From SAMSUNG | GVI Security, its new A1 line provides an impressive, groundbreaking standard feature set for analog cameras. Not only does the new A1 line take analog camera resolution to 600TV lines, it offers built-in analytics for intelligent video and XDR (extended dynamic range), all as standard features. In addition, all new A1 cameras provide Multi-Language On Screen Display to support easy installation.        

“This is an extremely significant product enhancement, not only for what the product does but for what it represents,” emphasizes Steve Walin, CEO. “It is proof positive that Samsung is investing in its existing customers, the ones that are buying today. Just because IP is the hot subject of the day, the fact is that 85 percent of all products bought today are analog. Although our own IP line continues to grow, both Samsung Electronics and GVI will not abandon our analog users. Now, all those analog systems can have analog cameras with the features and benefits of digital IP cameras.”

With super high resolution and features such as noise reduction from low light, extension of the contrast range and motion adaptive DNR (digital noise reduction), the new A1 cameras let analog-savvy integrators and their end users stay in their comfort zone when installing cameras, while obtaining new benefits at the same time. 

“For instance,” adds Walin, “with Up-the-Coax cable control of these cameras, they can easily access the camera menu, saving time and money during installation. No more do they need to climb a ladder to configure a camera. Plus, they provide the intelligent video analytics capabilities that are the topic of the day with attributes that even many IP cameras cannot provide. While most IP cameras have to send their images to a server that has the analytics capability, with this new analog series of cameras, intelligent video is a built-in feature set.”

The new A1 Series cameras enhance the resolution of images, reduce the noise of the image and extend its contrast. Motion, brightness or shadows will not reduce the clarity of the image, a major reason many migrate to IP solutions. The cameras also automatically switch between day and night modes.

The new cameras display perfect picture quality by providing many present day IP camera features. For example, motion adaptive DNR takes the typical dark gray images and makes them clear. Digital image stabilization removes the blurs of motion, providing a crisp still image. The cameras also incorporate a low light noise reduction and color suppression function. In addition, the extended dynamic range (XDR) feature corrects the problems of darkness and brightness which render images unreadable. Wide dynamic range (WDR) provides clear images even under back light circumstances, removing problems of glare.

“The A1 Series cameras don’t only provide image clarity typically associated with digital IP cameras,” Walin stresses, “they also include features typically associated with digital IP systems.” 

For instance, a polygonal (4-point) privacy mask lets the user overlay sections of the video signal output. As more and more systems take in public views, this is a feature that becomes a legal requirement in many applications, which is why it is included in many digital surveillance management system software suites. With the A1 analog cameras, it is a standard feature.

They also provide motion detection. After a specific area has been selected for monitoring, once movement is detected in the area, the camera itself triggers an alarm and executes whatever action has been preset. That might include turning on all lights, initiating alarms, alerting guards, or panning, tilting and zooming all cameras in the vicinity to the threatened area.

“By providing intelligent analytics on an analog camera, the A1 line is revolutionary,” avows Walin. “The scenarios are many. Perhaps a retail jewelry store wants an alert whenever a certain object, such as the very expensive necklace in the front showcase, is moved. An airport might want to know if a briefcase has been sitting in one place for too long. Virtual fencing becomes a reality as intelligent video signals when someone has crossed a boundary or violates an area. But that’s not all. Once detected, the camera can automatically track that person wherever he goes.”

The new A1 line also eliminates the problems of interlacing.

“Remember, that analog and digital transmit differently,” Walin explains. “Standard analog video is made up of lines that are drawn in an alternating fashion. First the even lines appear on the screen; then the odd lines appear. During the interlace display scanning, the screen is refreshed in two top-to-bottom passes such that the lines scanned in one pass are positioned between the lines drawn in the previous pass. Digital uses progressive scan, which means the lines that make up the monitor picture are displayed all at once in sequence. It renders all lines in a single top-to-bottom pass, which requires twice as much data per pass as interlaced scanning.”

The new A1 Series cameras actually shoot the images by progressive scan, convert them to interlace format for analog transmission and then reconvert them to the progressive image for viewing or storage on a DVR. Camera control is done via standard coaxial cable using either multi-protocol RS485 or multi-language interfaces at a 9600 baud rate. Remote control is also available using Vicon, Erna, Panasonic, Pelco-PID, Philips, Kalatel, Diamond or VCL protocols.

The new Samsung A1 line also provides a host of additional features. Languages include English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Russian, Czech, Turkish, Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

The cameras are available in box type, fixed dome, vari-focal dome, anti-vandal dome, speed dome and zoom lens. Users can digitally zoom up to 16x by 0.1x steps, even while panning and tilting. Picture-in-picture (PIP) can simultaneously show digital and analog zooming images.

With H/V reverse, users can reverse the image by right/left or top/bottom. Using Posi/Nega, they can also invert video brightness and color signals. They can also set up high speed filters.