Subscriber Discussion

IP Camera Provide Simultaneous Unicast And Multicast Streams At 30fps?

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Carl Lindgren
Jun 17, 2013

I'm splitting this off from my other Discussion of Unicast and Multicast.

Our tests of Axis and a few other IP cameras demonstrated their inability to provide two streams at 30fps. Although we only tested simultaneous unicast streams, Axis confirms that their P33xx series cameras can only provide around 24fps to two simultaneous HD streams and lower frame rates as the number of streams increases, no matter whether the streams are unicast, multicast or both.

Are there other brands that can provide at least two simultaneous 30fps 720p or 1280x960 streams, preferably one unicast and one multicast?

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Carl Lindgren
Jun 17, 2013
Seth, My understanding is that the VMS manufacturer would prefer unicast streams for record and multicast for "live" viewing and apparently their servers can't or don't split the streams up themselves.
SE
Seth Everson
Jun 17, 2013

I just responded about this in your other post. The whole thing smells very funny.

SP
Sean Patton
Jun 17, 2013

I agree with Seth, the unicast and multicast streams from the camera should look identical to the server, just at a different address... I get the multicast for live viewing, so that the servers dont have to accept video in and then turn around and reforward that video back out the same interface.

I am mostly interested in this to know what cameras can send out the dual streams you are looking for.

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Carl Lindgren
Jun 17, 2013
Seth, My understanding is that the VMS manufacturer would prefer unicast streams for record and multicast for "live" viewing and apparently their servers can't or don't split the streams up themselves.
SP
Sean Patton
Jun 17, 2013

FYI just tested an Axis Q1604 we have in house and we were able to generate 2 30fps 1280x960 streams, one unicast over wireless, one multicast wired.

SE
Seth Everson
Jun 17, 2013

Doesn't surprise me as the Q series typically has a beefier processor. Turn on some analytics and see what happens then...

MT
Mike Trinklein
Jun 17, 2013

Carl - I've posted this similar message in the other topic thread as well.

..with Bosch CPP4 (Common Product Platform) models, the encoding chipset is capable of accommodating what you are asking - 2 separate streams of Full HD at full frame rate. Stream 1 would be set to 1080p30, and Stream 2 would be set as "Copy of Stream 1". Additionally, multicast is done by stream, so you can configure Stream 1 to be unicast, and Stream 2 to be multicast. The comparable model to the Axis P33 series would be the Bosch NIN-832 Series. You'll also appreciate the iDNR feature which reduces excessive bitrate by reducing noise in the image. We've also introduced area-based encoding allowing variable compression quantization in up to 10 different regions of the camera scene.

FYI, when recording in a Bosch VRM environment, for example, if you set stream 1 to multicast, then use stream 1 to record to VRM, the following happens: Live video streams are pulled as multicast by all clients. The recording stream is sent as an iSCSI TCP unicast to the iSCSI device. This is because we have the initiator built-into the camera/encoder. So even when we are in multicast mode, our recording stream is always unicast. Only live video is Multicast across the network.

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Carl Lindgren
Jun 17, 2013

Thanks Mike.

We did test one Bosch IP camera with the other VMS we are considering but didn't get very far - after I had done a bit of tweaking of the camera stream(s), their server started continuously rebooting and the only cure was to disconnect the camera. The first VMS demo (the one that requires Camera Gateways or proxy servers) had already been removed so we didn't get the chance to test the Bosch camera with it.

The second VMS manufacturer did trace the problem to a .dll file and provided a new file but by that time, our evaluations were complete and we had dismantled the system.

At least that gives us something to go on. I'm averse to getting "tied down" to the VMS manufacturer's cameras exclusively so once we get the new system deployed, Bosch cameras will be among the first ones we test.

BG
Bob Germain
Dec 24, 2013

Carl-I just saw this post so I am not sure if this is still of concern to you. Hikvision PTZs (and Cameras) can provide simultaneous unicast amd multicast streams at 720p30. This is supported thru our API or ONVIF. If you have specific VMS of interest, I can find out if they support this with our cameras.

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Carl Lindgren
Dec 24, 2013

Bob,

IndigoVision. We didn't buy their camera gateways so we would have to use the ONVIF streams. You can contact me via LinkedIn. We will be evaluating PTZs first, starting right after the holidays, and fixed domes after that.

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