Bosch’s new VideoJet X family of video encoders combines high quality video, intelligence and ruggedness to extend CCTV over IP coverage into the most challenging environments.    

The VideoJet X10 (single-channel), X20 (2-channel) and X40 (4-channel) video encoders operate in temperatures from -30 to +60 degrees Celsius and relative humidities up to 95 percent.  The units are also highly resistant to vibration, making them well suited for use in heavy industry, traffic and city-center (urban) monitoring as well as for mobile applications.  A broad operating voltage range from 10 to 30 V DC means they are also suitable for surveillance of remote areas using battery or solar power.

Complementing its ruggedness, a choice of network connectivity is provided by three network ports: two standard 10/100 Mbps Ethernet ports plus a 1 Gbps small form factor pluggable (SFP) optical transceiver slot.  This slot enables the encoders to connect directly to a fiber-optic interface module to provide easy connection to remote locations via fiber-optic cabling: up to 550 m with multimode and up to 100 km with single-mode fiber.

The units also offer several recording options ranging from local recording on RAM, Compact Flash or integrated hard-disk drive to recording on network-attached RAID5 storage unit via iSCSI or a central NVR.  The iSCSI RAID5 option offers significant benefits including complete flexibility in location of the iSCSI units on the network, easy network scalability, a simpler and hence more reliable recording chain than with a standard NVR solution, and the possibility to schedule ‘over site’ mirroring of data onto other iSCSI RAID5 drives to enhance data integrity.

The VideoJet X10 and X20 encoders deliver MPEG-4 Video over IP at a full frame rate of 25 images (PAL) or 30 images (NTSC) per second at 4CIF resolution on every video channel.  The VideoJet X40 is capable of providing 4CIF resolution at 12.5/15 images per second or full frame rate of 25 or 30 images per second at 2CIF or 2/3 D1 resolution for every video channel.

In common with the latest versions of Bosch IP network products, the new VideoJet X series includes a licensable option to enable Bosch’s IVMD (Intelligent Video Motion Detection).  IVMD offers highly advanced video content analysis (VCA) functionality that includes object identification by aspect ratio, idle-object and object-removal detection, and trajectory mapping for detecting suspicious behavior such as loitering.  Embedded in the encoders themselves, IVMD provides ‘Intelligence at the Edge’ which significantly reduces the load on a network by performing all VCA functions at the encoders.  Moreover, with image stabilization for use with cameras mounted on a pole or exposed to vibration, IVMD further supports outdoor and mobile applications.  The units also provide the highest levels of security with encryption for web browsing security and 802.1x authentication support.  These new encoders feature DHCP support for dynamic IP address assignment and an SNTP (Simple Network Time Protocol) server accuracy of 0.25 microseconds for accurate time synchronization.  A low-pass video filter is also provided in the latest firmware for use with CCTV cameras that produce noisy signals which can result in undesirable increases in encoding load.

The VideoJet X series is compatible with Bosch’s new Video Recording Management (VRM) software.  This provides complete management of iSCSI RAID5 storage units including automatically re-routing video to alternative iSCSI units in the event of failure.  The new VRM software will also provide smart search functionality for metadata (text strings comprising key words describing specific scenarios) which is sent together with the video footage to the recording medium.  Searching metadata files is much faster that searching through hours of raw video and is one of the key advantages of pushing Intelligence to the Edge.