HDcctv Alliance Delivers eXtended Reach in Next-Generation HDcctv Standard

HDcctv Alliance, the trade association managing the electrical interface standard for HD surveillance, today revealed the detailed set of capabilities in the upcoming V2.0 HDcctv standard that are added to the capabilities defined in the V1.0 HDcctv standard.

As security professionals turn to 720p and 1080p high-definition surveillance, there is only one guaranteed 100% interoperable video interface standard: HDcctv. The HDcctv standard, first ratified in 2009, today delivers ultra-detailed, real-time, uncompressed HD video over standard coaxial cable. The HDcctv standard continues to evolve to meet the needs and requirements of the video surveillance equipment industry. The V2.0 HDcctv capabilities have now been finalized, and the V2.0 HDcctv standard is on track for ratification in 2011.

V2.0 HDcctv delivers eXtended Reach transmission (XR mode) and is planned for ratification by the end of 2011. With V1.0 HDcctv-compliant equipment already transmitting video over runs of longer than 150 meters of RG59 coaxial cable, XR mode more than doubles the transmission distance: V2.0 HDcctv achieves greater than 300-meter transmission over conventional RG59 coaxial cable, approximately 40 meters over aged or poor-quality coaxial cable and terminations, and better than 100 meters over UTP cable.

"EverFocus is experiencing real growth in this product category, and we expect a substantial portion of our revenues to be attributed to HDcctv going forward," said Michael Kimball, corporate vice president of product and solution development, EverFocus. "Furthermore, because we now have a wide range of accessories, EverFocus is positioned to address a broad range of applications, including enterprise-class multi-site projects. The fundamental value propositions - ease of installation and unsurpassed clarity - have absolutely been validated by the market. EverFocus is among the first companies to move into the second generation of products, all of which will be V2.0 HDcctv compliant," he concluded.

"V2.0 HDcctv facilitates the surveillance industry's transition to HD surveillance," commented Todd Rockoff, executive director of HDcctv Alliance. "Because so many more existing surveillance cameras can now be upgraded to HDcctv without pulling any new cable, V2.0 HDcctv presents a tremendous savings in labour time and material cost to the security installer. Moreover," he continued, "the enormous bandwidth of HDcctv interfaces enables the highest-quality HD full-motion real-time live views to be delivered, thereby enabling both the highest-quality forensic evidence to be stored on HDcctv-compliant DVRs and also delivering the live viewing performance that experienced surveillance professionals have come to expect."

HDcctv Alliance at ASIS in Orlando

The HDcctv Alliance will be promoting the HDcctv standard at the upcoming ASIS trade show in Orlando, Florida. Alliance executive director Todd Rockoff will be available to provide more information and answer questions between 10a.m. and 11a.m. daily at the EverFocus booth, #1049.

We asked Todd Rockoff, executive director of HDcctv Alliance about V2.0 HDcctv:

What are the advantages of V2.0 HDcctv cameras over the alternatives?

• HDcctv cameras deliver the highest-quality video available
• HDcctv cameras do not compress video before transmission, so live views are of highest quality, and DVRs have a best opportunity to store high-quality forensic evidence
• V2.0 HDcctv products are able to re-use the cabling of any existing surveillance camera, directly enabling the long-awaited transition to HD surveillance. That's a benefit both of time and of cost to Security Installers.

When will V2.0 HDcctv be ratified?

• December 2011

What are the disadvantages of V2.0 HDcctv cameras compared to the alternatives?

• HDTV is nearly 6 times more data-intensive than D1/NTSC/PAL, leading to greater component costs for pixel processing and video storage
• Digital semiconductor economics tend to reduce the premium of delivering 6 times the processing power in a multi-channel DVR
• Optimum commissioning of the DVR requires < 6 times the HDD capacity
• There are not yet any V2.0 HDcctv-compliant products
• V2.0 HDcctv products are on track to become widely available during 2012

Background: About HDcctv Alliance
HDcctv Alliance is the non-profit industry association that develops and promulgates the specification for high-definition closed-circuit television (HDcctv) interfaces. The V1.0 HDcctv specification is derived from broadcast industry standards for digital serial transmission of uncompressed video over coaxial cable, while HDcctv includes further capabilities <attuned> to the unique needs of surveillance, for example transmitting over optical fibre and unshielded twisted pair as well as over coax. The HDcctv Alliance is a union of HDcctv equipment and component manufacturers working in unison to build the HDcctv market. HDcctv-compliant products bear the distinctive HDcctv logo that guarantees transmission characteristics, interoperability with other manufacturers' HDcctv-compliant products, and compatibility with products compliant with future versions of the HDcctv standard. An up-to-date list of HDcctv-compliant Products is maintained at www.highdefcctv.org/compliant-product-finder. The Alliance also offers an HDcctv Certificate that may be earned by video surveillance system designers, installers, and dealers through a professional education program.