Today's Cameras; The View is Amazing

I enjoy the advances made in the CCD cameras we have today. Just realize that 20 years ago most cameras were the size of a shoe box, were heavy, the lenses were expensive, and cumbersome. The housings and PTZ units were also designed around these bricks. Depending on the requirements, the housing itself could have been 3 feet long, and the PTZ unit weighing 20 plus pounds. The wiring required was 120 AC and had to be installed by qualified electricians. The quality of the image, camera capabilities, and installation standards were archaic.

The cameras we have today are designed with the highest quality and options unheard of 10 years ago. For example Color. Black and white cameras, monitors, switchers, and multiplexers were readily available, and 'affordable'. The first COLOR system I installed was for a casino environment, where the budget was extremely higher, and only the best would be considered. Today you can have both. Some cameras have the capabilities of switching between color for day, and black and white for night, basically 2 cameras in one. Cameras now have built in IR illumination. The old IR illuminators ranged in size from small coffee cans to 5 gallon paint buckets, were very noticeable, emitted vast amounts of heat, and were expensive to operate and maintain. I will go into more detail on these features in another blog.

PTZ domes and mini domes are very affordable, and easy to configure and control. With a little planning, installation can be a breeze. The concept of the all-in-one camera with PTZ, day/night, zoom, and digital zoom simply leaves nothing else left to ask for. Or does it? Yes, networking capabilities. Cameras are now being engineered to run on networks, have IP addresses, and function remotely from virtually anywhere. The equipment can simply be programmed, plugged in, and as long as the network is functioning, be viewed across the world, and recorded and stored in another part of the world, the possibilities are endless. The technology is here. I can't wait to see what happens next, but I am sure wireless networking is on the horizon.