Reorganising Existing CCTV systems

[chewingyu 0]

I need to tap on you guys' experience in managing CCTV systems.

 

Currently have close to 490 cameras installed over 7 buildings(and will be adding another 50!). All the surveillance monitors are centralised in a CCTV room.

The 490 cameras can be broadly categorised into 4 'systems' based on different installation projects. Hence, I have 4 different vendors maintaining these 'systems'. Now, it seems, with the 50 additional cameras, I will be having the 5th 'system'.

 

The problem with these systems is that each would have some cameras in some of the buildings. So, if I want to take a look at such and such an area in building A, I would sometimes need to scour through the entire 490 cameras to see which camera is looking at that area. Of course the duty security personnel would have worked long enough in the CCTV room would be able to point out the camera I am looking for, but still, it can get pretty daunting to remember 500 over cameras!

 

So, I am wondering if I should reorganise all the cameras and group them into building categories. That would mean having to decide how many cameras and buffer in each DVR. This leads to a couple of concerns:

 

1) the complexity of rewiring and the criss-crossing of cables from different 'systems' underneath the floor board to accomplish this.

 

2) how would this complicate the maintenance of these 'systems' amongst the 4 maintenance vendors? I mean, there would be 2 or 3 or even 4 'systems' in each DVR.

[VST_Man 1]

take a look at Video Insight cards. http://www.video-insight.com

 

You can put these cards into your Servers and they will manage the camera via software/network. Once the cards are installed in all your 7 Servers you can selectively build screens on a client that will meet your viewing requirements. There is also a nice "layout" mode built intot he software that allows for embedding camera's into a jpg pic so all you'd need to do is bring up the floor plan of the building and you can just select the camera based obn the layout, not the camera #1.

 

Video Insight has much more to offer and I am just touching the tip of the iceBERG. (ha ha) If you choose to rewire it you'll send 10 times the amount the cards would have cost you.

 

If interested in prices PM me or Thomas.

[chewingyu 0]

Thanks. Haven't gone in details on the Video Insight Cards but I suppose it will tackle my first concern which is the messy criss-crossing of cables.

 

But the second concern is still there isn't it?

[chewingyu 0]

Just want to clarify that all my cameras are spread over 23 DVRs, not in 7 servers as you think.

[Thomas 0]

I'm guessing that you wish to keep the exisiting systems and simply have software to manage all of them?

[nextan 0]

If you have not commited on the 50 new cameras yet, maybe is the right time for you to consider IP convergence?

 

Instead of messy criss-crossing of the analogue video cables, use of ethernet network cabling system with IP video servers should save you quite some hazzles, and enable a possibility of setting up an IP video matrix.

 

http://www.acti.com/Solution/System_Diagram.asp

[chewingyu 0]

Sorry, what is IP convergence?

[nextan 0]

ok is just simply the conversion to IP (internet protocol) based video system.

 

analogue video signal from conventional CCTV camera is fed to a video server (or video encoder) and converted into internet protocol based digital signal. each of these IP video is identified by an IP address and can be sent over ethernet network (LAN) and be accessed by any PC based system which is also connected to the same LAN.

 

and there are IP cameras which are actually CCTV cameras with built-in video server, ie. the output from the camera already in IP video form.

[chewingyu 0]

I am afraid that using our company's exisiting LAN network isn't an option, at least not for now. They cannot afford to give me the bandwith.

[nextan 0]

for few hundred cameras establishment like your company, noone will be crazy enough to let you hook on to the existing LAN. there should be a separate LAN setup for the IP video network.

[chewingyu 0]

Thanks for the suggestion but at the moment the need to see the camera from any PC is not necessary.

 

My concern is only how to deal with the different maintenance vendors. Let me try to illustrate with an example:

 

Assume there are 3 buildings and 3 systems (maintained by 3 vendors respectively)

 

Building A:

36 cameras,

2 systems: System X has 30 cameras; System Y has 6 cameras

 

Building B

60 cameras

3 systems: System X has 25 cameras; System Y has 15 cameras and System Z has 20 cameras

 

Building C

28 cameras

2 systems: System Y has 17 cameras; System Z has 11 cameras

 

So, this means that the maintenance contract would be as follows:

 

System X (maintained by Vendor X) - 55 cameras, 4 DVRs

System Y (maintained by Vendor Y) - 38 cameras, 3 DVRs

System Z (maintained by Vendor Z) - 31 cameras, 3 DVRs

 

So, if I were to reorganise the systems (and renaming them) to coincide with buildings, then it would be:

 

System A (Building A) - 36 cameras, 3 DVRs

Possible Action: Disconnect 6 cameras from System Y and connect to System X. 1 DVR to be transferred to system B

 

System B (Building B) - 60 cameras, 4 DVRs

Possible Action: Disconnect 45 cameras from systems X & Z, and connect to system Y.

 

System C (Building C) - 28 cameras, 3 DVRs

Possible Action: Disconnect 17 cameras from System Y and connect to System Z.

 

Then, with regards to the vendors, I suppose I could terminate all contracts and open all 3 systems for bidding to maintain them.

 

Well, any opinions on this?

[chewingyu 0]

Anyone to give some comments???

[CollinR 0]

My only comment is your customer has some kind of issue, why would they have 5 groups involved. Thats just asking for problems, I personally wouldn't do it. You will wind up in a pissing match over ignorant problems. If I did it I would be hitting up the other 4 and tring to buy them out of it (and take their DVRs with em if possible). So I know everything is my issue to resolve.

 

What is this a jail?

[chewingyu 0]

The 5 vendors came about due to the drive to open to the market get the most economical quote. Rightfully or wrongfully, it is just prudent management to avoid being tied down to just the vendors that you know or are currently in contract with.

 

So, everytime there is a project to install a substantial amount of cameras, we would conduct an open tender/bidding exercise. May the best man win, so to speak. So, if there is a low bid from a new player in the market, then there is no choice but to award it to it.

 

But we digress. That we now have the 5th contractor is something we cannot avoid. The question now is how one should reorganise the 'mess' due to the 5 contractor.

 

BTW, I am not speaking as a CCTV contractor. I am the user and I am dealing with 5 CCTV contactors. It's MY headache, really!

 

So, I am just asking fellow users and CCTV vendors in the world whether if they have experienced similar predicament and what solution did they adopt.

[CollinR 0]

Okay I see then, and I agree it isn't prudent to be blind to other contractors you should be open to new contractors. Taking the lowest bid is asking for trouble IMHO, I don't play that game or at least I tell em up front I probably won't be the cheapest. I concentrate on customer needs and satisfaction then price.

 

I would start by coming up with a system of organization. Each building gets a letter and cameras a number. How you organize the cameras is up to you.

 

Force the vendors to label their lines at both ends. Once thats done you shouldn't have too much issue reorganizing the lines. Getting the DVRs to all work together is something totally different.

 

Another thing you can do is tell the contractor who did the best overall in the past what the new low bid is, and give them the option to beat it.

[JMANOFNVS 0]

Beside networking them together or rewiring everthing the best solution I see is buying 64 dvr's or nvs's. Then if the 60 cam building needs to add more then the units capabilities they could add a switcher or up grade the software.