DIPOL Weekly Review - TV and SAT TV, CCTV, WLAN

Holiday photo contest "Engagingly about Antennas" - let's look at the sky. Subject of the photo contest is a challenge that, at first, seems to be difficult to be up to. What can be interesting in antennas? But we hope the competitors will take up the task that, apart from having esthetic qualities, requires dash of imagination, grain of wit, and sometimes a certain measure of risk. We hope that the simple definition of the topic - how to make antennas interesting for everyone - will encourage the competitors to use their hidden reserves of untapped talents.

Antennas constitute a part of our everyday landscape. Many of us can remember all of these past "forests" of traditional TV antennas that disappear from our lives being replaced by "dishes" of satellite antennas, and "tubes" of communication antennas. Some of them irritate our sense of beauty and ruin the looks of even the most architecturally-advanced buildings, but some may have just an opposite effect, and create a sort of unity and harmony with their surroundings. During holidays you can easily find interesting compositions worth photography...

There will be 3 prizes:

• I. Satellite set (HDTV receiver Ferguson HF 8800 HD A99359, 90cm sat dish, mount, 2 LNBs),
• II. Satellite set (the receiver Ferguson 3100 CK FTA A99231, 90cm sat dish, mount, 2 LNBs),
The works will be adjudicated by photographer and designer from Krakow, Mr. Pawel Zechenter.
• III. Special prize awarded by our technical department (the main criterion is ability of conveying technical ideas in an interesting way) - satellite set (the receiver Ferguson 3100 CK FTA A99231, 90cm sat dish, mount, 2 LNBs).

The first entries

Wall plates for Twin (PVR) receivers in multiswich systems. Twin receivers equipped with hard drives (with PVR facility) require two independent satellite signals (provided via two cables, e.g. TRISET-113 E1015).
The R694140 wall plate has two satellite paths. The first input of the outlet is supplied by the combined signal that is filtered to individual SAT1, TV, and R outputs. The signal from the second input is directly connected to the SAT2 output of the outlet. Of course, it takes two outputs of the multiswitch.

Surge protector. Signal surge protector is an ideal device for everyone who cares for their TV and satellite equipment: multiswitch, satellite receiver, television, stereo - the best precautionary measure against thunderstorms that can happen not only in the summer, but also in the fall and springtime. The device can be operated in the whole TV/SAT frequency range. It can take over surges up to 8000A (8/20 us).

IP video surveillance - the main advantages. IP monitoring systems transmit video /audio streams via computer networks. They are mainly used for professional purposes (video monitoring of cities, stadiums, companies, offices, stores, shopping molls, industrial plants, government buildings, banks, developments). These digital systems supplant analog CCTV that uses coaxial cables. Digital form of video information increases functionality of these systems, providing new functions unavailable in analog CCTV.
The simplest installation consists of IP camera, computer network, and computer (server) - network video recorder (NVR) with managing software.

The main advantages of IP monitoring:

DIPOL offers IP equipment of IQinVision, ACTi, and PiXORD.

Telecommunication infrastructure for IP CCTV. Badly designed, inadequately implemented, or improperly operated IP network will destroy functionality of the whole system or its fragments.

Typical results of inadequate LAN wiring or capacity:

High quality and efficient LAN network requires methodical approach on every stage of its building, based on adequate technical standards.
The standards are outlined in DIPOL's Library in the article LAN for IP video surveillance.

Operational requirements for CCTV systems - part 4. In the last part there are given requirements for playback, connected with the functionality of managing software.
Is the system capable of simple and quick searching and playing back the required video recordings?

The system should have the following functions:

All the issues mentioned in the four parts are described in detail on The Home Office website.

ULTIMAX - DVRs for demanding customers - control of PTZ cameras. ULTIMAX DVRs support over 80 PTZ protocols, so it is difficult to find a PTZ camera that cannot be operated by the equipment. The connection of PTZ camera is an easy job - it is made with two-wire cable (RS485) and includes choice of suitable protocol (the installer enters into the DVR the transmission parameters provided by the manufacturer of the camera). The functions of the PTZ camera are available from local keyboard or console, or via remote computer connected to the network and running remote client software.

Twisted-pair cables in CCTV. Modern CCTV systems use for video transmission typical network cabling based on UTP/FTP cables. It allows to transmit video signal and provide power to the CCTV devices (first of all - the CCTV cameras) with one cable. The diagram below shows example application of video transmitters allowing to send video signal and supply the cameras located up to 400m from the center.
Video signal from the camera is put to the TRN-1/400 input, and transmitted via twisted pair cable to the TRO-4/400 M1670 receiver. Both the transmitter and the receiver units adapt 75 ohm coaxial cable impedance to the impedance of twisted pair cable. They enable video signal transmission up to 400 meters. The TRN-1/400 M1668 receiver supplies unstabilized voltage (max. 40V DC) to twisted pair cable, and the TRN-1/400 transmitter converts it into 12V DC stabilized voltage. It allows to power the camera and the thermostat.

Example application of video transmitters

Simple QoS for home users. TP-Link TL-WR543G 54 Mbps N2955 Wireless AP Client Router integrates 4-port Switch, Firewall, NAT-router and Access Point. In AP Client Router mode it provides wireless access to the Internet with the support of WISP mode. It is very useful function in the case of wireless provider. The device has been dedicated mainly to Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) wireless network solutions. TP-Link TL-WR543G enables the user to build wireless network in quick and effective way, share internet access among several PCs, and, due to firewall, protect the network against external attacks.

The latest hardware (version 2.0) and firmware (version V2_071010) allow to create bandwidth priority (QoS). The update can be downloaded directly from the manufacturer's website.
This function enables the user to assign adequate bandwidth of the ports, e.g. port no. 1 for the task/user of highest priority - Highest, and the port no. 4 for the task/user of the lowest priority - Lowest.
The function is not available when the TL-WR543G router is in AP Client Router mode.

QoS configuration menu of TL-WR543G router

PiXORD strengthens its market position in IP CCTV sector - an interview with Rachel Lee and Jason Yu from PiXORD. On May 26, 2008, the representatives of PiXORD company payed a visit to the main distributor in the East and Central Europe, DIPOL company.

What makes your products so competitive on the market?

PiXORD offers a wide range of professional equipment at very good prices. A big plus is free software suitable for SOHO applications. This application software is stable, simple and intuitive for the users.
Our cameras perform new functions, e.g. the model P500. It can record video on USB drive.

Rachel Lee and Jason Yu in the DIPOL headquarters in Krakow

We have written about:

MSR Multiswitches from Terra - modern concept of multiswitch systems. The most flexible multiswitch installations in multi-story buildings are based on 9-cable system (signals from two Quatro LNBs and terrestrial TV antenna). On each floor we employ the splitter providing signals to multiswitches...
- archive DWR of March 31, 2008

Cameras with Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) sensor. WDR cameras use the newest generation of sensors from the American company Pixim. Every pixel of the sensor is an independent analog to digital converter...
- archive DWR of Dec. 17, 2007

Professional IP monitoring system in MZK Kedzierzyn-Kozle based on PiXORD P400 cameras. Miejski Zaklad Komunikacji (municipal transportation agency) in Kedzierzyn-Kozle, Poland, have been using professional monitoring system equipped with 16 IP cameras, for several months now. The system has been installed in bus depot and monitors the whole ground and the buildings...
- archive DWR of Nov. 26, 2007

Index of published issues