Beware: The Magical HD Analog Converter
By: John Honovich, Published on Jul 07, 2015
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
HD Analog vs IP Guide
on Jul 16, 2019
For years, HD resolution and single cable signal/power were IP camera advantages, with analog cameras limited to much lower resolution and...
Hikvision HDTVI Power Over Coax Tested
on Feb 05, 2019
After years of delay, Hikvision's Power Over Coax (PoC) HDTVI models are finally shipping, aiming to make HD analog installs as simple as PoE, with...
Axis Supports HD Analog
on Apr 15, 2019
In 2017, Axis declared 'Everything is IP':
Now, in 2019, Axis has released support for HD analog, with their new encoders.
Why the change?...
The Embarrassing Story of ISC West's Best New IP Camera
on Apr 24, 2019
A sad but simple situation:
Only 2 companies paid SIA the thousands of dollars required to compete for the best new 'cameras IP'
The judges...
Manufacturer Favorability Guide 2019
on Jun 12, 2019
The 259 page PDF guide may be downloaded inside by all IPVM members.
It includes our manufacturer favorability rankings and individual...
'CCTV' Is the Past, Cloud Video Surveillance Is the Future
on Jul 08, 2019
A fundamental shift is happening. For decades, video surveillance was overwhelmingly 'closed' and off the Internet. This is changing. More and more...
Online Video Surveillance Sales Comparison - Amazon, B&H, CDW, LTS, Super Circuits, More
on Jul 31, 2019
IPVM has uncovered the key trends and top options being offered across commonly used surveillance sellers.
How has the market shifted since we...
Cisco Settles False Claims Act Suit For Video Surveillance Vulnerabilities
on Aug 01, 2019
Cisco entered the video surveillance market in 2007 and suffered for many years through a variety of its own errors and arrogance. The conclusion...
Axis HD Analog Encoder Tested
on Oct 11, 2019
Two years after declaring "Everything is IP", Axis has released their first HD analog encoder, the P7304, with support for AHD, CVI, TVI, and SD...
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...
Most Recent Industry Reports
"Hikvision Football Arena" Lithuania Causes Controversy
on Jan 24, 2020
Controversy has arisen in Lithuania over Hikvision becoming a soccer team's top sponsor and gaining naming rights to their arena, with one local MP...
Axis and Genetec Drop IFSEC 2020
on Jan 23, 2020
Two of the best-known video surveillance manufacturers are dropping IFSEC International 2020, joining Milestone who dropped IFSEC in 2019.
The...
Multipoint Door Lock Tutorial
on Jan 23, 2020
Despite widespread use, locked doors are notoriously weak at stopping entry, and thousands can be misspent on locks that leave doors quite...
Avigilon Shifts Cloud Strategy - Merges Blue and ACC
on Jan 23, 2020
Avigilon is shifting its cloud strategy, phasing out its Blue web-managed surveillance platform as a stand-alone brand and merging it with its ACC...
Verkada Paying $100 For Referrals Just To Demo
on Jan 22, 2020
Some companies pay for referrals when the referral becomes a customer. Verkada is taking it to the next level - paying $100 referrals fees simply...
Camera Analytics Shootout 2020 - Avigilon, Axis, Bosch, Dahua, Hanwha, Hikvision, Uniview, Vivotek
on Jan 22, 2020
Analytics are hot again, thanks to a slew of AI-powered cameras, but whose analytics really work? And how do these new smart cameras compare to top...
Intersec 2020 Final Show Report
on Jan 21, 2020
IPVM spent all 3 days at the Intersec 2020 show interviewing various companies and finding key trends.
We cover:
Middle East Enterprise...
Vehicle & Long Range Access Reader Tutorial
on Jan 21, 2020
One of the classic challenges for access control are parking lots and garages, where the user's credential is far from the reader. With modern...
Clearview AI Alarm - NY Times Report Says "Might End Privacy"
on Jan 20, 2020
Over the weekend, the NY Times released a report titled "The Secretive Company That Might End Privacy as We Know It" about a company named...
Favorite Camera Manufacturers 2020
on Jan 20, 2020
The past 2 years of US bans and sanctions have shaken the video surveillance industry but what impact would this have on integrators' favorite...
Comments (22)
Undisclosed #1
Why do you think the switch is a converter? Can you buy it stand alone?
If it is a dongle converter I am definitely impressed; I abandoned the idea, (with j.d.'s encouragement), a while back here, Can You Create A TVI To CVI Adapter?.
Did the major Analog provider state it was an inline converter? My thought was that was just a switch to the camera to change the output type to the dvr.
Since you may not be able to reach the OSD initially, depending on which kind of recorder you are using, they needed an external way to switch the output format of the camera.
Of course, a 5 way analog converter the size of a key fob is way cooler, so I'm hoping you are right!
Create New Topic
Karsten Matthies
Thanks John,
Very interesting info. Maybe I am missing details but I believe the white thingy is just a switch and mainly serves as the camera adjustment (OSD - on-screen display) i.e. contrast, day/night, exposure, color, shutter speed, etc. Nearly all the cheap cameras from China I have tested have this same little joystick attached to the power/video cable permanently. It seems here the same joystick is used to toggle between the analog hd formats when first powering the camera up but otherwise is likely used to adjust the camera settings as above.
If this is the case then they likely have the chip(s) that controls which hd analog format is used is inside the camera itself on the main board or a daughter board or something.
But as your information above indictates, it seems the HDI has somehow "hacked" the HD formats as putting separate chips from Dahua, Techpoint and nextchip in each camera would make them too expensive. This would explain the performance issues.
Create New Topic
Jay Heming
Personally, I would kill for such as device as in an installer as a basic tool added to my bag of tricks. A leagal version costing about $100.00 would be well worth it. Never to be left within the system as another point of failure.
Create New Topic
Undisclosed Manufacturer #2
It is a possble solution at the technocal side because they(Dahua, Techpoint and Nextchip) are selling the Tx chip(s) itself and a using licence. It said if the device uses the Tx chip of each solutions, no legal issues. But still leaving support issues.
Create New Topic
Undisclosed Manufacturer #3
The "magic" is not in the dongle. It is in the camera. The dongle only tells the camera which of the three types of output is required.
Making a camera with all three output types is not that difficult or expensive. It adds $2.5 - $3 more to the bom.
Create New Topic
Undisclosed #1
Is it possible to confirm this statement with Dahua, Nextchip or Techpoint?
It sounds like a manufacture spreading FUD.
Reason? What chipsets would they actually be using to accomplish this, besides D,N,T made chips?
Certainly not their own?
Do the chip manufacturers place some restriction on the final use of the chips, i.e. "No hybrid devices"?
Create New Topic
Undisclosed Manufacturer #3
As far as I am aware there is no license required for using the chips. Only chip manufacturers who make compatible chips are/may be, required to license the technology.
Create New Topic
Undisclosed Manufacturer #3
I was told by a Chinese manufacturer, when he first started selling a combined AHD and TVI camera, that they used two chips. Adding a third chip to add CVI is not that difficult.
Create New Topic
Undisclosed #1
This looks to be a pcb for a multi-format board camera. It does appear to only have one PHY, the HDI 8901: (the biggest chip shown in the picture shown below, on the underside of the pcb - right half)
That combo chip is actually smaller than most single protcol chips:
Create New Topic
Eddie Perry
whats the chinese word for irony
someone is pirating tech within china from chinese companies, not saying its a good thing but mabye its just me who thinks they really dont have a right to complain about legal practices when they violate the rest of the worlds legal practices
Create New Topic