Education

Significance of IP Video Surveillance in Education- A Brief Guide

Starting from the quality of education, the security of the students also matters a lot. It is very essential for the school to ensure the proper security of the children and it should be the top priority for the school. It is the duty of administrators that they have to carefully analyze the security option regarding video surveillance. They need to start the work with a thorough look inside the market to find out which network-based video technology will be the best in the educational facility in comparison to the traditional analog system.

Currently, the industry is seeing a shift from the analog video system to the digital internet protocol (IP). The utilization of the IP-based video is increasing and it is demanded well in society. Furthermore, according to an estimate, 80% of every DVR sold is recorded by the IP camera. This number clearly shows the importance of IP video.

Now, let’s have a look at the broader use of the IP video within the education sector:

1- Digital IP Versus Analog Cameras

An IP camera is designed for connecting with a computer network or a recording device like a network video recorder, DVR, and network-attached storage along with some other method of image retention. With the help of an IP camera, it is accomplished by using a Category 5e or 6 cables with eight-position modular plugs. On the other hand, an analog surveillance camera is using a coaxial cable along with a second cable for power.

For your information, IP cameras are given a unique address for identification purposes. This is the key feature that will differentiate the technology from analog. This address will allow the network to store images in separate folders related to the specific cameras. In addition to this, IP addresses will also allow networks to associate specific information with every image like date, time, camera location, camera type, etc. This will also help the system operator to identify the scene that is coming from inside or outside the facility.

In the majority of the cases, the network superimposes other data on images like cash register transaction information. The reason is that it is a digital format, advanced searches that can be conducted using any number of criteria. For a good example, you need to consider the retail side of a college or university like a book store or cafeteria. Data coming from credit cards or other identification credentials will be used for locating a student in real-time or via recorded video. Note that the Integration along with other subsystems like access control will enable school officials to analyze the audit trail of students along with the staff member activities and reviewing images from nearby cameras in the entire process.

The next important difference between IP and analog cameras is the format that will be used to send image information over a wire. Remember that the Conventional cameras will use the National Television Standards Council (NTSC) standard that is called a composite video. Furthermore, for the surveillance camera services you should pick the expert who has years of experience in installing services.

2-Usage of Network-Based Video

Since the 1950s, the security companies are installing and servicing the analog cameras with the education sector. This also includes the commercial, industrial, and retail markets. For many years, analog technology has served the industry in a better way but after the rise of computer networking in education, the number of IP video installations have been doubled.

In many of the schools, colleges, and universities, IP cameras provide officials the ability to track and identify suspicious individuals once they will enter or leave the facilities. Furthermore, the IP cameras enable administrators in monitoring the sidewalks, critical entrances, parking lots with better efficiency. For the IP camera installation, you should hire an expert in your area.

IP video also helps in recording the image that can be reviewed later. This is helpful when the real-time observation is not an option. For your information, the Network video provides us the benefit of capturing real-time events and they also allow us to store them on a computer’s hard drive. Interestingly, due to the presence of the megapixel imagers, IP video can easily record images with a better resolution.

Moving on, due to the digital nature, images taken using the IP camera can be easily exported for law enforcement use. This will not be affecting image quality. It is interesting to note that for authenticity, the watermark is present in the digital framework of every image. This is very much important when images are going to be used in a court of law.

3-Cameras Addition ToExisting Infrastructure

The next key benefit of using the IP cameras is the accessibility through which it can be added to an existing local area network (LAN). The majority of the educational facilities have a LAN installed within the buildings. These things will eradicate the need of installing the coaxial and power cables from one end of the building to another building. This practice was done before during the installation of analog cameras. This ease not only save time but also saves money.

Note that the IP cameras also used the Category 5e or 6 cable that is generally cheaper as compared to the coaxial. Sometimes, the choice can be between the installation of a $ 700-megapixel camera with a 6-foot extension cord to a network’s wall outlet for a robust, high-resolution picture or paying an installer $500 to run a new coaxial cable for the entire distance of a school for analog.

4-Balancing Need for IP Video

The people who are against the IP-based video cameras say that the use of a camera is a pie-in-the-sky approach to video surveillance because it is not worth the cost. If you are going to ask some of the information technology (IT) managers, they will say that attaching IP cameras to a school’s network will not be practical because cameras need a lot of bandwidth.

It is a fact that not every school needs megapixel quality video. But those who are using it say that you can’t have many resolutions when you are going to prove your case within the court.

When a camera is first installed, it will be sending a complete image of the stairwell. After that, the pixels that are changed will be sent to the head-end. Note that the digital high-resolution cameras will not be ideal for every application but they are an important tool for security experts. To get the security camera installation on your property, connect with an experienced installation company.