NTSC = Television format for North America and Japan…
IPCS Terminology
IPCS Word(s) of the Day: Network Video Recorder (NVR)
Network Video Recorder (NVR) = Functionally similar to a DVR, a NVR also accepts IP camera inputs. NVRs can be software-based, making them suitable only for accepting IP camera streams over the Internet. An NVR typically consists of a PC or Server, with on-board CPU, RAM, Operating System (Typically Windows) and local Hard Drive storage on which video streams from surveillance cameras are archived. Some examples of NVR software packages include Milestone Systems, Axis Camera Station and Luxriot.…
IPCS Word(s) of the Day: NAS
NAS = Network attached storage device. When using an NVR, it is often not necessary to archive recorded video directly on the local hard drive(s) of the PC or server running the NVR software, you can map a storage path to a NAS unit and archive your video footage there. NAS units come in a variety of sizes, ranging from 80GB to several terabytes in size.…
IPCS Word of the Day: Multiplexor
Multiplexor= A communications device that multiplexes (combines) several signals or camera feeds for transmission over a single medium. An example of a multiplexor is the GUI provided by an NVR system or networked DVR, which allows you to view the feeds from multiple surveillance cameras simultaneously.…
IPCS Word(s) of the Day: Motion Detection
Motion Detection= Refers to the feature in some NVRs and DVRs to only record video if something in the image moves or changes. Therefore you don’t have to look through hours of stored video looking for something to happen. It also saves a lot of space on the hard drive, and allows you to record at a much lower frame rate when nothing is happening. When the system detects motion, the cameras can be kicked up to record at a higher frame rate (FPS).…
IPCS Word of the Day: Megapixel
Megapixel = A unit equal to one million pixels. The higher the resolution, the more pixels in an image and therefore the greater the image quality.…
IPCS Word of the Day: Lux
Lux = Used more often than lumens when discussing security cameras, a lux is a unit of illumination. It measures the amount of uniform light that falls on one square meter (expressed in one lumen per square meter). Security camera specs use the lux to indicate how much light they require to operate, with lower lux levels indicating a camera as more effective in lower ambient light. Look for 0.2 lux or less when choosing a low-light camera, and two lux or higher for daylight cameras. Refer to the specification sheet of the individual camera to see its lux rating. Below is a standard Lux Chart for your reference.
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IPCS Word(s) of the Day: Interlaced Scan
Interlaced Scan = The process whereby each frame of a picture is created by first scanning half of the lines and then scanning the second set of lines, which are interleaved between the first to complete the picture. Each half is referred to as a field…two fields comprise a frame. Interlaced scan is common in analog surveillance cameras.…
IPCS Word of the Day: Housing
Housing= Special covering or container to protect a camera from extreme temperatures or weather conditions. Some housings are manufacturer specific. Other companies, notably Dotworkz, Pelco and VideoAlarm manufacture ‘universal’ housings and enclosures, designed to work with cameras from a range of vendors.…
IPCS Word(s) of the Day: Half Duplex
Half Duplex = This is an audio convention. A half-duplex system provides for communication in both directions, but only one direction at a time (not simultaneously). Typically, once a party begins receiving a signal, it must wait for the transmitter to stop transmitting, before replying. IP Cameras will either support Half Duplex (One Way) or Full Duplex (Two Way) audio capabilities.…