The Company Behind AHD - Nextchip

By John Honovich, Published Jul 29, 2015, 12:00am EDT

They are the star of nearly every Chinese spam email now.

Plus, they just picked up Samsung.

We interviewed Nextchip, the company behind AHD, who claimed huge growth and volume shipments, as well as explaining what their market strategy is. Inside, we break this down.

Nextchip ********

******** ** ********* ******, *****, ****** **** developer *** *** ~$** million *** **** *******.

*** *******'* ****** ******** is ********* ** ****** transmitters *** ********* *** incorporation **** *******, *********, encoders, ***. ***** ********* term *** **** ** 'AHD'.

AHD ********

******** ****** *** *.* and *** *.*.

******* *.* ** ******* to **** **** ** bidirectional *************. ** ** the ******* **** ****** all *** ********* **** delivered ** ***** ***.

******* *.* ******** ***** with ************* *************. ** was ******** **** **** *** is **** *** ********* to ** ********* ** shipping ********.

Nextchip's *** ***********

******** **** **** *** 1.0 *** ******* ** taking *** / **** SD ****** *** **** business. ************, ******** **** they **** ***** *** 1.0 ***** *** ** pin ********** **** ***** previous **** ***** **** were ****** **** ** lower *** ****. ****, Nextchip ******, **** ** a *** **** ********* to *** ******* *** to **** *** ****** going ** ***** ********* like *****'* *** ************'* ***.

*** *.* **** *** be *** ** *** compatible **** **** ********* and **** ******* ********** engineering ******* ** *********. On *** **** ****, it **** ******* *** same ********** *** ******** as ***** *** *** TVI *********.

Volume ********

******** ****** *.* ******* transceivers ******* *** *** past *****. **** ** an ****** **** ** just **** **** ~** million *******. ******** ** competitors ** *** *****, 1+ ******* ******* ******** sounds **********.

** *** ***** ****, this ***** ***** *** likely **+ ******* *** cameras ******** ** ****. By ********, * ******* like *******, *** ***** $100 ******* ********, ***** in *** *** ******* thousand *****. *** ******, even ****, **** *** ship ******** ***** ** 10 ******* ******* ** 2015.

** ** ******* **** there *** **+ ******* AHD ******* ******** ** 2015, *** ******* **+ million ** *** *** TVI **** ******** **** year. * *** ****** puts **** **** *******:

  • ***** ******* *** ***** sold ** ** ******* price ** ~*/**** **** of ** *******. *** 1.0 ******* *** *** commonly ***** **** ** $25 ** ****. ** even ** ** ******* of **** *** ****, that ** **** ***** revenue ** $*** ******* or ******* */*** ** Axis' ****** *******.
  • ***** **** *** ***** sold ** **** *** unit ******, ** ***** it ****** ********** ** cost ********* ******.
  • ******* *** **** **** until **** ********, *** had ** ******* **** larger ******, ** ******* that *** ** ***** extremely **** ** ****** countries ***** ***** ** critical ***, ** ***** now, ** ****** *** king.

Nextchip ******** **********

********'* ********** **** **** improved ************* **** ******* *** ********, ******* **** ******* revenue ** $* ******* per ******* ** **** $11 *******. ******** ********** this ** *** ****** uptake ** ***, ****** in *** **** * quarters "*** ***** ** AHD took ** **** **% ** *** total *******, * ***% ******** **** 2014."

******

*** ******* *******, *** is ***** *** **** attractive, **** **** ** because ** *** ***** association **** **** ******. Nonetheless, ** **** ****** that *** *** ***** a ****** ***** ****** the **** **** ***** of *** *****, ***** their ******** ** ** video ** ********** *** prices ** ******* **** adoption.

Comments (13)

JUNG SOO HAN

07/30/15 07:23am

I don't agree with your comments that AHD is cheapest products

Its performance is not worse than HD-CVI or HD-TVI

The reason why it looks cheapest products are because so many Chinese companies are offering only cheap models

In addition to cheapest Chinese models, also available are full range of AHD produtcs including double scan real WDR cameras, one touch focus zoom cameras, UTC controlled PTZ cameras, Long range auto iris outdoor cameras, mini cameras and 16ch real time DVRs supporting legacy analog cameras as well as AHD 720P and 1080P cameras

Even Cheap Chinese AHD cameras has full features required for high end cameras, such as sens-up, D-WDR,2D/3D DNR etc, if Nextchip AHD ISP is used

Of course, the quality of AHD products can vary depending on the manufactuer as it does in HD-CVI or HD-TVI but the features, performance including transmission distance and reliability seems never worse than other solution

One of its advantages is the backward compatibility, AHD camera can work with legacy analog DVR while AHD DVR can work with legacy analog camera

I hope you may have a chance to test some AHD products for comparison with HD-TVI or HD-CVI

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to JUNG SOO HAN | 07/30/15 09:10am

Point of fact, we have tested AHD, see: Testing AHD 2014 and we have just finished our Samsung AHD testing which will be published next week.

"Even Cheap Chinese AHD cameras has full features required for high end cameras, such as sens-up, D-WDR"

Lol, sens-up and D-WDR are garbage. Seriously, don't even try to pass that as features.

"The reason why it looks cheapest products are because so many Chinese companies are offering only cheap models"

I agree that's the main reason. When the more reputable manufacturers come out with higher end products we plan to test. We are already planning to test the new DW AHD 2.0 offering that has true WDR, smart IR, super low light, etc.

Alan Dodds

07/30/15 08:30pm

What will AHD bring to the table that HD-CVI or HD-TVI do not? Just curious.

Looking forward to more reviews and upcoming reports.

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Alan Dodds | 07/31/15 01:38am

Technology wise, not much of anything. Even the newer / better AHD 2.0 is fairly similar to CVI and TVI.

So far, AHD's differentiator has been lower cost products. That and being independent of Dahua and Hikvision, who many smaller manufacturer fear / dislike.

JUNG SOO HAN

In reply to Alan Dodds | 07/31/15 04:03am

According to the specialist who deeply studied the different solutions of HD-over-coax, since AHD uses a litle lower frequency than others, its tranmission distance should be longer and it should generate less heat but in my opinion, such differences can be negligible because more differences in the quality and performances can be made by design capability and workmanship of each manufactuerer

One difference which I found is that AHD uses one chip(ISP with built-in AHD TX), while HD-CVI/HD-TVI uses a separate TX chip from ISP. In this regard, AHD cameras are likely to be slightly cheaper than HD-CVI/HD-TVI cameras

Another difference is that AHD cameras are switchable to 960H mode, enabling to connect with legacy DVRs

Other features required for professional cameras such as DIS, PIP, Digital zoom, real WDR, one touch focus etc can be realized with all solutions.

Bob Germain

In reply to JUNG SOO HAN | 08/03/15 12:43pm

Many HD-TVI and HD-CVI cameras support either dual output (TVI/CVBS) or switchable Output. Same on the DVR side with auto-detection of the incoming signal. AHD is not unique in that regard.

Alan Dodds

07/31/15 03:22pm

"...Another difference is that AHD cameras are switchable to 960H mode, enabling to connect with legacy DVRs..."

That's a good feature. Cameras need to be replaced but the DVR is still ticking, so it would be a good practice for certain systems to add the new cameras.

If lower cost does not affect reliability that would also definitely have an impact.

Of course, what matters even in budget systems is software (PC and mobile).

Looking forward to more reviews. Thanks for the replies.

Undisclosed Distributor #1

08/04/15 09:41pm

We have recently tested TVI 2.0 with AHD 2.0. TVI with Hikvision recorder with a third party korean camera & AHD with third party korean recorder and camera.

We usually like the video quality on the korean products whether its IP, HD analog, or HD-SDI. Too bad the price point is usually double the chinese products.

To our surprise, we were able to see better clarity, crispness on the AHD for some reason. It was a slight difference, but it was there. Further testing is needed since it was only indoors, but to a bunch of people who thought AHD, TVI, CVI, was all the same, it was a surprising result. John, I would like your input on this; I can get you the log-ins to our demo room if you'd like.

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed Distributor #1 | 08/04/15 10:19pm

1, thanks. We are going to do our own tests on AHD 2.0.

The reality is that it is entirely possible for a given AHD camera to be better than a TVI camera or vice versa. So much of that has to do with imager selection, image processing and other camera specific elements, beyond transmission choice.

Undisclosed #2

IPVMU Certified | In reply to Undisclosed Distributor #1 | 08/04/15 11:10pm

Too bad the price point is usually double the chinese products.

I was under the impression that AHD was even cheaper than CVI/TVI?

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed #2 | 08/04/15 11:12pm

It depends on the model / manufacturer. On average, that is an accurate statement but each type will have a range of prices. For example, the new DW AHD 2.0 will be relatively high compared to Chinese spammer AHD but relatively low compared to the IP premium feature set cameras they are positioning themselves again.

JUNG SOO HAN

In reply to Undisclosed Distributor #1 | 08/05/15 03:47am

I found the video quality of HD-over-coax solution can widely vary depending on the DVRs

DVRs or cameras should be properly tuned according to the connected cameras or DVRs. It can happens a camera shows good video quality with one DVR but shows bad video quality with another DVRs

It may not be a matter of quality of the DVR or camera itself but they are simply unmatched well

Of course, there are some bad quality cameras which use cheap censor for cost-down or is not tuned well

So if your camera shows bad video quanilty, you may ask the manuafactuer of camera to recommend the suitable DVR properly tuned with the camera

John Honovich

IPVM | 02/13/16 02:13pm

Nextchip is now claiming to have sold 100 million AHD channels:

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