One of the key benefits of IP video surveillance is the ability to take advantage of unique features embedded in the IP camera processor. Motion detection, region of interest, cropping and masking zones, network auto-discovery, and analytics, are all examples of features being added to the processors in various IP cameras. Utilizing these features at the edge results in higher optimization and system performance than with the old method of handling all of that functionality in the computer’s CPU.
The exacqVision architecture maximizes use of IP camera features at the edge. By utilizing motion detection at the camera end, the exacqVision software gets the most optimized and accurate algorithms for motion detection for a given camera. By offloading that processing work to the camera edge, the server CPU requirements are minimal. This enables us to connect large numbers of megapixel cameras while still maintaining very low processor usage. That means less expensive systems, higher reliability, greater performance, and vast scalability.
IQinvision makes a full line of megapixel IP cameras and have been a leader in implementing unique features at the camera end. To promote those features, IQinvision recently did their own evaluation of several NVR software packages and assembled a Supported Features Matrix. Of the seven major NVR software products they reviewed, exacqVision lead the list by supporting 14 unique IQinvision camera features. Down the list was Milestone/OnSSI with 11 features supported, and Genetec’s Omnicast with only 5 features supported.
Our thanks to IQinvision for assembling this data. You can view the IQeye Supported Features Matrix here, or click on the image below.
May 23rd, 2008
On Thursday we joined our Erlanger, KY-based reseller Emerge IT Solutions and forty of their customers for product demonstrations and a baseball game at the Great American Ballpark - home of the Cincinnati Reds. In addition to having a beautiful day to watch the Reds play the Astros, the guests got to see the latest technology offered by Emerge: data storage, structured cabling and wireless infrastructure, and physical security solutions with the exacqVision VMS software.
Emerge is a leading IT provider in the Ohio and Kentucky area, and has recently begun offering physical security to their clients as part of the overall IT mix. It’s a perfect fit for them. They already supply their customers with audiovisual solutions and IT systems infrastructure. In many cases, they built these networks from the ground up. Adding physical security to the network is the next logical step, with IP cameras and exacqVision IP video management software.
Several products were on display in the suite. Connected to the exacqVision system were two Axis 207MW IP cameras inside the suite, and one IQeye 855 5-Mpixel Sentinel Series mounted outside the suite to provide a detailed view of the stadium.
Our thanks to Emerge for putting on such a great customer-oriented event. Emerge can be reached as follows:
Web: www.emergeits.com
e-mail: sales@emergeits.com
April 27th, 2008
Our friends at Earth Security Electronics, an exacqVision integrator in Glen Burnie, MD, sent along some impressive images of license plate captures from an exacqVision video surveillance system they recently installed. Among other things, the customer wanted clear shots of the license plates of all cars leaving his business, which was open 24 hours. The challenge was getting a clear shot of the plates under both day and night conditions. Compounding that, the cars are moving as the images are taken.
For each of the entrances, Earth Security used two IQeye 755 5-Megapixel IP cameras from IQinvision, each pointing at the same location. They attached high-quality Fujinon lenses to the cameras, and tuned one camera for optimized daytime capture, and tuned the other camera for optimized nighttime capture. The results are spectacular. These cameras were part of a larger network of surveillance cameras connected to exacqVision VMS Hybrid servers. The images below were exported from the exacqVision system.
Earth Security can be reached via the web here, or by phone at 1-410-766-1993. IQinvision can be reached via the web here.
Click on each of the images below for the full 2560×1920 resolution image.
April 1st, 2008
Continuing the exacqVision Version 2.9 new feature preview: Another of the major new features in Version 2.9 is Megapixel Camera Cropping.
The IP megapixel cameras from IQeye and Arecont Vision can produce spectacular images with great detail. With those increased-resolution images also comes increased file sizes and increased network bandwidth usage.
In many cases, there are areas in each megapixel camera image that are not necessary to view or record. For example, an exterior camera aimed at a parking lot may also include sky or buildings or landscaping in the view, which you do not need to record. With the new Cropping feature of exacqVision, you can crop out those areas you don’t wish to record, thereby maintaining the high-resolution for the areas you do want to see, but reducing file sizes and network bandwidth usage.
This feature is particularly useful for systems that may have a large number of IP megapixel cameras connected.
Dan and Roger created a YouTube video for this feature as well:
A full Blog post on all of the Version 2.9 features will hit when we release the new version.
December 31st, 2007
We have just released Version 2.8 of the exacqVision video surveillance software, for all exacqVision Hybrid and IP NVR systems. This latest release, compatible with all exacqVision systems, continues our quest to issue incremental releases (about every six weeks) in response to customer-requested features and enhancements.
Version 2.8 can be downloaded here.
Key features in the Version 2.8 Release:
- Multi-Monitor Drag-and-Drop – drag any video camera into any monitor in a multi-monitor client
- Instant Zoom Box – instantly zoom in on any selected area of the screen on both live and playback
- New IP Camera Support - support added for Vivotek IP cameras, as well as the new Sentinel Series of external IP cameras from IQinvision
- Exhanced Axis IP Camera Features - support for Axis’ new HTTP Digest Authentication
- Expanded PTZ Procols - Bosch, GE-Impac, GE-ASCII PTZ protocols added
- Searched Image Export Enhancements - quick copy searched image to clipboard
Here are some of these features in detail:
Enhanced Multi-Monitor Mode
Drag-and-Drop videos between monitors
Version 2.8 has significant enhancements for running multiple monitors on a client station. Perhaps the most significant is the ability to drag any video camera - either the video window or the camera name from the camera tree - into any other viewing pane of any other monitor.
Creating video walls, or having specific functions in each monitor: viewing in one, search in another, event monitoring in another, the multi-monitor mode of the exacqVision client is very powerful.
Video Demo - We’ve created a video demonstrating the capabilities of the exacqVision multi-monitor mode, which you can view here:
Instant Zoom Box
Press Control-Z in the exacqVision client, and use the mouse to draw a rectangle around any area of an image for instant zooming to that section of the image.
Enhanced Axis IP Camera Support
Security - To further strengthen the security of their video products, Axis added support for HTTP Digest Authentication in most of their products. HTTP Digest Authentication is used for more secure authentication over both HTTP and RTSP. exacqVision Version 2.8 now supports Digest Authentication in Axis cameras.
Enhanced PTZ Presets - Version 2.8 adds more robust PTZ preset modes for the Axis 212, 215 and 233D cameras.
New IP Camera Models Supported
Vivotek - Added support for the entire line of 6000-series and 7000-series Vivotek IP cameras.
IQinvision - Added support for the new Sentinel Series of all-weather outdoor POE IP cameras.
The complete list of exacqVision supported IP cameras is available here
New PTZ Protocols Supported
Additional PTZ protocols for analog PTZ cameras for use on exacqVision Hybrid Servers have been added. These new protocols include Bosch, GE-Impac, and GE-ASCII.
exacqVision Linux Status
We are getting closer to officially releasing the Linux version of exacqVision. For our current Linux Beta Testers, we have updated the exacqVision Linux release to Version 2.8 as well, and you can download that using the same download links we provided you initially.
The first release of exacqVision Linux will be based on the Ubuntu 6.06 distribution, and will be identical in form and function in every way to our Windows version of exacqVision. Both client and server will be available in Linux versions across our product line. You can freely mix and match: Windows clients can be connected to Linux servers, and vice-versa.
We anticipate releasing exacqVision Linux by the end of November, 2007.
We continue to make a great deal of progress with our feature set. We released Version 2.0 in December of 2006, and have had steady releases every few weeks since then. Here’s our growing list recapping some of the recent release highlights:
Version 2.7 Release, August 8, 2007
- Virtual Matrix Switching & Event Monitoring
- Increased Data Authentication
- Playback Enhancements
- Panoramic Camera Support
Version 2.6 Release, June 19, 2007
- exacqReplay
- Joystick Support
- Shortcut Function Key Support
- New Wide-Screen Modes
Version 2.5 Release, May 7, 2007
- Bandwidth Throttling
- View Tour & Enhancements
- Enhanced exacqRecall
Version 2.4 Release, March 27, 2007
- Arecont & Panasonic IP Camera Support
- Audio support on Axis Cameras
- Time-Lapse Mode
- Pre-Motion Recording
Going back further, we had IP Camera Finder in Version 2.3 (Feb 07), Multi-Monitor support in Version 2.2 (Jan 07), and many, many other enhancements and bug fixes.
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. Version 2.8 of exacqVision is available on our Downloads page.
October 31st, 2007
