Exacq Blog

exacqVision 3.2 Released

Version 3.2 of exacqVision Video Management Software has just been released.  This latest release, compatible with all exacqVision Hybrid and IP video surveillance systems, incorporates new features and enhancements, and continues our quest for rapid, incremental updates.

Version 3.2 is available for download here.  Key features in the 3.2 Release:

• Arecont Vision H.264 IP Camera Support
  Support for the latest H.264 Megapixel IP cameras from Arecont Vision
• Axis H.264 IP Camera Support
  Support for the latest H.264 IP cameras from Axis
• Sony Megapixel IP Camera Support
  Support added for the new 4th-gen line of Sony IP and megapixel cameras
• ePlayer Enhancements
  Detailed camera and video playback information available via right-click
• Proportional Pan & Tilt
  Added control of IP cameras when using USB joystick controllers

Here are some of the features in detail:

H.264 IP Camera Support
Recently both Axis and Arecont Vision announced sweeping new additions to their IP camera lines.  In both cases, support for H.264 video compression was a primary technical feature in the new models.  H.264 is emerging as the standard for video compression in video surveillance, due to its high video quality, low file size and reduced bandwidth requirements.

Arecont Vision
Arecont recently added H.264 versions to their entire line-up of IP megapixel cameras.  The new H.264 compression-based models that are now shipping are the AV1305 (1.3 MP), AV2105 (2 MP), AV3105 (3 MP), and the AV5105 (5 MP).  exacqVision 3.2 supports these new models, and with their H.264 compression we’re seeing up to a 10x average image file size reduction, faster frame rates, and lower server CPU requirements when compared with the similar Arecont MJPEG-based models. 

(Update: This week at the Security 2008 tradeshow in Essen, Germany, Arecont announced H.264 versions of their panoramic cameras: the AV-8185 and the AV-8365.  No release date was set, but we expect to be supporting them when they do begin to ship).

Axis Communications
Axis recently announced a complete revamping of their product line, based on using H.264 as the primary compression standard.  Over the next few months they will be releasing a broad range of products to replace the current product line.  Several models have already been announced and have begun to ship, including the P3301 and P3301V network cameras and the Q7401 encoder.  Several additional announced models will be coming out in the coming weeks.  This new Axis IP camera line uses a common API, and exacqVision 3.2 supports the entire new product line.  With these new cameras we’re seeing up to a 2x average image file size reduction over the similar MPEG-4 models, with very good image quality.

Sony Megapixel IP Camera Support
Sony also recently announced new additions to their IP camera lineup, including three megapixel IP models: the SNC-DM110, the SNC-CM120 and the SMC-DM160, and two new minidome IP models:  the SNC-DS10 and the SNC-DS60.  exacqVision 3.2 supports this entire new “fourth-generation” IP camera product line from Sony.

ePlayer enhancement
The exacqVision ePlayer is a feature-rich portable player that can be embedded with exported video for use by law enforcement or others.  It offers many of the features of the exacqVision client, including multiple camera views, digital zoom, video authentication, additional export of video clips and still images..  exacqVision 3.2 adds additional video channel information.  A right-click on any video window displays the entire properties of that video clip, including camera type, resolution, compression format, total number of images, average image size, time length, and total percent of motion. In the case of MPEG-4 or H.264, additional information is displayed on the various key frames in the clip.

Proportional Pan & Tilt using USB Joystick
exacqVision 3.2 now supports proportional Pan and Tilt using USB video surveillance joystick controllers like the Axis 295.  Using the capabilities of the joysticks, the harder you move the stick the faster the the pan and tilt occur.

Recent Releases
With this release we continue to make rapid progress with exacqVision, and incremental releases have hit about every 2 months. Through these releases over the last year we’ve added a large number of new features.  You can see our release history here. 

As always, the latest versions of exacqVision client and server software can easily and quickly be copied over existing versions while retaining all user settings. The latest versions can always be downloaded from our Downloads page, or you can click on ‘Check for Updates‘ within the ‘About‘ box in the exacqVision software. 

exacqVision Server software is available in both Windows and Linux versions, and the exacqVision client software is available in Windows, Linux and Macintosh native versions.  Any version of exacqVision client can connect to any version of exacqVision server.

Add comment October 8th, 2008

Report from Security 2008 Australia

The Security 2008 Australia show was held last week at the Sydney Convention Centre.  This is the largest physical security trade show in Australia, and our agent for the entire region, Zone Advanced Protection Systems, had a prominent booth on the show floor.

Zone was showing their full line-up of products, including ICx thermal imaging, intelligent sensors and radar surveillance systems; ioimage video analytic cameras; and ACTi IP video cameras. But certainly a highlight of their booth was the exacqVision IP video surveillance systems combined with the new Arecont Vision h.264 megapixel IP cameras.  These new h.264 compression-based megapixel cameras (Arecont models AV5105, AV3105, AV2105 and AV1305) provide a tremendous benefit in reducing both storage space and network traffic.  Since these cameras have become available, we’re seeing upwards of 10x average file size reduction with the h.264 models vs. the corresponding MJPEG models.

Bill Nolan, Managing Director of Zone, reported that the new cameras with the exacqVision software were a hit: “The customers GOT it and so it made megapixel much more interesting.”  One visitor to the booth said this combination was “the first real megapixel management system I’ve seen.”  The fact that the exacqVision software runs natively on Windows, Linux and Macintosh, as well as browsers and mobile devices, was also a big draw.  Bill summed up the exacqVision response at the show by saying “it was instantly understandable by the trade and will migrate IP systems to the forefront of the buyers mind by its great management of megapixel cameras.”

Our congratulations to the crew at Zone for yet another successful show.  Zone will exhibiting the exacqVision products at two additional trade shows this month, the JAA Australian Jewellery Fair 08 in Sydney next week, and the Security in Government 2008 show in Canberra in two weeks.  Zone can be reached as follows:

Web: www.zoneaps.com.au
Phone: +61-2-9894-7025
E-mail: sales@zoneaps.com

Add comment September 3rd, 2008

Here Come the H.264 IP Cameras

At ISC West next week we will see some new IP camera models that will use the H.264 compression standard.  Arecont Vision announced their new H.264 megapixel camera lineup earlier this year at the Intersec show in Dubai, and will be showing them at ISC.  ACTi will again be showing pre-release versions of their H.264 megapixel cameras.  We may see some other new H.264 IP camera announcements as well.

H.264, also known as MPEG-4 Part 10, offers advantages for digital video surveillance applications.  It generally produces smaller file sizes with video quality that is as good or better than video compressed using other methods.

The exacqVision VMS software was built to be compression-independent, supporting standards-based video compression formats.  exacqVision makes extensive use of the Intel Integrated Performace Primitives for optimized video decompression on the latest processors.  As such, exacqVision is fully H.264 capable and it is ready for the upcoming H.264 IP cameras.  And all supported IP cameras can coexist together in an exacqVision system, even if they are different in compression formats and resolution.

When these new H.264-based IP cameras start shipping from the various vendors, we will have support for them.  We’ll see you at ISC West.

Add comment March 28th, 2008