Pelco Software S
When it comes to your VMS, one size doesn't fit all. That's why Pelco has evolved our VMS platform to enable, empower and support our customers with a new solution for any application. The foundation of the portfolio is the recently introduced, whose intuitive design gives security professionals exactly what they have been looking for: the video information they need, the moment they need it so that they can make timely decisions and take decisive action. So whether you are looking for an entry-level system or one that can support tens of thousands of cameras across multiple continents, Pelco has a solution that will fit your needs - all backed by an unparalleled level of support.
VideoXpert: The Gateway to Performance With a focus on UX design, seamless integration of third-party systems and offering a clear migration path for existing customers, VideoXpert ushers in a completely new way for security professionals to experience video. What Is VideoXpert?. Customizable, Software-Based VMS Solution Bringing Together Video Security and Third-Party Systems into a Single, Reliable, High-Performance Platform. A VMS platform that Allows for System Aggregation into a Single, Intuitive User Experience.
Deployable as Software or Purchase with Optimized Hardware What Does It Do?. Lets the Video Rule. Allows Customers to Leverage Existing Pelco investments,. Offers Single-Seat Control for Hundreds of Systems & Tens of Thousands Cameras How Is VideoXpert Changing the VMS Experience?.
Well, that is the question, isn't it?
Evaluation: Pelco Spectra IV IP Dome Series May 8th, 2009 by Greg Innes Pelco are a leading manufacturer of video security systems and equipment. They have long been established as an expert in their field and produce professional CCTV cameras, access control, video matrix systems, DVR recording solutions and hold many respected product lines such as Spectra, Camclosure, Endura and Digital Sentry. Pelco are now taking their years of experience and applying it to the IP video industry with the introduction of the Spectra IV dome series.
They’ve kindly sent us a demo unit for evaluation. Let’s take a look What is it? The Pelco Spectra IV series is a discreet dome camera built from modular components including options for 22x, 23x, and 35x optical zoom, recessed ceiling mounting, pendant mounting, indoor or outdoor models and even vandal resistant, heavy duty variants.
There’s plenty of choice Modular components are interchangable between Spectra IV dome cameras and allow for quick changes to suit different applications or simply reduce the amount of camera down-time when necessary maintenance or servicing is required. The model we are looking at is a pendant mount with a 35x optical zoom back box. A power supply is not included with the camera as standard. It takes 24VAC input voltage and has no support for Power over Ethernet (PoE).
When we supply the we bundle a suitable PSU. All dome cameras from Pelco’s Spectra IV IP Series are hybrid security cameras with both analogue and digital video output. This allows them to simultaneously broadcast live images over IP-based networks (such as a Local Area Network LAN or the Internet) as well as integrate with existing analog CCTV systems. Adding a hybrid camera to you existing CCTV system gives you the benefits of digital IP-based security surveillance without committing to the expense of upgrading your entire system in one go. Installation The camera can be easily located on the network using its default IP address: Default details: IP: 192.168.0.20 Username/Password: admin/admin The camera also comes with a program (IP Device Utility) which will scan your network for Pelco cameras and help the initial setup. The demo camera we got from Pelco did not contain a CDROM but we were able to download the program easily from their website here: The camera also supports DHCP for automatic IP address allocation from a DHCP server (normally the router).
It’s a very straightforward setup. Once we found the camera on the network we adjusted the IP address to suit our current network range in the office and this allowed us to access the camera from any computer on the local network. Once thing we noticed during the initial IP address setup was that there was no way to change the HTTP port number.
Without getting to technical here this mostly affects remote access but for the type of applications this camera will probably be used for it’s probably not too big a deal as remote access will be handled by the recording device rather than the individual camera. Interface The interface opens initially with a Live camera view. It’s presented in a clean manner and uses a mixture of icons, property panels and hyperlinks to configuration menus.
Controls are self explanatory and easy to use and cover the basic features such as camera operation, image settings and snapshots. There are also controls which affect the display, allowing the live image to be enlarged to the height of your browser (full screen mode) or popped out into it’s own separate window so you can keep an eye on things while you work on that spreadsheet.
The interface also provides a number of options to control the camera, all of which are easily selectable from the toolbar. You can either use ‘drag camera’ to click and drag the camera like a virtual joystick, ‘click to center’ to center the image where you, em, click or resize to box which allows you to draw a box with the mouse around any object and the camera will move and zoom into it. PTZ control of the camera is very fluid. The dome moves smoothly and is very responsive.
It feels satisfying to use. The dome is also incredibly quiet compared to other comparative models we have seen over the years. The property panel shows alarm activity and allows yout to set up preset positions and patterns (Gaurd Patrol). We set up a few presets and patterns in the camera and while easy to do it was a bit fiddly.
A better system would be where the camera showed you what presets had been set and perhaps allowed you to name them, especially as this camera supports 256 of them. Resolution & Frame Rate The camera supports MPEG-4 and JPEG video compression with multi-streaming capabilities allowing up to 2x MPEG-4 streams and 1x MJPEG stream to be viewed at full resolution and frame-rate simultaneously. Supported resolutions for this model range from QCIF (176×120 pixels) to 4CIF (704×480 pixel) NTSC. Analog resolution: 540TVL NTSC Maximum frame rate is 30fps using MPEG-4 and 15fps using MJPEG. The camera is also well supported and can be effectively used using IE or Firefox, PC or Mac. In fact, this is the first IP camera we have seen which offers a Mac version of the initial setup software. Good work Pelco.
So I downloaded, bought a 32gb micro sd card, and loaded the micro sd with the map, When I tried plugging it into the micro SD slot on the top right which supposedly is for the navigation software, it does not seem to be reading my micro SD card at all. How to install igo on blaupunkt usa. I have emailed blaupunkt and Naviextras (the map provider) about this problem, asking for their advise, but they have not got back to me yet thus far. And FYI the upgrade button on the bottom right does nothing at all only shows that it is being selected.
Performance We ran a coaxial video cable to an analog monitor in the office and got a good picture out of the camera with a smooth refresh rate. We simultaneously had the camera plugged into our network so we could access the video from our PCs. Here a some sample snapshots from the camera: Outdoor – wide angle – Overcast weather approx. 3000 lux – Backlight Compensation off Outdoor – wide angle – Overcast weather approx. 3000 lux – Backlight Compensation on Outdoor – zoomed – Overcast weather approx.
3000 lux – Backlight Compensation on Indoor – wide angle – Flourescent lighting approx: 260 lux – Backlight Compensation on We find the image from the Spectra camera to be fit for purpose. The images are definitely of high enough quality for good video surveillance monitoring and the color reproduction is really excellent. The level of zoom on this 35x model is impressive and the PTZ controls were fluid and responsive. We did find however that the camera struggled with the auto focus at it’s widest zoom setting, particularly indoors but when you zoom in to specific objects or people in a scene it was quick to focus and was ideal for picking out the smallest detail from great distances. Axis 233D Outdoor – wide angle – Overcast weather approx. 2800 lux If we compare the images with a comparative model from Axis (Axis 233D above) which overlooks the same scene we can see it that it compares favourably, if not slightly better. Security Security comprises of a fairly flexible user account creation system, or user ‘profiles’ using the correct terminology.
Users can be created using the various roles: Administrator – User has complete control over camera viewing, control and all settings Manager – User has access to everything an Administrator has with exception that they can’t modify users or roles. Operater – User can view and control the camera only, no access to camera settings. Viewer – User can only view the live image, no access to camera control or settings You can also create you own custom role allowing you to choose what permissions a specific user has rights to.
Advanced Features The advanced features of the camera are hidden in a series of menus which are accessed by clicking the OSD button on the live interface. The menus are then overlaid on the live image and can be navigated using the PTZ controls. The menu system is a throw-back from their analog hardware and is quite awkward to use but once you get the hang of it you can access some powerful features. These menus give access to features such as alarm based triggering, privacy masking, electronic image stabilization, image enhancement, backlight compensation as well as advanced settings for image quality, preset configuration and patterns (guard patrolling). We didn’t have the necessary equipment to test this but the camera can also be integrated with Pelco’s Endura-enabled recorders as well as Digital Sentry systems and third party applications such as Milestone XProtect. Conclusion When we see a camera that has an on-screen display it is usually a good sign that the camera comes from a manufacturer with an analog background.
We’re not saying this a bad thing and from a manufacturer with a rich heritage in analog CCTV development and manufacture, it’s to be expected. Pelco have used their experience from the many years of CCTV systems development and equipment manufacturer and are now starting to bring their expertise into the IP camera industry (or IP CCTV if you would pardon the phrase). This is a good thing for us all. Their Spectra Dome cameras offer immense flexibility with a wide range of options to suit all requirements. The image quality, while not outstanding when we compare it to todays megapixel cameras, is suitable for security surveillance and can stand up to and maybe even outclass the Axis 233D. However because of their analog background the user interface suffers.
Pelco Camera Viewing Software
It’s clunky, not very user-friendly and is nowhere near the levels of some of the predominant IP camera manufacturers in terms of features and flexibility. Features are limited too. Recording is limited to integration with a recording solution such as a DVR or software-based approach.
There is no FTP or SMTP image transfer and motion detection isn’t built into all models. So while it doesn’t come with all the features we have come to expect from IP camera technology it is still ideal for its intended purpose which is security monitoring. These are the first steps for Pelco into the IP world and we’re glad to have them and we are sure they will go on to produce many great IP camera products.