Finding the right camera for any application is a problem for system integrators and end users.
The challenge for system integrators:
Integrators should be experts in hundreds of different types of cameras offered by dozens of manufacturers (or more), and their installers should be familiar with the procedures established for many different camera models.
To further complicate matters, it is possible that, due to purchase requirements, integrators do not even have access to the best cameras for a specific job.
The challenge for end users:
End users must select the indicated cameras. They can't choose a single type of camera and expect it to work in every area covered by the security system. To complete this problem, end users usually don't have the competence to know which cameras they specifically need.
Different scenarios create the need to have a wide range of cameras:
A backlit environment—such as inside a building or vehicle facing the outside, on a loading platform, or at the reception of a building—requires a camera that offers wide dynamic range (WDR). Dynamic range is the ratio of the brightest image that the imaging system can capture to the darkest that can be captured simultaneously in the same video frame.
The intensity of the light greater than the brightest possible image will cause the image sensor to become saturated with white, while the light intensity less than the darkest possible image will not be recorded on the camera's image sensor.
Both conditions distort the image, hiding information outside the dynamic range of the image sensor that could be vital. WDR cameras have the ability to capture highlights and shadow detail—including backlit images—in the same scene. The greater the dynamic range, the more important the improvement of image quality in scenes composed of bright and dark areas.
Some situations need cameras capable of capturing the natural color of any lighting. For example, security personnel observing monitors in a casino must be able to differentiate between red and black cards in both well-lit areas and in the gloom. Color fidelity is also important for identifying people where subtle differences in skin tone and clothing nuances can make a difference in identifying and charging the suspect with a crime.
Video is frequently used to identify license plates and for facial recognition. These scenes require high-resolution cameras that facilitate the differentiation of image features and details.
Additional challenges for security cameras include lighting issues, such as flashes and reflections. These problems can lead to image distortions, such as blurs and pixelation that make the video unusable. A security system that cannot produce verifiable images is a waste of money. Point.
On the occasion and given the event that an integrator or end user discovers the trick behind all the above situations, it is still common for them to have to face a new challenge – low light! Imagine a warehouse with an interior chamber aimed at the door of the loading platform.
The camera's WDR allows you to capture clean images of the inside of the cellar and the outer platform. But, at night, only the emergency lights are left on. Unfortunately, for most cameras low light is equivalent to non-color, limited dynamic range, high noise levels or, in the worst case, no image at all (black). One solution is to add more light, which is costly and harmful to the environment; another is to use real day/night (TDN) cameras.
These cameras can produce images in low light, but without color, since they depend on infrared light. A security guard, the police or a prosecutor will not be able to distinguish the bad guy in the red shirt from the good guy in the blue shirt. Many integrators and end users are forced to content themselves with a third option—less than the ideal video.
The new solution
System integrators and end users can now solve their video problems for security, thanks to a revolutionary new camera chip. The Seawolf chip from Pixim Inc., a leading provider of imaging technology for enterprise security cameras, delivers the industry's highest effective resolution, the widest dynamic range and best low-light performance at a price within easy reach of your pocket.
Seawolf-based cameras can handle events with backlight, capture realistic colors, and eliminate flare in any lighting condition. Additionally, Seawolf cameras offer an impressive 0.1 lux performance in low light.
Now, for the first time, technicians can install a camera that works in any lighting condition in a simple, factory-ready manner. They will be able to use the same cameras anywhere in a store, bank or company.
Why Seawolf Works
More than fifteen years ago, researchers at Stanford University developed the platform for a technology that would transform the industry. On this basis, Pixim created the Digital Pixel System® technology, an image capture and processing system that produces high-quality video images with improved dynamic range. Digital Pixel System technology, the only all-digital imaging solution, employs hundreds of thousands of pixels that act as individual cameras. These pixels with constant auto adjustment eliminate the visual noise that compromises the image and produces high-resolution images, with natural color and clarity.
The central invention in Digital Pixel System technology is the inclusion of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) in each pixel of the image sensor. This ADC translates the light signal into a digital value at the immediate capture point, thus minimizing signal degradation and unwanted interaction in the data vector and allowing the use of greater noise reduction methods.
Because the information from each pixel is captured and processed independently, each effectively acts as its own camera. The exposure time for each pixel is adjusted to respond to the unique lighting conditions at that specific pixel location in the image sensor arrangement. A product built with the Digital Pixel System platform has in essence thousands of individual cameras, each of which produces the best possible image. These images are then combined to create a high-quality video frame.
In contrast, other technologies based on the analog CCD architecture, a technology from 40 years ago, typically set an exposure time for the frame and sample each pixel in that time period—resulting in images with some pixels underexposed (too dark) and others overexposed (too light).
Seawolf responds to challenges
Boasting 690 effective horizontal TV lines, Seawolf offers the highest usable resolution for the END USER OF CCTV. Traditional analog CCD-based cameras lose much of their resolution when recording and reviewing video. However, due to Seawolf's high total resolution (horizontal by vertical), its high quality, color images are preserved with DVRs and commonly used displays.
Seawolf-powered IP and analog cameras produce clean, noise-free images that require less hard drive space to store video content. End users gain tremendous flexibility in how they use that extra storage capacity.
Seawolf-powered cameras meet the challenges of:
System integrators can now offer Seawolf cameras to their customers knowing that they sell cameras capable of overcoming all lighting conditions, including low light. You can select IP or analog cameras and expect good results. They can partner with leading manufacturers and save money by reaching volume discount levels. In addition, the hours of installation and the number of return visits to the place will be reduced, making the savings greater.
End users now have the option to purchase cameras that help them prevent crime and prosecute criminals if an incident occurs. They will save money by reducing expensive storage space and reducing installation costs and inconveniences.
For more information about Seawolf, visit www.pixim.com.
