Using fewer cameras to observe larger areas simplifies installation in a protected cultural space such as the Hsing Tian Kong Temple in Taiwan.
by Arecont Vision*
The Hsing Tian Kong Temple in Taipei, Taiwan, is dedicated to Kuan Yu, the protector god of businessmen. The popular Taoist temple is of relatively new invoice (it was built in 1967), occupies a corner near the center of the capital of the country and has an extension of more than 7,000 square meters. Dragon sculptures adorn the elaborate design of Hsing Tian Kong Temple, which has become a popular attraction of the city.
The huge number of visitors to the temple raised the need to improve the existing analog video surveillance system installed in the building. In particular, visitors to the temple tended to leave their bags under the table when they prayed and often stole them.
The previous analog system provided insufficient image detail to identify thieves. Since the temple is a protected cultural space, the installation of the system had to be simple and as minimally invasive as possible to protect the beautiful architectural design elements of the building. Any expansion of the existing video surveillance system also had to preserve the previous investment made in the analog video surveillance system.
These parameters established two of the main design objectives for the new system improvement project:
1. Increase the video coverage capabilities of the system while minimizing alterations to the existing architecture/construction.
2. Complement the existing analog system to take advantage of previous investments in video surveillance.
Megapixel solution:
To upgrade video surveillance, Hsing Tian Kong Temple turned to Alpha Pricing, a leading provider of network surveillance solutions in Taipei serving the public sector and institutions and businesses across the country.
Alpha Pricing, a pioneer in IP-based video surveillance, partnered with Milestone Systems in 2000 and became Milestone's main distributor for China. Today, Alpha Pricing is a leading provider of IP surveillance solutions and has partnered with some of the biggest companies in the industry, including Arecont Vision, maker of a wide range of networked megapixel video cameras. Alpha Pricing designed the video system and performed the installation for Hsing Tian Kong Temple in collaboration with a local distributor.
Alpha Pricing created a centralized monitoring system using Milestone's Xprotect Professional video management software. Other system components include a Longstor storage server, the EverFocus ECOR 264 digital video recorder (based on H.264), and the EdgecorE ES4308-PoE network switches.
Power-over-Ethernet technology supplies electricity to Arecont Vision's megapixel video cameras across the network without the need for a separate power connection, simplifying installation. The use of digital video encoders made it possible to preserve in the system the previous inversion of the temple in analog cameras, which are now connected to the networked system.
"Arecont Vision cameras are a great addition to increasing the efficiency of an IP-based system and easily integrate with other system components, while reducing overall system costs," said Steven Chen, vice president of Alpha Pricing. "Increasing the detail of megapixel images is a huge improvement over analog images and the degree of detail is essential in some applications."
The 5-megapixel Arecont Vision cameras with 4.5-10 mm varifocal optics and the 2-megapixel cameras with 4.5-10 mm and 8-16 mm varifocal optics facilitate crisp, high-quality image capture for the temple.
The AV5105DN 5 megapixel camera is a day/night camera that provides images of 2,592 x 1,944 pixels at 9 frames per second.
The camera uses H.264 compression (MPEG-4, Part 10) to minimize storage needs and system bandwidth and can also be used at lower resolutions and different frame rates.
The AV5105DN camera provides 1280x1024 progressive scan and full motion video at 30 frames per second (fps), 1600x1200 pixel video at 24 fps or 2048x1536 at 15 fps, and incorporates MegaVideo image processing at 80 billion operations per second. Features include extremely detailed zooming, motion detection, and cropping.
The temple also uses the day/night version of Arecont Vision's AV2105 model, a 2-megapixel H.264 IP camera that provides 1600x1200 pixel video at 24 frames per second. The 2-megapixel camera also includes MegaVideo® imaging and has similar features to the 5-megapixel model, including H.264 compression to minimize storage and bandwidth needs.
Advantages of the megapixel
The video quality and overall profitability of Arecont Vision's cameras were decisive factors for this project. In addition, the integrator company highlighted the ease of installation of the cameras, which was a critical factor, given the nature of the installation and the customer's design objectives.
The IP-based network video solution allows Hsing Tian Kong Temple to enjoy the advantages of digital surveillance without sacrificing investment in its existing analog video surveillance system. Now, when needed, superior image quality is readily and quickly available, and the monthly cost for maintaining the relevant equipment is 15 percent lower. The centralized video system has streamlined management significantly.
The image quality and digital zoom capabilities of Arecont Vision's cameras have far surpassed analog technology and allow Hsing Tian Kong Temple to capture and retrieve usable video over large coverage areas. Now, a more detailed video provides clear evidence of bag snatches and also allows for the identification of thieves.
An advantage of the Arecont Vision line of cameras is the possibility of installing fewer cameras and, at the same time, capturing video from larger areas. Combined with recent NVR storage cost reductions and network switches, the use of fewer cameras allows the temple to make the step to high-quality video with minimal cost increases.
"The megapixel imaging represents a significant upgrade in system functions compared to standard resolution cameras," said Becky Zhou, sales director for Asia Pacific at Arecont Vision. "The application of Hsing Tian Kong Temple clearly demonstrates the advantages of capturing higher-resolution megapixel images to increase the efficiency of the system even in spaces with existing analog systems."
In addition to lower bandwidth and storage requirements, the use of megapixel cameras significantly reduces costs related to other elements of a system, such as fewer software licenses, fewer optics, and a reduction in the man-hours required to keep everything running.
* Arecont Vision collaborates with more than 100 video recording providers, such as Milestone Systems, to ensure seamless integration of Arecont Vision's megapixel cameras. It also collaborates with technology partners for tighter integration with complementary products, such as servers, storage, and other systems, making the integrator's job even easier.
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