Our CCTV expert gives his view on HD CCTV…

Technology advances at a rapid speed in the fast-paced CCTV market and sometimes it is hard to keep pace. Here’s a quick reminder of what’s what in HD.

HD-TVI

What is it?

High Definition Transport Video Interface or HD-TVI as it more commonly known is the latest HD technology that is going global this year.

Better than analogue because…

Like with other HD technology it offers 720P and 1080P video resolution that is 30x the quality of standard analogue images.

But what about IP?

I realise IP is popular but the businessman in me still prefers the notion of a standalone CCTV system that I have installed and am in a position to maintain and service. I don’t want to install a system and then pass on all after sales opportunities to another company that maintains the customer’s IT network.

Plus unlike IP, this HD technology doesn’t use up bandwidth on the IT network and as a result doesn’t suffer from latency issues or network interruptions.

HD-TVI uses an existing CCTV co-axial cable system so it makes a low cost upgrade option from an analogue CCTV system that you can approach your existing client base with. You don’t need to be an IT genius either to get it set up.

Is it better than other HD formats such as SDI and CVI?

Adopted by the forward thinkers in the CCTV industry, it has all the advantages of HD-SDI in that it provides a superb quality images at 720 or 1080P over existing standard coaxial cables but it comes with a few extra advantages…

1. It can be transmitted twice as far as HD-SDI down a standard a CO-AX, typically 300-500M
2. It allows “Up the CO-AX” RS485 control as standard unlike HD-SDI
3. It can transmit up to 200M over CAT5 with no extra equipment, double what HD-CVI can do.
4. You can mix 720P and 1080P signals unlike with CVI.
5. TVI is a 3rd party chipset that isn’t owned/monopolised by just 1 manufacturer so it will be more readily available and therefore should offer a better choice at better value.

Check out this blog over the next few months for more insights into the CCTV market.