Pelco GFC 4K Dome Camera Tested (IMP831-1ERS)

By Ethan Ace, Published Mar 12, 2019, 10:43am EDT (Research)

***** *** ******* ******** ***** ***** 4K ** ******, ***** ***** ** competitors' ********. ** **** **** *** late? ** ** ***** ****** ************ ** ****** *** **** ******?

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** ****** *** ****** *** ******-**** vandal **** ** *** *** ** compares ** *********** **********' *****-*************** **-*********-****, *********:

  • *** ** ******* ******* (~*** ***) compare ** ******?
  • *** ** *** *****/** (*.** ***) compare ** ******?
  • **** ********** ** ***** *** ********* 30m/~98' *****?
  • *** ****** **** ** ***** *** field ** ****?
  • *** **** ** ******* ** *** scenes?
  • *** ** ******** ******* ** ***********?
  • *** **** **** ** ********* ** VMSes?

*******

***** ** *** *****, *** ***** GFC ************ ** **** *** ******* advantages:

  • ***** *** ***********:*** ***** ** ****** ******** ********** better *** ******* **** *** **** Q3518-LVE *** ************* ****** *********** **** Hikvision's ****** ***** *********** *** *****.
  • *********** ***** ***** ********:***** ***** *.*** ******** **** ******* in **** *** ******** ****** ****** (~300 ***), ***** **** ****, *** higher **** *********, *** ***** **** both *********** ** ***** (~*.** ***, moderate ******).
  • ***** *** ***********:*** ******'* *.*** ****** *** ********* in *** ***** ****** ***** *** direct ***** ******, **** ****** **** motion ********* ** ********, *****, *******, and *********, *** *** ** *******.

*******, ***** **** ***** *** *********** issues, ** ****:

  • ** ********: *** ******'* ******* "****" smart ** **** ******** ** **** scenes, **** *** ******* ********* ** see ** **** ~**-**' ********. **** may ** ******** ***** ****** ***** adjustment, *** ************ ******* ******** ** medium ** **** ****** (**+ ** a ***** ** ***).
  • ** *******:** ******* **** ****** **** ******, appearing **** ******** ** *** **** or ********* ** *******' ******* ******.
  • **** *.*** *** *******:***** *.*** ******* *** *****, *** camera's *.*** ****** *** ********* **** in ********* ********. *** ****** ****** to *** ** ***** ***** **** H.265 *******.

*******

*** ***** *** ************ ** **** sells *** ~$*,*** *** ******. **** is ******** **** ********' *****-***(~$*,*** ******) *** ******** **** ********' *****-***************'* * ****** ** **** (**-*********-****), **** ~$***-*,*** ******.

Physical **********

********** *** ****** ** ******** ******* than ***** ** ***** ******, ***** below, ****** *** ***** ******* *** is ******* ** ****** (********* ****, 30m **, ** *******, *****, */*, etc.).

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Auto **. ****** **** ** ***********

** *** *****, *** ***** ** camera ******** **** ** ************ ** underexposure, ********* ** ***** ******** **** used.

*** *******, *** ****** ************ *** scene **** *** ** "****" ** illumination ****, **** *** ********** **** dark *** ******* ********* ** ***, but ** ************ ** ***** *****.

******* *** ****** ** ****** **** allows *** ****** ************ ** *** full *****, *** *********** *** ******* at ***** *****, ****** ********* ***.

** ***** ** *** ***** **** a ******* ******* **-** *** ********** to ****** ************ ***** ***** ****** illuminating *** **** *****, *** **** setting *** **** ** *** ********** shots *****. ***** **** **** **** is ****** *** ** * ******** issue *** *** ** ********* ** future ********. ** **** ******* ***** issues **/**** **** *** ** ********.

Integrated ** ***********

** *** *****, *** ****** ******* its ********* ***/~**' ******* *****. *******, details *** **** *** ** **** range ** **** ****** ** **** due ** *** *** (~**).

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** *********** *** **** ***** ** view, ****** *** ********** ****** ** the *****, ***** *****. **** *********** was ******* ** *** ********* ****, though *** **** ***** *** **** even.

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Integrated ** ******* (~*.* ***)

** *****, ********** ** *********** **** taken ***** ****** ** ********** *** to ** ** ******* ******* ************ and **** ******.

********** ** ******* **** ******* **** competitors ** * ~*.** *** *****, with ****** ***** ** *** ******* and **** *****, ***** ****:

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**** **** ******* ** ******** **** used *** *********** ******.

Daytime ******* (~*** ***)

** ** ****** *** ******* *****, ~300 ***, *** ******* ******* ******* details, **** *** ***** ** ****** providing ******** ******* **** ********** **** others, ***** ****** ******** ******** ****** exposed ****** ******.

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Above ******* *** ***********

** ****** *** ******* ** **** man **** ** * ***** ***, ~13,000 *** ******* *** **** **. ~300 *** ******.

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** **** *****, *** ***** ** camera ******** *** **** ******* ** the ******* *** **** *****, **** the **** **** ******** **** ******* strong ********* *** ******. *** **** Q3518 ********* ****, *** ********* ********* on *** *******'* **** ******* *********, reducing ******* ********, ***** *** ********** of *** ********* **** *** ********** washed ***, **** ******* ***** ******* in ****** *****.

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**** **** *** **** *****-*** *** not ******* ***** ******** *** ******** ******** **** *** ** ** ***** in ******* ********. ** **** ******* out ** **** *** ******* *** will ****** **** **** ** ******* response.

Bitrate **********

***** ******** **** *********** **** **** and ********* **** ***** ****** *******, slightly ****** **** ********* ** ******* scenes, *** ***** **** **** **** and ********* ** **** ****** **** IR **. **** **** ***** ************ were ***** ****

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Smart ***** ********

*** ***** ******* *** ***** ** many *************' ******* ** *****'* ******* charts ********* ** ********** ********** *******. **** ****** ***** ** see ******* ********** ** **** **** without ******* *** *** ********* ***** making ******** *******. *********, ***** **** view *** *** ********* *** * VMS ************** ** *** ***** *******.

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Broad *.***/****** **** *** *********** *** **** ** *.***

*** ***** *** ************ ** ****** integrated ** *** ***** ****** ***** H.264 (********, *****, *******, *********, ******* Optix), **** ****** **** *** ****** supported ** *** *** ** *******. The ******** ** ***** ***** ****** Pelco *******, ****** ******* ***** ***** uses *****.

*******, *** ******'* *.*** ****** *** supported ** **** ********* ********. *** camera ****** ** ******** *** ** most ***** **** *.*** *** ******** as *** ******* ****** ** *** web *********.

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Similar ************ ** ********* / ***** ********

*** ***** *** ** ****** ****** many ************ **** *********-************ ******, **** as ********** ******** (***** *****) ** ****/***** ******. For *******, *** *** *** *** same **** *******, ********* ****, *****, mounting **** *******, *** ****. ************, both *** **** ** ******.

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******, ***** *** ***** **** ************, such ** *** ******** ** ******** and */* *****, ****** ***** *** some *********** ******* *** ***, **** as ******/****** ***** *** *****/***** *****.

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*******, ****** ***** *** ******, *** Pelco ****** ** *** ******** *** Dynacolor's ********* *****, *** **** ** add ** ***** ***** ********* *******. Instead, ** **** *****'* ********, ***************** from ***** ***** ******, *** *****'* own ***, ***** ***** ****** *** on ***** ******* *******.

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Not **** ********* / **** *********

***** ***** **** *** *** ************ 4K **** ** *** **** ********* (PDF ****), ** ** **** *********, ****** the **** ** ***** ****. **** specify **** *** *****, *******, ******, Esprit, *** ***** *****************.

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Country ** ******

*** ***** ******-**** *** ************ ** Taiwan.

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Comments (10)

Undisclosed #1

03/12/19 03:43pm

Appreciate you cracking in to the OEM mystery, not only on this review, but others.

Just dealt with someone who was using a HikVision OEM DVRs, state that they won't use IP cameras due to cyber security concerns. Oooops.

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Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 03/13/19 12:21am

Just to reinforce, we are not saying that the Pelco 4K cameras are OEM. Contract manufacturing is certainly a possibility, but the firmware is clearly Pelco, not Dynacolor. Without tearing down a Pelco and the closest equivalent Dynacolor, we can't say for sure what hardware differences there may or may not be, either.

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Undisclosed End User #2

03/12/19 05:21pm

It would be interesting to know who Pelco mostly sells to. I'm guessing existing casinos. So many other good choices out there.

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Undisclosed #1

In reply to Undisclosed End User #2 | 03/12/19 05:50pm

Government, legacy, DOCs

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Undisclosed Integrator #3

03/13/19 02:49pm

Pelco's cameras are dynacolors with their own firmware. They are OEMing the product from overseas. We did a comparison at a casino recently with a tear down of the housings and internal components and they are clones.

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John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #3 | 03/13/19 02:53pm

Pelco's cameras are dynacolors with their own firmware. They are OEMing the product from overseas

To be clear, our classification of OEM is when both the firmware and hardware is from others. For this camera, we would consider it an ODM. Having one's own firmware is a material differentiator from a cybersecurity and customization perspective.

This is, of course, not an endorsement of Pelco but I think we should separate real OEMing (e.g., Mobotix Move which is Dynacolor hardware and firmware) to what Pelco is doing here.

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Undisclosed End User #5

In reply to John Honovich | 03/19/19 06:09am

As far as I know, Pelco is JDMing. This also explains the small differencies on the inside (power connector, etc).

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Undisclosed Distributor #4

03/14/19 09:19am

Genetec works fine with H.265 in my system, using 3 streams (4K, 1080p and VGA, all at 25fps).

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Rob Kilpatrick

IPVM | IPVMU Certified | 05/29/19 04:37pm

Update:

Added the country of origin to the report, the Camera was made in Taiwan.

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Undisclosed Integrator #6

06/13/19 02:28pm

The answer I have heard from Pelco is they are ODMing cameras made by someone else on a contract basis per their specifications.  Pelco owns the firmware and engineering design, but they are made by someone else for Pelco.

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