System Considerations
About 75 percent of hospitals now have digital video surveillance systems, and the trend is likely to accelerate. Some hospitals have been slow to adopt IP video in general because they already made a significant investment in analog solutions. VGA, or standard resolution IP video, really offered little or no benefit over analog. If the existing network infrastructure could be leveraged, there was still significant conversion expense to move to IP such as encoders or more costly IP cameras along with NVRs (Network Video Recorders) or HVRs (Hybrid Video Recorders) in lieu of existing tape or analog-based DVRs. The return on this investment (ROI) with VGA IP solutions just wasn’t there when you consider that — after all of that expense — there was no increase in image quality. However, using megapixel solutions, the ROI for IP conversions is dramatic.
A hospital might choose a “hybrid” system to reap the benefits of an IP-based systems (inclu
ding megapixel imaging) while preserving a previous investment in analog infrastructure. However, the superior image quality of megapixel video is an important element in the compelling argument for a complete transition to a networked video surveillance platform as resources become available. It’s common following an initial implementation of megapixel technology that the ROI realization prompts a more rapid, full-scale conversion than was perhaps initially plannedAlso, the availability of products on the market that convert existing analog video coax transmission to network IP transmission enables hospitals to leverage existing analog infrastructures so that conversions are more cost-effective.
The facility footprint itself creates infrastructure logistics for signal transmission; therefore, leveraging existing network infrastructures with IP megapixel solutions is an advantage. Compression technology has improved related to video images, which mitigates any concerns about bandwidth, and the cost of storage also has decreased. VMS (Video Management System) megapixel integrations have multiplied.
In short, megapixel technology is becoming mainstream for healthcare applications.
New Uses On the Horizon
Facial recognition and other advanced video analytics have dramatically improved in recent years and continue to gain traction for general surveillance applications. The ability of megapixel cameras to capture tremendous detail provides the data required for advanced analytics such as face recognition, allowing video surveillance systems to automatically identify individuals on “watch lists” that should not gain access. New analytics software solutions are more powerful than ever, and they are benefiting from the increased volume and quality of data made available by megapixel cameras to perform more complex functions. Megapixel video is poised to become even more useful to hospitals and healthcare facilities in the future.
Carole Dougan is Vice President – Strategic Accounts of Arecont Vision.
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