cglaeser

Several years ago, prior to selecting an NVR application, I pushed the images from a couple cameras to a RAID system using ftp. The file system was too flat, and there were too many files in each directory. When it came time to either review some of the images or delete them, it took hours and hours. If I tried to delete a large number of files at once, the system would effectively hang. If I deleted only a few files at a time, it would eventually complete the deletion, but many files would remain. There was other information on the disk, so I could not simply wipe everything. It took many hours to clean up the mess I had created. Lesson learned. Never put a large number of files in one directory. Managing a large number of images and videos is extremely fast when properly designed. The Avigilon video database is one such example. Adobe Lightroom is another. I have 78,000 images and videos in my Lightroom database, and I can pull up any image/video instantly using a variety of search features. Best, Christopher

All Windows-based NVRs will likely do this. Windows will slow to a crawl if there are a large number of files in one directory. Best, Christopher

Anyone have experience with this long-range license plate camera or any of the other LPR cameras from Messoa? Best, Christopher

Did you ever get a chance to try this camera out? I was thinking of getting a license plate camera but don't know too much about them. It's on order. Should have been in last week. I sent an email checking on the status. Hope to test it soon. Best, Christopher

The current Axis 4 port encoders use 4 IP addresses. I think there was an earlier version that used one IP address for all 4 ports. Just curious, would that encoder require 4 Avigilon license or 1? Best, Christopher

I purchased a Zotac Atom for $139 and added a 500GB 7200RPM drive, 4GB of DDR3, and Windows 7 x64. The Zotac enclosure is only 7" x 7" x 2" and easily attaches to the back of a monitor with the mounting bracket that is provided. I installed the Avigilon server, client, and mobile gateway. I attached 2 Avigilon video encoders and 8 analog cameras running at 5ips. I've been testing the system for the past 24 hours, and everything seems to be working fine. Using the client locally or remotely over the WAN, and using the iOS apps all work fine with no apparent loss in performance or dropped frames. The speed with which recorded video can be searched and reviewed is remarkable. Everything is practically instant, even over the WAN. I can scroll hours of recorded video in seconds and watch the sun come up and go down. Over the WAN! Very cool. Pixel searching is also incredibly fast. Apparently, Avigilon saves some sort of bitmap with each frame so that they can locate recorded video with desired motion almost instantly. I created a pixel search area to view all the customers who walked onto an auto lot. I located every customer who entered since sunup within seconds. Also very cool. Several weeks ago I called the police while watching an auto burglary in progress using Exacq. I was trying to give descriptions of what the burglars were doing and what they were wearing while at the same time trying to review recorded video to see what they had done. For those who have used Exacq, you know that pulling up recorded video is relatively slow. Switching back and forth between live and recorded can be painfully slow, and it seems to take forever when there is a crime in progress. Not only is Avigilon much faster than Exacq when pulling up recorded video, but with Avigilon, you can watch live video and scroll recorded video at the same time. Exacq has some compelling features. The server will run on Linux (thus avoiding the cost of the OS), the mobile app is free (the Avigilon Gateway is $500), scheduling is included (Avigilon requires the Enterprise license for scheduling) and the browser does not require ActiveX. However, the design of the database that supports the Avigilon video library sets it apart from the other NVR applications. The speed is blistering compared to Exacq. Best, Christopher

+1.

I checked some of the other pages. It appears that many are missing titles and descriptions. Your internet employee can add these in just a few minutes, but you may want to spend a few minutes yourself and write meaningful titles and descriptions. In addition to original content, these are two of the most important features that affect page ranking. You have done the hard part, which is create useful original content. When you attach meaningful titles and meta descriptions, Google and the other search engines will reward you. BTW, no need to add keywords. Keyword stuffing got out of hand, and Google et al now ignore the meta keyword list. Best, Christopher

Nice page. I have two minor suggestions. 1. Sensor Size: I skimmed the page very quickly, but did not see any mention of the sensor size. The FOV is affected by both the focal length and the sensor size. You may want to add 1/3" sensor, if indeed that was the size of the sensor. 2. SEO: You can improve the page SEO if you add an HTML title and a meta description. It's a useful page, and these measures will increase the chances that Google will serve up your page. Best, Christopher

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The Messoa CatchAll engine is used to reduce headlight and taillight glare/blooming in their license plate cameras. Anyone know how this is accomplished? Are they reading the CCD two or more times at different shutter speeds and then combining over/under exposed frames into one final frame? Best, Christopher

Messoa SCR510 Day 100 feet Messoa SCR510 Day 145 feet Messoa SCR510 Night 50 feet (tail light with lighted plate) Messoa SCR510 Night 70 feet (headlight with non-lighted plate) Messoa SCR510 Night 130 feet (headlight with non-lighted plate and tail light with lighted plate) Messoa SCR510 Night 145 feet (no lights, and beyond the specification of the IR)

I did similar experiments last year with similar results. I picked up a name brand IR bandpass filter on eBay for cheap and combined it with a RayMax. I live in CA, which uses retro-reflective plates, and with sufficient IR, you can get decent results. However, my tests with Messoa were in a totally different league. I don't know if they are using an IR bandpass filter as part of the solution (I'm guessing no, but am not certain). In any case, their DSP is making significant contributions to final image quality. I'm guessing they double scan the CCD, and then use DSP techniques to combine and further enhance the image. I'll post some examples when I get a chance. Best, Christopher

Sure, good question. I am not an installer and I am not creating a business. Our homeowner association wants to install two license plate cameras and an overview camera at the entrance and exit. So, why am I asking all these detailed questions. The problem is I know far more than the vast majority of installers (I designed and installed my own custom surveillance system in my home, and it is more sophisticated than the typical home install). First, most installers have never heard of Avigilon, and the NVR will certainly be Avigilon, and the IP overview camera will likely be Avigilon. Second, most installers have never done a license plate install, and this license plate application is 145', which is beyond the limits of most LPR cameras. This install will likely be in the $10K range, and it's very important that we select the right equipment for best performance. That is why I am doing all the homework, and then when I know the equipment to use, I will give this information to a licensed installer and let them do the install. And yes, I am an engineer, and also a photographer, so I understand some of these issues relating to software, electronics, light, lenses, and related technologies. As an engineer, I'm also very curious as to how systems work. All that said, I think the Messoa SCR515Pro may be the best solution for this application. I'm hopeful I can get a demo unit to test. Any additional information you can provide would be much appreciated. Feel free to ask me any questions; I'll be happy to answer them. Best, Christopher

I have a SCR510 in my possession for testing. The website, datasheet, and manual all say 1/2" Exview. The SCR510 is 10 degree. Since my application is 145', I'd like to get the narrowest possible. However, the SCR515Pro has a varifocal lens, so I'm guessing most of the IR would be wasted at the long end of a 10-120 lens. Would be nice to replace the ring-of-fire LED with a narrow beam, but I'm guessing that is not an option. I will probably have to add a narrow beam external to illuminate to 145'. Not a big problem, if the camera works as well as I think it will. Best, Christopher

I've been testing a Messoa SCR510 and the images are excellent at the distance rated for this camera, which is 75' to 100'. I'm very impressed with their CatchAll technology. I am trying to get my hands on the next generation SCR515Pro for testing. If all you need is to capture plates and don't need ALPR, then I expect one of these cameras coupled with Avigilon ACC and a JPEG2000 encoder would be an extremely effective solution. Best, Christopher

Thanks for the info. I suspected it was done in DSP. Regarding the extremely wide dynamic range, do you know if they scan the CCD more than once to produce a single frame? Also, the manual makes reference to another model, the SCR516Pro, that is 1/2" ExView (the SCR515Pro is 1/3" Super HAD II). I called tech support at Messoa USA and he had never heard of this model, and said it was not available. I also saw a reference to a 50 degree and 6 degree IR. Does the IR source have both? Is this an option? I am very interested in these cameras. Is there someone I can contact to discuss these issues in more detail? Best, Christopher

Exacq is a good, but it can't compare to Avigilon. I agree that the original Gateway pricing was excessive; the recent price reduction was needed IMO. However, on the topic of big multi server installs and things that add up, did budget for the annual upgrades? Best, Christopher

Yep, understood. One thing that will help a little is that the cameras are 145' from the start of the lanes, and they look straight down the 400' length of the lanes. The cameras line up right down the middle of each lane, which means if the plate is slightly to the left or right of the frame at 145', the plate will come into frame a few feet later. You are right, the number of pixels could begin to get low at that point, but the plate will then stay in view for multiple frames, increasing the odds of adding forensic information. We also get two chances, one on entry and one on exit, and while not all vehicles have front and rear plates in CA, most do, and that's one more chance to grab something. In the end, it's far better than what we have now, which is nothing. Best, Christopher

The entrance and exit are about 400' long and are separated by an island. Although the entrance and exit are about two lanes in width, drivers tend to drive more or less in the middle. In addition, as drivers make the 90 degree turn to enter/exit, they tend to go a little wide, so the plate tends to cross the center of the image as they make that turn. Best, Christopher

I just had another phone conversation with Messoa pre-sales tech support (he's quite helpful). He says the SCR515Pro is more advanced than the SCR510, and that's the unit to select with the optional 10-120 lens for 145'. He is confident there is sufficient IR to capture plates at 145'. The 50 degree IR on the SCR515Pro seems like a bit of a waste when the lens is at a long setting, and I will need to test this to make certain it will work, but he says it will. Even if I have to add a $500 10 degree IR, this seems like a nice option. Add an Avigilon NVR with JPEG2000 encoder and a couple SCR515Pro cameras, and possibly an external IR, and we should be good. I'll continue to report progress. Best, Christopher

I've been testing the Messoa SCR510 and it does an exceptional job of capturing plates at 75' to 100'. If my site was 100', I would purchase two right now. Unfortunately, my site is 145', so I need to do a little more testing and investigation. The SCR510 comes with a 75mm Tamron lens on a 1/2" Exview sensor. One option is to replace with lens with a slightly longer lens and add an external IR source. The manufacturer will not include another lens, but I'm assuming this can be done by the installer and it will work. Another option is to test the SCR515Pro, which is available in the US with a 10-120 varifocal lens. This model uses a 1/3" Super HAD II sensor. I'm guessing this sensor is not as sensitive as the 1/2" Exview, in part because it has half the area, and in part because it is HAD and not Exview. On the other hand, there have been significant improvements in HAD, and some HAD II sensors are more sensitive than previous generation Exview. So, I would actually have to test this unit to be certain, but I'm guessing I may have to add even more IR for the SCR515Pro to reach 145', but won't know for certain unless I actually test it. In summary, I think the SCR150 will work with a longer lens and more IR, and the SCR515Pro will work with more IR. Best, Christopher

Which NVR did you select? If there is an NVR that is even close to Avigilon in features and price, I'd sure like to know about it. Best, Christopher

The prices range from a low of $353 to a high of $690. A price variation of almost 2X is way too confusing for the average consumer. Best, Christopher

Yes, exactly. Which may have different prices on your screen vs my screen. Best, Christopher