March 29, 2012 - Toshiba releases IK-WR14A IP Dome Camera. The IK-WR14A, a two-megapixel IP network dome camera reduces upfront installation time with its incorporation of remote optical zoom, one-touch remote focus, and a new cable management system based on time-saving Power over Ethernet (PoE). Once installed, the camera captures 1080p full HD resolution video at 30 frames-per-second in virtually any lighting condition, indoors or outdoors. Upfront installation of an IP video camera can take 30 minutes or longer with most time-consuming, labor-intensive task being the initial focusing of the optical lens.
On standard IP cameras, two technicians are required: one to physically adjust the lens to different positions in a trial-and-error fashion to find the sharpest focus, and another to view the results on a remote monitor via the network. Lagging in the network extends the time needed to complete the job. To solve this problem, the IK-WR14A features a unique remote optical zoom and one-touch auto focus system that permits the lens focusing process to be completed remotely on a laptop computer by a single technician, quickly and easily. Amazingly simple to operation, the Toshiba remote focusing system slashes the time and labor expense associated with installing an IP camera. Another labor-saving feature is the IK-WR14A's upgraded cable management system.
Rather than the five separate cables found on previous camera generations, it consists of a single Ethernet cable for power, control and data transfer. Based on PoE, the cable management system allows the camera to be quickly installed in areas that would be otherwise inconvenient or cost-prohibitive. In addition, the IK-WR14A is ONVIF compliant, making it interoperable with a wide range of third-party IP solutions. ONVIF is an open industry forum for the development of a global standard for the interface of IP-based physical security products. Toshiba engineers employed a powerful two-megapixel CMOS sensor into the camera's imaging system, giving it the ability to capture the smallest of details needed to accurately recognize faces or to read license plates.
In addition, because the sensor will also scan very large viewing areas, such as a parking lot or a department store floor, a single IK-WR14A can replace as many as five standard resolution (640 x 480) cameras, making it a cost-effective alternative. The camera's capabilities are further enhanced by a 3x optical zoom lens system that offers an exceptionally wide angle of view. Capturing video in extreme lighting environments remains a challenge for many security camera manufacturers. Toshiba has overcome this problem with exclusive SRLED (Single Reflection LED) technology that provides edge-to-edge lighting for night-vision down to 0 lux. Built-in day/night IR filters remove unnecessary colors in near complete darkness for the sharpest black-and-white image.
For backlighting difficulties confronted when cameras face bright outside daylight, the IK-WR14A features a wide dynamic range that optimizes visibility by taking two samples of the same image, one at slow shutter for the bright area and one at fast shutter for the dark area. These two images are then combined to avoid the subject being silhouetted. As tough as it is smart, the IK-WR14A features a vandal-resistant IP66 outdoor metal housing, along with an electronic tamper-detection system that senses whenever the lens has been blocked, spray painted, or redirected. The camera immediately responds with an email emergency notification. These features qualify the IK-WR14A for areas subjected to frequent vandalism.
Two-way audio and H.264 space-saving compression round-out the camera feature set.
