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Security
and Surveillance Solutions using Osprey
Video and i-Catcher
i-Catcher software combined
with Osprey Video capture cards allows
you to construct CCTV and webcam applications
that run on your computer and network!
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Security
and surveillance for home and small businesses
have become a requirement in today's society.
The many benefits from a CCTV system installed
in a home or office include disaster prevention,
theft deterrent, and piece of mind.
People
need a genuine surveillance system to record the comings
and goings of visitors, monitor equipment, or provide
advance alerts. Unfortunately, there are very few
that have the large financial outlay required to purchase
and install such a system.
But
the tools and technology to build and install your
own CCTV system are now available. You can easily
build your video system and provide network streams
using your Osprey video card and an affordable software
solution called i-Catcher. Plus these new solutions
provide access to video images remotely and issue
alerts when system detects activity.
i-Catcher
is the latest software offering from ViewCast in cooperation
with i-Code Systems Ltd. i-Catcher software combined
with Osprey Video capture cards allows you to construct
CCTV and webcam applications that run on your computer
and network. You can also serve live feeds to the
Internet.
Single
Camera Implementation
The
simplest installation of a security and surveillance
solution is a single client application, running in
stand alone mode. i-Catcher Sentry and an Osprey Video
capture card coupled to a camera, completes the stand
alone single camera system. Such an installation is
capable of operating in a number of different modes:
Motion
Detection Mode
In
the motion detection mode the system constantly looks
for motion, outside of any masked areas. A feed and
motion window can be displayed if required. Should
motion be detected in the images then the application
can alert you in numerous ways, from a simple audio
alert to uploading a web page of the detected motion.
Alerting via SMS is also available by launching a
third party application. Playback of stored images
is simple using the built-in viewer. This mode of
operation is also suitable for retail installations
where the counter/cash desk areas are not permanently
manned. Using i-Catcher Monitor application, a freeware
application from i-Code, any detected motion can pop
up on a designated computer anywhere on your network.
Web
Camera Mode
Many people wish to add live images to their web site.
In order to serve this role the i-Catcher software
has a web camera mode of operation. After selecting
this mode and entering the relevant FTP details, to
upload images to your ISP, the software will continuously
upload the latest image to your web site. By referencing
this image in your web site code you will have a web
camera.
Time
Lapse Mode
In
time lapse mode the software takes a snapshot at predetermined
intervals. This is especially useful for scientific
or statistical work. After selecting this mode and
entering the relevant FTP details, to upload images
to your ISP, the software will record images at the
configured time interval and continue to do so until
stopped by the operator or scheduler. These time lapse
images can be viewed using the standard playback functions.
For
more information on Osprey Video and i-Catcher
including special software/hardware bundle,
click on an i-Catcher solution below.
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| Sentry is a full-featured single-capture software. Sentry
comes complete with features such as
archiving, scheduling, motion detection,
uploading, alerting, time-lapse recording,
and simple webcam operation.
Buy the Osprey-100 with i-Catcher Sentry
Bundle and save!
Click for more information! |
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| Video Server allows you to serve images from all video
inputs on the Osprey-100. Using this
multi-port video capture capability,
you have dramatic savings on the need
for extra capture cards to support multiple
cameras.
i-Catcher Video Server is supplied FREE
when you purchase the Osprey-100 Security
Bundle!
Click for more information! |
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Console
is multi-camera software that allows you
to control all your cameras from a central
point. Each feed that console monitors
is provided from a remote computer running
i-Catcher Sentry, or from a local "node".
Each node is a specially configured copy
of Sentry running locally, providing the
feed as if it were remote. Console also
allows you to control all your feeds from
one central location, and its embedded
web server will allow visitors to your
website to see all of your feeds, if you
desire.
Click for more information! |
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Video
Distribution Overview
Featuring Viewpoint VBX
A
Unified Solution for Video Distribution,
Anywhere and Everywhere
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Internet video streaming, business video-group video
conferencing, multiparty video conferencing, desktop
video conferencing, premise broadcast TV distribution,
and security/surveillance video distribution - have
traditionally been implemented as separate solutions
within the enterprise.
Advancements in video compression and video transport
technologies have overcome the cost and technology
barriers that prevented low cost, high-quality video
from being the next "must have" application for
business communication.
Cultural barriers like ease of use, intuitiveness, convenience,
and breadth of application challenged the widespread
adoption of business video.
Today, that environment consists of the Viewpoint VBX
Server and client software, Viewpoint switching
and UTP delivery hardware, Viewpoint Codec Driver
and Manager software, and Niagara encoding and streaming
servers.
 The center control is the Viewpoint
VBX Server, a highly flexible and customizable
audio and video switching system that connects
one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many audiovisual
end points as dictated by your application.
VBX stands for Video Business eXchange, a collection
of technologies that manage live video assets
in a variety of applications including video conferencing,
premise video distribution, distance learning,
video resource sharing, and personal video communication.
The VBX is a multipurpose video communications platform
for the Enterprise. Under control of various ViewCast-supplied
software applications the Viewpoint VBX offers:
 User-controlled environment
- Using the ViewCast Workfone� Client for Microsoft Windows, individuals
can use their PC to connect to one-way video
broadcasts or initiate two-way video calls
to other video endpoints. Once a two-way
connection is in progress, the user can
transfer the call to other endpoints, add
additional participants to the connection,
and freely manage participation with familiar
telephone-like actions including Hold, Transfer,
Conference, Hang-up, Do Not Disturb, etc.
 Application-controlled environment
- Using a variety of remote control options the
Viewpoint VBX can manage multiparty video collaboration
on demand. Applications include:
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Instant videoconferencing, where a single action
initiates a multiparty videoconference. Typically
the conference trigger is an event from a boardroom
automation system such as any combination of
the Workfone Client and AMX or Crestron touchpanel,
or an event from a Crisis Management system.
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"On
Behalf Of" video connections, where stationary
video endpoints such as monitors in lobbies
or visitors centers are "tuned" to desired video
channels under manual control of an administrator
or automatically by events such as time of day.
Video sources may be any combination of residential or
commercial-grade VCR and DVD players, local cameras,
existing videoconference systems, DSS or cable
TV feeds, video-enabled personal PC workstations
etc. Video endpoints may be any combination of
desktop PCs, desktop video monitors, wall mounted
video displays, video projectors, plasma displays,
etc.
Video Distribution Anywhere within the Global Enterprise
 The Viewpoint VBX directly transports bi-directional
standard NTSC or PAL video and line-level audio
up to 3500 feet over an existing CAT5 cable network.
Video from more distant points can be transported
via a variety of alternative methods including
conventional IP and ATM networks, dialup ISDN
circuits, two-way satellite links, etc. Once video
from any source is inside the VBX environment
it may be freely interchanged with video from
any other sources.
Video originating from distant points is usually compressed
and encoded for efficient use of available bandwidth.
Commercial devices that encode and decode video
are available from ViewCast and other well-known
sources including Polycom / PictureTel, Tandberg,
NEC, and VBrick. Transmission methods are either
proprietary or standards-based, typically H.320,
H.323, MPEG-1 or MPEG-2. The VBX environment lets
you freely select equipment and standards from
these and other manufacturers and combine them
into a single integrated video network.
Support Specialized Video Applications
ViewCast implements customized video
solutions through a combination of ViewCast's
system integration services and ViewCast application
partners. Using ViewCast-developed device control
models the VBX can fully integrate with a variety
of video and audio devices - PTZ cameras for far-end
camera control, video codecs from Polycom, Tandberg,
NEC, VTEL/Forgent, and others; multiparty conference
multiplexers from Panasonic and Vicon, audio processing
and echo canceling equipment for specialized conference
room applications from Shure and Audio-Technica,
conference room automation products from AMX and
Crestron, and ruggedized public-access terminals
and video kiosks from a variety of suppliers.
Want to know more?
Click here to request information on the Viewpoint
VBX!
ViewCast
Boosts Processing Power
on Niagara Streaming Systems
Niagara Streaming Systems
Feature Increased CPU Power
and Hyper-Threading Capability!
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Intel®
Hyper-Threading Technology
This
overview will explain how Hyper-Threading technology works
and the benefits you will experience using HT technology
with your Niagara Streaming System.
What is Hyper-Threading Technology?
Hyper-Threading
Technology is a groundbreaking innovation that significantly
improves processor performance. Pioneered by Intel on the
Intel® Xeon™ processor family for servers, Hyper-Threading
Technology has enabled greater productivity and enhanced
the user experience. ViewCast introduced Hyper-Threading
on the Niagara PowerStream systems in April 2003.
Hyper-Threading
Technology is now supported on the Intel® Pentium®
4 Processor with HT Technology. Hyper-Threading provides
a significant performance boost that is particularly suited
to today's computing climate, applications, and operating
systems.
How Hyper-Threading Works
Faster
clock speeds are an important way to deliver more computing
power. But clock speed is only half the story. The other
route to higher performance is to accomplish more work on
each clock cycle, and that's where Hyper-Threading Technology
comes in. A single processor supporting Hyper-Threading
Technology presents itself to modern operating systems and
applications as two virtual processors. The processor can
work on two sets of tasks simultaneously, use resources
that otherwise would sit idle, and get more work done in
the same amount of time.
HT
Technology takes advantage of the multithreading capability
that's built in to Windows XP and many advanced applications.
Multithreaded software divides its workloads into processes
and threads that can be independently scheduled and dispatched.
In a multiprocessor system, those threads execute on different
processors. HT Technology allows a single Pentium 4 processor
to function as two virtual or logical processors. There's
still just one physical Pentium 4 processor in your PC —
but the processor can execute two threads simultaneously.
Greater
resource utilization equals greater performance and responsiveness.
In
high-performance workstations, Hyper-Threading Technology
enables thread-level parallelism (TLP) by duplicating the
architectural state on each processor while sharing one
set of processor execution resources. When scheduling threads,
the operating system treats the two distinct architectural
states as separate "logical" processors, which
allows multiprocessor capable software to run unmodified
on twice as many logical processors. Although Hyper-Threading
Technology will not provide the level of performance scaling
achieved by adding a second processor, benchmark tests show
video capture applications can experience up to a 30% gain
in performance. This technology will perform best with operating
systems that have been optimized for Hyper-Threading Technology,
such as Windows XP.
ViewCast
continues to increase the performance of our Niagara
product line with the latest enhancements available
such as HT technology. We optimize and test these
configurations resulting with a high-performing and
reliable turnkey video capture system at the best
value possible.
If you have additional questions, contact us at [email protected]
or call toll-free (US only) at 800.540.4119 or (international)
+1.972.488.7200.
Click
here for more information about Niagara Streaming
Systems!
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Section
508 and Osprey Video Capture Cards!
Osprey Video Compliance with Disability
Accessibility Federal Statute
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Section
508 requires that Federal agencies' electronic
and information technology is accessible
to people with disabilities, including
employees and members of the public. When
Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act,
Section 508 was enacted to eliminate barriers
in information technology, to make available
new opportunities for people with disabilities,
and to encourage development of technologies
that will help achieve these goals. The
law applies to all Federal agencies when
they develop, procure, maintain, or use
electronic and information technology.
ViewCast
reviewed the laws and regulations to further
our understanding about Section 508 and how
Osprey products can support implementation.
The Pass/Fail Criteria for Multimedia requires
"equivalent alternatives for any multimedia
presentation shall be synchronized with the
presentation".
PASS:
Multimedia files have synchronized captions.
FAIL: Multimedia files do not have captions,
or captions which are not synchronized.
Currently,
we can support our customers in meeting these
criteria if they are sourcing video that already
has Closed Caption data encapsulated in the
video.
The
closed caption data can be provided as synchronized
captions either by enabling closed caption display
directly to the captured video, or through the
use of the CC2RealText mini-application.
In
addition, for both Windows Media (SAMI) and
Real (RealText), the CC2RealText mini-application
can save synchronized caption files which can
later be played back with the associated video
and audio streams.
Method
1: Closed Caption Provided in Video Window
By
enabling closed caption capture to a window
in the Video Capture Dialog box, the closed
caption data is overlaid in the captured video
window. Thus, the encoded video stream encodes
the closed caption data as well. This provides
a view very similar to that of a CC enabled
TV set, where the letters block part of the
video.
For
some users, however, this is unacceptable, either
because they do not want the video blocked,
they want to enable turning on and off captions
by the end user, they want to view more of the
captions simultaneously, or they do not want
valuable video quality bits used to encode the
text.
 Method
2: Closed Caption Provided in a Separate Window
Using
the CC2RealText mini-application that incorporate
the IOTCC2RealText COM object, it is possible
to stream two simultaneous streams: one provides
the video, and another, synchronized, stream
provides the text. This provides an unobstructed
view of the video, along with high quality text.
To
download the CC2RealText, go to http://www.viewcast.com/softwaredownload.asp.
For
more information about Section 508, visit
http://www.section508.gov
Return to Table of Contents
Copyright
� 2003, ViewCast Corporation. This information
is accurate at time of publishing and is
subject to change without notice. Product
names mention herein are used for identification
purposes only and may be registered trademarks.
All trademarks are property of their respective
holders.
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