CARROLLTON,
TEXAS - June 10, 2009 - SAMSUNG | GVI Security today announced that its new
A1 line provides an impressive, groundbreaking standard feature set for analog
cameras. Not only does the new A1 line take analog camera resolution to 600TV
lines, it offers built-in analytics for intelligent video and XDR (extended
dynamic range), all as standard features. In addition, all new A1 cameras provide
Multi-Language On Screen Display to support easy installation.
"This
is an extremely significant product enhancement, not only for what the product
does but for what it represents," emphasizes Steve Walin, CEO. "It
is proof positive that Samsung is investing in its existing customers, the ones
that are buying today. Just because IP is the hot subject of the day, the fact
is that 85 percent of all products bought today are analog. Although our own
IP line continues to grow, both Samsung Electronics and GVI will not abandon
our analog users. Now, all those analog systems can have analog cameras with
the features and benefits of digital IP cameras."
With super
high resolution and features such as noise reduction from low light, extension
of the contrast range and motion adaptive DNR (digital noise reduction), the
new A1 cameras let analog-savvy integrators and their end users stay in their
comfort zone when installing cameras, while obtaining new benefits at the same
time.
"For instance,"
adds Walin, "with Up-the-Coax cable control of these cameras, they can
easily access the camera menu, saving time and money during installation. No
more do they need to climb a ladder to configure a camera. Plus, they provide
the intelligent video analytics capabilities that are the topic of the day with
attributes that even many IP cameras cannot provide. While most IP cameras have
to send their images to a server that has the analytics capability, with this
new analog series of cameras, intelligent video is a built-in feature set."
The new A1
Series cameras enhance the resolution of images, reduce the noise of the image
and extend its contrast. Motion, brightness or shadows will not reduce the clarity
of the image, a major reason many migrate to IP solutions. The cameras also
automatically switch between day and night modes.
The new cameras
display perfect picture quality by providing many present day IP camera features.
For example, motion adaptive DNR takes the typical dark gray images and makes
them clear. Digital image stabilization removes the blurs of motion, providing
a crisp still image. The cameras also incorporate a low light noise reduction
and color suppression function. In addition, the extended dynamic range (XDR)
feature corrects the problems of darkness and brightness which render images
unreadable. Wide dynamic range (WDR) provides clear images even under back light
circumstances, removing problems of glare.
"The A1
Series cameras don't only provide image clarity typically associated with digital
IP cameras," Walin stresses, "they also include features typically
associated with digital IP systems."
For instance,
a polygonal (4-point) privacy mask lets the user overlay sections of the video
signal output. As more and more systems take in public views, this is a feature
that becomes a legal requirement in many applications, which is why it is included
in many digital surveillance management system software suites. With the A1
analog cameras, it is a standard feature.
They also provide
motion detection. After a specific area has been selected for monitoring, once
movement is detected in the area, the camera itself triggers an alarm and executes
whatever action has been preset. That might include turning on all lights, initiating
alarms, alerting guards, or panning, tilting and zooming all cameras in the
vicinity to the threatened area.
"By providing
intelligent analytics on an analog camera, the A1 line is revolutionary,"
avows Walin. "The scenarios are many. Perhaps a retail jewelry store wants
an alert whenever a certain object, such as the very expensive necklace in the
front showcase, is moved. An airport might want to know if a briefcase has been
sitting in one place for too long. Virtual fencing becomes a reality as intelligent
video signals when someone has crossed a boundary or violates an area. But that's
not all. Once detected, the camera can automatically track that person wherever
he goes."
The new A1
line also eliminates the problems of interlacing.
"Remember,
that analog and digital transmit differently," Walin explains. "Standard
analog video is made up of lines that are drawn in an alternating fashion. First
the even lines appear on the screen; then the odd lines appear. During the interlace
display scanning, the screen is refreshed in two top-to-bottom passes such that
the lines scanned in one pass are positioned between the lines drawn in the
previous pass. Digital uses progressive scan, which means the lines that make
up the monitor picture are displayed all at once in sequence. It renders all
lines in a single top-to-bottom pass, which requires twice as much data per
pass as interlaced scanning."
The new A1
Series cameras actually shoot the images by progressive scan, convert them to
interlace format for analog transmission and then reconvert them to the progressive
image for viewing or storage on a DVR. Camera control is done via standard coaxial
cable using either multi-protocol RS485 or multi-language interfaces at a 9600
baud rate. Remote control is also available using Vicon, Erna, Panasonic, Pelco-PID,
Philips, Kalatel, Diamond or VCL protocols.
The new Samsung
A1 line also provides a host of additional features. Languages include English,
Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Russian, Czech, Turkish,
Chinese, Japanese and Korean.
The cameras
are available in box type, fixed dome, vari-focal dome, anti-vandal dome, speed
dome and zoom lens. Users can digitally zoom up to 16x by 0.1x steps, even while
panning and tilting. Picture-in-picture (PIP) can simultaneously show digital
and analog zooming images.
With H/V reverse,
users can reverse the image by right/left or top/bottom. Using Posi/Nega, they
can also invert video brightness and color signals. They can also set up high
speed filters.