Page 42 - Security Today, September/October 2022

Keeping Pace
with Smart Video
Higher-resolution cameras, AI-driven analytics and higher frame rates have come as a boon to the security industry. Now what’s to be done with all that new captured data?
By Brian Mallari
Smart video has reached an inflection point. Significant innovations in key technology ar- eas have enabled the development of jaw-drop-
ping new video applications and handed a multi-
tude of opportunities to a wide swath of business segments. Some of those breakthroughs have come in the form of higher resolution, cloud computing, omnidirectional cameras, increased frame rates, AI-powered analytics and larger-capacity data storage.
Many advancements should help drive significant growth in the security industry. Research group IDC predicts the value of the worldwide video surveillance camera market to reach $50 bil- lion by 2025.
All of this exciting growth has already begun to heap unprec- edented demands on computing and storage resources. For that rea- son, it has become more critical than ever for security chiefs and integrators to ensure that their VMS — cameras, servers, recorders and drives — reliably meet their needs today and well into the future.
RAPIDLY EVOLVING VIDEO CAPABILITIES
Who can blame anyone for feeling overwhelmed by all the chang- es to video surveillance the past three years?
Only two years ago, the standard recorder collected video at resolutions of 720p or 1080p. Nowadays, it is common for com- panies to record at 4k, quadrupling the amount of data collected.
Higher resolution provides security teams with the ability to discern a license plate number in greater detail at longer distanc- es, facial features and smaller objects. Higher resolution has also driven the need for increased storage.
Also, the types of video streams collected today have changed. Not long ago, a camera would send a single stream. Today, se- curity cameras can deliver multiple streams. First is the primary data feed, or auxiliary stream, that is captured at lower defini- tion. The second feed is used for monitoring or for redirecting to another location.
Then comes the streams dedicated to serving analytics, which may include picture files, alarm data and log file information. As a result, the quantities of information stored has mushroomed and security systems must support this new data deluge.
ORGANIZATIONS STORE VIDEO FOR LONGER PERIODS
Additionally, these systems often must store data for longer and longer periods.
Whether it is to satisfy regulatory requirements, protect against liability or for training AI models, a growing number of companies store video for many months.
In the cannabis industry for example, California requires dis- pensaries to maintain security video on file for a minimum of 90
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days. Some banks store security video for six months. Other busi- ness sectors, such as gaming, must satisfy special needs.
The Nevada Gaming Commission regulates gambling in Ne- vada. Requirements are that dedicated cameras cover each slot machine and gaming table. Those cameras, according to the regu- lations, must provide “enough resolution to readily identify the reel strip symbols, card values, or any other machine indication used to determine game outcome.”
Casinos collect enormous amounts of data, yet the gaming commission requires them to store 90 days of video. Backend components enable that and so much more.
Power companies fly camera-equipped drone aircraft to iden- tify and assess down power lines. Farmers fly them to identify unhealthy crops. Video cameras assisted by artificial intelligence enable hospitals to improve patient observation and better pre- dict infections and other causes of patient deterioration.
DON’T SKIMP, CHOOSE GEAR SUITED TO YOUR NEEDS
Still, realizing all the benefits that smart video offers has come at a cost.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that higher expenses have led some security managers to collect video at lower frame rates or to reduce resolution. We have seen a few companies try to manage data from multiple cameras with desktop drives.
Strategies like this are extremely risky.
A video and data management cost-benefit analysis is one of the key factors measuring the cost of failing to capture a critical event. Ensuring access to that vital clip or frame when it is most
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