Samsung Security IP solutions.
The past year 2010 became a landmark year for Samsung, as it was associated with the unification of two product lines of equipment — Samsung Techwin and Samsung Electronics — and the development of new equipment under a single brand — Samsung Security. The changes affected both analog and digital solutions. The market perceived these changes ambiguously — changing a product line is always painful. However, the company could not help but do this. A positive aspect was the fact that the changes were implemented promptly and the new line was replenished with an impressive number of new models. This publication covers the Samsung Security IP solutions that Samsung Techwin presents on the security systems market.
iPOLiS IP platform
Currently, Samsung Techwin, a company that develops devices and software under the single brand Samsung Security, offers not only individual components, but also a comprehensive solution for IP systems – the iPOLiS IP platform. iPOLiS includes various (in characteristics, area of application, price) IP cameras and video recorders, as well as software. The company actually has two lines of IP cameras – analog resolution (704 x 576) and megapixel (1280 x 1024). Both lines include budget and professional models, for indoor and outdoor installation. It is important that the company has actually equalized the cost of components of an IP system with analog resolution with the cost of analog cameras and recorders. Thus, the thesis that an IP system is expensive is a thing of the past. By mid-2011, Samsung cameras with a resolution of 2 and 3 megapixels will appear on the security systems market.
Universal solution iPOLiS
It should be noted that in its IP platform iPOLiS, Samsung Techwin offers a solution that uses not only IP cameras and encoders, but also digital video recorders. A single centralized management software NET-I combines all of the listed devices. The number of devices in the system is unlimited. Thus, the company offers a more effective solution — does not deprive the consumer of the right to choose to use analog and digital equipment, cares about economic feasibility and investment safety. Indeed, if IP solutions have proven their economic efficiency for a building, then for organizing video surveillance on an extended perimeter of the building, the creation of an IP system is associated with serious financial costs. The structural diagram of the iPOLiS system is presented below:
iPOLiS IP platform equipment
As mentioned above, the list of devices of the iPOLiS IP platform from Samsung Techwin includes digital video recorders of the SRD series, IP cameras, IP encoders and network video recorders of the SRN series.
Digital video recorders of the SRD series are stand alone models with the ability to connect 4 (SRD-470), 8 (SRD-850/870) and 16 (SRD-1650/1670) analog cameras. All devices support recording in 25 fps mode with a resolution of 704 x 576 px, work with internal and external archives, H.264 compression, control using a remote keyboard and connection to an IP network. The two most functional models are the SRD-870DC and SRD-1670DC. Both recorders provide display, recording and playback of «live video» for all 8 (870) and 16 (1670) cameras with a resolution of 704 x 576 px. Both recorders can have an archive capacity of up to 26 TB and record audio signals according to the number of video inputs. By combining them into an IP network using the NET-I centralized management software, the operator has independent access to each video channel of the recorder simultaneously with other image sources – Samsung IP cameras.
The Samsung Techwin IP camera line currently includes standard design camera models without a lens SNB-5000 (1.3 MP), SNB-3000 (4 CIF), SNB-2000 (4 CIF), SNC-1000 (4 CIF); cameras in a hemispherical housing for indoor installation SND-5080 (1.3 MP), SNV-5010 (1.3 MP), SND-3080 (4 CIF) and SND-1010 (4 CIF); Outdoor SNV-5080 (1.3 MP), SNV-3120 (4 CIF), SNV-3080 (4 CIF), as well as high-speed PTZ analog resolution cameras SNP-3120 (12x zoom), SNP-3370HP (37x zoom) and SNP-3430HP (37x zoom). All IP cameras work with three codecs H.264, MPEG4 and M-JPEG, broadcasting up to 10 streams with different characteristics (resolution up to 704 x 576 px and frame rate up to 25 fps) and support bidirectional audio transmission. The cameras also support PoE power, which simplifies installation. Analog resolution models are based on A1 and W5 processors. The megapixel models use the latest Samsung WiseNet I processor. The processors perform intelligent signal processing from the matrix, which allows implementing not only image quality improvement algorithms — noise reduction (SSNRIII), WDR function, image stabilization, but also an 8-zone video motion detector, as well as analytical algorithms — abandoned/taken away objects, entry/exit to the zone, crossing the line. Detector settings allow you to set the time of presence or absence of an object and restart the detector, as well as adjust its sensitivity. Event images can be recorded on an additional SD card and transmitted to the operator over the network.
The iPOLiS line of devices also includes an IP encoder for integrating analog cameras into an IP system. Unlike the SRD series video recorders, the recording of images and audio signals from TV cameras and microphones connected to the encoder is carried out, as for IP cameras, on network video recorders. The SPE-100 model allows you to connect one analog camera (fixed or PTZ). The encoder has a built-in motion detector, an alarm input, and a relay output. In the event of an alarm, the device is capable of not only transmitting an image to the operator's workstation, but also saving a video clip to an SD card (up to 32 GB).
Recording of video and audio streams from IP cameras and encoders in the iPOLiS system is carried out on network video recorders — SRN-3200 and SRN-6400. SRN-3200 and SRN-6400 are finished products, in fact network servers supporting recording of H.264, MPEG4 and M-JPEG streams. Currently, each model implements an archive with a capacity of up to 20 TB — 4 removable disks are built directly into the device and 4 SVS-5R drives (up to 4 TB each) can be connected via eSATA ports. On the front panel of the devices there are keys and an LCD display for displaying the status information of the device. On the back side there are the main interfaces (2xEthernet, 4x eSATA), as well as 2 programmable alarm and 2 relay contacts. The SRN-3200 model records 32 streams with a resolution of 4 CIF (400 fps), 2CIF (800 fps), CIF (800 fps). The SRN-6400 is designed to record 64 streams with the characteristics of 4 CIF (1152 fps), 2 CIF (1600 fps), CIF (1600 fps) for the entire system. The devices support pre- and post-alarm recording, event recording, scheduled recording, continuous recording individually for each stream. The fundamental difference between the SRN-3200/6400 network recorders and most other NVRs on the market is that they are stand-alone devices. Configuration and operation with live and recorded images can be carried out from any computer via a web browser. Of course, if the operator has the rights to do so.
At the end of the first quarter of 2011, Samsung Techwin will begin shipping two more models – network video recorders SRN-470 (up to 4 IP streams) and SRN-1670 (up to 16 IP streams).
The control software in the iPOLiS system, as noted above, is the NET-I distribution. The software can be installed on any personal computer, the number of workstations is unlimited. NET-I provides simultaneous viewing of up to 32 video channels on 2 monitors (supports up to 4 independent monitors) and control of up to 250 network devices (any NVR, regardless of the number of recorded channels, is defined by the system as 1 device). All screen elements can be moved and arranged by simple drag-and-drop and fixed at the user's discretion to create an ergonomic workplace that meets the individual needs and habitual work style of the operator. All devices in the iPOLiS system are reflected as icons in the list of devices, using which the operator creates the necessary video plan of the facility. NET-I supports graphic plans of facilities, which are displayed on one of 4 monitors. It is possible to output images from video sources on request directly to maps. All iPOLiS devices can be configured and customized in the NET-I interface. Working with alarms, relays, and launching script programs is done without the need for lengthy settings.
Reliability of iPOLiS solutions
All devices in iPOLiS operate under OS Linux Embedded and ensure high reliability of the entire system. This applies not only to digital video recorders (DVR) and IP cameras, but also to network video recorders (NVR). Only the NET-I centralized management software is installed on workstations running OS Windows, which provides a more user-friendly interface for the operator. In the event of failure of any workstation, the system will not be disrupted.
Openness of Samsung Security IP solutions
The concept of promoting iPOLiS network products from Samsung Techwin is based on the principle of maximum openness of solutions.
Thus, to work with Samsung IP cameras, you can use well-known media players that support the RTSP streaming protocol, such as VLC, Quick Time or Windows Media Player. You can not only watch the broadcast video, but also record it to your computer's hard drive.
The openness of the iPOLIS network product platform stimulates their integration into third-party software platforms. The ability to work with IP devices not only via Active X, but also via HTTP is fundamental. The company provides a comprehensive SDK for developers.
Today, Samsung Techwin IP cameras and encoders can be used together with software from ITV/Axxon, VideoNet, Milestone, LuxRiot, OnSSI and a number of other companies. SRN-3200 and SRN-6400 network video recorders work not only with Samsung Techwin IP devices, but also with AXIS cameras that support the VAPIX protocol.
In early 2009, Samsung Techwin became a full member of ONVIF. ONVIF is an open industry forum for the development of an international interface standard for network video surveillance systems. As a full member of ONVIF, Samsung Techwin has the opportunity to actively participate in the development of the future standard. Almost all IP camera models support the Onvif 1.01 specification.