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

No. 21/2011 (May 23, 2011)

It has begun - 3D in your pocket!

At the beginning of the year, LG showed Optimus 3D smartphone at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. In March, at CTIA in Orlando, Florida, HTC unveiled a similar device - EVO 3D. The Sharp's response to these products is to be Aquos SH-12C smartphone. In order not to lag behind, Motorola starts with MT810, Samsung with SCH-W960 3D. The final confirmation of the trend is the decision of Apple to implement similar functionality in iPad 3.
All these devices share a common idea - application of 3D display technology. Three dimensions are entering mobile devices very quickly!
Semiconductor unveiled DA8283 processor for generating 3D images
and displaying them on screens with parallax barrier
Last year, loud marketing campaigns were announcing the next revolution, similar to the introduction of color television or flat panel displays - a three-dimensional television. Unfortunately, for many reasons - among which the most important are the need to use special glasses and the lack of 3D content - the breakthrough is delayed...
However, the matter seems to be simpler in the case of mobile devices - small screens can be easily adapted to display three-dimensional images without the need for the user to wear the special glasses. Smartphones will also be equipped with double cameras capable of capturing 3D video - so there will be no problem with 3D content.
Additionally, a YouTube service intended for 3D fans will provide access to multiple video clips.
Auto-stereoscopic (without using special glasses) methods of displaying 3D images.
On the left - lenticular lenses, on the right - parallax barrier. The right eye (R) receives a different image
than the left eye (L), hence the impression of depth.
The parallax barrier method is currently more popular. The display includes a layer of opaque material with a series of precision vertical slits being a part of the screen. The diaphragm with the slits allows the left and right eye to see different sets of pixels, creating a sense of depth through parallax.
Location of the slits interacts with the possible positions of both eyes against the screen. Three-dimensional effects in this technology require appropriate preparation of the video content. Each frame, called stereogram, is created by combining two images - for the right and left eye. So created image allows for seeing 3D effect just opposite the screen (in perpendicular direction). This requirement can be easily fulfilled in smartphones etc., being personal devices.
In the case of lenticular lenses the images for the right and left eye are formed by the special lenses. It seems that lenticular lenses are more prospective, due to better color reproduction and higher brightness.

Antennas in an old town filled with young people.

First settlements in the area of the present town were established in the seventh century AD. A town charter was granted in the twelfth century and the character of the town was shaped during the Middle Ages. The number of historic and old buildings does not make life easy for antenna installers. Due to maintenance requirements, they have to use bands or other special hardware to preserve the walls, chimneys, and roofs.
The town has only about 160 thousand inhabitants, but its significance and fame is directly related to the huge number of young people staying here.
What is the name the city? Look for the answer at the end of this review.
Due to maintenance requirements antenna installers have to use bands or other special hardware
to preserve the walls, chimneys, and roofs. What is the name the city?
Look for the answer at the end of this review.

SMATV system with 232 outlets.

One of the design offices turned to us for help in designing SMATV system in an apartment building.
They demanded to provide each apartment with two outlets supplying digital terrestrial television signals (DVB-T) and satellite channels from Hotbird and Astra.
The building will have 6 staircases located at distances of about 50 m. Under the building there will be underground garages, which should be used for installing trunk lines of telecommunication systems. The investor has ruled out the possibility of installing additional devices on individual floors.
Diagram of the SMATV system developed with the use of SatNet software from TERRA. The employee of the design office was surprised by the simplicity and elegance of the large project based on multiswitches.
In the case of such an extensive system the selection of the equipment is pretty obvious. The system will be based on the flagship TERRA multiswitches from MSV series. Main features of the series:
  • possibility to build very large systems with hundreds of outlets;
  • wide range of models with different numbers of outputs, suitable for installing on individual floors or, as in the described case, providing signals for all apartments connected by a staircase;
  • cooperation with splitters and taps to adjust the cable system to the existing telecommunication ducts;
  • possibility of local or remote power supply (via signal lines).
In the described system, in each staircase (except the first one) there are employed two multiswitches, MSV-924 R70874 and MSV-916 R70866, capable of providing signals to 40 outlets. In the first staircase there is only MSV-924 multiswitch. The trunk cables (Triset-11 E1025 at distances about 50 m) provide the signals to splitters and taps from the serii SS-9xx series.
The power supply for the system will be drawn from the electrical boxes (230 VAC) in the staicases - the multiswitches in the staircases 1-5 are to be powered locally from the AC/DC adapters R71465 (18 VDC output). The multiswitch located in the last staircase and two intermediate amplifiers SA-911 R70911 are to be powered via signal lines from the SA-901 R70901 amplifier (with built-in power supply).

Designing SMATV systems with SatNet software from TERRA

SatNet software - 13.1 MB (zip file).

Protect 520 - new portable DVR camera.

DIPOL offers another model from the family of portable DVR cameras. Protect 520 M70520 is the device that bridges the gap between the low-cost Protect 501 M70501 and highly-efficient Protect 701 M70701.
Portable DVR Camera: PROTECT 520 (HD, MPEG-4, SDHC/MMC)
View of Protect 520 hanging on the included bracket
The recording can be activated at any moment by the user, triggered by switching on an external power source (like cigarette lighter outlet in a vehicle) etc. The status of the device is displayed as an icon on the LCD screen or, when it is closed, indicated by a discreet LED. The included rechargeable 800 mAh Li-Ion battery lasts for about 3 hours of autonomous operation.
The recorded video contains date/time and watermark. The lens with viewing angle of 120 degrees as well as the recording resolution of 1280 x 960 pixels at 25 frames per second allow for detail analysis of the recorded video footage, which is especially useful e.g. when analyzing traffic situations.
The data is stored in avi format on a popular, easily removable, and resistant to shock and vibration flash memory card (SD/SDHC/MMC). The recorded material can be accessed by connecting the DVR via a USB cable to a PC, or using any suitable card reader. MPEG-4 compression ensures optimal use of available memory.
The interface is extremely intuitive, with 4 function keys and simple menus. The camera can be easily mounted - the kit includes a suction cup with a handle (to be mounted on flat surfaces, such as glass, polished or enameled metal). It is easy to monitor the image thanks to rotatable LCD screen.

Modern IR illuminators for indoor applications.

Discos, club rooms etc. often require a discreet illumination in the infrared spectrum, due to safety reasons. CCTV systems in such rooms use cameras with wide-angle lenses, so the IR illuminators should also have very wide radiation angle.
Such features have been incorporated into the Redbeam IRD60 M1642 (for rooms up to 60 sqm) and Redbeam IRD120 M1643 (for rooms up to 120 sqm) illuminators with radiation angle of 180 deg.
The IR light intensity automatically adjusts to the lighting conditions in the room. The illuminators can be installed in vertical or horizontal position, in parallel to the camera(s), on opposite wall, or (very often) on the ceiling. In each case the installer is able to locate the illuminator(s) so that to eliminate overexposed or shaded spots.

IR illuminators of Redbeam series are modern devices for providing homogeneous IR light in the monitored area in order to enable CCTV cameras to capture images in low-light or no-light environments. The advantage of the series is application of specially designed LED array (instead of a conventional set of diodes) which, together with optical lens/es, ensures desired operational angle and distance.
Another advantage of the arrays is the lifetime of the materials used. Standard heavy-duty IR diodes operate around 6000 hours. In the case of the arrays, the expected lifetime is about 50000 hours. It means that they can work for over 10 years (12/24 cycle)!
Redbeam - IR illuminators
On the left - a room illuminated with Redbeam IRD120 M1643.
On the right - the room illuminated with a typical IR illuminator.
More information in the video clip - click on the image.

IP CCTV system for Vögele Kultur Zentrum in Switzerland.

The Vögele Kultur Zentrum is a center for current issues, offering thematic exhibitions from the broad field of the arts and culture. To protect the visitors and exhibit items, the center has been equipped with IP video surveillance system based on ten megapixel cameras ACTi ACM-5611 K1512 and 14 D1 cameras, all connected to a 24-port PoE switch.
The exhibition center in Pfäffikon, on the southern side of Lake Zurich
1.3 MP resolution delivers superior picture quality both day and night. At night the cameras cooperate with infrared illuminators. The original lens can be exchanged for an item with a wider or narrower viewing angle, making the whole system very flexible when it comes to modifications of settings to the monitored area.
The basic architecture of the system
K1512 provides high performance-price ratio, which is especially important in the case of small projects with limited budgets. The 1.3 MP camera delivers about four times more pixels than a traditional analog CCTV camera, providing more detailed evidence in the case of a robbery, theft, or any other incident.

A convenient way to extend a HDMI signal over a long distance.

Signal-HD HDMI extender over CAT5e cable ( H3601) enables the user to connect a remote (up to 50m) source of HD content to the HD-enabled television/monitor, using one CAT5e/6 cable.
Application diagram
Advantageous features of using the HDMI extender over CAT5e cable:
  • possibility of utilizing ready-to-use structured cabling,
  • cost effectiveness (due to higher cost of HDMI cable and necessity of using HDMI repeater)
  • ease if installation (due to thinner and more flexible cable),
  • low cost of the left cable in the case of temporary installations where the cable cannot be taken away.
HDMI Extender Signal-HD (Cat 5e, 50m)
View of the H3601 HDMI extender over CAT5e

Oxford, Great Britain.

The city is dominated by the University and students. As the oldest university in the English-speaking world, Oxford is a unique and historic institution. There is no clear date of foundation, but teaching existed at Oxford in some form in 1096 and developed rapidly from 1167, when Henry II banned English students from attending the University of Paris. (Source: www.ox.ac.uk)
The University of Oxford is one of the leading universities in the world - it is among the top ten universities. The graduates of the university won 46 Nobel Prizes and 25 of them were prime ministers of Great Britain.
Oxford - old town filled with young energy
New products offered by DIPOL:
IP Dome Camera: Pixord PD614E (2MP H.264 PoE)
CATV/DTT (DVB-T) Switch MST-01 (IR control)
Wireless Pan-Tilt IP Camera: TP-Link TL-SC4171G (0.5 lx, VGA, IR, 30fps, MPEG-4, 4.3 mm)
WLAN Omni Antenna: TRANS-DATA DZ12 5GHz
2 MP PoE IP dome camera
K1550
CATV/DTT (DVB-T) switch
E2024
Wireless Pan-Tilt IP camera
K1154
WLAN omni 5GHz antenna
A743040
Worth reading:

Two signals in one cable. Is it possible to transmit the channel received by a sat receiver to other TVs in the home with the same coaxial cable that connects LNB?
Yes, employing two DC-009 R85300 TV/SAT combiners (diplexers) one can avoid the necessity of laying additional cable. The cable linking the two combiners carries SAT IF from the LNB to the sat receiver (TUNER) and - in opposite direction - the currently received channel converted into the RF signal by the modulator Signal R95175 (or R95176 )...
A portable CCTV system. Spring and summer are the seasons which hold a variety of outdoor events. Such events are more susceptible to various incidents and dangerous situations than in the case of indoor events in specially dedicated places, and therefore have to be under special supervision of the police and municipal guards.
The solution to the problem of safety at outdoor events is a "portable CCTV system." The set is simple to install, thanks to the use of equipment for wireless transmission from CAMSAT company...
Flat panel wall mount: DP101M (30-50 inches, tilt)
DVB-T Receiver Signal HD-507 (MPEG-2/4, PVR Ready)