Subscriber Discussion

One-To-Many Camera To Live Only Display Solution

UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #1
Feb 22, 2018

When you have a video surveillance system in place, sometimes you need a monitor that displays live camera streams only, and you don't need a full powered workstation that might also need a connection license to the VMS. So you might use a "video decoder" device like something from Next Level (NLSS), Aimetis, or ACTi for example, which connects to the camera network and pulls streams directly from the cameras and outputs them via usually HDMI directly to a monitor, bypassing the VMS system.

In that case, the cameras being displayed live will only has to serve 2 masters: the VMS system and the live view video decoder. But what if the customer wants 2, 3 or more of these live displays? You can add more decoders, but now your asking the cameras to serve many masters, possibly impairing it's video performance for the recorder (where you always want the highest resolution at your desired framerate).

To me the solution would be to have some sort of computer or AV system that pulls a single stream from the cameras for live view, and also has enough power to serve multiple decoders pulling duplicates of the same streams. That way the cameras continue to serve only the VMS and the live view system, keeping the performance optimal for both.

I know there are theoretical ways or advertised capabilities to do this, but my interest is what kind of solutions are there for something like that which have actually been tried or witnessed working?

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #2
Feb 22, 2018

A reason to use Genetec, from a non GENETEC person.  

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Josh Hendricks
Feb 22, 2018
Milestone Systems

If you use Milestone, you can take advantage of DLNA support assuming the displays used support it. Then the displays only need to talk to the VMS, and the cameras need only stream to a single endpoint.

That said, usually as long as you're not pulling a different stream from the camera than is being pulled by a VMS or other clients, the camera isn't using much additional resources to send that same stream to another client. It's not universally true but often it is.

Another option if the camera, network, and decoder all support it, is to use multicast. 

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UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #1
Feb 22, 2018

Thanks for the feedback. So the Milestone server would also be a streaming source for the cameras? But only for DLNA compatible displays? Using a display that supports DLNA might limit choices in displays and I don't know if such display would support multiple camera views as I don't think they consider security applications for DLNA streaming..... unless I am wrong?

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Josh Hendricks
Feb 22, 2018
Milestone Systems

Yes, if you're using Milestone, you would only have the Recording Server service talking to the cameras. The DLNA server can be installed on any system that has network access to the Recording Server. The DLNA server would pull a video stream from the Recording Server and deliver that to DLNA clients as requested.

It can be cleaner and less expensive solution compared to hanging a computer from a public view monitor but obviously requires a DLNA compatible display.

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UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #3
Feb 22, 2018

You are correct in the fact that DLNA only supports a single camera being displayed at one time. Milestone does however allow you set up a carousel, and in addition, you can switch the camera being displayed using events and rules.

If the monitor does not support DLNA (which a great deal do), you also have the option to use a Roku, Chromecast, or other type of streaming sticks that are DLNA capable. This is certainly easier to do than adding a full PC to a monitor.

UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #1
Feb 22, 2018

This is certainly easier to do than adding a full PC to a monitor.

It is, but being limited to a single stream is not practical enough. Most applications I've seen, and definitely in every one of ours, involves having multiple views up at a time. A minimum of 4 and as much as 12.

We've deployed a fair amount of HD encoders, but we have a few clients that more an more are wanting static live views without having full power client workstations. In some places we have as many as 10 live only monitors going in. Not always with the same cameras on each, but some with duplicates.

My concern is getting to a point where you are "over stressing" the cameras to the point that it starts impacting performance for both a live only view and the recorded VMS stream if we end up having it on 3 or more live view monitors.

I'm not necessarily looking for a cheap option or roundabout option, I'd like to get the best tool for the best job. I'd also like it to be independent of the VMS, so while I appreciate the comments and feedback, I don't want to be limited to a particular VMS only option. I would also like to stay away from multicasting.

I know, a tall order, but I would think there'd be something in the AV world or some other option I haven't thought of yet to do this fairly easily.

UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #4
Feb 22, 2018

This can be done using websockets where one RTSP stream is taken from the camera and delivered via websockets for all the browsers requesting the streams.

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