TKH Siqura BC620WDR Reviewed

•Published Apr 04, 2012 00:00 AM

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The highest award for any camera [link no longer available] was given to the new BC620WDR camera from Siqura at the ISC West 2012 show. In this note, we examine what makes this camera special and its potential application.

Overview

While the name TKH may not be familar to most surveillance users, TKH acquired Optelecom-NKF in 2010. Traditionally, Optelecom was a leader in traffic and transit monitoring. More recently, the company/division was rebranded as Siqura.

We see three key standout features of this SD IP camera [link no longer available]:

Pixim Seawolf chipset aimed for WDR / low light performance
Fiber and Coax options: In addition to traditional UTP interface, modules are available to add on a coax or fiber interface (via their XSNet Small Form Factor Pluggable [link no longer available]). Fiber connections are designed to work with Siqura's own switches but may work with 3rd party network switches as well (verify with the manufacturer for specifics).
Optional Traffic analytics: Siqura says hey "generate relevant traffic data and incident detection information by analyzing the incoming images. The required suite of functions, such as alerts on stopped vehicles, wrong-way drivers, pedestrians, lost cargo, smoke, and traffic flow data"

The MSRP of the camera itself is $995 USD with a traditional security dealer discount model. Fiber options and traffic analytics are purchased separately. Fiber modules add a hundred to a few hundred dollars depending on the module used. The traffic analytics have premium/enterprise level pricing.

Third party VMS support is planned via ONVIF integration scheduled for release in Q2 2012.

For more details, see the camera's specification sheet or the embedded video below:

Application

This camera is likely best suited for Siqura's target markets of traffic and transit applications and, optimally, as part of an end to end Siqura solution including analytics. For most applications, connecting fiber directly to cameras is not needed as lower cost options and short distances are often available (see our fiber / long run camera note). However, in transit and traffic applications cameras are frequently located great distances from each other. For those looking for an SD WDR camera but not analytics or fiber, Pixim does offer many other options [link no longer available], most at lower prices than Siqura's.

Ultimately, this has significant potential in the traffic and transit markets but limited outside of it.