera that offers superior image smoothness and width of coverage.

The camera is also armed with an auto-iris lens, an IR-cut filter, and IR illuminators with a range of thirty meters to provide for clear video recording under both light and dark conditions.

Users of this system can take advantage of the ePTZ function, which enables them to remotely zoom in and focus upon a region of interest (ROI) in the field of view.

Extras and Peripherals
This camera features a built-in microSD/SDHC/SDXC memory card slot, allowing for on-board data storage in the event that the camera becomes disconnected from the network.

The camera also supports audio input and output, with an external microphone and an audio output line.

Optional accessories allow for versatile camera mounting, wireless capabilities, and power adaptations.

Protective Features
IP67-rated housing protects the camera system from environmental effects like rain and dust, ensuring continued operation in all weather conditions.

To protect against tampering, the tampering detection function allows the camera to trigger an alarm if it is suddenly moved, struck, or obstructed. The mounting bracket also provides containment for the cables, protecting them from being cut.