COE selected for IP CCTV upgrade at Manchester Airport

246 X-Stream encoders will be installed at Manchester Airport to provide analogue video encoding and transmission

As part of an ongoing £1m+ upgrade scheme, COE Group PLC has been chosen as a major supplier for an upgrade of Manchester Airport's CCTV network. Recognising the very important role that video information plays at international airports, the necessity to provide high quality and reliable video transmission at such sites is paramount. At Manchester Airport, COE's X-Stream range of video encoders has been selected by main contractor, Advanced Integrated Systems (AIS) to provide IP encoding of analogue video for digital transmission around the airport's local area network. Superior video quality and very low latency were key decision factors, which led to the decision to integrate COE equipment.

COE X-Stream 400 multi-channel video encoders (also known as video servers) will provide digital encoding at the H.264 Main Profile standard to convert four channels of analogue video to compressed IP digital video for transmission across an Ethernet network. X-Stream encoders can convert up to 4 channels of analogue video each if box mounted or up to 56 channels if rack mounted. At Manchester Airport, 246 X-Stream encoders will be installed to provide as many as 984 channels of analogue video encoding and transmission for the airport, enhancing the functionality of existing analogue cameras, and providing a high performance, yet cost-effective IP upgrade path.

The complete range of COE X-Stream  video servers

Ian Jefferson, CEO of COE Group PLC comments: "The selection of COE's X-Stream video encoders for yet another major CCTV operation is testament to the exceptional performance of this equipment. When upgrading major sites, the necessity to maintain absolute operational control during and after the project is paramount. X-Stream video encoders offer best-of-breed performance to ensure the operator faces little adjustment to his daily activities to realise the benefits of the integrated IP transmission and recording solution."

Offering ‘80ms latency and superior video quality to competitors' H.264 Base Profile and MPEG4 video encoders, X-Stream will offer the closest experience possible to analogue camera control for the operators at the Airport. At Manchester Airport, video monitoring is multifunctional, serving as a set of electronic eyes for 100 individual users, assisting in a variety of diverse functions, from crowd monitoring in retail areas, to baggage handling and air traffic control. X-Stream's low latency video delivery combined with exceptional picture quality ensures the migration process from analogue to IP is seamless for these operators.

Mr Geoff Densham, Project Manager with Manchester Airport PLC states: "COE's history of providing equipment for high profile surveillance sites combined with the high quality performance of their products made them an excellent choice for the IP encoding and transmission solution at Manchester Airport. The powerful integrated solution provided by COE with partner ImPerium Integration Ltd's front end control system will enhance our operational efficiency and the scope of all CCTV activities across the site. In addition, X-Stream encoders provide a road map for future analytics opportunities."