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FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Question
Why are MOBOTIX
cameras described as software-flexible?
Answer
The system concept of
the MOBOTIX camera is software-based,
i.e. software is used to create
everything from the pixel of the image
converter right on up to the compressed
image in the web browser. The MOBOTIX
camera does not use a video signal, a
video digitizer or an image compressor.
Software is also used
to control all the exposure control, the
white balance and the colour correction.
Question
Why are MOBOTIX
cameras called format-independent?
Answer
The advantage of the
software-based solution is that the
MOBOTIX camera can be easily updated to
the latest image and sound standards of
the web browser via software upload.
Other network cameras equipped with
hardware JPEG encoders cannot even be
updated to the new JPEG-2000 standard.
Question
Why are MOBOTIX
cameras equipped with a frame buffer and
a player?
Answer
Depending on the
model, MOBOTIX cameras are equipped with
a frame buffer with up to 64 MB for the
compressed JPEG images, i. e. time or
event-controlled, up to 4500 images
(320x240, 50% JPEG quality) can be
stored internally in the camera (e.g.
M10 Secure and Night models). The
integrated player can be used to view
series of images frame by frame or in
cue-and-review with or without the image
series (pre- and post alarm images).
The event images can
be compressed as archive images from the
camera to a computer or also sent as an
e-mail attachment. The archive can be
accessed with virtually any unpacking
program (e.g. WinZip) and the contents
unpacked and the images then viewed on
an HTML page in any web browser. No
plug-ins, no activeX-file, no Java or
any other programs are required. The
only prerequisite: JavaScript must be
activated in the browser.
In this case, neither
a MOBOTIX camera nor the MxViewer is
needed to view the images.
Question
How much
computer
power
are the
MOBOTIX
cameras
equipped
with?
Answer
The
processor
used in
MOBOTIX
cameras
in the
M1 and
M10
series
is an
Intel
StrongArm
CPU,
operates
with 235
MIPS and
provides
about
the same
power as
a
Pentium
III with
200 MHz.
Compared
to a 386
CPU with
40 MHz,
it has
about
ten
times
the
computing
power,
which
enables
it not
only to
read out
every
pixel
but to
process
them as
well.
This
eliminates
the need
for a
hardware
image
compressor.
The
MOBOTIX
camera
can
intervene
in the
image at
any
point in
the
processing
pipeline
to make
specific
improvements
in image
clarity
or
contrast
and to
add text
and
symbols
to the
image as
desired.
The
CPU’s
high
computing
power
also
makes it
possible
to
already
determine
colour
corrections
and
exposure
parameters
while
the
image
data is
being
transported
from the
sensor
to the
RAM and
to
adjust
them to
different
lighting
conditions
very
rapidly.
Question
Why do MOBOTIX
cameras have such high image quality?
Answer
Because MOBOTIX
cameras can flexibly optimize image
compression, particularly in the lower
quality levels (15-30% JPEG) and small
image storage sizes (5-10 kBs, 320x240),
they are superior to any hardware
encoder in terms of image quality. Even
64-bit arithmetic produces images that
do not look “patchy”.
What’s more, thanks to
their rapid two-stage exposure control,
the cameras guarantee excellent colour
and image quality, even at dawn and
dusk.
Question
How are the images
evaluated?
Answer
The MOBOTIX camera
uses the variable video motion windows
to reliably identify motion in the image
and is able to allocate them to specific
actions. Because the system is able to
identify and represent moving objects in
the image, the viewer is also enabled to
do such things as to secure escape
routes more easily.
Because of the high
computer power now available and our
interest in image processing, there is
still a lot that can be expected in the
future.
Question
What does the term
“dual camera” mean?
Answer
The MOBOTIX camera is
the only camera on the market that uses
a telephoto and a wide-angle lens at the
same time to capture the scene via
wide-angle and the spot via telephoto
lens (or alternatively as a
picture-in-picture) and can show these
images on the browser.
The night
models are equipped with a colour sensor
on the right-hand side for colour images
and with a black-and-white sensor on the
left-hand side for night recording
(approx. 8-times the light sensitivity
compared to the colour sensor!).
Together with the
digital zoom functions of models with
megapixel image sensors, this
combination enables a multitude of
applications.
Question
How are MOBOTIX
cameras different from other “web cams”?
Answer
Everything is already
integrated into the weatherproof MOBOTIX
camera enclosure: Camera, computer and
modem. This saves on wiring, for ISDN
even on the power supply and makes
installing the system as easy as it can
be.
It only makes sense to
use regular surveillance cameras with
video servers that process the images
recorded by the cameras (motion
detection, image storage, …) in a
central system.
In contrast to these
systems, every MOBOTIX camera is
equipped with many additional sensors
and functions. The images can be viewed
on any JavaScript-enabled browser with
no licensing fees required and free
upgrades are available to easily adapt
the system’s functionality to the newest
standards. Low-priced file servers
equipped with standard components can be
used to store and archive the images,
whereby each camera automatically
administrates the storage space allotted
to it.
Question
What makes the
MOBOTIX camera’s hardware so unique?
Answer
The weatherproof
enclosure, the integrated ISDN
connection, the extremely low power
consumption (approx. 2.5 W), power
supply over several hundred meters via
ISDN or Ethernet line, the integrated
microphone and the speaker, the many
sensors (motion detector, IrDa,
temperature, remote interface), INTEL
StrongArm CPU with 235 MIPS, serial
interface, switched input, switched
output (partly model-dependent). No
moving parts make for an extremely
robust, flexible system that has every
right to call itself unique.
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