Hanwha 20MP Multi-Imager Tested (PNM-9081VQ)

By Ethan Ace, Published on Oct 09, 2017

Hanwhwa has introduced the latest in their multi-imager camera line, the PNM-9081VQ, a Wisenet 5 20MP model with four repositionable 5MP camera heads.

We bought and tested this camera to see how it performs, examining:

  • Physical construction
  • Imager positioning issues
  • Full light image quality
  • WDR performance
  • Low light image quality
  • VMS compatibility
  • Streaming capabilities
  • Frame rate performance (including the 30fps claim)
  • Bandwidth

*******

** *** *****, *** Hanwha ***-****** ******* ***** image ******* ** ***, night, *** *** ******, as **** ** *** bitrates *** ** ******'* Wisestream ***** *****, **** superior ** **** ***** imager ******* ** **** tested.

*******, ***** *** ******* key ********* ***** **** be **********:

  • ***** ******* ***** ***********:*** **** ** ********** imagers *** ***** ******** shrouds ****** *** ******* they *** ** **********, making ** ********* ** aim ******** ******* ** one ******* ********* (**** than **° *****).
  • ***** ******* ****:*******, *** ****** ******* is **** *****, **** 12" **** ** *" tall, **** ****** **** other ***** ****** ******* and *********** ****** **** typical ******* *****. ***** prioritizing ********** *** **** its **** *** ****** a ********, *** *** to *** **** *** weight ** *** ****** from **** ********* ** strong ***** **** ******* models.
  • ******* *** *******:*** ***-******'* *.*** *** H.265 ******* *** ********** supported ** ********* ******** and ******* ******** ******, and ****** ** *** tests, *** ******* ***** streamed *** **** ******* using *.*** (****** ********* issues **** *******, *** below). *******, ***** *** unable ** ****** *** channels ** *.***, **** imagers *-* ********* ** MJPEG ****. ******** ******* Center ******** **** *** first ******.
  • ******* ********* ** *****:**** *** ***** ***** which **** **** ** properly *** *** ******, on ******** ********* ******* 2-4 ******** ** * FPS ***** ******* ** H.264 ** *.***, ********* reboots, ********* *** **********, or ********** *** ****** to ******.

****: ** ***** ****** VMS ******* ** ******* as *** ****** *** only **** ******** *** a ***** ****** ** time. ** ** **** updates, ** **** **** here.

Physical ********

*** ***-****** ** **** larger **** ***** *****-****** models, **** **" ****, and ****** ** ******. Much ** **** ******* size ** *** ** the **** ** *** individual *******, ***** *** larger **** **** ***** imager ******, *** ******* with ** ********** ****** which ********* ******** *** lens's ******** *** ***** the ****** **** ***** against *** **** (********* further *****).

*** *******, *** ***** below ***** *** ****** next ** ** ******* SurroundVideo **** *** ******** HD ***********, **** **** smaller *******. *** ****** camera's ******* *** **** larger **** *** ******* model, ****** ****** ** size ** ******** (***** also ******** ****** *****/****).

** ****** ***** ******** of *** ****** ** this *****, **** ******* of ******** **** ******, including **** *******, *****, I/O, *-**** ******, *** more.

Limited ****** *********** ***********

******* ** ***** **** and ****** ******, ******* cannot ** ****** ** angles ********* **** **° to **** *****. **** means **** ** ** difficult ** *** *** imagers ** *** **** general *********, ***** ****** potential ************, *** ******** the ****** **** ***** used ** * ***° panoramic ************* (****** ********** those ******* ***° ****** of **** **** ** their ***-**** ******). ****** says ***** *** ****** the *******, *** ** is *** *********** ** reflections ** *** ******** of *** **** *** possible. ***** ** ********** improves *** ******* ******* may ** ****** **** to **** *****, *** aiming ******** ******* ** one ********* ** ***** difficult.

Sample ******

** **** *** ***-****** in **** ****** ******* and *** ** **** potential ************** ** **** as *********** *********** *** to *** **** ** imagers, *********:

  • ****** ***** (**** ***) and ********
  • ******* ******** ******
  • ******* ******** ****/******* ****/******* lot

Indoor *****/********

*******, ** *** ** the ****** ** **** an ***** ***** **** double ***** *****, ***** with *** ********, **** these ******* ******* **° using ******'* ******* **** to ****** ***** *** long/narrow ****. *** ****** imager *** ***** ******** down ** ***** *** lobby/monitor ******* *********, ** it ***** *** ** focused ** ***** *****.

**** **** *** ******* present ** *** ******** facing ****** *** ** reduced ** **** ****** but ******** ** *********** closeups ** *** *******'* head ** **** ***** due ** *** *-*' office ******* ******** ******, so ** **** ****** the ****** *** ** avoid ****.

Building ******

****, *** ****** *** configured ** ******* * 270° ****, ******* ** a ******** ******, **** three ******* ********** *** parking *** *** *** looking ****. *** ****** is **** ** **** the * ****** ******* lot **** ** **** as *** **** ******** beneath *** ****** ******* issues.

Building ****/******* ****/*******

*******, ******* **** ***** as ***** ******** ** possible ** *** *********, covering * ***** ***° field ** **** (****** with **** *******), **** the ****** ****** ******* down, ******* *** ********* overhead ****.

**** **** ***** ** no ****** ********* *** to ***** ******* ** a ***° *********** (******* to ****** **** **********'* ** ***** ******). ******* ** **** scene **** *** ** slightly **** **** **** overlap ** ***** ** best **** *** *****, keeping ******* *****. ******* outer ******* ** ****** stitch ******* ** ****** images *** ****** *** (seen ******' ***** ****** ******). ***** ******* * simple ***° ***** ** view *** ****** ****** off ***** ******'****-********-************ *****.

Image *******

*** ***** ***** ***** image ******* ** ~**' distance/~50' **** *****, ***** 50 ***. ******* ******* were ****** ****** *** day *** ** *** light **** **** ***** overexposure ** *** *****. With ******** ****** ***, ~0.07lx, ***** ******* ******* are ***** *******, **** several ***** ** *** test ***** *******.

****: *** ****** *** not **** ******* ***** multi ****** ****** *** to *********** ** ************, resolution, *** ***** *******. We **** ** ***** this ****** ******* ****** as **** ******* ***** imager ******* ****** *********. However, ******** ** ****** at ******* **** *** light ****** **** **** tests, *** ***-****** ******** well:

VMS *******

** *** **** ** testing *** ***-****** *** fully ********* **** ** Genetec *** ********* (*.***, H.264, *****). ******* ***** supported *.*** *******, *** not *.***.

***** *** **** ** connect ** *** **** imagers, *** **** *** first ****** ********* *** H.264, **** ****** ********* in ***** ****. ***** says **** *** ******* on ***** *********** ****** to ** ***** ** a ****** *******.

******** ******* ****** ****** to ******* ** *** camera ** ***, ****** timing *** **** ********** to *** **.

Stream ******

****** *******, ** *** frequent ****** **** ****** stability, **** ******* ******** to *****, *** **********, and *** ********* ******** times, **** ** ***** VMSes ***** ***** ********* the ****** (*******/*********/*********).

30 *** ** *** *******

*** ***-****** ** ******* of ********* *** ** FPS ** *** ******** simultaneously, ****** **** *****-****** models ***** ****** ** a *** ** ** or ** ***. **** makes ** *********** **** useful ** ************ **** minimum *** ***********, **** as *******, ************, ***.

*** ** ****** *** VMS ************* ******, *** only *** ** ***** confirm **** **** *** Milestone ********, ***** ******** 30 ***, ***** *****:

*********

*** ** *** ********* of*.************'* ********** ** ***** codec (*** *** ****), *** ***-******'* ******** were ***** **** ******* for ***** ****** ******. Others, **** ** ************ ************** ************** ****** ******** ** all ****** ******* **** lower ********** (* *** 12 **, ************, **. 20MP).

Intrusion ********* ***********

** *** *****, *** Hanwha ********* ********* ******* to ***** ***** ****** on ****** ******* **** as ******** ****** ** the *****, *******, *** drastic ***** *******. ******** when ***** *******, *** camera ********** ******* ** swaying ***** ** *** scene.

Hanwha-False-Analytic-Alarm-On-Moving-Foliage

Test **********

*** ********* ******** ******* were **** *** **** test:

  • ****** ***-******: **.**

Comments (18)

Avatar

Skip Cusack

10/09/17 04:33pm

Embedding videos into the reviews is really very helpful and a trend I applaud. Great job IPVM. Again. 

Undisclosed #1

IPVMU Certified | 10/09/17 05:43pm

With it's large size and high-frame rate and lack of stitching, this unit seems more like a multi-camera dome with built-in switch, than a multi-imager.

Which wouldn't be a bad thing necessarily/

Undisclosed Manufacturer #3

In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 10/09/17 08:01pm

This is an accurate statement. Instead of the limiting factors of a single chip running four image sensors, this camera contains four chips, one for each sensor.

Undisclosed #4

In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 10/10/17 01:24pm

Currently 1 license on Milestone for example ***4 channels on Hanwha's own recording eqp

Undisclosed #2

10/09/17 07:50pm

One interesting note (and maybe I just missed it) would be to list how many licenses are required from each VMS. For example, the Axis Q3709 requires 3 licenses in Exacq, but only one in Genetec. Salient only requires one license for all Arecont multi-imagers, etc.

Usually not a huge decision-point when selecting a multi-sensor camera, but something that is relevant, in my opinion.

Otherwise, great report.

Avatar

Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed #2 | 10/09/17 07:54pm

The PNM-9081VQ uses a single license for all four channels in Exacq, Genetec, and Milestone. Axis seems to be the exception to this in Exacq due to their use of 3 IP addresses on the Q3709, but even the Q3708 only requires one.

Undisclosed #5

10/10/17 03:42pm

Thanks! Excellent report! Very timely!

Avatar

Attila Szucs

10/11/17 05:18am

Arecont LOL

Robb Larsen

10/24/17 01:15pm

Thanks for testing this guys.

Paresh Desai

11/02/17 04:29pm

How much bandwidth and disk space would this camera require?

Undisclosed #5

11/02/17 05:02pm

Just installed one a few days ago. FoV is grassed area, property, road way and parking. Scene dynamics are fairly low, especially at night. Property is lit.

Each sensor (camera) set to 2560x1920 @ 30fps, h.264, colour 24x7,

with VMS defaults (Genetec Security Center 5.6 sr4)

Unit is H.265 capable , but did not test this yet.

My findings:

per sensor: 3-6 Mbps, with only a minor increase at night

At 5 Mbps per sensor, continuous recording, that would be 210 GByte total storage per day for entire unit.

I'm seeing ~ 140 Gbyte actual storage per day (all four cameras continuous recording)

Paresh Desai

In reply to Undisclosed #5 | 11/02/17 06:00pm

Thank you for sharing.  We're thinking about using them but I wasn't sure if we have enough storage and network bandwidth.  

Have you considered motion based recording?

Undisclosed #5

11/02/17 06:19pm

Haven't had much time to get deep into the camera, so I haven't tested motion-triggered recording yet. 

 

Unrelated general comments about this model:

My first overall impression is very positive .

One negative: we don't feel the design for cabling up the unit was particularly well thought out, especially when using side entry with robust cabling out of doors. Our electrician was a under-happy, but we got it done.

Avatar

Brandon Knutson

IPVMU Certified | 11/14/17 08:09pm

Have you (IPVM) retested with the newest firmware to see if the streaming issues have been resolved?

Avatar

Jon Dillabaugh

Pro Focus LLC
04/17/18 06:05pm

Does anyone know the minimum coverage I can get using all four imagers side by side? Meaning I don't want to use the center imager firing downward and I want minimal overlap between imagers. I need to cover about 200-240 degrees (50-60 degrees each imager) with as much resolution as possible, with maintaining low light capability.

Undisclosed Manufacturer #6

In reply to Jon Dillabaugh | 04/17/18 07:39pm

With the 2MP model, if the lenses are all the way wide, you can cover 358.5 degrees (practically 360 degrees) with just 3 of the sensors, allowing you to have 1 looking down.  If you use all 4 sensors and zoom them in, then you can definitely get 200-240 degrees of coverage.  the only issue is that you can only ge the 4 lenses so far together due to the shrouds.  You could remove a shroud, but it is not recommended.  You could also just use 3 sensors and move the 4th to a rear position or center position and not record it...

Avatar

Jon Dillabaugh

Pro Focus LLC
In reply to Undisclosed Manufacturer #6 | 04/17/18 07:52pm

Thanks for the quick reply. The image shown is how I would intend to use the camera, with shrouds in place and all imagers squeezed as tightly as possible, which would allow me to zoom out further and not have gaps between imagers. My preference is to zoom all lenses to their max, if possible. I will need a minimal amount of overlap as to not miss any areas.

Do you have any way of testing this scenario and letting me know the overall horizontal angle of view this setup will yield?

Avatar

Rob Kilpatrick

IPVM | IPVMU Certified | 06/20/19 06:17pm

Update:

Added section explaining Hanwhas intrusion analytic performance. The Hanwha intrusion analytics managed to avoid false alarms on common sources such as blinking lights in the scene, shadows, and drastic light changes. Although when taken outside, the camera frequently alerted on swaying trees in the scene.

Read this IPVM report for free.

This article is part of IPVM's 6,594 reports, 889 tests and is only available to members. To get a one-time preview of our work, enter your work email to access the full article.

Already a member? Login here | Join now

Related Reports

Hanwha 8K / 33MP Camera Tested on Sep 14, 2020
Hanwha Techwin has released an 8K / 33MP resolution camera, the TNB-9000 with...
The Future of Metalens For Video Surveillance Cameras - MIT / UMass / Immervision on Sep 25, 2020
Panoramic cameras using 'fisheye' lens have become commonplace in video...
Hanwha AI Analytics Camera Tested on Aug 11, 2020
Hanwha has released their Wisenet P AI camera, adding person and vehicle...
Taiwan Lilin NDAA Compliant Cameras Tested on Aug 13, 2020
Taiwan-based manufacturer Lilin is taking direct aim at Dahua and Hikvision...
Hanwha AI Object Detection Tested on Sep 28, 2020
Hanwha has added detection and classification of people, cars, clothing...
Avigilon Announces 10K / 61MP H5 Pro Camera on Oct 05, 2020
Avigilon announced its 10K / 61MP H5 Pro camera at the 2020 IPVM Fall New...
New Products Show Fall 2020 - 25+ Manufacturers On-Demand Recordings on Sep 30, 2020
This show featured 25+ Manufacturers showcasing their latest new products....
Verkada 2020 Cameras Image Quality Test on Oct 06, 2020
Verkada's first-generation cameras suffered from numerous video quality...
Longse Promoting Hikvision Partner Fullhan Chip Based Cameras on Oct 14, 2020
With Huawei HiSilicon production being shut down at TSMC, camera...
Multi-Imagers Added to IPVM Camera Calculator on Jun 15, 2020
IPVM has added multi-imager cameras to the Camera Calculator, supporting this...
Ultra-Wideband (UWB) And The Future of Mobile Electronic Access Control on Oct 07, 2020
In the last year, Ultra-Wideband (UWB) has gained support from new phones...
Avigilon Elevated Temperature Detection Camera Tested on Sep 17, 2020
Avigilon has entered the temperature screening market with the release of...
Camera Course Summer 2020 - Last Chance on Jul 18, 2020
This is your last chance to register for the Summer 2020 Camera Course. This...
Hanwha Face Mask Detection Tested on Jul 01, 2020
Face mask detection or, more specifically lack-of-face-mask detection, is an...
K7 Wall Mounted IR Temp Gun Tested on Jun 26, 2020
The original K3 model was missing a number of important features but the...

Recent Reports

VICE Investigates Verkada's Harassing "RawVerkadawgz" on Oct 26, 2020
This month, IPVM investigated Verkada's sexism, discrimination, and cultural...
Six Flags' FDA Violating Outdoor Dahua Fever Cameras on Oct 26, 2020
As Six Flags scrambled to reopen parks amid plummeting revenues caused by the...
ISC Brasil Digital Experience 2020 Report on Oct 23, 2020
ISC Brasil 2020 rebranded itself to ISC Digital Experience and, like its...
Top Video Surveillance Service Call Problems 2020 on Oct 23, 2020
3 primary and 4 secondary issues stood out as causing the most problems when...
GDPR Impact On Temperature / Fever Screening Explained on Oct 22, 2020
What impact does GDPR have on temperature screening? Do you risk a GDPR fine...
Security And Safety Things (S&ST) Tested on Oct 22, 2020
S&ST, a Bosch spinout, is spending tens of millions of dollars aiming to...
Nokia Fever Screening Claims To "Advance Fight Against COVID-19" on Oct 22, 2020
First IBM, then briefly Clorox, and now Nokia becomes the latest Fortune 500...
Deceptive Meridian Temperature Tablets Endanger Public Safety on Oct 21, 2020
IPVM's testing of and investigation into Meridian Kiosk's temperature...
Honeywell 30 Series and Vivotek NVRs Tested on Oct 21, 2020
The NDAA ban has driven many users to look for low-cost NVRs not made by...
Ubiquiti Access Control Tested on Oct 21, 2020
Ubiquiti has become one of the most widely used wireless and switch providers...
Avigilon Aggressive Trade-In Program Takes Aim At Competitors on Oct 20, 2020
Avigilon has launched one of the most aggressive trade-in programs the video...
Mexico Video Surveillance Market Overview 2020 on Oct 20, 2020
Despite being neighbors, there are key differences between the U.S. and...
Dahua Revenue Grows But Profits Down, Cause Unclear on Oct 20, 2020
While Dahua's overall revenue was up more than 12% in Q3 2020, a significant...
Illegal Hikvision Fever Screening Touted In Australia, Government Investigating, Temperature References Deleted on Oct 20, 2020
The Australian government told IPVM that they are investigating a Hikvision...
Panasonic Presents i-PRO Cameras and Video Analytics on Oct 19, 2020
Panasonic i-PRO presented its X-Series cameras and AI video analytics at the...