Ambarella Pushing These IP Camera Trends

Author: Brian Karas, 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

**** *** ****** **** ** ***** ** *.*** *** ** *****-****** cameras?

********* ** *** ******* ******** **** ****** ********** ****-*** ************* **** ********, ****, *****, ******* / ******, Nest and **** ******. **** ********* ******** *** ********* ***** *** * major ****** ** *** ****** ** ** ******* ** ************* adopt *********'* ***** *** *** ***** *** ********.

** *** **** **** ****** *** **** **** ** ******* ***** new ******** (*** **) *** **** **** *** ******** **, including:

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

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

4K Favored **** ***

********* ** ********** *** ************* ** *** ** ******** *** sensors **** *** *******. 

**** *** *** ** * ********-******** ********** *** *** ********* *** find **** ** ********** ******** *******, ****** **, ***** ******* is.

****** ** * ******* ****** *** ***** ***** ** ******* manufacturing, *** ****** ** **-***** ******** ******* ** *** ******** industry ** ******. * ** *** ******* *** **** *** **** savings ******* **** ****** ********** ** *******, ******* ************* ** drop **** **** ******* *******.

H.265 ********

********* ****** ******* *** *********** **** ******* *.*** ********.

**** ********** ********* **** ********* ** *** ****** **** *.*** chips.  ** ****** ***** ******* ***** ** ********* ***** (*.*** ** *.*** *******)*** ***** ***** *.*** ******* *** *** ******* ********** ********* *********.

***, ********* ** ****** ****** **** ******* ***** ********* *******.

********* ** ******** ****, **** ***** ***** ********, **** ***** 'smart' *.*** **** ******* **% ********* ********* **** ******* ********** H.265. **** *** * **** ********** ****.

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

** ******** ** ********* *******, ********* *** ******* ******** ******** ************ in ***** ** ***-***** ***********, ***** ********, *** ***** ******.

** ***** ** *********'* ********** *****, **** ***** ***** *** S3L **** **** ******* */*" ******* ** ******* ****** *** ***** performance **** ******* */*" ****** *******. ** ****, **** ***** be *********** ******* ***** *** **** ****** */*" ******* **** tested ***** **** ** *** ***** *********** (*.*., ********* *********** */*" ****** ****** ******, ******* ****' */*" ***** ******, ***.) **** **** **** ***** ********* ******* ** *** ****** imager *** ****.

 

******* ******* ****** ****** **** *** ****, ************ **** ** comes ** ******.

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

** ******** ** ********* ********, ********* **** ********"********* *******", ** ****** ******** ******* **** *** **** ****** release ** **** ********* *** ** ***** * **** ******* with ***** *****. ************* **** ***** *** ********* *******, ****** or ******** ******** **** ******* */*'* ** **-**** *****.

*** ***** ** ****** ********* ******* **** *****, * ***** doorbell, *** * ******-********* ****** ******* ** ** ******** ********* concept.

********

*** ******** *** **********-***** ********* **** ** **** ** *** ** *** ** encoder ********.

**** **** ********* **** ** ****** *** ******* *********** ** enter, **** *** ** **** *** **** ***********.

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

** *** ******-********* ******, * *** ****** ******* ******, *** the ********* **** **** ********** ****** ********* ** ****** ***** alarms. *** ****** ******* *** ***** ** * **** *** power ****, *** **** ** ** ******* **** **** *** PIR **** *********.

******* **** ** ~*** **** *** ******* *** *** ********** of * * **-**** ******, **** * ******* *** *** worth ** *********.

** **** *****, **** *** ***** **** ******* ****** *********** attention. *********'* ********* ****** **** ***** **** ******** ***********.

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

** *** ****, ********* ********* * *** ***-*** ****, **. *** ** *** ******* (*) ** *******, *** ** dewarping ** ***** ********* ** *** *******.  

**** **** ******** *.*** ******** *** ***** ******** **** *** ******* to ******* **-***** ********* *** ****-*******.

*** *****-****** ****** *** **** ***** ** ******* ***** ********.  We **** **** **** (**** ******* *****-****** ******), ******** (******** ** *********** ****** ******), ** (*** *****-****** ********* ********** ** *******) *** ***** (***** ****** **** *****-****** ******) ******* *****-****** ******, ****** **** **** ******* ** *** 2-4MP *****.

*** *****-****** ****** *** **** ****** ** ******* ******* ************, but *** ** ******** **** **-***** *********.  

* ** *****-****** **** *** **+***, **** *** ******* ** run **** ********* ***** ** * **** *********** *********** ** the *****-****** *****.

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

*** ** ******* *** **** ** ** ********** *** * ****** imager.  ** *********, ** ******** * **** *****.  ******* ***** ** *********, as ***** ******* *** ** ***** ****** **** *****, ******* Avigilon *** ***** ***** ** ** ***** **** ******* ** the ****** ******* ** **** ***** *****.  

********* **** ******* ******* ******** ** ***** *  ****** ****** with ***** ****-********** *******, ********* ** *** *********** ******** *********** to ****** ** ****-****** ***** **** ********** ******.

*******

********* **** **** * ***** ****** ** ******* ** ****** new ******** (*.*., **, ***** ******, ***** *** ***** ***********, *******'*, etc.). ** **** ***, **** **** * ****** ****** ** do ********* *** *.***, ***, *****-*******, **, ***.

*** **** ******** ** ****. **** ******* ********* ******** * chip **** *** ********* **** *** ****, *** ******* *******. It ***** **** *** ************* ** ***** / ********* / optimize / *******, ***. **** ** **** **** ******* **** for ************* ** ***** * ******** **** ** ********* **** will **** *** ***** / *********** ********* *** *** **** 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?

Thumbnail brk1

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.

Thumbnail usa shield

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.

Thumbnail brk1

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

Thumbnail brk1

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.

Thumbnail brk1

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

July 2018 IP Networking Course on Jun 22, 2018
  This is the only networking course designed specifically for video surveillance professionals. Register now. Lots of network training exists...
Hikvision 12MP Fisheye Camera Tested (DS-2CD63C2F-IV) on Jun 14, 2018
Hikvision's DS-2CD63C2F-IV is their flagship panoramic camera, with a 12MP imager, 15m integrated IR, smart codec, and more. We tested the 63C2 in...
Introducing Effective PPF (ePPF) - Improving Video Surveillance Designs on Jun 11, 2018
Pixel density (PPF / PPM) is the best metric the industry has to define and project video quality. It allows simple communication of estimated...
Hanwha Low-Cost 4MP Camera Tested (QNV-7010R) on Jun 11, 2018
4MP usage is increasing noticeably, as IPVM 2018 resolution statistics show. And low-cost, fixed focal cameras, are popular for budget...
Powerline Networking For Video Surveillance Advocated By Comtrend on Jun 08, 2018
Powerline networking, using existing electrical wiring, has been around for many years. Indeed, over the years, some video surveillance providers...
H.265 / HEVC Codec Tutorial on Jun 07, 2018
H.265 support has improved significantly in 2018, with H.265 camera/VMS compatibility increased compared to only a year ago, and more manufacturers...
Hikvision PanoVu 20MP Flexible Camera Tested on Jun 01, 2018
Hikvision has released their first repositionable multi imager cameras with integrated IR included, atypical in competitors. We bought and tested...
Stats: Upgrading Cameras Far More Common Than Replacing Failed Cameras on May 30, 2018
The old saying "If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It" does not apply here. New IPVM statistics show that 60% of cameras that are replaced still work but...
Oncam 12MP Fisheye Camera Tested on May 29, 2018
Oncam has made their name since the early 2000s as a fisheye specialist, focusing only on panoramic cameras. To see how this specialist stacks up...
VMS Server Sizing on May 25, 2018
Specifying the right sized PC/server for VMS software is one of the most important yet difficult decisions in IP video surveillance. In the past...

Most Recent Industry Reports

July 2018 IP Networking Course on Jun 22, 2018
  This is the only networking course designed specifically for video surveillance professionals. Register now. Lots of network training exists...
Installation Hardware for Video Surveillance - Indoor Fasteners on Jun 22, 2018
As part of our Installation for Video Surveillance series, in this note, we cover drywall anchors. A key part of installing security hardware is...
Hikvision ColorVu Integrated Visible Light Cameras Examined on Jun 22, 2018
When it comes to low light, infrared light has become the defacto standard in surveillance. But IR is limited to monochrome images, making colors...
'Secure Channel' OSDP Access Control Examined on Jun 21, 2018
Despite claiming to be better than Wiegand, OSDP's initial releases did not address the lack of encryption between reader and controller, leaving...
Most Wanted Improvements In Manufacturer Technical Support (Statistics) on Jun 21, 2018
5 key areas of improvement and 1 clear wanted support feature were voiced by 140+ integrator responses to: What improvement in manufacturer...
GDPR / ICO Complaint Filed Against IFSEC Show Facial Recognition on Jun 20, 2018
IPVM has filed a complaint against IFSEC’s parent company UBM based on our concern that the conference violates core GDPR principles on...
IFSEC 2018 Final Show Report on Jun 20, 2018
IPVM attended the IFSEC show for the first time this year. The Chinese took over the show, centered on Hikvision, flanked by Dahua, Huawei and a...
Mobotix Releases 'Move' Into 21st Century on Jun 20, 2018
For years, Mobotix stood resolutely against, well, every other manufacturer, selling it as a virtue: MOBOTIX equipment is designed with no...
Cybersecurity Startup VDOO Disclosing 10 Manufacturer Vulnerabilities Starting With Axis And Foscam on Jun 20, 2018
Cybersecurity startup VDOO has uncovered significant vulnerabilities in Axis cameras along with many others not yet disclosed. In this report, we...
Axis Guardian - Cloud VMS And Alarm Monitoring - Released on Jun 19, 2018
Axis has struggled to deliver a cloud-based managed service video platform. Video service providers have utilized AVHS for over a decade, and have...

The world's leading video surveillance information source, IPVM provides the best reporting, testing and training for 10,000+ members globally. Dedicated to independent and objective information, we uniquely refuse any and all advertisements, sponsorship and consulting from manufacturers.

About | FAQ | Contact