Spa Upgrade (Professional Security Magazine Online)

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Nirvana Spa is about an hour outside of London in the Berkshire countryside. The site’s amenities include treatment rooms, gym, cafes, and 14 natural mineral water pools. Video cameras on pan/tilt units have been installed outdoors on poles, on rooftops, and on the sides of buildings to cover the car parking, perimeter, entrances, tennis courts, outdoor gardens, and maintenance buildings. Fixed and pan/tilt cameras have been installed in exercise rooms and pool areas for safety reasons and for general security in common areas.

The original analog system was of high quality when installed. Image quality was considered acceptable but required extra lighting for useable recordings at night. The need to increase the number of cameras for extra coverage was a major concern since it would become more difficult for the surveillance system to remain discreet. The pan and tilt cameras were not adequately capturing incidents on video because they were usually facing the wrong direction when an event occurred. Nirvana Spa management received a demonstration of the Arecont Vision SurroundVideo panoramic megapixel cameras arranged by its installer, Lantec Security.

The image quality of the SurroundVideo panoramic cameras was considered to be far superior to other cameras demonstrated and evaluated. Camera features include true wide dynamic range (WDR), motion detection, day/night functionality, remote focus/remote zoom, and vandal-resistant housings. The SurroundVideo 180 degree and 360-degree panoramic megapixel cameras were installed. They are mounted on top of buildings, on walls, on poles, and on other interior and exterior structures at the spa. Each camera provides a 180-degree continuous view of the scene which means that fewer cameras are needed to cover an area. There are no lapses in coverage, unlike the previous pan/tilt-based system. Quality video is captured 24 hours a day. In the event of an incident, operators can zoom in live or on recorded video for a closer look or for evidentiary purposes.

SurroundVideo IP AV-8365DN panoramic megapixel domes are used inside. Each camera provides a continuous 360-degree view. Areas that previously required several analog pan and tilts are now monitored by a single 360-degree megapixel panoramic camera.

Graham Walker, Head of Procurement & Security, Nirvana Spa, said image quality of the megapixel cameras was excellent: “They have helped us to improve the level of safety and security without intruding on anyone’s sense of privacy.”

Cost benefits were delivered by requiring fewer cameras and less supporting infrastructure. The SurroundVideo panoramic megapixel camera solution is also less taxing on the IP network due to H.264 compression and bit rate control. Digital Sentry video management software from Pelco by Schneider Electric was also part of the project. Digital Sentry is Arecont Vision MegaLab integration certified.

Graham Walker said: “From a cost standpoint, we have saved time and money. Fewer cameras are needed and any problems or incidents are resolved much faster and with less expense.”

Images that are displayed on a video wall and monitored 24/7. Operators are able to control which views from each of the cameras are displayed, and they can zoom in on any selected areas to get a closer look if needed.