Best Security Systems Installers
What’s 4K Technology
4K, also called 4K resolution, refers to a horizontal display resolution of approximately 4,000 pixels. With up to four times higher resolution than standard HDTV 1080p resolution, 4K has not only been adopted by the television industry as a standard but is also becoming the new norm for video-based security systems, promising better image quality and richer detail.
With 4K technology quickly coming into focus, opportunities to apply it to security efforts continue to grow. By packing ultra-high definition and smart functions into an entire set of 4K products – cameras, NVRs and monitors – Hikvision is providing a better experience for security customers.
Hikvision’s 4K system provides users with incredibly crisp and clear images along with smooth preview and playback. With satisfactory low-light performance, this 4K system facilitates video content analytics and yields better use of video data. By incorporating H.265+ video compression to reduce bandwidth and storage costs, Hikvision’s 4K system allows users to manage ultra-high definition video footage much more efficiently.
Hikvision’s 4K NVR is equipped with an HDMI 2.0 interface, transmitting video with 4K resolution and providing a more comprehensive solution than systems that are only able to provide 4K cameras or 4K codecs without the 4K output.
As a part of Hikvision’s smart product family, 4K products are equipped with features such as false alarm reduction and smart detections of intrusion, line crossing, region entrance, region exit, and more.
Hikvision’s 4K system vastly improves applications in various scenarios such as city surveillance, stadiums, airports, harbors, and parking lots, to name just a few, where clear, high-resolution images and intelligent surveillance are necessary.
Limited resolution often hinders the accuracy of video analytics, mainly due to missing image detail.
Without 4K monitors and NVRs, 4K cameras cannot be used to their full potential, and therefore have little practical use.
4K resolution refers to an ultra-high horizontal display resolution of about 4,500 pixels. Most consumer electronic and digital cameras commonly use a variety of different 4K resolutions to achieve their images. In consumer entertainment, 3840 x 2 160 is the most common 4K standard, while the movie projection industry typically uses 4096 x 2 160. In both instances, the cost per pixel is greater.
When viewing an image on an LCD or plasma TV, the human eye will not detect a difference in quality when scaled to a lower resolution (e.g., from a 3840 x 2 160 image to that of a scaled-down 8k resolution image). However, when viewing the same images at a 4K resolution, the human eye is able to detect subtle differences in quality, even when the original image is of a higher resolution.
When comparing different cameras using this method of testing, the “lines” between the quality levels will be blurred. This phenomenon is called “reflection.” The cameras’ LCD screen will appear slightly curved as it transmits the image. Since the human eye can detect subtle distortion, it can be concluded that there are different qualities of the images at different resolutions. There are currently two types of televisions to achieve the higher pixel resolution: CRT and flat panel. CRT TVs generally has a large LCD panel encompassing the majority of the screen. Flat panels, or “pixels,” are individual cells in the display.
This arrangement provides high levels of image clarity. As a result of this arrangement, there are no gradations or “lines” between the various display qualities. The first generation of televisions used standard display technology to provide the required performance for optimal viewing. As the demand for larger and more spectacular pictures increased, producers began to look into alternative technologies such as HD (high-density) broadcasting.
With this development, TV manufacturers quickly began to upgrade their line with televisions capable of displaying high definition (HD) resolution. The result was an explosion in television sizes, with smaller screens quickly following and becoming the norm in many households.
Another noticeable difference was the color range offered by the new televisions. Once again, the focus was on increased color accuracy and less emphasis on image resolution. The next major technological advancement in the field of television was LCD. The first LCD televisions featured image quality that was far from being ideal, but improvements in LCD technology brought the company’s product line to the next level.
Standard LCD TV’s now offer much better color accuracy, less distortion, and greater resolution than the previous generations of televisions. For example, an earlier-generation set would only allow for a maximum resolution of 800 pixels; as technology continued to improve, the number of pixels offered increased, bringing the number of full-color colors to a maximum of 16 available. Even today, the distinction between the different models of LCD TVs is fairly drastic, as newer generations offer features such as OLP (optical light processing), which greatly improves the display quality.
Next, came the DLP technology, which brought greater picture quality along with faster response times and a large jump in color space. In essence, DLP separated the pixels to create a much wider color range, allowing for more realistic rendering. Improvements in clarity helped lower resolution costs as well, leading to fewer large expenditures associated with the production of new film formats. The advent of DLP-TV technology also paved the way for HDTV, which is still in development but already starting to take market share away from the once-dominant analog TV formats. Currently, there are two popular technologies in use for providing ultra hd quality, high definition video to consumers: the Blu-ray disc and the 4k resolution LCD television.
Blu-ray is quickly becoming the format of choice for consumers due to its cost-effectiveness and the fact that it is capable of offering true “high definition” video. Compared to DVD, Blu-ray offers a much wider channel count and greater bit rate. By adding additional elements such as digital zoom and Dolby Digital surround sound, the cost of an individual Blu-ray disc is reduced dramatically. By contrast, new home theater systems featuring the new Blu-ray Disc format will set you back nearly three times what you would pay for a HDTV.
While it is true that a high definition signal does not require the same components as an LCD television, the cost of the additional components required to project the signal correctly and deliver a true “classier” video experience makes the upgrade worthwhile for most consumers. Finally, the most recent technological advancement to help home buyers attain a better viewing experience is the addition of ultra-high resolution “point and shoot” cameras to modern televisions.
These compact cameras are capable of capturing high-resolution images at up to eightK resolution. They provide consumers with the ability to capture in-depth photos and images with clarity and realism that were only previously available through DSLR (digital single lens reflex) or film cameras. When combined with modern day home theater systems, point and shot cameras are the perfect combination to create a cinematic quality viewing experience. These types of cameras are also becoming available with DVI and HDMI connections, making them even more accessible to consumers.