Uniview Intrusion Analytics and VMD Tested

By IPVM Team, Published Aug 13, 2018, 09:46am EDT

IPVM's IP Camera Analytics Shootout featuring Avigilon, Axis, Bosch, Dahua, Hanwha, Hikvision created some ill will with a Uniview distributor who objected:

Could you pls explain why do you keep insisting to limit the comparisons w/ only Dahua and Hikvision, but not w/ Uniview...

I'm sure that many members like us are willing to start getting more benefits from being an IPVM member by having the opportunity of getting some test results of the products from the manufacturers that we represent instead of just the competitor ones, as in our case we are not a distributor of any of those brands you are always choosing for comparisons, although representing some of the best in the market, such as Mobotix, Vivotek and Uniview.

So we bought and tested Uniview's analytics, examining:

  • Causes of false alerts - indoors and outdoors
  • Detection distance achieved / pixel density necessary
  • 3rd party VMS integration of Uniview's analytics
  • Ranking vs Avigilon, Axis, Bosch, Dahua, Hanwha and Hikvision

Summary - **** *********** 

** *** ******* *******'* Intrusion ******** ********* ******, suffering **** ***** *** *********:

  • ***** ****** **** ****** sources: *******'* ********* ********* on ******* *****, ***** animals, *******, *** ***** changes ***** ***** ********* were *********** **, ** well ** ********** **** cameras ******** **** *** to ***** *** *** to *******/******* ****** ** passing ******, *** ****** not **** ******* ********* ******.
  • *** ********* ******** / higher *** ******** *** detection: ******* ******* ****** required ** ******* ** 25 *** *** ******** detection, ******* ****** **** most ***** ****** ********* tested (**-** ***), *** only ******** ****** **** Dahua *** ********* (**/** PPF ** ******).
  • ******* ***** ***** *** Integration: ******* ********* ********** only **** ***** (****** only, ** ******** *****), with ** ******* ** Avigilon, *******, *********, ** Nx *******. ********* **** also ********** **** *******'* own EZStation ***.

***** *********** **** *******'* analytics ******** ** ** ****** in **** ************. 

*******, ******* ***** ******, Uniview's ****** *** *** even ***** **** ***** Intrusion *********, ***** ********* almost ********** ******* *** out, even **** ***** ******* sensitivity.

Ranking - ******

***** ** ***** *********** in *** *****, *******'* analytics **** ** *** bottom ** ***** ** have ******, *** * number ** *******.

***** *** ********, ******* was *********** ** ***** alarm ******* ***** *** *** trigger *** ***** ****** analytics, **** ** ******* clouds ******* ******* *** the ****** ********* **** day ** *****.

******, ******* ******** **** of *** ******* *** of *** ******/******** ** our *****, ~**+, **** most ********* ****** ** 10-15, *** **** ** low ** *-*.

*******, *******'* ********* ********** only ** *****, ***** several ******, **** ** Axis, *****, *** ******, integrated ** *******, *********, and ******* ***** *****, as ****.

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

********* ********* **** ** Uniview's *** ** **** tier *******, ***** "*****" and "***" ** ***** America. *** "****" ****** includes **** ***.

Configuration *******/***************

**** **** ********* *** not ******* ** *******. Instead, ***** **** ****** which ********* ** ****** from *** "***** ********" menu:

********* ************* ******** ******* vaguely ***** *********** ***** in ***** ***-**** ******* such ** ***** *** Hikvision, ********* ******* ****, detection ***********, *** "**********" (ratio ** ****** **** to **** ****).

** ***** ***********, **** threshold ******** *** **** practical *******, *********** ****** from ******* ***** *** in *** ***** *** only ********* ** * second. *********** ****** **** 30 ****** ** ******* increase ***** ****** ***** producing ****** *******. *******, percentage ***** ** ****** in ******** ****** ** eliminate ****** **** ***** animals, *** ***** ****** carefully **** ********* ***** increasing, ** **** ******* may **** ****** *** valid ******* ** ****** range ** *** ***** of ****.

Frequent ***** ****** ******* *** ***

*******'* ********* ********** ******* on **** ***** ** motion ** ***** ****** during *** *******, **** indoors *** ***. **** included ****** ********* ** the ***** ********* *** to ******* ******. ** other ****** ****** ** our ****** ** ****** ********* ******** ******* *** ** ****** passing, **** ***** **** false ***** ****** *** to ***** ******* ** light *******.

************, *** ******* ********** triggered **** ******** **** day ** ***** ****, indoors *** ***, ******* uncommon ******* ** *** tests.

******* **** ******* ** common ******* **** ** other ****** *********. *** example, **** ***** ************ outdoors, ********* ********** ******* on ******* ***** / foliage:

** **** ** ***** animals, **** ** *** groundhog *****. ***** ****** could ** ******* ** increasing ********** (***** ** object **** ** **** size), *** ** *** expense ** ******** ********* in *** *** ** far ***** ** ****.

*******, ******** ******* ** the **** ****** **** caused ******** ******, * common ****** ** ***** alarms ***** **** ***** brands ******.

*******, *** ********* ******** from ***** ****** **** light *******, ** **** as *******/***********, **** ** the **** **** ********** in *** ******* *****.

VMD **** *****

******* ***** ******, *******'* intrusion ******** ************ ************ motion ********* **** ******* and ***. **** ***** attempting ** ******** ****** detection ***********, ****** **** constant ** *** ****** ** the *****, **** *********, shadows, ******, ****** *****, etc. 

*** *******, *** ***** list ***** ** *** a ****** ******* ******* on * ***** ***, with ****** ********* ***** few *******.

Detection ********

******* ******* ****** ******** ******** at ** ******* ** ~25 ***, ********* ** about **' ********* ******** in **** *** ******* tested.

  • **********-****** (***): ~***' ****/~**' Distance
  • **********-***** (***): ~**' ****/~**' ********

****** **** *****, ********* of ******** ** *** field ** **** *** very ********, **** ** missed ********** *** ** night, *** ** ********* of ********* ******** ** night. *******, ******* *** some ** *** ******* PPF ************ ** ******* tested, **** **** ********* below **-** ***, *** some ** *** ** 4.

Limited *** ***********

*******'* ********* ********* ********** only **** ***** ** our *****, **** ** support ** ********, *******, Milestone, ** ** *******.

***** ****** *** ********** in ***** *******, **** Intrusion ***** "**********/*************/*************":

******** ********** *** **** searchable *** ********* ** the ******** ** ***, shown ****:

Versions ****

*** ********* ******** ******** were **** ** **** test, **** ****** ** of *** **** ** testing:

  • **********-******: *********-*************
  • **********-*****: *********-*****************

Comments (12)

John Honovich

IPVM | 08/13/18 01:49pm

To provide context, a year ago Uniview issued a press release comparing their Intrusion video analytics to the movie Minority Report:

Undisclosed #1

08/13/18 02:50pm

Well... that certainly backfired, Uniview Distributor. 

Undisclosed Integrator #2

08/13/18 03:05pm

Wow, just wow.  So he should have been thanking IPVM for not doing a review, instead of chastising them.  I guess he never heard the phrase, be careful what you wish for?

Avatar

Daniel Cyr

Sirix Video Monitoring Central
08/13/18 03:23pm

Thanks for the review, I'm always very interested in these tests!

We've been using supporting at our monitoring central a product that is not very known but I would say it is right in between Avigilon and Bosch. It is called OneTrack from Protech-Videowave (http://videowave.ca).  It integrates with a couple of VMS (Genetec & Exacq and maybe a couple more).  If ever you do another test for analytics products, I would be curious as to how you rank the solution and at the same time I would be really happy that they get the exposure they should so that integrators know they exist as they have been working hard for many years to get the analytics improving and I think they've done a great job.

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Daniel Cyr | 08/14/18 01:01am

Daniel, thanks. I had never heard of them before but I did speak with them on the phone for a few minutes today (I told them you referred us!).

From whatever I could get from a 5 minute phone call, they seemed like a legitimate company offering a server based analytics solution (OneTrack). I am not sure if or when we would test them as they have super low name recognition but at least know I am aware of them.

Avatar

Daniel Cyr

Sirix Video Monitoring Central
In reply to John Honovich | 08/14/18 06:49pm

Hi John, thanks for the reply. No problem for the possibility to test or not, I understand the reason. My goal was to share the knowledge I had so it could benefit others that look for analytics solutions that work so my job is done :)

We monitor around 30 sites with this technology and we know it works efficiently and doesn't generate too many false alarms.

Anxious to read more of these tests done by IPVM which provide a lot of value for us to share with our integrators!

Avatar

Vincent Tong

08/13/18 05:46pm

What do you pay these little animal critters to help with the testing?

Undisclosed #1

In reply to Vincent Tong | 08/13/18 08:54pm

What do you pay these little animal critters to help with the testing?

No kidding.  They must be baiting them.

Avatar

Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 08/14/18 12:55am

We don’t pay them. They’re Rob’s friends and just hang out back there waiting for him to come out for testing.

In all seriousness, we are just lucky to have so much brush and wildlife habitat right next to the building. 

Undisclosed Distributor #3

08/14/18 04:35pm

Thanks for performing those tests, that although having got bad results or even worst results comparing to all the others, it allows us to be more careful when talking about Edge Analytics available at the IPC, as it is still far away from the expected results and let us strongly legitimate our arguments when not advising to use the cameras' video analytics at most of the situations, while it is still not reliable enough for that, requiring on the other hand the right VCA software for the necessary cameras, indoor and outdoor, to meet the customers' demands.

Unlike those Integrators that guessed it would have a negative effect on us as a distributor, we do trust on IPVM professional reviews to better understand under what circumstances should we rely on the IPC Edge Video Analytics, as this way we can avoid from suffering bad reputation as a result of customers' complaints if we would trust that much to advise it as a good solution to satisfy the customers by offering them expected results of video analytics, when after all it is not reliable enough for that.

What we can learn from this experience is that trustworthy distributors should not hidden their products' limitations to offer higher credibility by showing their dealers why they should pay more for reliable solutions instead of taking the risk of relying on cost-effective cameras, or even worst on low-cost cameras, to do the whole job by itself, as it only will cause more problems to the customers, that should be well advised to pay the right price to be able to live peacefully w/ a reliable system, that will not turn back on them.

Hopefully, this can be more educative for everyone, including the manufacturers to motivate them to invest in a better development to increase the detection accuracy.

Avatar

Luca Fogliati

08/16/18 07:37pm

The hype about UNV and Exacq is that you can integrate dsc powerneo virtual zones alarmed by unv's intrusion or line cross sent to NVR.as a unv distributor i have a little official document that explains how to better set and install cameras for best performance with analithics (one rule of the thumb is camera's heigh must be 6 mt)if you are interested i could share

Avatar

George Peffer

03/18/19 05:35pm

Luca,

As we have about 40 sites using Uniview solutions, we would benefit from the setup doc you have.

It is correct that day/night switching triggers an event.  Bushes will do the same, but we mask these areas from detection.  We try to stay within the IR range which seems to match motion detection range.

Typically we mount cameras a min. of 13 ft. above the ground/floor if possible.  Inside buildings are a little different in that motion is set up more like line crossing, and this seems to work fine.

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