Role of NVR in transitioning from analogue to IP surveillance without compromising on security and budgetary needs

NVR appliances ease analogue to IP transition by providing end users with a hybrid-ready product

There should be a palatable migration path from a large installed base of analogue to the latest IP technology. The biggest missed opportunity related to network video recorder (NVR) NVR appliances in the video surveillance marketplace is effectively using existing analogue camera investments while transitioning to the network. For example, IP encoders can be utilised as a bridge between analogue cameras and the IP network, says Charles McCready, senior product specialist and technical resource for Panasonic System communications Company’s partners and customers. With these devices, video can be displayed with a video management system (VMS) or a Web browser and recorded to NVRs or centralised storage.

Integrators can help develop a migration path that leverages existing hardware investments and helps end users to transition to IP at their own pace, says McCready. Recording video at the edge with SD cards is also another strategy when network capacity may be an issue or where surveillance only needs to be recorded/viewed upon alert or conditions such as motion detection. “There are many strategies to leverage the existing analogue infrastructure, yet still give the end user choices and the ability to use the latest NVR devices,”he says. “Installers need to work closely with the end user on a consultative basis to make certain their needs are met now and in the future.”

Panasonic’s NVR solutions are suitable for a range of vertical market customers, but especially those businesses with larger systems and a variety of cameras that may need addition controls and capabilities. They offer ease of installation manageability and grow-as-you-go scalability to support additional cameras and system expansions.

NVRs are the workhorse of the security market, offering comprehensive control of networked recording solutions, simultaneously recording and providing remote access to live views and delivering the same high-quality images with live video and during playback of recorded images. The flexibility of Panasonic NVRs makes the product suitable for a range of specifications and end user customers in any vertical market.

Consider hybridisation strategies

With a substantial number of legacy deployment still lagging behind in the analogue world, the need to reduce switching cost to digital is ever-apparent, says Muhanad Jamjum, product manager of appliances at Genetec. Moreover, it has set a mandate for network appliances to mimic the functionality of a DVR in terms of ease of use and configuration.

As part of Genetec’s hybridisation strategy, a customer can either invest in on-premises appliances with options to accommodate extra storage, or choose to capitalise on the Genetec cloud services in partnership with the Microsoft Azure cloud platform.

To ease the migration from analogue to digital, Genetec has introduced a cost-effective analogue promotion that bundles a Bosch analogue encoder with Genetec software licenses at almost half the cost. Moreover, the recent development of the Control Panel and wizard application addresses the need for an appliance that is simple to use and easy to configure.

Addressing legacy systems in multiple markets

Hikvision serves many markets with its NVR appliances. The plug-and-play units are popular in the small- to medium-sized business (SMB) market. The units are as easy to install as analogue, says the company, so many new dealers are using them to make the switch to IP. Markets with legacy analogue infrastructure, such as banking, take advantage of Hikvision’s “Tribrid” TurboHD recorders because they support their old analogue cameras, allowing them to be replaced by 1080p TurboHD analog-over-coax cameras, and also supporting the addition of IP cameras. “This allow for an easy migration from analogue to IP and enables addition of higher resolution or specialty cameras such as fisheyes to meet their growing demand over time,” says Bob Germain, director of product management, Hikvision USA.

Simplifying the analogue-to-IP transition

The Milestone Husky Hybrid Series offers options to enable users to combine analogue and IP camera to simplify the analogue-to-IP transition. The options are available for the Milestone Husky M30 and Milestone Husky M50.

Offering greater customisation options, the Milestone Husky M30 easily integrates Milestone XProtect VMS add-ons and third-party hardware and software for comprehensive surveillance solutions, ideal for markets such as education. The Milestone Husky M50, also pre-installed with Milestone XProtect VMS, is a robust, fully-customised, rack-mounted unit, with the highest storage capacity, memory and CPU power for large, complex surveillance environments such as a banking deployment.

Milestone NVR appliance products also include the Milestone Husky M10, an entry-level product ideal for single location business such as retail shops and restaurants.

Meeting security and budgetary needs

"End users continue to upgrade their aging analogue video systems at an increasing rate to take advantage of the higher image quality and many other benefits of IP video", says Ken LaMarca, OnSSI vice president of sales and marketing. He says NVR appliances can ease this transition by providing end users with a hybrid-ready product that allows them to continue to get value out of their legacy analogue technologies while migrating to IP gradually on a schedule that fits within their needs and budgets. As a result, NVR appliances are playing an increasingly important role in easing those customers into IP systems through a process that meets their specific security and budgetary requirements.