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Chapman University is an independent, liberal arts and professional training institution near Los Angeles.
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“With high resolution and high frame rates, there is a lot of data that's being stored. We needed something to handle it, and, frankly, the Panasonic solution was the only one that offered what we needed.”
– Dave Young |
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At Chapman University, the value of IP video surveillance has been proven. Having validated the theoretical benefits, University officials are creating a system of digital security cameras to take advantage of a fiber-optic network that serves the 76-acre treelined university campus in Orange, California. A key consideration in selecting digital video systems for Chapman University is scalability – the system is being implemented in stages to cover various geographic parts of the sprawling, non-contiguous campus
in the historic Old Towne district of Orange. Looking for a scalable, IT-based system with an emphasis on image quality, Dave Young, Director of Information Technology at Chapman University, has chosen technology from Panasonic System Solutions Company for current and future video surveillance needs.
A Small Town Near L.A.
Tracing its history back to 1861, Chapman University combines small-town charm with the sophistication of Southern California’s Orange County. This independent, liberal arts and professional training institution provides a solid foundation of knowledge for its 6,000 students, who participate in a variety of traditional undergraduate, pre-professional, graduate and credential programs.
The Chapman University Department of Public Safety consists of 11 full-time officers, a part time officer and an administrative assistant. The department employs an array of electronic devices including fire alarms, red ring-down phones and blue-light emergency phones located strategically throughout the campus. Marion Knott Studios, the new home of the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University, is a $41 million, 76,000- square-foot building that includes a 500-seat theater, digital arts center and a television and broadcast journalism center. When this facility was completed in 2006, it included the University's first comprehensive
installation of a video surveillance system based on a prior generation of analog cameras. With Panasonic’s highly flexible IP-based platform, Chapman is
able to grow with the efficiency of network cameras, while co-opting the legacy system into a single interface.
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An all-in-one weather-resistant dome network camera features 30X optical zoom and Super Dynamic III technology from Panasonic System Solutions Company.
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A well-designed and properly managed video surveillance system is an invaluable tool in an effort to meet campus security goals. To maximize the benefits of the university's growing present and future investment in video surveillance, Chapman University turned to Panasonic System Solutions Company, working with Orvac Electronics, a Panasonic i-Pro Certified Reseller in Fullerton, California, and The Pacific Group, a Panasonic manufacturer's representative.
Emphasis on Scalability
Given the need for scalability and the availability of fiber-optic connectivity on the campus, it made perfect sense to choose a networked digital video system. “Video quality is important to us, but when considering DVRs we hit some awkward scaling limits,” Young said. “Some suppliers told us their DVRs could support 16, 20, 30 or 40 cameras, but at the frame rate and resolution quality we needed, that's almost never true. You get maybe four cameras to a DVR, and that really changes the cost equation – for every four cameras you're buying a new DVR.
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Panasonic network cameras used at Chapman University (in ceiling tile) include high-performance signal processors to provide better image quality.
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It just doesn't scale very gracefully, not to mention the DVR needs to be collocated or very nearly collocated with the cameras, and that presents its own set of problems.” Instead of a system using multiple unwieldy DVRs, Young opted for a networked system from Panasonic. The 56 Panasonic cameras currently installed at Chapman University send images to an i-Pro WJ-ND400 Network Video Recorder (NVR) with capabilities to hold up to 9 removable 1 terabyte disk drives of storage. The NVR can record up to 64 network cameras simultaneously – and at D1 resolution – with multi-format recording. Plans are to add about 15 cameras per month at Chapman University, and when the camera total exceeds 64, the university will stack additional NVRs as needed. A WV-CU950 Universal System Controller provides the “surveillance cockpit” of the system to give the operator total control, including a detached joystick control for camera pan /tilt/zoom and a jog dial and shuttle ring to operate the NVR.
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Dave Young, Director of Information Technology at Chapman University, chose the Panasonic system for its scalability and image quality.
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The i-Pro WV-ASM100 Operation and Management Software enables live images to be received directly from the cameras or via the recorder. The software allows up to 3,200 cameras to be registered, and a multi-monitor option enables simultaneous use of operation display, live display and map display, each on a dedicated monitor.
“At Chapman University, we already have a very robust network architecture of fiber-optic cables between the buildings. We are able to leverage that, augmented by in-building Cat5/Cat6 as our campus-wide communication infrastructure out to the cameras – that was huge,” Young said. “You don't have to have a parallel infrastructure to get to the cameras, you have the network infrastructure in place. Another element of scaling is the recording space. With high resolution and high frame rates, there is a lot of data that's being stored. We needed something to handle it, and, frankly, the Panasonic solution was the only one that offered what we needed.”
The 56 currently installed cameras from Panasonic System Solutions Company include 42 i-Pro WV-NF284 color fixed mini dome network cameras offering Power-over-Ethernet, which has greatly simplified installation. The cameras provide a VGA image size up to 30 frames per second in dual streams of MPEG-4 and JPEG for simultaneous live monitoring and high resolution recording.
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Vandal-proof outdoor network cameras are IP66-rated (resistant to water and dust) and include a dehumidification device for varying weather conditions.
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Other system cameras include four i-Pro WV-NW964 weather proof day/night dome network cameras with Super Dynamic III (SDIII) technology for exceptional images in virtually any lighting condition. The all-in-one PTZ units feature 30x optical zoom and auto image stabilization to compensate for vibration or wind.
Also in use at Chapman University are five i-Pro WV-NW484S Super Dynamic III vandal-proof day/night fixed dome network cameras that are IP66-rated, making them resistant to water and dust, and include a dehumidification device for use in various weather conditions. A WV-NP304 megapixel day/night network camera covers a wider viewing area with superior images and features a user-selectable light control to ensure image clarity in changing lighting conditions and/or different camera locations.
Four WV-CF294 compact day/night fixed dome cameras include a high performance digital signal processor to provide better image quality. Adaptive Black Stretch technology transforms dark areas into crisp images like those seen by the human eye. The mini-domes are used with a four-channel MPEG-4/JPEG encoder to convert their analog images into MPEG-4 or JPEG dual streaming video.
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The i-Pro WV-ASM100 Operation and Management Software enables viewing of live camera images and those from the network recorder.
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How It's Coming Together
Young put a lot of effort into choosing just the right equipment for the job, researching choices at trade shows and online before deciding on Panasonic. “I had a short list on my wall of the various vendors and technologies – and a much longer list of key characteristics of a system,” Young said. Steve Britt, Business Development Manager, Orvac Electronics, was instrumental in the selection process. “My background is in higher education markets, so we had great interest in expanding the relationship with Chapman University,” Britt said. “I was excited to find that they were planning a system of this scale. After making contact, Dave asked if we had a demo in our office. An hour later he was in Orvac taking a look at our cameras and NVR. We demonstrated the quality of the image, the ease of setup and use, and were able to tackle his basic questions. The next morning we scheduled a conference call with the Panasonic technical team, and we were able to address all of their specific system requirements.”
Young said his recent work experience had raised his expectations: “I had spent some time working for a company that was involved in high end video surveillance, so I knew what the potential was and was disappointed at the limitations I was seeing with most of the products on the market. Then I found Panasonic.”
The Future
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Public Safety officers have access to view video from any Panasonic camera via its connection to the campus network.
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The flexibility of the Panasonic solution will be paramount as the system expands in the coming months and years. “Various factors will impact how the system develops; for example, if we have a critical mass or certain density of cameras in an area or if we want to keep bandwidth off certain parts of our network, we need flexibility,” Young said. “We enjoy a very responsive network, and are carefully monitoring how video surveillance is impacting that network. At any point, if we need to segregate the video portion of the network, run it over separate fibers, or make tradeoffs, we can do that with the Panasonic system. At this point, we're fine.”
The current system at Chapman University is clearly only the beginning. Future plans include integrating the video system, for example, with the card access system at residence halls so that a card swipe can trigger capture of video. “In the foreseeable future, we will be looking at video surveillance related to parking structures and lots, public access areas, walkways, entrances to main buildings, both residential and academic. We're on top of that. We will also augment our surveillance in locations where we have valuable property like computers, monuments, or priceless artifacts on display in library collections. Given our change in philosophy, basically we want to make sure we take care of and protect people and property.”
Download this application story:
Chapman University (pdf)
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