Top 5 Single Plug-ins for After Effects

Many people think that once they have purchased a big plug-in pack that they will never need to purchase another effect again. Unfortunately, that’s not necessarily true.

Sometimes you need to purchase individual plug-ins, either because a specific effect in the bundle is missing some features, or might not have the realism of a single, third-party effect.  

For me, these are the five absolute best à la carte After Effects plug-ins for third-party effects.

5. Yanobox Nodes 2 (FXFactory.com, US$299)

For anyone not familiar with Nodes 2, it’s a plug-in designed by Yanobox using the FX Factory architecture, meaning you must have FX Factory installed before you can try or purchase it. FX Factory was originally a FCP/Motion plug-in pack only, but in the last few years, they have expanded FX Factory Pro to be used in Premiere Pro and After Effects as well.  

At its core, Nodes 2 is just what it sounds like: a plug-in that lets you create unbelievable animations with nodes at the centre of them. Whether you’re creating list-based animations, or just some fancy looking ‘art’ pieces (you can even import 3D models into Nodes, and have the wireframe of the model drawn out to create cool animations), Nodes 2 is a must-have for projects that need a little extra flair!

 

4. Trapcode’s Shine (RedGiant.com, US$99)

Every editor needs a God Rays effect. You know, that effect from Close Encounters of the Third Kind that looks like the heavens have opened up and the light from heaven is streaming down from the sky. Whether you’re applying it to text to make it look like light is tearing out of it, or adding it to a b-roll shot to convey a particular mood or feeling, nobody makes the effect better than Trapcode does.  

Very simple to use, and super fast to render, Trapcode’s Shine gives you the ability to add five different colors to your shine, and the wide array of presets gets you up and running super fast.

3. Magic Bullet Looks (RedGiant.com, $US399)

Now, out of my top five list, Magic Bullet Looks (MBL) will probably give you the most bang for your buck. Why? Well, whether you’re a motion graphics designer or an editor, creating looks (or grades for that matter) is something you probably do on a regular basis.  

One thing you’ll notice right away is that hidden under the hood of MBL is a bunch of other effects that come with the full Magic Bullet Suite, including a new version of Magic Bullet Mojo (a quick color-grading app), Cosmo (a skin-retouching and coloring tool), an updated Colorista three-way color corrector, a lens vignette tool and even the ability to add LUTs (lookup tables) to your grading.  

All of these, plus close to 200 presets right out of the gate, means you will always have a strong starting point with MBL.

2. Video Copilot’s Optical Flares (VideoCopilot.net, US$165)

I use lens flares in just about every project that I work on, and to be honest, just about every plug-in package out there has a lens flare effect. But, just because your bundle has one, doesn’t mean that you should be using it.

You should be using the best effect for the job, and any time you need to add that extra flair to a title or image, Optical Flares is the absolute best lens flare effect out there. The price I mention above includes the pro preset pack, which is a must (only an additional $25 to the standard bundle).  

I don’t have time to mess around attempting to create a flare, so I just go to either the 60 standard or 50 pro presets, tailor it the way I need it, and I’m good to go. If I work on five different After Effects projects in a day, Optical Flare is used in three or four of those projects.

1. Video Copilot’s Element 3D ($199 - VideoCopilot.net)

Okay, now we’re at number one. The absolutely essential After Effects plug-in and, with little surprise, we’re back to Video Copilot for their Element 3D plug-in. If you do any type of 3D work in After Effects, this is a must-have plug-in.  

I know, there are a lot of 3D plug-ins out there, but none quite like this one. Let’s overlook, for a moment, the fact that you can import and work with 3D models, and utilize all kinds of features like updated UI with speed improvements (new in version 2.2), Open GL and Ray Traced Shadows, Ambient Occlusion, 3D Noise/Bend/Twist/Deform and Physical Shaders (to recreate real-world textures).

Now, all this is fine and good, but there’s something else in there that sets Element 3D apart from all the other 3D apps out there, and that is its ability to quickly and easily extrude After Effects text and shape layers to create 3D text and objects. This feature alone is worth the $199 price tag. Simply type the text you want to extrude, create a new solid, apply Element 3D to the solid, assign that text layer to a “Custom Text” layer in the effect UI and now, once inside the application, simply hit extrude, and you’re all set to go!  

Don’t get me wrong, I love the large plug-in packs from some of the big companies out there – those effects cover a lot of bases. But I also see the value in going à la carte, as a company that focuses on a few plug-ins will work very hard to make sure they are the absolute best. The effects on this list, at least for me, are the cream of the crop!

Installing and Configuring the Windows Server Essentials Experience role

Now available as a server role

In the Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials release, we’ve made major investments into making our deployment available as a server role. Therefore, as Jason mentioned in an earlier blog, the features in Windows Server Essentials are being released in both Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials and as the Windows Server Essentials Experience server role in Windows Server 2012 R2.

We use a consistent architecture across the following editions: Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials, and Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard and Datacenter. From a technical perspective, features are packaged into the Windows Server Essentials Experience role in exactly the same way. The key difference regarding the deployment is that in Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials, the role is pre-enabled and the configuration wizard is configured to pop up automatically when a user logs on to the computer. (There are also differences around locks and limits that are not in the scope of this blog.)

Multiple options for deployment depending on your environment

As a server role, Windows Server Essentials Experience can be deployed on a workgroup box, a domain controller, or a member server in the domain. The limitations here are that Windows Server Essentials Experience can only be deployed to a single domain environment and you can’t have a read-only domain controller (RODC) in your environment.

When deployed on a workgroup box, the configuration wizard will ask you for information to bring up a new Active Directory domain environment and configure other roles and features that the role depends on.

When deployed on a member server in the domain or on an existing domain controller (you need to join your existing domain by using native tools), the configuration wizard simply configures other roles and features without changing your domain environment. Therefore, for users who want to try out the experience, the best way is to deploy Windows Server Essentials on a member server in your existing IT environment, which is much less intrusive. The steps are:

1. Join Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard or Datacenter to your domain.
2. Enable and configure the Windows Server Essentials Experience role in Server Manager.

You may have already noticed that previous migration paths in the configuration wizard are not needed, because Windows Server Essentials can be deployed on an existing domain controller. If you want to migrate to the latest platform, just do an Active Directory replication and then configure Windows Server Essentials. For more information about migration, see Migrate from Previous Versions to Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials.

Remote installation and Windows PowerShell

In addition to configuring Windows Server Essentials directly from the local box, you can now use Windows PowerShell cmdlets for more advanced scenarios; for example, remote configuration in the hosting environment using Windows PowerShell, or unattended installation using first logon scripts.

You can run these simple commands to perform the installation and configuration:

1. Install the Windows Server Essentials Experience role by using the following command: 
   Add-WindowsFeature ServerEssentialsRole 
2. To configure it, use Start-WssConfigurationService. You can get more help information about this command by using get-help start-wssconfigurationservice.
• Run the following script to configure a workgroup box: 
  Start-WssConfigurationService -CompanyName "ContosoTest" -DNSName "ContosoTest.com" -NetBiosName "ContosoTest" -ComputerName "YourServerName” –NewAdminCredential $cred 
• Run the following command to start the configuration to set up Windows Server Essentials as an existing domain member. You must be a member of the Enterprise Admin group and Domain Admin group in Active Directory to perform this task: 
  Start-WssConfigurationService –Credential <Your Credential> 
3. Monitor the progress of the installation by using the following commands:
• To have installation status displayed on the progress bar, run: 
  Get-WssConfigurationStatus –ShowProgress. 
• To get the immediate progress without the progress bar, run: 
  Get-WssConfigurationStatus 

Deploying Windows Server Essentials on virtual machines

With the wide adoption of virtualization, we’ve heard more and more feedback that customers want to deploy their servers as virtual machines (VMs). Windows Server Essentials Experience provides a great tool that allows an end user to seamlessly set up their physical server as a VM host and bring up virtualized Windows Server Essentials as a VM guest. This tools requires that OEM and system builders do some pre-configuration on the image. The tool works for Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials and Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard. In a future blog post, we will share more detailed steps about how to configure this.

As a system provider, you have the option to let your customer choose between a virtual deployment or a physical deployment.

If an end user chooses a virtual deployment, Windows Server Essentials will have the Hyper-V role installed and will be able to run VMs, and the wizard will create a customized Windows Server Essentials VM based on the end user’s settings. In addition, any Windows Server roles that aren’t necessary for hosting VMs will be removed from the host to reduce the footprint on the host.

If the user chooses to do a physical deployment, the configuration wizard will install and configure the Windows Server Essentials role on the physical box.

For more information, see Install and Configure Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials.

End user can select a virtual deployment or a physical deployment

End user is provided with a virtual deployment

VIRTUAL REALITY – WHY THIS TIME IS DIFFERENT

As a child I remember watching sci-fi films about virtual reality (VR) wondering if I’d be around to see the age of consumer ready VR devices.  Several companies have tried, and failed to convince consumers that virtual reality is truly ready for mass consumption.  The concept is simple – but executing on such an idea has proven to be exceedingly difficult. However, it appears that 2015 will be different and we’ll finally see a consumer-ready VR device hit the market – and maybe even your living room.

VIRTUAL REALITY – THE EARLY YEARS

Let’s start with a quick primer on the history of VR.  VR was created in 1965 by Ivan Sutherland – he created the “Ultimate Display”, a device that could overlay wireframe interiors onto a room.  The military was simultaneously researching and investing in VR’s potential for flight simulation and training.

The VR industry continued to develop over the next couple of decades, but appeal was limited to only the most ambitious engineers and early adapters due to the cost of components, and the computers that powered them. Even in the early 90’s, the price tag on a decent virtual reality device was over $50,000.  The high cost of entry, of course, meant that it was still very much out of the question for the average consumer.

PALMER LUCKEY AND OCULUS RIFT CHANGE THE GAME

Fast-forward 40 years and Palmer Luckey (the inventor of the Oculus Rift) created his first VR prototype at age 18 in his parents basement. Luckey eventually developed the product that would come to be known as the Oculus Rift. Oculus has ushered in the current era of VR development and breathed new life into this promising technology.

The announcement of the Oculus was followed closely by tech insiders, developers, and early adopters, all of whom had been chomping at the bit to experience this new frontier in VR development. It wasn’t long before heavy-weights like Facebook, Google, and Samsung took notice and began investing heavily in VR with the hopes of producing the first consumer ready device. Facebook believes so strongly in the Oculus Rift that they acquired the company for $2 Billion in March of 2014. Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg stated that he sees the acquisition as a “long-term bet on the future of computing.”

TODAY’S CHOICES FOR CONSUMERS

The current lineup of VR products run the gamut in terms of price and accessibility.  You can get your feet wet with Google’s product (aptly named Cardboard).  Cardboard is very inexpensive, roughly $20.00. It uses easy to obtain components like cardboard, biconvex lenses, a couple of magnets, Velcro, and a rubber band.  Instead of a built-in display like the Oculus Rift, this product is powered by any Android phone running 4.1 or higher (just slide your phone into the “headset”). You assemble it all yourself, following Google’s step-by-step instructions with pictures.

The phone powers the entire experience with applications found in Google’s Cardboard app store).  There are no external wires or clunky hardware to deal with…just the Cardboard case and your Android phone. At Primacy we recently built one to test out in house – the entire build took about 5 minutes from start to finish.

Facebook’s Oculus Rift

Given the current pace of innovation it’s a safe bet that both the hardware and software for Facebook’s Oculus technology will only get better in the months ahead.  The consumer model, though not currently available, is expected to be released mid 2015. The developer model (DK2) costs $350 and comes loaded with a low latency display (the same used in the Samsung Galaxy Note 3).  The display delivers a respectable 960×1080 resolution per eye with a 75Hz refresh rate. The unit also includes a gyroscope, accelerometer, magnometer and a near infrared camera for head and positional tracking.  Applications are run on a computer which is connected directly to the headset via an HDMI and USB cable.

Samsung’s Gear VR Innovator Edition

Samsung saw an opportunity to jump into the VR mix and partnered with Oculus. They’ve produced a headset that looks like the most consumer-ready device to date. Samsung’s Gear VR Innovator Edition is exactly what you would expect from the established tech giant both in terms of quality and usability.  It’s also the most expensive option, coming in at an msrp of $200 for the headset + $750 (off-contract) for the phone required to power it.  Unlike Google’s Cardboard, the Gear VR only works with a Samsung Galaxy Note 4, so if you’re lucky enough to already own one you can save yourself a significant amount of money.

The headset itself is very well designed and quite intuitive. There’s a volume toggle, touchpad, and “back” button on the right side of the headset that can be used to easily navigate through VR experiences and applications.  The top of the headset holds a focus wheel that is used to adjust the focus to optimal range for your eyes. Two straps hold the unit firmly on your head which seals your vision off from the outside world to improve the sense of immersion.  Plus, the absence of any cables tethering you to a computer helps make the experience more enjoyable and portable.

There’s no need to take the unit off your head in order to download or switch applications…everything can be done through the Oculus Home menu or Samsung’s application library after the initial setup and configuration.  There are a handful of interesting and useful apps included out of the box such as Oculus Cinema – for watching movies and videos in a virtual cinema, Oculus 360 Photos – for viewing panoramic photos, and Oculus 360 Videos – for viewing panoramic videos.  Samsung also recently released a marketplace called Milk VR which is basically Youtube for VR.

THE DOWNSIDE – A CASE OF THE JUDDERS

We’ve found that many of the applications available now are graphics heavy and the experience can degrade quickly without a fairly good graphics card.  It is worth noting that experiences involving 3D graphics and rapid motion can quickly become nauseating to some folks due to frame-rate or GPU restrictions and a phenomena known as “judder” (when the images become smeared, strobed or otherwise distorted), so it is really the responsibility of developers to create “comfortable” experiences which aim to minimize judder.  Despite the drawbacks – when used in tandem with a computer that has a high end GPU, the result is a sense of immersion that 10 years ago would have seemed impossible.  The Oculus developer site currently lists both a PC and Mobile SDK which include integrations for Unity and Unreal game engines.  The PC SDK is intended for the Rift DK2 where-as the Mobile SDK is intended for Oculus powered devices which leverage mobile phones.

VR – THE FUTURE IS HERE (OR REALLY, REALLY CLOSE)

We’re just starting to crack the surface with VR. The emergence of panoramic video and photo is making it easy to “teleport” viewers to places they could never physically be.

Imagine a front row seat to watch your favorite band play live…with the freedom to look in any direction in real time.   Imagine walking (literally…walking) through your favorite national park as if you were really there.  Imagine sitting in a conference room half way around the world and interacting with others as if you were really there.  These are just a few of the amazing applications that VR devices like the Oculus Rift enable.  So stay tuned – if current progress is any indication, virtual reality is here to stay, and it’ll be invading your living room or office much sooner than you might think.

7 Important Principles of Total Quality Management

Total Quality Management (TQM) is an approach that organizations use to improve their internal processes and increase customer satisfaction. When it is properly implemented, this style of management can lead to decreased costs related to corrective or preventative maintenance, better overall performance, and an increased number of happy and loyal customers.

However, TQM is not something that happens overnight. While there are a number of software solutions that will help organizations quickly start to implement a quality management system, there are some underlying philosophies that the company must integrate throughout every department of the company and at every level of management. Whatever other resources you use, you should adopt these seven important principles of Total Quality Management as a foundation for all your activities.

1. Quality can and must be managed

Many companies have wallowed in a repetitive cycle of chaos and customer complaints. They believe that their operations are simply too large to effectively manage the level of quality. The first step in the TQM process, then, is to realize there is a problem and that it can be controlled.

2. Processes, not people, are the problem

If your process is causing problems, it won’t matter how many times you hire new employees or how many training sessions you put them through. Correct the process and then train your people on these new procedures.

3. Don’t treat symptoms, look for the cure

If you just patch over the underlying problems in the process, you will never be able to fully reach your potential. If, for example, your shipping department is falling behind, you may find that it is because of holdups in manufacturing. Go for the source to correct the problem.

4. Every employee is responsible for quality

Everyone in the company, from the workers on the line to the upper management, must realize that they have an important part to play in ensuring high levels of quality in their products and services. Everyone has a customer to delight, and they must all step up and take responsibility for them.

5. Quality must be measurable

A quality management system is only effective when you can quantify the results. You need to see how the process is implemented and if it is having the desired effect. This will help you set your goals for the future and ensure that every department is working toward the same result.

6. Quality improvements must be continuous

Total Quality Management is not something that can be done once and then forgotten. It’s not a management “phase” that will end after a problem has been corrected. Real improvements must occur frequently and continually in order to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.

7. Quality is a long-term investment

Quality management is not a quick fix. You can purchase QMS software that will help you get things started, but you should understand that real results won’t occur immediately. TQM is a long-term investment, and it is designed to help you find long-term success.

Before you start looking for any kind of quality management software, it is important to make sure you are capable of implementing these fundamental principles throughout the company. This kind of management style can be a huge culture change in some companies, and sometimes the shift can come with some growing pains, but if you build on a foundation of quality principles, you will be equipped to make this change and start working toward real long-term success.

How to Edit Your Radio Shows with Adobe Audition

Everyone in the radio industry should know a thing or two about how to edit audio, that’s why we’re going to show you how you can edit your radio shows with Adobe Audition for pre-recorded segments to sound like you’re broadcasting live radio.

Edit Your Radio Shows with Adobe Audition

Adobe Audition

Adobe Audition has been a staple of radio studios for over 15 years, even going by the name “Cool Edit Pro” around a decade ago – Most radio stations expect that you know the basics of how to use Audition or something similar to edit radio shows, but for this guide you will learn how to use Adobe Audition.

If you don’t already have Audition then you can get it as part of the Adobe Creative Cloud package.

Multitrack Session

The first thing you need to do when Audition is open is to create a new multi-track session where all of your audio files will live – Select “Multitrack” and enter a “Session Name” for your show.

This will bring up the multitrack editor where there’s lots of different layers for your audio.

In this example we will add music at the 1st layer, jingles/sweepers for the 2nd layer, and finally a voice-track for the 3rd layer.

On a basic level this is how you can structure radio shows to manage each type of audio.

Adding Tracks

Drag and drop tracks directly into Audition, either in the “Files” section for you to save the track for later or you can add it directly into your multitrack session on a layer, for example we have added a jingle onto the timeline.

The great thing about Audition is it will convert any file, so it doesn’t matter what file you add, whether it’s an .mp3, .mp4, or .wav it will automatically convert it to a unified format for the project you are working on which is handy if you have an assortment of different types of tracks.

Segue Between Tracks

When you have a couple of tracks in your multitrack editor it should look something like this:

You want your shows to sound radio friendly, so going from one track to another it should have no gaps, be nicely faded between items, and edited together for seamless transitions.

One way you can edit a track is to trim either the start or end, this is ideal for audio that already have a fade in or out – You can easily trim the file by grabbing the edge and moving it to cut the audio.

Alternatively use the crossfade to fade in and out tracks. The line on the file represents the audio, if you have it long with no curve then it will slowly fade out over time or a sudden dip means the audio will drop quickly.

Grab the box at the end of the file and move it to adjust the curvature and length of the crossfade – It’s best to adjust this, playback the audio to test, and make further adjustments until you get a good sounding fade.

As the track dips down you want new audio to take over, in this instance we’re going from track to jingle, so we just need to grab the jingle and move it as the previous track fades out.

Recording Your Voice

To mimic a live broadcast you need to include a voiceover between tracks – With Adobe Audition you can record audio and add directly to your multitrack session.

Open up a new file by clicking on “Waveform”, then File -> New -> Audio File… – This brings up a new blank audio file for your recordings.

Clicking the red record button on the page starts to record audio from either your built in or external microphone – Once you’re finished hit stop.

The great thing about recording files in Audition is if you make mistakes you can re-record or chop off bits at the start or end by selecting and deleting.

Insert the audio file into the multitrack by right-clicking, selecting “Insert into Multitrack”, and then the name of your multitrack session.

Bonus Tip: Layer Colour

One of the cool things you can do in Audition is to change layer colours to make it easier to manage tracks in overview.

Once your recorded track has been added to your multitrack and moved onto the right layer, in this case “Voicetrack”, double-click on the current label colour to bring up the colour wheel.

Select a new colour and hit “OK” – All of your layer’s audio file colours should now have changed so they are distinguished from the others.

Background Track

It’s quite common in radio to speak on top of tracks before vocals kick in, this way hosts can chat over the intro with a nice beat in the background before it officially starts.

Sound waves that are lower then the rest of the track in the intro or outro indicate that vocals or loud noises aren’t present, so you can overlap your voice track, however if the audio is loud you can lower the volume in the track.

Adjust the volume by grabbing the yellow line on the track; the lower it is the more quite the audio will be.

When the voice-track is finished you want the volume of the audio to go up to match the voice over, this is how cue points come in handy.

Cue points are volume adjustment markers, add one or many by clicking the yellow line on track at various points, then move the line to adjust the volume.

You can adjust the volume for intros and outros on the rest of your tracks to segue between each one for a professional show all the way through.

Exporting Shows

When you have your show ready you can export the entire final product as a single audio file all mixed together including all the adjustments you have made.

Export your shows by going to File -> Export -> Multitrack Mixdown -> Entire Session…

Once your show has been exported you can upload it to Radio.co, then add it to playlist and schedule it broadcast at a time you want – The best part is your listeners won’t know any different as it sounds like it’s live radio.

You can use this guide to create multiple shows and schedule them throughout the week so it sounds like you have a radio station full of live shows.

Leadership in a Digital World

“Musicians play their instruments. I play the orchestra.” Steve Jobs attributed this quote to a famous conductor in the film Steve Jobs. It’s hard to come up with a more vivid illustration of leadership. It acknowledges that conductors may be less adept at playing instruments than any of the players in front of them — and other instruments not at all — yet they elicit brilliant performances. I have been told by a San Francisco Symphony musician that guest conductors can in a few rehearsals have the orchestra sounding like the orchestras where they are based.

Leadership, per Webster, means “the quality of a leader; capacity to lead”. In recent years, the word has become ever more prominent in business schools and the business press. Good “management” is no longer enough for an organization to compete successfully and “administration” calls to mind stultifying bureaucratic procedures even though it’s the A in the MBA degree. It’s not that leadership was ever UNimportant, it’s just that keeping the trains running on time and effectively managing resources — people, facilities, money — are more attuned to needs of stable or slowly evolving environments.

Today, when everybody wants to disrupt theirs or somebody else’s business and new technologies that let them do it seem to appear almost daily, people with the “capacity to lead” are critical, and nowhere more than in the exploitation of IT. Obvious though this is, how to recognize, empower and sustain good technology leaders has been a challenge. People who can think strategically about what, why and how to deploy technology but who have trouble delivering it (and vice versa) fall short as technology leaders. Both skills are needed.

An upcoming issue of Cutter Business Technology Journal will examine what we really mean by “Technology leadership” and to add depth and texture to the question of how best to find and nurture it. Specific questions to address include, but should not be limited to:

• What does “capacity to lead” really mean?
• How do well-led organizations differ from poorly led ones, and not just in their bottom lines?
• As specifically as possible, what are the hallmarks of a well-led IT organization?
• Is technology leadership different from leadership of professionals in general? If so, how?
• Do different parts of IT require different leadership than others, e.g., operations vs software releases vs digital innovation?
• What do technology leaders do significantly better that sets them apart from managers and administrators?
• What challenges do leaders face in aligning the right technology with the organization’s business goals?
• What is the relative importance of such positive attributes of leaders as personal charisma, people skills, political skills, persuasiveness both within IT and the boardroom, entrepreneurial bent, subject matter expertise, strategic thinking, ability to inspire, boldness, risk-taking, setting an example, fairness, anticipating problems and opportunities, coolness under fire, etc. in technology leadership? How does the emphases differ according to the role of IT in the organization?
• What are examples of excellent technology leadership, widely recognized or from personal experience? What made them excellent?
• What are examples of screw-ups caused by lack of good technology leadership, widely recognized or from personal experience? What aspects of leadership were deficient?
• How can technology leaders meet the challenges of today’s organizations such as cutting costs while still innovating? Or addressing the always present cyber-security or data privacy threats?
• Can a person be an effective technology leader without ever having worked in IT?
• How can a technology leader maximize team performance to create competitive advantage?
• How can we recognize and nurture potential technology leadership talent?
• Given that a technology leader is not the CEO, COO or CFO, what special attributes are needed to ensure IT plays as full and strategic a role as the nature of the enterprise can justify?
• Given that great technology leaders are not easy to find, what can subordinates do to make the best of the situation when the incumbent who should be a leader is only fair or even poor?

Top 5 Security Camera System Features

Video security technology has drastically improved over the last twenty years and we have security camera system features now that weren’t even in their infancy just 10 years ago. If you haven’t shopped for a video security system before, the laundry list of standard features can be a bit daunting at first glance and you may feel in over your head. Don’t panic. Whether you’re looking for a small, entry level system to secure your home or your security needs are a little more complex, there are 5 security system features that every location will benefit from using.

Night Vision Monitoring

Being able to clearly capture details on video at night is a crucial component of any CCTV system. With the majority of break-ins, vandalism, and thefts occurring under the cover of darkness, being able to accurately identify the criminals or their vehicle is key in recovering lost possessions and worth its weight in gold in aiding the police in their investigation.

There are various ways that you can add night vision monitoring to your security system (cameras with infrared LEDs, IR cut filters, or software for true day/night) and though the method varies, the end result is all the same. The security cameras record in full color during the day and when the lighting level drops below a set point, the camera automatically switches over to night vision mode and operates independently of ambient light so your system will be able to capture footage even in total darkness.

Browse our selection of night vision CCTV cameras.

Infrared Security Camera Video Demo

This video demonstration shows the difference between a CCTV camera with and without its infrared LEDs active.

Weatherproof Camera Housings

As security camera technology becomes more advanced, the internal components also become more sensitive to dirt, water, and fluctuations in temperature. If you need to monitor the outside of your location, you will need weatherproof cameras or camera enclosures. CCTV camera housings protect against various intensities of dust and moisture that range from zero to complete protection. That level of protection is designated by its weatherproof rating.

The standard format for a camera’s weatherproof rating is IPxx with the first ‘x’ notating the level of protection against solid objects ranging from 0 (none) to 6 (complete protection) and the second ‘x’ for moisture protection which ranges from 0 (none) to 8 (complete submersion). When you’re looking for weatherproof cameras, be sure to find out their IP rating so they have the correct level of protection.

Weatherproof Rating Chart

Motion Detection Recording

Monitoring around the clock so you don’t miss a single detail sounds fantastic on paper, but doing so will quickly max out your system’s hard drive and drastically shorten the amount of video you’ll have in your archive at any one time. By switching your video security system’s recording setting from “continuous” to “motion activated”, not only will you maximize your storage space, the video you do capture will be of actual events as they unfold rather than hours upon hours of an empty hallway.

Disclaimer: Motion detection recording can be triggered by swaying trees, passing traffic, and sharp shadows, but your system can be configured to ignore specific areas of the camera’s field of view and the trigger’s sensitivity can be adjusted as well.

H.264 Video Compression

H.264 is the latest and greatest video compression codec that greatly reduces the demands on your video recorder’s storage space and transmission bandwidth. (In a nutshell, it makes smaller video files and transmits them faster over your network.) Compared to the MPEG-4 video codec, recorders with H.264 compression use half of the bandwidth while transmitting the video at the same video quality.

To get the absolute most out of your video recorder’s storage space, we strongly recommend using a DVR / NVR with the H.264 codec and motion activated recording. It’s not uncommon for systems using this setup to be able to store at least a month’s worth of video on a single hard drive.

Remote Access on Smartphones / Tablets

Plainly put, Apple revolutionized the CCTV industry with the iPhone. Back in the old dark days of yore, you had to be physically on-site to view your security system’s video feeds. With the advent of the smartphone and broadband internet, your system is quite literally at your fingertips everywhere you go. With a free app that’s available on both the iTunes and Android marketplace, you can sign in, view archived video, and manage your surveillance system on your smartphone or tablet from anywhere with an internet connection.

This security camera system feature is peace of mind in your pocket. At any time of day or night, you can check in on your family, make sure your employees are working, double check that you turned off the lights before you went on vacation, or adjust your recording schedule for an upcoming holiday.

Recap

Picking up or building a CCTV system for the first time can be overwhelming with all the choices and configurations that are available to you. However, as long as your new video security system has the five features below, your home or business will be sitting pretty with a well-rounded, efficient system.

• Night Vision Recording
• Weatherproof Camera Housings
• Motion Detection Recording
• H.264 Video Compression
• Remote Access via Smartphone / Tablet

We hope you enjoyed our article on the top 5 security camera system features that every location needs. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, we’d love to hear from you in the comments section below!