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Security Technology Executive
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Storage Turns a Corner
More than one terabyte on a single cartridge? It may be on its way.The Latest from SIW
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The word convergence has taken on more importance as CCTV systems make way for digital open connectivity. Much of our old analog technology is being replaced by computers with seemingly endless amounts of storage. But is it really endless?
When I was much younger, I remember tinkering around with my Packard Bell 486 33/66 MHz computer. Truly high-end technology, this computer boasted 2MB RAM and a 150MB hard drive that ran DOS/Windows 3.1. I even had the option of a selectable processor speed so when I wanted to work more slowly, I could switch it to 33 MHz. As you can imagine, I didn't often use that feature.
Being somewhat of a computer aficionado in those days, I soon required more space and a much larger hard drive. I remember reading in a sales newspaper about a 1GB hard drive and drooling at the thought that I would never run out of space. I hurriedly bought the technology for $300.
Fast forward to today. I am again drooling about a new storage solution, this time a 1GB Secure Digital (SD) media storage device for my Palm Pilot that costs $35 with a $60 mail-in rebate.
Storage will never be endless, and this has caused particular problems for digital video recording in security applications.
Never Enough Room
Digital video recording requires a mind-numbing amount of storage. DVR manufacturers have developed innovative ways to cut down on storage by manipulating frame capture, resolution, capture size and refresh methods, but these are not ideal when compared to the old analog linear recording method. If linear recording is what you need, you're in for a storage surprise.
Let's hypothesize that your organization needs a digital video recorder that will record 100 cameras at high resolution, at a minimum of 3.75 frames per second (comparable to the multiplexer/VCR combination) linear, with a screen capture of 640 x 480.
