FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
V.NETWORKS from JVC
Reliable. Proven. Secure.

Atlanta,GA (September 15, 2008) --  As one of the world's foremost manufacturers of professional grade audio and video equipment for over a half century, JVC’s leadership in analog video surveillance technology is well founded. As the security industry began the gradual transition from analog to digital IP technology, JVC has been in the forefront developing technologies and products to take the industry to the next level. In this new world of IP video surveillance, traditional video cameras, monitors and recorders are no longer the centerpieces of a high technology security system, but rather input and output devices in a more sophisticated data processing environment.  As systems become more complex, so do the requirements of their peripheral components. Cameras are now considered 'edge devices,' while recorders have become 'storage devices.' Fortunately JVC, with its long history of innovation in both video and computer networking technology, is uniquely positioned to manufacture and deliver the most advanced and highest quality IP surveillance systems.

Nearly a decade ago, JVC introduced its first IP camera, the VN-C1, and branded its unique technology V.Networks which stands for "visual networks". Now more than 20 models later, JVC is introducing its first Mega-Pixel V.Networks camera, the VN-X35U. Throughout the past decade, V.Networks cameras have earned industry awards and a solid reputation for security, reliability, and for providing superior picture quality in thousands of installations worldwide. JVC's V.Networks product line has expanded from strictly cameras to encoders and now network recorders and management systems.

V.Networks from JVC. Reliable. Proven. Secure.

A History of Expertise

JVC’s V.Networks product lineup is the result of the company’s engineering expertise in three major core technologies.  Imaging, Networking, and Mechanism Design are  the foundation for  the world’s most advanced IP surveillance system.

Imaging: The Art of Picture Making

It should be no surprise that JVC constantly strives for superior image quality and performance. Over 80 years ago, JVC’s Dr. Kenjiro Takayanagi began experimenting with television and produced the world’s first television image in 1926. Since that time, JVC innovations created cameras and monitors resulting in the highest quality images for the viewer.

Today, the industry is awash with surveillance cameras that can make color pictures. Widely available inexpensive board level components allow many engineers to design cameras, but they have little experience in making “good pictures.”

JVC brings its breadth of experience in development of cameras for broadcast television, cinematography, medical imaging, and consumer applications to the world of surveillance. Three key considerations in any video camera are sensitivity, signal-to-noise, and resolution. A good camera offers the correct balance between these elements, and doesn’t emphasize one to the negative effect on the others. JVC has many years of experience in achieving this balance in the widest range of lighting and environmental conditions combined with an artful understanding of what makes a good image. It is upon that foundation that every JVC camera is built.

All V.Networks cameras embody JVC's latest image processing circuitry and provide sharp, natural images with high contrast and good color saturation. Even basic models, such as the VN-V25 offer JVC's most advanced circuits such as Easy Wide-D to improve dynamic range and to provide details even in awkward backlight situations. As the industry moves toward higher resolution—mega pixel and beyond—high image quality will be increasingly important.

For JVC, superior image quality and performance – without compromise – are at the core of what we do.

Networking: Experience brings Intelligent Design

JVC was an early developer of data communications technology with near infrared radiation used in TVs and other devices. Using this technology, we also developed wireless networks including the industry’s first Ethernet, fully compatible high speed optical wireless LAN, known as VIPSLAN. The system was built on a satellite/node concept and used infrared optics to interconnect networked computers and peripherals without wires. Nodes were powered through the standard ethernet cables that also carried data—one of the world's first 'power-over-ethernet' systems. JVC's 'power hubs' and power inserters added power into the data cables—a technique now widely used in the security industry.

From the beginning, JVC recognized the importance of bandwidth conservation, realizing that Video over IP would transport large amounts of data. As one of the original developers of MPEG data compression, it was natural for JVC to put MPEG encoders into its IP cameras. However, with today's Megapixel cameras, even efficient data compression systems such as MPEG and H.264 (MPEG4, Part 10) produce large amounts of data. Conservation is more important than ever.

JVC's solution is to build more intelligence into the camera, so that the amount of data is reduced until it's needed. The new VN-X35 Mega Pixel camera is a good example of how an intelligently designed camera can provide “Mega details” with “Mini Bandwidth.” For example, the camera offers real-time image scaling from VGA to QUAD VGA, without affecting the viewing angle, allowing users to conserve bandwidth monitoring VGA images, yet benefit from megapixel resolution when needed. It can provide two streams of video data simultaneously, one in lower resolution for viewing, while a high definition stream is available for recording in the event of an alarm. This capability becomes invaluable when multiple megapixel cameras are deployed.

Mechanism Design: High Performance, High reliability

JVC’s extensive experience in mechanical design has evolved from our history in professional VTR and data recorder technology. We developed miniature direct-drive motors and fast, highly accurate motor control systems that made our professional tape transports the fastest and most precise in the industry. That direct drive technology has now been employed in JVC’s latest pan/tilt/zoom cameras such as the award winning VN-V686.

The simpler, but more reliable mechanisms result in much more precise and consistent performance than typical belt driven cameras. The silent mechanisms can maintain preset camera positions within 0.03° even after frequent panning and tilting—especially important when zoomed in 36X.  The beltless design has also resulted in an extremely high MTBF.

A Commitment to Reliability and Improvement

A surveillance camera is used in a nearly unlimited variety of environments. The camera must be designed to perform in the most severe conditions and under heavy workloads. Any pan/tilt/zoom camera experiences wear and tear as it is positioned and repositioned. As parts wear, cameras become less precise and can become unstable. Even direct drive systems can fail if inferior components or construction is used.

Since the beginning, V.Network products have been, and continue to be fully designed and manufactured in-house. JVC has established a rigorous QA process for all of its cameras. Each component is put through severe testing for over 5 million rotations. This dedication to reliability is embodied in every product in the V.Networks line and is one reason why JVC systems have an on-going reputation for reliability.

We design and build them to work well—and to last.

Complete Surveillance Systems and Solutions

An effective surveillance system is more than just cameras. Physical security professionals want complete solutions – hardware and software that are stable and integrated--not a collection of varied components. Our design, manufacture and testing guarantees that everything works together – they are “plug and play” simple. And JVC stands by our technology and products with one-source customer service.

While JVC has continually enhanced its camera line with new functions and performance features, an equally important commitment has been the creation of complete recording and monitoring solutions.

Since 2004, JVC has offered, self-contained dedicated network recorders designed to manage and record multiple IP cameras. Our systems have been adopted throughout the United States in locations as varied as airports, seaports and prisons.

JVC has always understood that network video recorders (NVRs) would require increasingly faster processing and broader compatibility with third-party devices and software, as well as integration with existing analog systems. The latest generation of V.Networks recorders include the VR-N900, introduced in 2006, and the VR-N1600 introduced in 2007. These unique models fulfill the market desire to accept both analog and IP cameras, and provide a familiar XProject feature set for end users.

As the popularity of self-contained hardware/software network recorders continues to grow, JVC is also addressing users who wish to perform monitoring and recording functions with their off-the-shelf personal computers. JVC developed the VN-S800 Network Recording Software package to meet these requirements. Split-screen displays from multiple cameras, sequential displays, videotaping/playback and search functions, alarm processing, timer function and more can now be managed by the software. It runs on a standard Windows computer system and is by far the most advanced software-based network video recorder solution available for JVC cameras. And it’s free!

The Strength of Partnerships

Today’s IP surveillance environment often requires dozens of products from varying manufacturers to work together seamlessly. As the manufacturer, JVC believes it is our responsibility to ensure that our products work with all of the major system components on the market. For this reason, we have partnered with other key manufacturers such as Milestone, Verint and many other to ensure compatibility between our products. Regular engineering meetings are held with dozens of other suppliers as well. Our open platform designs help ensure better compatibility between a broad range of products – and, should any new issues arise, the lines of communication are open to quickly get almost any situation resolved, usually without the customer even being aware of a problem.

V.Networks: The Future is Now

In the future, expect to see higher resolution cameras such as the megapixel VN-X35 take a more prominent role in routine security assignments. JVC is positioned to lead the way because we know that in video surveillance, it’s all about the picture. Capturing the image accurately and with all of its mega details and rich color, and then reliably delivering the picture to the viewer is what JVC does best. We understand bandwidth limitations, and we know that intelligent bandwidth management begins in the camera.

Today’s V.Networks products are user friendly. They are faster and have more responsive performance. They are quiet, and more precise than ever. They feature unparalleled reliability with simpler, more advanced mechanisms, and because we build them in house, we back them with the industry’s longest warranty.

Today there are 11 V.Networks cameras to choose from—cameras that fit virtually any application, available individually or in pre-configured “Ready Paks” . We manufacture two fully integrated network recorders with embedded operating and management software, and a free standalone network recorder and monitoring application for the PC. On top of that, JVC offers the industry's broadest line of flat panel and CRT monitors, encoders and peripherals.

That’s what customers have come to expect from JVC.
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