Product Reviews: Bosch sets the right tone

Featuring as many as 12 separate trigger inputs, each of these can automatically activate a voice announcement consisting of a user-selected sequence of up to four separate messages. The units use standard Windows WAV file formats for enhanced audio quality, ease-of-use and operational flexibility.

As the Plena Message Manager is capable of high quality audio reproduction, it's suitable not only for making important speech announcements, but also for special attention chimes, music and sound effects. Typical applications will include retail and department stores, supermarkets and industrial premises including factories and warehouses.

In use, messages are recorded and edited on a PC, and then downloaded via an RS232 link to the Plena Message Manager's on-board flash memory (64 Mbit EEPROM). The choice of WAV files – which are easy to create using any Windows sound editor – results in a signal-to-noise ratio performance close to that enjoyed by music CDs.

Meantime, Bosch Security Systems has also added a 480 W mono booster amplifier featuring two balanced inputs with priority control and loop-through connection. This enables automatic switching from, for example, a local music source to a priority announcement from a remote system.

The Plena booster amplifiers are suitable for rack mounting or table-top use.
Bosch Security Systems – Enquiry 109

In virtual control ... that's Sony

The HSR-DCT control panel is said to provide end users with first-rate performance characteristics due to its ergonomic design. A graphic, back-lit, 320 x 240-pixel display complete with touch screen user interface helps CCTV operators to control all functions of the HSR-X209P/X216P digital recorder directly.

Sony states that it's possible to customise up to 30 user site maps associating up to 40 keys (macro-commands) for each map.

The three-axle joystick allows a simple manual control, making it possible to control variable speed PTZ – and to interface with the most common high speed domes.
Sony Broadcast & Professional (UK) – Enquiry 110

How much is that DOGE?

Built in a resistant ABS and metal enclosure, the sirens are self-powered with 12 V DC. Sound and timer are programmable, while the battery, flashing unit and loudspeaker are microprocessor-controlled.

The manufacturer states that "the variety of coloured covers to choose from, coupled with a flashing unit and smooth, elegant design" helps the DOGE match any architectural surrounding – a fact that will not be lost on discerning end users tasked with taking such factors into consideration.
Techna PCE – Enquiry 111

Fighting back against vandals

Each of the three newly-developed domes are available in two variants – for surface-mount or in-ceiling applications. The VDC-B1112FB has an integral 1/3" monochrome camera, while the VDC-C1172FB incorporates a 1/3" colour camera.

The top-of-the-range VDC-D1185VP model is supplied complete with a high performance, 520 TV lines resolution day/night camera. The camera – which has a varifocal lens – senses prevailing light levels and then automatically changes to day or night functionality as appropriate.
Sanyo – Enquiry 112

ADT tackles the enemy within

The company has developed POSEM – Point of Sale Exception Monitoring – to prevent the massive financial losses arising as a result of employees who steal from their place of work.

In operation, CCTV cameras film sales as well as returns, clearly showing the employees as well as the customer, and any tape is accompanied by the actual till point receipt that recorded the transaction details. This will prevent unscrupulous staff from working in cahoots with crooks who pose as customers returning goods for cash, as well as simple thefts from the till by employees.

POSEM is designed to record and inter-link with up to four cash registers, making the system ideal for the medium-sized retail chain. Such stores often employ a lot of temporary or casual staff, which means that the management often has little knowledge of their trustworthiness in the short term.
ADT – Enquiry 113

Ultra-flat JVC monitors

With a wide viewing angle of 160 degrees, the monitors display crisp, bright pictures all from a thin, lightweight package that consumes much less electrical power than the more traditional CRT displays.
JVC Professional (Europe) – Enquiry 114

Solo: a video milestone
Vista's Solo digital recorder is said to be the first "truly viable" VCR replacement for end users

Offering end users recording speeds of up to 50 images per second, when recording in a comparable 24-hour time-lapse mode (five pictures per second), the Vista Solo provides seven days, 17 hours of storage to its internal hard drive. Recordings are saved to a single 80 Gb removable hard drive, supplied as standard.

The Vista Solo eliminates all of the drawbacks traditionally associated with its VCR predecessor, such as lengthy tape searches, time-consuming and unreliable tape management, problematic tape storage and security and degraded images. A simple replacement for the end user's existing VCR, migrating to the Solo will have absolutely no impact on the rest of your current surveillance installation.

Compatible with all leading multiplexer systems, the Vista Solo includes VEXT output for easier multiplexer integration. The units feature straightforward operation time lapse, alarm and scheduled record modes with one button searches and simple on-screen menus such that recordings may be quickly retrieved by the end user according to date, time or alarm.
Norbain – Enquiry 115

Baxall nurtures a new image

Hyper-D radically changes the way in which cameras process images, resulting in near film quality pictures. Today's camera technology only digitises images after a number of processes, leading to image degradation. The sensors in the Hyper-D models digitise the image immediately at the pixel level. This is achieved by incorporating an analogue-to-digital converter on each pixel.

Every pixel is then individually exposed for the optimum amount of time. This essentially means that each Hyper-D camera has literally hundreds of thousands of individual cameras working within it, each of which is trying to produce the best image possible.

These images are then combined to create a high quality video frame/picture with excellent colour reproduction and a dynamic range that's claimed to be "superior to any current CCTV camera".

Greater dynamic range significantly improves image quality in scenes consisting of both bright and dark areas, making it more like the human eye when viewing surveillance images.

At the same time, the low light performance hasn't been sacrificed so the performance overall is suitable for high end colour surveillance cameras.
Baxall – Enquiry 116

Is this a longer looming Lite?

Orbiter Lite's improvement over the former 16:1 zoom adds potentially vital detail and clarity to this indoor dome camera system. Meantime, the MaxCom Gold offers end users full variable speed telemetry control of up to 16 Microspheres or static cameras with alarms, two monitor outputs and PC-configurable, menu-driven tours.

Also in the MaxCom range is the system control keyboard, which allows RS485 control of MaxCom systems and Ademco Video digital video recorders.
VCL – Enquiry 117

Real time 3D recognition

A4Vision's 3D facial imaging and ID technology works by illuminating the subject's face with a grid of infrared light. Distortion of the grid is proportional to the curve of the features. This provides actual measurements of facial traits.

By concentrating on the 'hard surfaces', any problems with ageing are removed. The system doesn't need standard light to work, but is independent of the lighting conditions (unlike 2D recognition).

Face recapturing refers to the moment when the camera (pictured) and the special light source take a 'picture' of the target. This module includes the software necessary to automate the image acquisition process by means of a PC. The software controls the hardware functionality, and synchronises all the necessary steps of the acquisition process.

Following reconstruction of the 3D element, a colour surface is over-imposed on to the mesh and an optimised 3D surface produced.
Premier Electronics – Enquiry 118