What VMSes Support Multicasting?

I am not sure I see the value of multicasting on larger sites where there is typicaly a need for central management of users, so logging onto a server opposed to directly to the camera makes sense. Ensuring integrity of video is questionable with multicasting, additionally any bad network design can be severly punished. It seems that some VMS's will use the camera multicasting because they dont have any transcoding ability to retransmit the video in a more bandwidth efficient form from the server to client.

John

Since you are making a list...
Digifort does support multicasting, but only from server to clients, basically server will use unicast connection to the cameras and can deliver the received images to the clients either by unicast or multicast

Aimetis Symphony supports multicasting.

IndigoVision supports Multicast for both recording and live viewing. With devices capable of multiple streams, each stream can be independently set to either TCP/IP Unicast, RDP Unicast or Multicast. IV recommends TCP/IP Unicast for recording and, in applications with many users, Multicast for live viewing.

There are no differences. Both Omnicast and Security Center supports the same capabilities in terms of multicast.

Hi,

I suppose only Genetec and NICE supports Multicasting in more meaningful way. i.e., these VMSes take advantage of multi-cast of cameras and supply the multicast stream from camera to client directly upon the request from multiple clients which means fewer loads on network and no load on servers. Servers remain free to just record and serve playback. For live viewing clients are supplied streams directly from camera but of course authorized by directory servers

Other than this multicast by servers is supported by most of the VMSes like Milestone, Genetec etc

To clarify, while many have pointed out that Milestone Corporate and Expert are the only versions that support multicasting, nobody has specifically noted that Milestone also only does multicasting from the server side. Cameras stream unicast to the server.

The servers Multicast tab is checked to engage the function (checked by default), and specific cameras are then enrolled to be multicast from the server with a similar checkbox on the camera's Record tab (not checked by default).

MY best guess at why some VMSes only support multicast as proxy from their software on a server is it is easier to write the code into their own software for multicast support from the clients. Alternatively, supporting multicast direct from 3rd party cameras will require some additional work on the drivers for those cameras, and each manufacturer may have their own specific nuances therefore for the time being it is simply easier to standardize the IGMP joins from the clients to their own software as a proxy.

My 2 cents and may not be 100% accurate.

Aimetis Symphony supports multicasting from camera to client in all versions (Standard/Pro/Enterprise).

Any new discoveries?

In 99% of our installations, the cameras are not accessible from a client workstation. All cameras are on a private Fiber or copper environment, and 100% shielded from any tampering with ACL and MAC table security, and the switches are monitored by tools like ManageEngineUtils, looking for missing or potential rogue MAC appearances (not likely given the ACL/MAC security) It is my .02 on the subject that having cameras accessible by workstations increases the security footprint.... We all read and know about BAD firmware... Having all cameras secured greatly reduces that threat.

I'm suprised this wasn't mentioned yet. But Bosch their BVMS software supports Multicasting.