Exacq Blog

Version 4.5 of exacqVision Video Management Software has just been released. This latest release, compatible with all exacqVision Hybrid and IP video surveillance systems, incorporates new features and enhancements, and continues our quest for rapid, incremental updates.

Version 4.5 is available for download here. Key features in the 4.5 Release include:

• Serial keywords used as Event Linking and Monitoring Sources
• New RTSP Plugin – Video/Audio Streaming from RTSP Devices
• ONVIF PTZ & Presets added
• Samsung 5000-Series IP Cameras Supported through ONVIF
• Bosch ONVIF Enhancements
• New Panasonic WJ-GXE500 encoder support
• Panasonic protocol analog PTZ enhancements
• Audio support for Panasonic IP cameras
• Arecont – privacy mask enabled in latest models
• Enterprise System License Management from My Systems Page
• Finnish Language Support

Here are some of the features in detail:

Serial Keywords used as Event Linking and Monitoring Sources
A major new feature in 4.5 is the ability to create unique events on serial keywords, either from UART or IP serial ports. By tapping into the power of exacqVision event linking, creating unique events on serial keywords greatly enhances the configurability of exacqVision to act on events. Some of the key uses of this are:

Point of Sale (POS) – By using keywords, specific red-flag transactions could be subject to additional scrutiny, such as logging, e-mail alerts, move to a specific PTZ preset, etc. The keyword events are also visible in the graphical search timeline, creating an easy path for case building.

Video Analytics – Using the event per keyword also opens up support for a host of video analytic packages. In particular, keywords used with the new RTSP plugin (also in 4.5) enable the use of the full analytic functions with VideoIQ IP cameras (discussed further below).

Access Control – Using keywords with access control systems can enable video recording or other actions. Keywords can come from an access control server, or directly from IP readers.

Easy to Deploy – Using keywords with exacqVision’s powerful event linking function means integrators can easily configure systems to respond to a wide variety of events, all with zero programming.

Keyword Demo – We’ve setup a web page to demo the event-per-keyword functionality, here:
http://www.exacq.com/epk

In this demo, you can type in "clock" or "front door" or "side door" or "disco" or combinations of keywords. Pre-defined event linking will swing the PTZ camera to those locations and, if selected, turn on the famous Exacq disco ball via the relay outputs.

New RTSP Plugin – Video/Audio Streaming from RTSP Devices
Version 4.5 includes a new Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) plugin, enabling the connecting of a wide variety of video devices including a large population of IP cameras. RTSP is a widely-used streaming protocol, and most every IP camera vendor supports it to one degree or another. Our RTSP plugin is based on live555, which is the code base for many streaming applications, including the ubiquitous VLC.

VideoIQ Analytic Cameras – A key benefit of this plugin, combined with the Keyword eventing above, is the ability to use the video analytics found in VideoIQ cameras. Version 4.5 allows the connection of any VideoIQ IP camera, and enables actions to happen based on analytic events from the camera. Analytics available in VideoIQ cameras include:

• Perimeter protection
• Virtual fence or “tripwire”
• Unmanned site protection
• Crowd formation monitoring
• Direction of travel monitoring
• Outdoor inventory control
• Indoor object removed

Large Variety of RTSP Cameras – RTSP is broadly used by IP camera vendors, and as such the RTSP plugin enables the use of most every IP camera, from consumer-grade up through the highest-end cameras. RTSP does not support motion detection at the edge, but is useful when basic video streaming form just about any camera is necessary. A fairly comprehensive listing of available RTSP-supported IP cameras is here.
 

ONVIF PTZ and Presets Support
The exacqVision ONVIF plugin has been enhanced, adding PTZ, PTZ presets, and relay outputs to the supported commands. 
 

Samsung 5000-Series IP Cameras Supported through ONVIF
Support has been added through ONVIF for the latest generation of Samsung IP cameras, the 5000-Series.  These megapixel box and dome cameras include the following models:

SNB-5000
SND-5080
SND-5080F
SNV-5080

The Samsung 5000-Series IP cameras mut have firmware 1.32_110201 or newer.
 

Bosch ONVIF Enhancements
Support for Bosch cameras under ONVIF has been enhanced, adding the ability to select both resolution and compression type.
 

New Panasonic WJ-GXE500 encoder support
Support has been added for the Panasonic WJ-GXE500 4-Channel H.264 Real-Time Network Video Encoder.

Panasonic protocol analog PTZ enhancements
Support had been added for Menu, Flip and Pattern Programming on Panasonic-protocol analog PTZ cameras.

Audio support for Panasonic IP cameras
Audio decode support for G726-type audio has been added for the latest generation of Panasonic IP cameras:

Arecont – privacy mask enabled in latest models
The privacy mask functionality has been added for the latest models of Arecont megapixel IP cameras:

AV1315
AV1325
AV2815
AV2825
AV2805
AV10005  (with firmware 65191/2 or newer)

System License Management Enhancements on My Systems Page
In Version 4.5 the process of managing and updating system licenses has been greatly enhanced, and can be done right from the My Systems page. Whether a single license key for a single server, or hundreds of license keys for an enterprise installation, the process has been made quick and easy.

Individual License Update -To update individual system license keys, go to the My Systems page, right click on any system in the Subscription column, select Update, and select either Update License from file or Update License from text.

Batch License Update – For enterprise installations with dozens or even hundreds of servers, license update is now entirely automated. A single .CSV file with all MAC addresses and License Keys is generated by Exacq. The user simply imports that one file and it applies the license keys to all servers. The user can also easily export all server license keys for easy updating.

Finnish Language Support
Finnish localization support has been added to Version 4.5.

This brings a total of 18 languages supported in exacqVision, including English, French, German, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Dutch, Spanish, Catalan/Valencian, Polish, Slovak, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, and Hungarian.
 

Recent Releases
With this release we continue to make rapid progress with exacqVision, and incremental releases have hit about every 2 months. A large number of new features have been added in a short period of time. You can see the full release history of exacqVision here:
exacqVision Release History

Download and Installation
As always, the latest versions of exacqVision client and server software can easily and quickly be copied over existing versions while retaining all user settings. The latest versions can always be downloaded from the exacqVision Downloads page, or you can click on ‘Check for Updates‘ within the ‘About‘ box in the exacqVision software.

exacqVision Server software is available in both Windows and Linux versions, and the exacqVision client software is available in Windows, Linux and Macintosh native versions. Any version of exacqVision client can connect to any version of exacqVision server.