Pelco Surevision 3 Tested

Published Apr 12, 2017 07:07 AM

Pelco has released generation 3 of its Surevision cameras, claiming improved performance in both super low light and WDR performance.

We bought and tested the 1080p Pelco IME229 [link no longer available] against competitive models from Axis, Hikvision, Hanwha, and Panasonic, as well as Pelco's previous generation to see how it stacks up.

Summary

Pelco's Surevision 3.0 IME229 performs similarly to current generation models in WDR and low light scenes, though does not stand out in any area. However, its lack of smart codec (offered by most cameras in 2017) results in much higher bitrates in all scenes than competitive models.

For those already dedicated to installing/using Pelco, the Surevision 3.0 is a solid choice and welcome upgrade over previous generations.

Pricing

The camera can purchased online for ~$800 USD, similar to many outdoor IR dome models, such as the Axis P3225-LVE or Panasonic WV-S2531L (both ~$800), but moderately higher than models such as the Hikvision DS-2CD4526 or Hanwha XNV-6080R (both ~$600). 

Physical Overview

We review the physical features of the IME229 in this video:


The camera is similar in size to other outdoor IR domes, such as the Axis P32 and Hikvision seen here:

User Interface / Configuration

Most of the Surevision 3 web interface is unchanged from past Pelco cameras. However, notably, Pelco has added a quality adjustment slider along with a max VBR bitrate setting, missing from previous cameras. Using default settings (10 quality), the camera averaged ~Q28.

Image Quality Comparison

The image below shows the test field of view / conference room.

The comparison below shows the Pelco IME229 and other cameras in full light.  The camera provided strong detail in the subjects face, but failed to provide detail to the bottom of the chart, appearing washed out.

In a dark scene, ~0.01 lux, the IME229 provided better detail than the Axis P3225 and Pelco IME319 (Surevision 2, no IR). However, compared to the Hikvision, Panasonic, and Wisenet X models, it appeared softer, reducing details of the subject and test chart. Note: focus was re-checked prior to testing.

Wide Dynamic Range

With the WDR setting on the camera set to high it performed best in our challenging WDR test scene. We tested lux against a south facing door at mid day.  The test scene field of view below shows the indoor lux reading was ~45, while the outdoor reading is ~11,000 lux, a 244x variance.

The IME229 offers two WDR settings, "Normal" and "High", with a noticeable performance increase when using High, shown below. We tested these settings in this wide dynamic scene, as well as full light and low light and saw no negative impact on image quality or bandwidth when using High, so have used this setting in our comparisons below.

The IME229 performed well compared to most other cameras (set to "High"), with solid details against the strong backlight and in the dim interior area of the scene, outperformed only by the Axis P3225.

 

Bandwidth

Due to its lack of smart codec, the Pelco IME229's bitrates were the highest tested day and night, drastically higher than other models. 

The following settings were used for each camera's smart codec above:

  • Axis P3225-LVE: Zipstream Extreme / Dynamic GOP 1200 / Dynamic FPS On
  • Hanwha XNV-6080R: Dynamic GOV 160 / Dynamic FPS On / Wisestream High
  • Hikvision 4526: H.264+ On
  • Panasonic S5231L: GOP Control On (Mid) / Smart Facial Coding On

Test Parameters

The most up to date firmware was used at the time of the time of testing:

  • Pelco IME229: 06.2.1.73
  • Axis P3225-LVE: 6.50.1
  • Hanwha Wisenet X XNV-6080R: 1.00_170117
  • Hikvision DS-2CD4526FWD-IZH: V5.4.41 Build 170310
  • Panasonic WV-S2531L: 1.42
  • Pelco IME319: 2.1.2.0.8280-A0.0
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