Ambarella Pushing These IP Camera Trends

By: John Honovich, Published on Apr 13, 2016

Will the market soon be ruled by H.265 and 4K Multi-sensor cameras?

Ambarella is the largest supplier of IP camera chipsets to high-end manufacturers like Avigilon, Axis, Bosch, Samsung / Hanwha, Nest and many others. What Ambarella develops and advocates often has a major impact on the future of IP cameras as manufacturers adopt Ambarella's chips and use those new features.

We met with them during ISC West 2016 to discuss their new chipsets (the S5) and what they are focusing on, including:

  • 4K Growth
  • H.265 Development
  • Greater Super Low Light
  • Multi-Imager Expansion
  • IoT Growth
  • 8K Cameras

**** *** ****** **** ** ruled ** *.*** *** 4K *****-****** *******?

********* ** *** ******* ******** **** ****** ********** ****-*** ************* **** Avigilon, ****, *****, ******* / ******, **** *** **** others. **** ********* ******** and ********* ***** *** * major ****** ** *** future ** ** ******* as ************* ***** *********'* chips *** *** ***** new ********.

** *** **** **** during *** **** **** to ******* ***** *** ******** (the **) *** **** they *** ******** **, including:

  • ** ******
  • *.*** ***********
  • ******* ***** *** *****
  • *****-****** *********
  • *** ******
  • ** *******

[***************]

4K Favored **** ***

********* ** ********** *** manufacturers ** *** ** chipsets *** ******* **** *** cameras. 

**** *** *** ** * security-specific ********** *** *** something *** **** **** in ********** ******** *******, unlike **, ***** ******* is.

****** ** * ******* factor *** ***** ***** in ******* *************, *** volume ** **-***** ******** outside ** *** ******** industry ** ******. * or *** ******* *** lose any **** ******* ******* over ****** ********** ** cameras, ******* ************* ** drop **** **** ******* lineups.

H.265 ********

********* ****** ******* *** *********** **** ******* *.*** encoding.

**** ********** ********* **** Ambarella ** *** ****** with *.*** *****.  ** tested ***** ******* ***** on ********* ***** (*.*** ** *.*** *******) *** ***** ***** *.*** cameras did *** ******* ********** bandwidth *********.

***, ********* ** ****** theirs **** ******* ***** bandwidth *******.

********* ** ******** ****, with ***** ***** ********, that ***** '*****' *.*** will ******* **% ********* reduction **** ******* ********** H.265. **** *** * demo ********** ****.

Low ***** ********** ************

** ******** ** ********* savings, ********* *** ******* ******** encoding ************ ** ***** of ***-***** ***********, ***** accuracy, *** ***** ******.

** ***** ** *********'* comparison *****, **** ***** their *** *** **** **** empower */*" ******* ** deliver ****** *** ***** performance **** ******* */*" imager *******. ** ****, this ***** ** *********** because ***** *** **** recent */*" ******* **** tested ***** **** ** low ***** *********** (*.*., ********* *********** */*" ****** Camera ******, ******* ****' */*" ***** Camera, ***.) **** **** **** quite ********* ******* ** the ****** ****** *** lens.

 

******* ******* ****** ****** size *** ****, ************ when ** ***** ** lenses.

IoT ****** ******* *******

** ******** ** ********* chipsets, ********* **** ******** "reference *******", ** ****** hardware ******* **** *** chip ****** ******* ** show ********* *** ** build * **** ******* with ***** *****. ************* then ***** *** ********* designs, ****** ** ******** features **** ******* */*'* or **-**** *****.

*** ***** ** ****** reference ******* **** *****, a ***** ********, *** a ******-********* ****** ******* to ** ******** ********* concept.

********

*** ******** *** ******** on-board ********* **** ** part ** *** ** and ** ******* ********.

**** **** ********* **** it ****** *** ******* competitors ** *****, **** may ** **** *** Ring ***********.

Motion ********* / ******* ******

** *** ******-********* ******, a *** ****** ******* motion, *** *** ********* chip **** ********** ****** filtering ** ****** ***** alarms. *** ****** ******* can ***** ** * very *** ***** ****, and **** ** ** instant **** **** *** PIR **** *********.

******* **** ** ~*** days *** ******* *** the ********** ** * 4 **-**** ******, **** 5 ******* *** *** worth ** *********.

** **** *****, **** and ***** **** ******* gained *********** *********. *********'* reference ****** **** ***** help ******** ***********.

S5 *** Chipset ******* ** *****-*******

** *** ****, ********* announced * *** ***-*** chip, **. *** ** *** support (*) ** *******, and ** ********* ** image ********* ** *** chipset.  

**** **** ******** *.*** ******** and ***** ******** **** the ******* ** ******* on-board ********* *** ****-*******.

*** *****-****** ****** *** been ***** ** ******* until ********.  ** **** seen **** (**** ******* *****-****** ******), ******** (******** ** *********** ****** Tested), ** (*** *****-****** ********* ********** to *******) *** ***** (***** ****** **** *****-****** Tested) ******* *****-****** ******, though **** **** ******* in *** *-*** *****.

*** *****-****** ****** *** seen ****** ** ******* product ************, *** *** in ******** **** **-***** analytics.  

* ** *****-****** **** did **+***, **** *** ability ** *** **** analytics ***** ** * more *********** *********** ** the *****-****** *****.

8K ***** ** ****?

*** ** ******* *** also ** ** ********** *** a ****** ******.  ** *********, 8K ******** * **** image.  ******* ***** ** expensive, ** ***** ******* for ** ***** ****** that *****, ******* ******** has ***** ***** ** at ***** **** ******* of *** ****** ******* to **** ***** *****.  

********* **** ******* ******* Avigilon ** ***** *  closed ****** **** ***** high-resolution *******, ********* ** now *********** ******** *********** to ****** ** ****-****** super **** ********** ******.

*******

********* **** **** * track ****** ** ******* IP ****** *** ******** (e.g., **, ***** ******, super low ***** ***********, *******'*, etc.). ** **** ***, they **** * ****** chance ** ** ********* for *.***, ***, *****-*******, 8K, ***.

*** **** ******** ** time. **** ******* ********* releases * **** **** not ********* **** *** cost, *** ******* *******. It ***** **** *** manufacturers ** ***** / integrate / ******** / release, ***. **** ** will **** ******* **** for ************* ** ***** a ******** **** ** offerings **** **** **** the ***** / *********** optimized *** *** **** market.

Comments (13)

Undisclosed #1

04/13/16 05:46pm

Wow, this chip still hasn't made it in a production camera yet?

H.265 IP Camera Chip Announced (Ambarella S3)

Did they give any indication what model or manufacturer might get them first and when?

Avatar

Brian Karas

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 04/14/16 09:40pm

Ambarella couldn't comment on deployments of the S3 chip. Given that it was just announced 18 months ago, when you factor in time to production and time for manufacturers to develop, test, and ship product based around a new chipset it's not surprising that it may not be incorporated into many (or any) products yet.

They are recommending the S5 chip for all new designs, though we do not know price delta between the two chips and if manufacturers would decide to leap to the S5, or if S3 will start showing up in more products soon.

Undisclosed #1

In reply to Brian Karas | 04/14/16 09:52pm

...it's not surprising that it may not be incorporated into many (or any) products yet.

IMHO, 18 months is long enough that Ambarella should be shipping some chips even if the cameras themselves have not.

Though as you would be quick to point out, they may not wish, or be able to disclose this info.

Were all the 'demo' cameras just breadboarded, with no finished goods displayed?

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 04/14/16 10:17pm

long enough that Ambarella should be shipping some chips even if the cameras themselves have not.

Sure, that is reasonable.

but you asked originally:

this chip still hasn't made it in a production camera yet?

So that's what we were addressing. I assumed Ambarella has shipped chips to a number of manufacturers but I also assume that not a lot are shipping right now. That said, based on historical patterns, I suspect this would ramp up in the next year.

Avatar

Luis Carmona

IPVMU Certified | 04/13/16 05:49pm

Cool article, Brian. But you have to work on your subject titles. Next time try...

Ambarella Aiming to Mercilessly Crush Competition!

Chips that can auto stitch multiple imagers would be a welcome development and offering.

Avatar

Brian Karas

IPVM | In reply to Luis Carmona | 04/14/16 09:41pm

Thanks. If I'm stuck for a headline in the future I'll make sure to reach out to you :)

Truman HW

In reply to Luis Carmona | 11/28/17 12:22pm

Heyell yeah. Each of the categories they crush... alone! Including the "Apparently Vapor-Ware" category. 

Where........ are they?   :-o  Me wants

Undisclosed #1

04/13/16 11:24pm

Customers have rightly accused Avigilon of being a closed system with their high-resolution cameras, Ambarella is now potentially allowing competitors to create an open-format super high resolution camera.

Is the image processing chip on the Avigilon HD Pro cameras today something that can't be procured by others? Is it designed by Avigilon?

Have no idea, but I always assumed it was a chipset for pro photography...

Undisclosed End User #2

04/14/16 06:28pm

A rival just popped into the news today.

Their self written TechCrunch Article

Movidius Website

Avatar

Brian Karas

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed End User #2 | 04/14/16 07:06pm

I'm not sure Movidius is a direct rival to Ambarella.

Ambarella chips handle things like encoding the data from the image sensor into a video stream.

Movidius looks more like an alternative to a DSP, that is usually downstream of the encoder chip (Ambarellas product) in the video pipeline, analyzing the image stream produced by the camera.

Ambarellas newer chips have the ability to perform some level of analytics/analysis on the encoder chip itself, eliminating the need for an external DSP (which has commonly been a Texas Instruments chip). So in some sense they could be competitors.

Undisclosed Manufacturer #4

In reply to Brian Karas | 04/15/16 02:26am

Hi Brian,

Being heavily in the mix of both those companies right now, I can tell you that they ABSOLUTELY consider each other as competitors. Ambarella even lists Movidius in the quarterly shareholder conference calls under the "threats" category. Movidius is a new software designed SoC/Image Pipeline with a ton of processing power on chip. It is going directly after Ambarella in the drone and surveillance camera space.

Avatar

Brian Karas

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed Manufacturer #4 | 04/15/16 07:24am

Thanks for the additional detail. We will continue to watch Movidius, do you know of anyone using their chips in security cameras yet?

Undisclosed Manufacturer #3

04/15/16 01:42am

Amba S3L (4K) and S3Lm (upto 5MP) still have juice in them and I still don't see too many main stream CCTV products using S3L out there right now. Most companies using AMBA are still on S2L (correct me if I'm wrong?). I wonder whether one should skip S3 and move straight to S5 generation?

@Brian - is the H.265 HEVC implementation (achieving 128 Kbps bit rates on 1080p) for S5 significantly different than the H.265 implementation for S3? If not, will AMBA port the CODEC efficiency for S3 as well?

Login to read this IPVM report.
Why do I need to log in?
IPVM conducts unique testing and research funded by member's payments enabling us to offer the most independent, accurate and in-depth information.

Related Reports

Honeywell 30 Series Cameras Tested Vs Dahua and Hikvision on Dec 11, 2019
Honeywell has infamously OEMed Dahua and Hikvision for years, but now they have introduced an NDAA-compliant line, the 30 Series, claiming "lower...
Bosch Budget 3000i Cameras Tested on Dec 05, 2019
Bosch has long had a hole in its lineup for, as it describes, "competitively-priced cameras". Now, Bosch has released its 3000i series cameras...
AVTech ~$70 IP Cameras Tested Vs Dahua and Hikvision on Dec 04, 2019
Taiwanese manufacturer Avtech is taking direct aim at low cost leaders Dahua and Hikvision with ~$70 starlight and white light illuminator...
Budget Covert Cameras Tested on Nov 26, 2019
Covert cameras under $100 are widely available online but are they any good? To see how these models really work in the real world, we bought...
Top 2020 Trend - AI Analytics on Nov 22, 2019
170+ Integrators answered: What do you think will be the top industry trend in 2020? Why? For the 4th year in a row, AI/video analytics was...
Axis "Best Of The Best" 4K Camera Tested (Q1798-LE) on Nov 21, 2019
Axis has released their "best of the best" Q1798-LE bullet camera, touting "4K without compromise" with a large Micro 4/3" image sensor, custom...
Hikvision Dual Lens Face Recognition Camera Tested on Nov 19, 2019
Hikvision's Dual Lens Facial Recognition camera, claims that it "adopts advanced deep learning algorithm and powerful GPU to realize instant face...
Color Low Light Mega Camera Shootout - Avigilon, Axis, Bosch, Dahua, Hanwha, Hikvision, Panasonic, Speco, Sony, Vivotek on Nov 12, 2019
This is the biggest color low light shootout ever, testing 20+ super low light models from 10 manufacturers: Increasingly, each manufacturer...
Biggest Low Light Problems 2019 on Nov 08, 2019
Over 150 integrators responded to our survey question: "What are the biggest problems you face getting good low-light images?" Inside, we share...
Avigilon Appearance Search Tested on Oct 30, 2019
Avigilon Appearance Search claims that it "sorts through hours of video with ease, to quickly locate a specific person or vehicle of interest...

Most Recent Industry Reports

Video Surveillance 101 Course Opened on Dec 12, 2019
IPVM is adding a Video Surveillance 101 course, designed to help those new to the industry to quickly understand the most important terms,...
Verkada Notification Outage on Dec 12, 2019
Verkada is suffering an event notification outage and analytic search failures. Inside, we examine what the issues are, what Verkada told IPVM...
Hikvision DS 2nd Gen Intercom Tested on Dec 12, 2019
With its newest IP intercom, Hikvision proclaims users can 'get full control over an entrance' regardless of where it is installed, home or office...
Honeywell 30 Series Cameras Tested Vs Dahua and Hikvision on Dec 11, 2019
Honeywell has infamously OEMed Dahua and Hikvision for years, but now they have introduced an NDAA-compliant line, the 30 Series, claiming "lower...
"Good Market, Bad Business Models" - Residential Security on Dec 11, 2019
Industry banker John Mack, at his company's annual event, took aim squarely at the problems in the residential security...
IP Camera Browser Support: Who's Broken / Who Works on Dec 10, 2019
For many years, IP cameras depended on ActiveX control, whose security flaws have been known for more than a decade. The good news is that this is...
Acquisitions - Winners and Losers on Dec 10, 2019
Most major manufacturers have been acquired over the last decade. But which have been good deals or not? In this report, we analyze the...
IP Camera Installability Shootout 2019 - Avigilon, Axis, Bosch, Dahua, Hanwha, Hikvision, Uniview, Vivotek on Dec 09, 2019
What are the best and worst cameras to install? Which manufacturers make it the hardest or easiest to install their cameras? We tested 35 total...
Viisights Raises $10 Million, Behavior Analytics Company Profile on Dec 09, 2019
Viisights, an Israeli AI analytics startup marketing "Behavioral Understanding Systems", announced $10 million Series A funding. We spoke to...
Disruptor Wyze Releases Undisruptive Smartlock on Dec 06, 2019
While Wyze has disrupted the consumer IP camera market with ~$20 cameras, its entrance into smart locks is entirely undisruptive. We have...

What IPVM Is

The world's leading authority on video surveillance, with 200,000+ visits monthly.

  • Articles on cameras, video analytics, VMS, and trends
  • Tests showing actual performance and problems
  • Courses in surveillance, access control, etc
  • Camera Calculator for designing systems

Dedicated To Independence

We're dedicated to staying independent and objective. We're the only industry source to refuse any and all advertisements, sponsorship, and consulting from manufacturers. Why?