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Turn
your Osprey-100 into a
Multi-Channel Capture Card
i-Catcher Video
Server software allows
you to capture images from all four ports of
your Osprey-100 - simultaneously!
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It
may be desirable to have more than one camera installed
for monitoring purposes, but doing so might involve
a lot of additional hardware just to allow more than
one camera to capture.
i-Catcher
Video Server for Osprey Video is a solution to
this hardware problem.
i-Catcher Video Server operates directly with multi-port
Osprey Video capture cards, and presents each of these
ports as a single network video source, allowing a
single computer to become the source of four video
feeds per instance of i-Catcher Video Server. For
example using the Osprey-100
which offers four composite video inputs, you can
run up to four instances. You can increase the number
of sources a single computer can provide up to sixteen
if you install four Osprey-100 cards. You simply enter
the host, port, and address of the specific camera
into i-Catcher Sentry, and i-Catcher Video Server
runs transparently like any other local or network
video source.
i-Catcher
Video Server is a multi-camera video image serving
solution, that integrates with Osprey Video capture
cards and i-Catcher software product range.
i-Catcher
Video Server uses a direct interface to multi-input
Osprey cards to capture video images and serve them
via an embedded web server. These images can then
be used by any application capable of retrieving JPEG
images via HTTP.
i-Catcher
Video Server can be downloaded for a 21-day trial
or you can purchase a fully-licensed version. Purchase
the Osprey-100 Security Bundle and get the i-Catcher
Video Server software FREE!
For
more information on Osprey Video cards, click
here.
For more information on i-Catcher Video Server, click
here.
Courthouse
Implements Video
Arraignment Technology
Implementation of Viewpoint VBX System for
Video Arraignment Provides Efficiency and Security
for N.C. District 27A Judicial District, Gaston
County Courthouse, Gastonia, N. C.
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With
growing court dockets, judicial districts are faced
with less time to handle more cases, along with higher
costs to maintain proper levels of security. This is
especially true when jail cases require inmate movement
from the jail to the courtroom for arraignments. In
fact, the majority of a county jail inmate movement
is for court appearances.
For
example, on any given Monday, Judicial District 27A,
Gastonia, N.C., processes approximately fifty jail cases
requiring inmate movement to courtrooms for a first-appearance
hearing.
In
a typical arraignment proceeding, the judge calls for
the accused at a set time. The correction officers must
shackle the inmate and transport him or her to the courtroom.
This procedure can be physically dangerous for the officers,
and the risk of inmate escape is ever present. Following
the arraignment, the inmate is returned to the correctional
facility to await release or trial, with the same transport
dangers being present.
Video
communications from ViewCast provides the procedural
efficiency sought by Courts to handle increasing caseloads,
while also delivering security through its application
to video arraignment. ViewCast's video arraignment application
allows the inmate, who remains at the corrections facility,
to interface with the judge, the prosecutor, and the
defense attorney, through networked video communications.
Since inmate transportation is not required, risks to
officers transporting and standing with the defendant
during a normal arraignment proceeding is removed. Also,
by keeping the accused in the confines of the jail,
his or her human dignity can be better preserved, since
there is no entering into a courtroom in an orange suit,
handcuffs, and shackles.
For
their video arraignment needs, Judicial District 27A
in Gastonia, N.C., implemented a Viewpoint VBX system
from ViewCast Corporation. The system consists of a
VBX Enterprise Server connecting video enabled laptop
computers at the Prosecution and Defense desks to video
enabled computers with flat panel displays on the Judge's
bench and Clerk's desk in the courtroom. At the Jail,
a casehardened video-enabled computer client is also
connected through a fiber link to the VBX Enterprise
Server.
Prior
to the Judge entering the court, the Clerk makes a simple
video call to the Jail Computer where the inmates are
assembled. Through this "face to face" connection
the Clerk completes any swearing in process and subsequently
connects the Judge, Prosecution, Defense, and Jail computers
in a four way video conference call. This is accomplished
by using a VBX Call Commander, a computer application
resembling a PBX telephone. This "connecting process"
takes less than one (1) minute to complete. All screens
display the images of the Judge and Prosecutor in the
two right quadrants and the Defendant and Council in
the left quadrants. The miniature cameras mounted at
each of the video enabled computers are all connected
through the VBX Enterprise Server to produce video images
at 30fps, the equivalent of watching a DVD on your home
television screen.
The
proceedings commence as if all participants were physically
present in the courtroom. Even those seated in the courtroom
gallery can view and hear the proceedings on a large video
monitor that displays the exact same images as the video
enabled computer screens, with the audio being channeled
through the courtroom sound system.
Based on the design of the Viewpoint VBX system, the accused
can see the judge, as well as the defense attorney, prosecutor
and any witnesses, if called. Since the defendant is not
transported to the courtroom, he or she avoids any contact
with the public or the media.
At
a cost of approximately $65,000, the Viewpoint VBX equipment
installed in Judicial District 27A was purchased with
County funds allocated over a three (3) year capital-planning
budget. This technology benefits local taxpayers, since
the budgeted expense for transporting inmates to and
from court for arraignment is eliminated. The ongoing
use of the video arraignment system will actually reduce
the cost of maintaining security, reduce security risks,
and will allow the use of officer man hours for security
in other courtrooms and for use in the overall security
of the District 27A Courthouse Law Enforcement Complex.
"Our concern for the efficient use of the courtroom
and personnel drives us to seek better and safer methods
for processing cases", said Chief District Court
Judge Dennis Redwing, "and the use of video for
arraignment enhances the timely processing of court
cases, increases security, and reduces expenses. As
an added cost savings benefit, the particular video
communications technology implemented in District 27A
will allow expansion to include other criminal and juvenile
court proceedings, and civil pretrial and trial proceedings".
The
deployment of video arraignment services helps both
courts and the corrections facilities provide timely
and safe arraignment and bond hearings. By utilizing
this technology, inmate transportation costs are eliminated,
security for all participants is enhanced, and defendants
receive their first appearance before judges without
many of the movements and delays previously associated
with in-courtroom arraignment proceedings.
For
more information on Viewpoint VBX, click
here.
To request information on Viewpoint VBX, click
here.
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ViewCast
Boosts Processing Power on Niagara Streaming Systems
Niagara Streaming Systems Feature Increased CPU
Power and Hyper-Threading Technology!
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ViewCast
recently updated 4200 series Niagara Streaming System to
Pentium 4, 2.4 GHz processors with increased front side
bus performance motherboards. These systems now ship with
Windows XP Pro which allows users to take advantage of the
much acclaimed Hyper-Threading
Technology from Intel®.
Faster
clock speeds are an important way to deliver more computing
power. But clock speed is only half the story. The other
route to higher performance is to accomplish more work on
each clock cycle, and that's where Hyper-Threading Technology
comes in. A single processor supporting Hyper-Threading
Technology presents itself to modern operating systems and
applications as two virtual processors. The processor can
work on two sets of tasks simultaneously, use resources
that otherwise would sit idle, and get more work done in
the same amount of time. Hyper-Threading means greater resource
utilization which equals greater performance and responsiveness.
Our
lab tests have demonstrated about 25% to 30% performance
increase by enabling Hyper-Threading on Niagara Streaming
Systems.
Here
are the improved Niagara models:
Niagara
4222RW
This powerful streaming system provides two channels of
audio & video streaming plus advanced video/audio capture
card capabilities. It also features two Osprey-230 streaming
capture cards.
Combined
with Osprey SimulStream, you can input two video sources
and create several streams from those two sources at different
bitrates and in different streaming formats. For example,
encode 4 QCIF streams (or other resolutions) per channel
for multi-stream output.
A/V
Inputs:
(2) Composite video (BNC), (2) S-Video, (2 pair) Unbalanced
stereo (RCA), (2 pair) Balanced stereo (XLR)
Niagara
4225RW
This versatile streaming system provides two-channel advanced
video/audio capture from analog, DV and professional digital
sources. It also features the high-performance capabilities
of the Osprey-560 streaming capture card.
A/V
Inputs:
(2) Composite video (BNC), (2) S-Video, (2) DV (IEEE 1934),
(2) SDI with embedded audio, (2) Unbalanced stereo audio
(RCA), (2) Balanced stereo audio (XLR), (2) Professional
digital audio (AES/EBU)
Video
processing capabilities for both of these systems include
HW scaling & cropping, color space conversion, and bitmap
overlay.
For
more information about the Niagara 4222RW, click
here.
For
more information about the Niagara 4225RW, click
here.
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SimulStream
Evaluation
Software Now Available Online!
Try Before You Buy! Enable
the Multi-Streaming Capabilities of your Osprey!
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Osprey SimulStream is the first premium software upgrade
available extending the capabilities of Osprey
Video capture cards. SimulStream enables a single
Osprey Video card to output multiple instances
of audio and video data from a single input
source to multiple applications.
SimulStream
enables any number of applications to simultaneously
access an Osprey device as if each application
was the sole user of the device.
For example, any number of WindowsMedia Encoder applications
as well as Real System Producer applications
can be run at the same time on a single board.
This dramatically improves workflow and increases encoding
density for those doing large amounts of streaming
at multiple bitrate and/or multiple formats.
Free Trial Version of SimulStream
is Available Online!
ViewCast offers a fully functional trial version of SimulStream
for you to test multi-streaming capabilities.
IMPORTANT: SimulStream requires that you have an Osprey
streaming capture card installed in your system.
To enable SimulStream, you will first need to meet
the following requirements:
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Osprey-210, Osprey-220 or Osprey-500 family hardware
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Return to Table of Contents
Copyright � 2003, ViewCast Corporation. This information
is accurate at time of publishing and is subject to
change without notice. Product names mention herein
are used for identification purposes only and may be
registered trademarks. All trademarks are property of
their respective holders.
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