CCTV with multiple buildings

[infringer 0]

Hey guys,

 

First time poster.

 

Here's my problem, due to recent events we want to install a CCTV system on our property. We have 3 separate buildings all connected via fiber optic cabling.

 

We want to install CCTV cameras in all buildings.

 

I have been reading and studying CCTV systems on and off for about 6 months now, and really in depth studying for the last month.

 

I'm still having trouble deciding do we go strictly with network cameras or stick with coaxial based cameras?

 

I guess also based on that my question is how would you get the data from each of the buildings to the main buildings where we would like the DVR (PC or standalone) & monitor?

 

Also these are going to be 24/7 recording cameras.

 

Can anyone offer advice or recommend a brand? The only network brand I've been researching is Axis, just because its the only one I knew of at the time. I've since seen information on Cenuco.

 

Thanks for the help!

-David

[AVCONSULTING 0]

A lot depends on whether you have unused strands of fiber optic cable running between the buildings that you can use for your CCTV. You could run conventional cameras with coax to the fiber optic hub area and at that point covert to fiber optic senders. Some of them can handle 8 or more cameras on one strand of fiber. You will need to find out also what type of fiber is being used (multimode or singlemode) an what type of connectors that are being used.

[scottj 0]

NKF Electronics offers all sorts of Fiber/Video gear.

 

Scottj

[nextan 0]

I suppose the existing fiber is for linking up the LANs between the 3 building, in this case network camera is definitely a better solution.

 

Axis is the most well known brand, but it is really expensive. You can consider ACTi http://www.acti.com which offers high performance MPEG4 IP video systems at much more affordable pricing.

 

Or a grade lower than Axis and ACTi, SOHO class IP camera systens from Dlink, eg. DCS-3220, DCS-5300G (pan/tilt) and DCS-6620 (pan/tilt/zoom).

[Thomas 0]

I wouldn't recommend putting the network cameras on an existing network for two reasons:

 

1. Bandwith. The cameras tend to be bandwith intensitve.

2. The all of your eggs in one basket theory. Slammer showed that even the best networks can go down in seconds. Moving the cameras to a second network removes some of that concern.

 

Edit: (Yep, I ment wouldn't)

Edited November 30, 2005 by Guest

[nextan 0]

Suppose Thomas means "wouldn't" and not "would"?

 

Bandwidth is always a concern, especially with older network camera systems which use MJPEG compression.

 

But the latest network camera systems from ACTi use MPEG4 ASP (Advance Simple Profile), which use only 1/5 of bandwidth required for MJPEG system:

 

CIF size 5 frames per second - 128 Kbps

CIF size 15 frames per second - 256 Kbps

CIF size 30 frames per second - 512 Kbps

D1 size 5 frames per second - 256 Kbps

D1 size 15 frames per second - 512 Kbps

D1 size 30 frames oer second - 1.2 Mbps

 

Bear in mind that a 100 based LAN has only effectively about 50 Mbps of bandwidth, my practice is to limit the nwtork video bandwidth to less than 30% of the available bandwidth, if I am to use the same LAN for network video, ie. maximum 15 Mbps total for a 100 based LAN environment.

[infringer 0]

Guess I should have specified, plenty of unused fiber strands between all the buildings. And it is multimode fiber.

 

I'm just trying to weigh the cost of video->fiber converters versus the network camera cost.

 

Even considered putting networked DVRs in each building and just accessing them that way, but seems very inefficient to do that.

 

Thanks,

-David

[CCTV PAL 0]

Hey, i would recommend StreamVision since i have been using it for more then a year and i love it . I have 4 different buildings in different cities and this system allows me to connect to all of them at the same time. For multi-location monitoring i use StreamVision Client 32. Check out their website http://www.streamvision.net Their website is not done, but they still provide great support if you contact them. They also have a demo if you look in the upper right corner of the website by the login button, or you can send a request for a demo.

 

-CCTV PAL

[cctv_down_under 0]

I would try for a hybrid DVR that way if you have many cameras in one area and just a few in others then you can stick to analogue for the local ones and stream the rest over I.P.

 

Anyone know of any Monitoring station softwraes designed for I.P. only cams...and yes I know about Geo centre and it is all i need but I need it to be I.P. cams

[AVCONSULTING 0]

Networking is definitely one way of going, but if you have unused multimode fibers your most secure way would be to use fiber optic converters. This also avoids conflict with your IT dept which may be unhappy about the security system sharing their network system.

 

Many good fiber optic equipment is available and they have various configurations that can carry multiple cameras on one fiber.

 

Here is a good starting point to get some idea what is available.

 

http://www.geindustrial.com/ge-interlogix/fiber/

[nextan 0]

If there are spare fiber, good idea to setup a separate LAN for the network cameras as Thomas and AVCONSULTING have suggessted.

 

What you need is just a separate network switch solely for the cameras, and a pair of media converters to link the switches between buildings through the fiber links.

[griffonsystems 0]

i just designed a system where i am usiing multimode fiber to transmit video to the 2 monitor rooms (in 2 different buildings) and to the dvr for storage. - coax to the analog cams then a fiber converter to cary the video (and the data for my ptzs) i am using american fibertek's products and have tested them in a pilot prior to the final design.

 

http://www.americanfibertek.com/index.html

 

i am using an 8 channel fiber xmtr/rcvr for my fixed cams - (1) MRT-880C/(1) MRR-880C

 

and for my ptzs to trasmit data/video - MTM-1600/MRM-1600

and for a few single cameras - fiber transmiter/receiver - VK-M100

 

fiber products are not cheap but at this point i feel they are more reliable and less cost in maintenance than setting up a dedicated network for network cameras which most network cam mfgs would recommend and so would your IT dept.

 

also all of my cameras for this installation are outdoor in harsh conditions. does my customer want to replace a $300 fixed cam every few years when it craps out or a $1,000 network cam every few years? feel free to pm me with any questions or design help

 

p.s. whats with the advertisement from cctv pal? rory you sleeping on the job, thought you would have deleted this blatent product ad by now?

[AVCONSULTING 0]

American Fibertek is also another quality fiber line and it ranks up there with the GE product.

 

I think the way Griffon is laying out the system would be best since you have your own proprietary system and then you won't have to deal with the IT department which sometimes is difficult. Dilbert comic series gives many good examples of what happens when dealing with the IT dept.