Testing Arecont Omni

Author: Ethan Ace, Published on Oct 20, 2014

The Arecont SurroundVideo Omni is one of the most novel new camera offerings in the past few years.

Like their 180 and 360 predecessors, the Omni supports 4 imagers / cameras inside. The major advance is that the imagers can now be repositioned and the lenses can be changed.

Below is a screenshot from our test, showing us repositioning an imager inside the Omni:

However, many are reluctant given Arecont's poor track record / reputation.

We bought the 12MP Omni model, the AV12176DN, and tested it in a variety of scenes to see if it was worth it plus to know the following:

  • How does it perform in WDR and low light?
  • How does it compare to fisheye panoramics?
  • What applications does this camera best fit?

*** ******************** ****** *** ** *** **** ***** *** ****** ********* ** the **** *** *****.

**** ***** *** *** *** ************, *** **** ******** * imagers / ******* ******. *** ***** ******* ** **** *** imagers *** *** ** ************ *** *** ****** *** ** changed.

***** ** * ********** **** *** ****, ******* ** ************* an ****** ****** *** ****:

*******, **** *** ********* ************'* **** ***** ****** / **********.

** ****** ******* **** *****, *** *********, *** ****** ** ** * ******* ** ****** ** see ** ** *** ***** ** **** ** **** *** *********:

  • *** **** ** ******* ** *** *** *** *****?
  • *** **** ** ******* ** *****************?
  • **** ************ **** **** ****** **** ***?

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

Key ********

**** *** *** *** ******** **** **** ****: 

  • **** ******* *** ************** ******* ***** *** ************ **** ** better ***** **** ***** **** ******* ********* ******* (****** ** multi ******).
  • ******* *** ****** ** ***********, **** ** ***** ************ ****** initial ***********.
  • ******* ** ******* ****** ** ******** (*.*" ** ****) **** *********** **** size ******* **** *******.
  • ***** ******* ** **** *** ***** *********** ******** ** **** end low ***** ******.
  • ******* **** ********* ****** *** ******* *******, ******** *** ********** depending ** ***** ******.
  • **** ** ******* ****, ****** *** ****** ** ******* * usable ***** ** **** ~*.* *** *****.
  • ******* *** *********** ******** ** ***** **** *** ******, ****** against ****** ********* **** ****** *****.
  • ************ **** *** ******* ****** ******** ***********, **** ** ***** IR *** *******, ******* ******* ** *** ********* ** ***, and ******* ***** ******* ********.
  • ** ********* ********* ******, **** ******* ******** *** ****** ********** to ***** ****** ****** *******.

*******

*** *********-** (**** **** *.*** ******) ***** *** ***** $*,*** *** ******. *******, ******* *** ******* ** **** ******** *******, ******* ***** ** about $*** ****. ************, **** *** *** *******, ***** ****, and ****** **** ** ******, ******* ******** ******** ****. *******, this ** ***** ********** **** ********* **** **** *** **** cameras, ***** *** ********* ***$*** ** ******* ******* ********** **.

Potential ***

*** **** ************* **** ** * ***** *******, ******** ***** areas ***** ** *** *** ******* *** ** *** ****** of **** *** *** ** ********* ** ***** ***** ******** ****** imager *******. 

*******, ***** ****** ****** ******** ***** (**** * ***) ** present ** ********* *********** ** * *** *******. ***** ******* WDR *********** ****** *** *** ** ***** **** ***** *********** in ********, ** ****.

*******, ***** *********** *** **** ****** ****** ** ********* **** (unfortunately ******* ** ******* *******) **** ** ***** ** *** filters, *** ********* ** ******* ******* **** ******* ** * VMS ** **** ** *** *** *********, ** ******* ***** balance ******. 

Physical ********

******** ** ***** *****, *** ************* **** ** *****, *** the **** ****** ** ****, ** ***** ** *********** *** image ******* ** ******* **************. ** ****** *** ******** ************ of *** ****** ** **** *****:

**** **********

******** ** ***** **** *******, *** **** ** **** *****. At ****** *" ** ********, ** ** ***** *.*" ****** than **** ******* **** *******, *** *" ** **** ****** than ****** ******. 

*******, *** ****** ** ********** *****, **** **** *.*" ****, due ** *** ********* **** ******. **** ***** ** ****** short ** ******** ** **** *****.

Positioning *** *******

*** **** ********** ***** ******* *** ************* ********** ***** * ring ** ******** ***** ** *** ****'* ******** *****. ****** (M12 *****) *** ******* ****** ** ********** *** ******* **** and ******** ** *** *** ***.

****** *******, ** ***** ** ******* ** ******** ******* **** the ****** ** *****, ******* ** ****** ** ********* *** they ****** ** ***** *** ******** ***************** **. *** ******* *** ** **** ** ***** *** the ****** *** ********* ******* ***** ******** ***** ** ****.

*** *********** ******* ** ***** ** **** *****:

Sample ******

*** ********* ****** **** **** * *** ****** ******** ** where *** ************* **** *** ***, **** ******* *** ***.  

****** ******/****

** **** *****, *** ****** **** *** *** ****** (~**° AoV) *** **** ******* ** *** ******** ******** *** ******* areas, *** *** *.*** (~**° ***) ** **** *** ****** open ****** *****.******** **** ***** (~** ** ******* .***).

**** ***** ***** *** ***** ** *** ******* *** **** scene:

******* ******* ***/********

****, ***** *.*** ****** *** **** ** ******* *** ****** parking **** ** ***** * ***° *******, *** * ****** 6mm lens ** **** *** **** ******* ** *** ******** *** smaller, **** *******, ******* ******* ****. ******** **** ***** (~** ** ******* .***).

**** ***** ***** *** ***** ** *** ******* *** *** parking *** *****:

******* ******* *****

*******, ** **** *******, *** *.*** ****** *** **** ** cover *** *** ******** ***** ***** *** *** ****** (* total *** ** ~**°) ***** *** ******* ******* ****** *** lot. ******** **** ***** (~** ** ******* .***).

**** ***** ***** *** ************* ** *** ******* ** **** *****:

Imaging ***********

** ****** *** **** ******* ***** *** ******* ** **** as ********* ******* ** **** ******* *********** ** ******** ******.

*** *** ******** ********** **** ******, *** ********* *** ********** in * ***** ***° ***** ** **** ** **** *********** versus ****** ****** ********** (**** ***** *** ********* **-*******) *** up ** ***° **** ** ****.

**** *****, ~*** ***

** **** *****, *** ********* ******** **** ********* ** *** 3MP ****** ****** ******* **********, **** ******* *****, *** ****** desaturation. **** *** **** ****** ******* ********* ******** ** *** single ****** **** *** ********* *******, ***** ******* **** *** first **** ** *** **** ***** *** ***** ******* *******.

*** *****, ~* ***

****** * ***, *** ******* *** ********** **** ***** **** *** AV3116DNv1 *** **** **** **** *** **** *****, ****** *** chart ** ***** ******* ** **** *. *****, *** ****** imager ******* ******* *** ******.

****, ~*.* ***

** * **** **** *****, ~*.* ***, *** **** ** unable ** ******* *** ****** *****. *** ******, ***** *** Hikvision **** ******* ******** ********* ** *** ******* *** *****, but ** *******.

******* ***********

******* ** *** ** *** ************* *** ******* ******* ** their *******, ***** ******** ******** ****** (*:* ** **** ****) to ******* *** ***** ***********, *** ****** **********. ******* ** performance **** ********* ** ***** *****.

** ***** * ***, ******* ******* ** ********* *** ***** moderately, **** *** ******* *** ***** ******** **** *******. *******, the ******** ** ********** ******* *******, **** *** ***** **** legible **** ** *** ***-****** *****. 

** ~*.* ***, **** **** ******* ** *** ****** ** still ****** ** ******* * ****** *****. *** ******* *** chart *** **** ****** *******.

**** ******* *****

** ****** *** *********** ** **** *****, ******* ****** ********* through * ****** ******** ****:

 

*** ********* ******** ****, **** ******* ** *** ******* *** test *****, ****** ** ***** ** *** **** **** **** to *** ****, ********** ******** ** *** **** *****. *** Omni *********** **** ******* ********* *******, **** *** **** *** DS-2CD6362.

Intermittent **** *** ******

****** ******* ** *** ***** **** ***** **** ************, *** common:

** *** ****** "*****" 

*** ** **** ******* ********* ****** ** **** *** ** cut ****** ** ****** **** *****. **** ******** ** ******* coloration, ** **** ** *** ***** *****. ********* *** ****** fixed **** *****.

***** ******* ******

***** ******* ** **** ******* ************ ******* *** ** *** color ** *******. ** *** ***** ***** ** *** *** the **** **** ******** ****** ** ****, **** *********** ** this ****** ** **** *****. ********* ********* ***** **** *****, and ** ***** ** *********** *** ** ********* ***** **** ******** ** the *** *********.

*****/****** *****

********* ********, ********* *** * ***** * ***, ******* ******, day ** *****. *******, **** ******* *** ****** *** *** VMS ** **** ** *** *** ********* **************, ********* ***** slowed ** *-* ***, *** ************ *** ****** ******* **********. Closing *** *** ********* ******** ****, **** *** ******* *** framerate ********** *****.

Bandwidth ***********

*** **** ********* *** ** ******** ********* ******. ********* *** sensor *** ********** ****** **** *** ****** ****** **********. ******* was ***** **** **** ******* ********* ****** ****** ** **** light, ****** ****** **** *** ** ******** ********* **** ** both *** ***** ******.

***** ****** **** **** ******* ********* *********** *** *** ****** as * ***** ** ***** ** ***** ************.

 

Comments (9)

Thumbnail nathan wheeler jen hsun huang gtc16

Nathan Wheeler

10/20/14 05:06pm

***** ******* ******. ******* ** *** *** ********** *****, ** was *********** ** *** *** ***** ** * *********** ********** you *** **** *****-****** ********* ******* ******** ** **** ** fisheye's **-******. * ********** *** **** ** ** *** *** but ** ***** ****** ********** ***** ** *** *********** *** difference ******* ******* ******** ******* *** ********.

**** ***** *** **** * *** ******* *** *******, *** 180 ********* *** ** ******** ****** ** *** *** ** sell. **** ** * **** ******* *** **** ****** ******* to *** ******** ************ ** **** ****. ** **** ** fun ** ** **** ***** **** ****** ** *********** *** field ** **** **** *******. ** *** ********** ****** ***** be ******** **** *** **** ************* ** ****** ******, **** could **** **** ****** *********** **************.

Jim Elder

10/21/14 03:53pm

***** **** ** *** ** ****** ***** **** ** ********* moving

Thumbnail profile pic

Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Jim Elder | 10/21/14 03:57pm

** ******** ***** ***** ******* ** ***** ***** *** ** for **********. ****'** ****** ***** **** ****** *****:

Jim Elder

In reply to Ethan Ace | 10/21/14 05:48pm

******* ******

Michael Blumenson

10/21/14 05:23pm

****... **** ******. ***** **** ***** ** *** **** ****** in * ***** *** **** *** ******* ***** ***** *** two ******* *******.

Clint Guethlein

IPVMU Certified | 10/21/14 06:28pm

* ******* **** *** **** ** *** *** * ****-***** lenses *** **** **** ****** ** ****.

*** **** ** *** *** ******* ************: **** ****** **** ( *** *** ***** ****** ******* ) ** * ******** licenses *** *** ***.

Thumbnail profile pic

Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Clint Guethlein | 10/21/14 06:42pm

*****, ****'* **** *********** ** **** *** ****** *** *** licensing. **** ** ** *********, ** * ***'* ***** ** another *** *'** **** ******** ***** ****** ** ** **** separate ********. (*****'* **** ***** ***'* ***, * **** ***'* think ** ***.)

Jim Elder

In reply to Ethan Ace | 10/21/14 09:47pm

* *** **** ** ******* ** *** ** *** ***** last **** **** ** *** *********** ****** ** ******* ******** camera ** *, * *** ** **** **** (*******) *** they ***** *** ** ******** *******. *** *** *** ****** strong ***** ***** **** ** ******* **** *****. ***** *** strong ****** ** ******** ****...

Marian Maroszek

In reply to Ethan Ace | 10/30/14 12:19pm

* ***** **** ****'* ******** **** *** **** *** - one ****** - *** *******.

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